GREENVILLE, S.C. — Arkansas and North Carolina players and coaches preview the Sunday second-round matchup.
Mike Anderson
THE MODERATOR: Opening comments from Coach.
COACH ANDERSON: This is round two now with us surviving and advancing and playing against an outstanding North Carolina team. Seemed like it was two years ago, I think, we was at this same place playing against a North Carolina team.
But here it is and we're one of 32 teams that are still playing, so we're looking forward for the opportunity to play against one of the bigger teams in the country.
The perimeter players are playing well. Justin is playing, well. I mean, I think four of those guys, four of their starters, those guys played, we played them two years ago. They were freshmen and maybe sophomores. So it's an experienced team -- Meeks, Hicks.
They're a very, very good basketball team. So we've got our work cut out for us, especially after giving up 21 offensive rebounds last night to Seton Hall. And we know we can't let that occur with North Carolina. If so, it will be over quick.
Of course Joel Berry is playing outstanding for them. Our guys are looking forward to the opportunity to continue to play good basketball. I think we're playing good basketball. We're finding ways to win, even when things don't look like, don't look promising, our guys have had the resilience to find a way to win, and we've done that throughout the year. So we use those experiences to get us to this point. And so again we're going to have to play an awful good game against a very good North Carolina team.
Q. Mike, it was this week a year ago that your conference made Mike Tranghese a consultant on how to get more teams to the tournament obviously. Obviously you've got more this year. But do you see that SEC basketball made strides this year, and do you see tomorrow as a day with both you and South Carolina playing ACC teams here where something really good could happen?
COACH ANDERSON: It's an opportunity for us. You've got to be in those situations in order to -- you talk about the brand, the SEC brand -- we talk about. And yes I think we had five teams, possibly had six or seven teams in the tournament. And it's what you do once you get into the tournament.
South Carolina had an outstanding game last night. Vanderbilt was probably one play away from winning as well. But I think the commitment from the SEC has been awesome from the institutions, each institution with the coaches they're bringing in, I think they're really pulling into their programs and I think you're going to see a big difference.
And we're seeing it right now. I think it's starting to scratch the surface, when you talk about recruiting, the coaches that are in place. And even this year, we had three last year, three teams in the tournament last year. We got five this year. So I think it's just a sign of some great things to come and we'll be one of the better conferences in the country.
Q. What do you remember about that game against Carolina two years ago down in Jacksonville?
COACH ANDERSON: It was an up-and-down game, I remember that. I thought we came in, playing at a high level. And they were playing at a high level as well. I remember Paige taking over in the second half. I mean, he was almost like a one-man wrecking crew.
But they had some other -- the big guys I remember the big guys really dominating the glass as we went up and down the floor. They attacked us and attacked us pretty well at the basket. The game, I think, about ten minutes to go or eight minutes to go, was almost 50-50, something like that. We had a chance to tie or something and they went on a run and ended up winning by double figures. But I thought it was a game up and down the floor, and that's what I think we'll see with this game tomorrow.
Q. The 1s haven't lost in the second round very often but you've experienced that. I think UAB, you guys were a 9 seed, 8 or 9 when you beat Kentucky. What's it take for to beat a No. 1 seed in the second round game, do you think? And what do you guys have to do tomorrow?
COACH ANDERSON: I think we've got to play well. We've got to play outstanding basketball. I draw back on those experiences that I had at UAB. To me it was not necessarily just seeds. It was just two teams playing each other. And we were the underdogs. I mean, no one gave us a chance. Just like now no one's giving us a chance.
And in that locker room that we had, those guys believed and they came out and they gave themselves a chance. It was like David versus Goliath. I'll never forget it. We threw a mighty big blow with a big rock, we did.
It's going to take one of those kind of efforts. You've gotta play almost perfect basketball. And of course they've gotta do some things and not play well. But defensively we've got to keep them off the boards. I think that's going to be big and not let them get easy opportunities at the basket.
Our strength has been our bench. Our bench has played well for us. But it's going to be a physical ballgame and we've got to match their physicalness. We've got to make the game chaotic, disruptive. We can't be predictable. But at the same time we know they have size. Justin Jackson is playing at a high level. Shot the ball extremely well. Berry can shoot the ball. But we've got to limit them to one shot when they do shoot it.
