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ROY WILLIAMS
Listen to Audio (23:51)
After the ACC Tournament, how quickly do you get your juices going for the NCAA’s?
“Mine are ready right now, but I’m an old guy with gray hair. We’re giving to guys the day off today. Tomorrow we’re just lifting and being involved in the memorial service here, and Wednesday, we’ll try to have a big-time practice. Thursday, we’ll practice here before we go over to the RBC Center. If they gave us more than 40 minutes, I’d just practice over there, but I can’t clear my throat in 40 minutes, so we’re going to practice here and then we’ll go over there and shoot around, play a little ‘Horse,’ dunk a few and get out of town in that afternoon practice session. So Wednesday and Thursday is when we’ll really start preparing. Right now, [we’re] just trying to let their bodies get a little bit of rest, mentally get a little rest and then go from there.”
What does your staff do until you know your opponent on Tuesday night?
“Basically we’ll do the same thing the team does – try to get our attitude refreshed again. We’ll watch the game tomorrow night, to say the least, with a great deal of interest. What I’ve been working on all day today is which hotel, what practice time, how many tickets – all of the garbage stuff you have to do. But the staff spent about two hours grading the tape of yesterday’s game. I watched the entire game over last night. I had already seen it on the bus coming back and I’ve seen it another time, too – try to learn from the good things we did, the bad things we did. I don’t think you ever stop doing that. We had some discussions this morning about two particular plays that we run, changes that we’re going to make and all of that coaching [stuff]. Basically, trying to catch our breaths, too.”
Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl complained that his team was given the No. 2 seed in the overall No. 1 seed’s bracket. Do you ever concern yourself with those types of things?
“No. I like Bruce and [he] has had a tremendous, tremendous year. You guys have heard me say this last week and the week before, but it’s too confusing. Anybody can stand up and make a case that sounds good. And the next person can stand up and make a case that sounds good that may be a little bit different from what the [previous] person said. It’s such a tough thing to decide who are the four No. 1 seeds. I thought that Tennessee was going to be a No. 1 seed. I was sure of it, and yet, when they lose on Saturday, it throws that doubt in there, and I’m thinking, ‘My gosh, they’ve proven something over three-and-a-half months, why should this one game throw doubt in there?’ But the problem is that there are other really good teams.
“I remember one year that we had three teams in the Big 12, and I don’t think I’ll miss this much, but I’m going to guess that it was 2002. We had three teams – Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas – that people were talking about that were going to possibly get a No. 1 seed. Oklahoma got a No. 1 seed, Texas got a No. 1 seed and Kansas got a No. 2 seed. And the chairman of the selection committee got up and was asked a question and he said, ‘Well, we went head-to-head in the Texas-Kansas matchup.’ Well, they missed that one, because we had beaten Texas. So there’s no rhyme or reason that anybody can figure it, and I think that’s a smart thing for the tournament committee to do – keep it so dadgum confusing that no one can ever pin them down.”
TYLER HANSBROUGH
Listen to Audio (11:25)
On the anticipation for the NCAA Tournament:
“You’re very eager, just because of all the hype put into it, but also, this is what it comes down to. It seems like we practice for the tournament to end up in a good spot. This is where all of our goals are set, but just as a team, we all want to do well because its what you practice so hard for… It’s been on our mind pretty much since last year since we lost.”
On the NBA:
"Well, I'm not going to make that [decision] here, but I do enjoy college a lot. I’m not going to make a decision right now, but a big part of the reason why I came back is for times like these, to be successful.”
MARCUS GINYARD
Listen to Audio (11:22)
Are you ready for the NCAA Tournament to begin?
“I definitely really excited to get going – there’s no question about that. This is by far the biggest time of the year for any basketball player. Obviously, there’s a lot of excitement right now, but I’m just really focused right now on what this team needs to do in order to reach the big-time goals that we have.”
On being named to the ACC All-Tournament team:
“I felt very fortunate, but I was very surprised. I talked about this a little yesterday, but I have to give the majority of the credit to my teammates who really bust their butt out there each and every day, in practice and out there in games. It’s tough not to look good when you’re playing with Tyler Hansbrough, when you’re playing with Ty Lawson and when you’re playing with Wayne Ellington. It’s really hard to not look good.”