Dec. 29, 2010
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Opening statement:
"I really respect teams like North Florida. They play every position and keep coming for 40 minutes. Whatever they can do, they try to do. When they get back in their league, and I believe they still have to play Kansas State, they are going to be a pretty tough out because they know how to play and they play with a lot of heart. I was really impressed with how they approached things tonight."
On concerns moving forward:
"I have concerns like every coach. There will be things we will work on in the gym. Our exam period goes from the 13th to the 23rd of December but most schools go the week before, so most schools are playing while we have exams. That's why we snuck in that game against NJIT. It puts us right into the break. Teams like Duke take nine days off because there are not a lot of games going on in that period. You end up playing only a few games in a period where we could use more games. I think we showed the rustiness tonight, and that is something you have to play through quickly because it is January and almost February now, and you have to be ready to go."
On Sean Mosley's play:
"I thought he played with a lot of energy and made some nice shots. I played him with four fouls in the second half because we needed what he was giving; not the points, but the aggressiveness. When Sean is on his game, he can really lift the team with his style of play."
On Jordan Williams:
"I think he has been playing very well and against good teams, not just teams we are favored against. But he has to keep working. He is only a sophomore, and his ceiling is as high as he wants it. He isn't one of those players that was anointed coming out of high school. Basketball is a different game at each level you go. The big guys are so much quicker than what Jordan ever played against in high school. So far, we have played some teams that are smaller than us and he has had to guard some players that are smaller than him. But that still helps your development as a player.
"He needs to continue to work on elements of his game, and foul shooting is one of them. Having said that, he has a tremendous top-side. There is no ceiling there, and it really depends on what his goals are for basketball. If he continues to work, he has a great shot to get a lot out of the game."
On changes in the starting lineup:
"We are still in the process of seeing what combinations work best for us. It's a challenge to get the right people on the court at the right time, but I like challenges, and it will be interesting to see what works best for us."
On the team's fitness level:
"I was talking about me working out. Every team coming back from Christmas break is not in as good of shape as when they left."
On his streak of double doubles:
"It a great accomplishment, being compared to Joe Smith is unbelievable. I don't know the record but I'm just trying to get better every game. We won the game tonight and I had a double-double but I missed nine free throws, so that's what I take from the game: `what can I do better?' I'm letting my team down if I keep missing free throws. That's frustrating for me; I shoot 100 before games and I'm going to shoot 200 after everyone leaves tonight. I just need to keep trying to get better."
On the crowd's reaction after he made his first free throw:
"It was good to know that they had my back and didn't give up on me. It was also embarrassing because they wouldn't have done that if I had made them all."
On his improvement on offense:
"I haven't been playing to the potential that I can play in. These last two games have been better. It all comes from practice; I work hard in practice. Getting extra shots up and taking my shots in practice where I take my shots in games. I'm just getting familiar with everything and need to stop second-guessing myself. My teammates have been doing a good job finding me and I need to take advantage of my opportunities."
On what he brings coming off the bench:
"I just want to bring intensity. Whatever we need I'll do; I'm watching the game so I can see what we need."
On if he likes coming off the bench:
"I like it because I can see what we need to do as a team. I get to come in and make the adjustment."
On Coach Williams' reaction to his shot selection:
"He doesn't really say anything. He says that if I take the shots I better make them. I'm making the shots so I can keep on taking them."
North Florida Head Coach Matthew Driscoll
Opening statement:
"I really respect Coach Williams and he's always treated me well. He brings in players that he develops well. How many McDonald's All-Americans has he had? Not many, and I respect him for that. Maryland has a strong transition team, kind of like Missouri in the Big 12. They have a high conversion percentage on fast break points that makes them tough to beat."
On what he thought his team could exploit:
"We really thought we could go inside. Jordan Williams is a tough player and the one thing we knew was that he wouldn't foul. He likes to stay on the court - I think he averages 33 minutes a game. So we thought we could go inside and then also take 3-pointers from the outside."
On moving forward:
"We leave first thing tomorrow morning for Kansas State on Friday and then we'll have three conference games."
- Terps -