Q. Given the fact two years ago you said the game was an up-and-down one with North Carolina, do you anticipate the same -- I mean, you guys like to run, they like to run. You talked about causing chaos. Do you think it's going to be that same up-and-down, or do you want to kind of take them out of that rhythm?
COACH ANDERSON: I think they like to get up and down the floor. So I don't think it's about what we -- we're going to worry about what we do. But I'm sure Roy, he's not going to change. We're not going to change. I mean, you do what got you here to the dance.
Q. In the SEC postseason play, it looks like Jaylen, he's elevated his game to another level leading you in scoring. Is he doing anything differently, or is it as simple as his shots are starting to fall?
COACH ANDERSON: No, I think he's just taking command of our basketball team. He's doing it kind of quietly. He's not talking or boastful about it. I just think we're just playing, and our guys are following his lead. He's more comfortable in his role, so to speak.
Sometimes guys come in, they try to fit in, especially junior college player. I don't need him to fit in. I need him to come play. I think he's taken that mindset and run with it. I think Daryl has done the same thing. And so we're going to need Daryl to play at that same level for us tomorrow in order to have a chance.
Q. This is going to be the sixth time Arkansas and Carolina play in the tournament. I guess it'll be your fifth involvement as either assistant or head coach. Obviously played against them. Obviously, Lee played against them, Scotty played against them. Always seemed like Arkansas is playing Carolina for whatever reason. What do you think about that and what do you think about the history you guys have had in the tournament?
COACH ANDERSON: Obviously, North Carolina has great tradition. And we have tradition as well. And I guess that says that, you know what, when you get in this tournament and you start advancing, you're going to play outstanding teams. And it's amazing how -- they play for championships. And we've had an opportunity -- I've been a part of three Final Fours. We had a chance to play for some championships, too.
So I mean maybe that's what it means. We're trending that direction. But when you play in this tournament, you're going to play tremendous teams, whether it be North Carolina. We played Arizona. We played many teams in the tournament. Played Duke as well. So that means you're advancing in it.
Q. You mentioned their rebounding. They're like a plus-13, I think it leads the nation. Watching them, what makes them such a good rebounding team? They only have one guy averaging more than six rebounds, so seems like everybody is getting a few here and there?
COACH ANDERSON: They've got eight pros, have you seen all those guys they got? Eight, nine pros. You got pros, they can go get it. And they've got size. They've got girth. They've got experienced guys.
And so, again, it's going to be the ultimate challenge for our team, because that's something we hadn't done consistently, hadn't done as well as I would like us to be. We're not going to be a great team, but we've got to keep people off the glass.
Q. Piggybacking on Mark's question about the SEC, the SEC was 4-1 in the first round. You and Carolina both beat Big East teams. Everybody's always talking about the Big East in basketball. Just how good a statement do you think you guys made in that first round, and then obviously want to make tomorrow, too?
COACH ANDERSON: It was the first game in the tournament. And I know from a coaching standpoint, you get nervous about that game. And especially I got seven new guys, seven guys that have never donned a Razorback uniform. Here they are in the NCAA Tournament going to the second round, playing in the first round.
But those guys came, seen things through my eyes, they came out and played well in terms of for the conference. I think it speaks well in terms of what our conference is all about. People look at our conference and thought it was down this year, but it was not.
I mean, we lose at Missouri, we lose to Vanderbilt. We lose at home to Mississippi State. We lost to Florida a couple of times. But our league is really good. You're in the family. You start fighting each other.
So now it's kind of neat to get out of the family and go play some other teams and hopefully do well in the tournament. And continue to put the brand of the SEC basketball, it's for real.
Q. Justin Jackson, I think he was sort of in a mini shooting slump. He had about four games where he was shooting around 30 percent. Looked like he broke out yesterday. Were you kind of hoping his struggles would continue? Just what do you think about him as a player?
COACH ANDERSON: He's a good player. Averaging almost 20 points a game, probably here in conference, 18. He's leading their team. And he's expanded his range. I see him cutting to the basket. He can rebound the basketball. He can pass it. I mean, had a chance to see this kid grow. Watching him even from high school get a chance, tried to recruit him a little bit.
But when you look at two years ago, he was a true freshman. Now he's like the leader of this basketball team. So he's grown as a player, and that's what good players do. They develop. And I think he's developed into a very good outstanding player. And you don't look at stats this time of the year. You got guys that got to produce, and he knows he's got to produce for his team.
Q. Obviously Dustin had, like you said, probably the best game of the year. What do you think the odds are that he can duplicate that tomorrow. How important is it that he play big against a team like Carolina and all their size and everything?
COACH ANDERSON: I think he'll come out and play. I think he'll come out and give us everything he has. With those guys, with those forwards, you talk about Dustin, DT, we call him DT. You talk about Arlando Cook, whether it's Trey Thompson, always somebody's been on for us. And it's going to take more than just one guy being on. I thought DT had his best game. Who knows, it may be DT and Trey and Cook. We're going to need them against the forward contingency that North Carolina has.
Dustin Thomas, Manny Watkins, Moses Kingsley, Jaylen Barford
Q. For Manny and Moses, Carolina is a plus-13 rebounding. Just what do you think of that, and how tough of a challenge is that for you guys?
MANUALE WATKINS: It's going to be tough. Seton Hall, I think, it was plus-7, and we didn't do a good job on the boards. We gotta box out, hit people and help our bigs, help Moses, DT, Trey, all those guys, help them rebound. The guards gotta rebound really well this game.
MOSES KINGSLEY: Yeah, just like Manny said, we've got to be rebound, we got to do a better job than we did last game. We have to do it collectively. We have to do it as a team -- the guards, the bigs, too, everybody.
Q. Manny and Moses, you obviously played Carolina two years ago. This is the third time, third straight time that Arkansas has been in the tournament. They're playing Carolina in the second round. What do you think about that? Seems like Arkansas can't get away from Carolina?
MANUALE WATKINS: I think it's fun. It's an opportunity. They're a 1 seed, so what more fun can you have than knocking off a 1 seed and moving on in the tournament?
I think it's just a great opportunity. I don't know how the committee does the things, but I mean that's what they did. So we're ready to go. Whoever we're playing, we're ready for.
JAYLEN BARFORD: I guess it's going to be fun to play in the game against North Carolina. I wasn't here two years ago when they played them, but I know they always talk about it. I think it will be fun to play. We're just ready to play.
Q. Jaylen since the postseason play started, you're leading the team in scoring, and most of that is attacking the basket. Have you changed your style of game, or what have you done differently over the last four games?
JAYLEN BARFORD: I just stay more aggressive and just try to make plays for everybody and myself and just keep attacking, because I know when I attack it opens up a lot of things, so I just stay attacking.
Q. Moses, against Seton Hall, they had the one big guy Delgado, and he gets his every game. Carolina has so many more bigs. Are you a little bit concerned that they've got several Angel Delgados going instead of just one?
MOSES KINGSLEY: Just like I said earlier, we have to do a collective job because they have size. They have size -- the guards, the bigs -- they're bigger than the team we played last time, and we gotta do a better job of keeping everybody off the glass, because everybody, almost all five of them go to the glass every time they shoot the ball.
I think let's shoot it, go get it and put it back. Just like I said, we gotta do a collective job boxing out everybody and getting the ball going.
Q. Dustin, you had such a good game yesterday. Talk about what worked well for you and how you want to continue that against North Carolina, how important that is?
DUSTIN THOMAS: I just knocked down that first jumper, got going early and just kept the same rhythm and confidence throughout the rest of the game. They've been playing off me a little bit, sagging in there on Mo. So them are the shots I gotta take.
Q. Manny, do you feel a lot more confident in your team at this stage in the season knowing how you guys are mixing defenses based upon the fact that you go all the way back to early February you guys were able to go to the zone against LSU and that kind of turned the tide a little bit, made you guys a little more confident defensively? Does that make you confident going into a game like this against North Carolina?
MANUALE WATKINS: Yeah, one thing with us is we're a really confident team. I am, it's kind of hard not to be when you're one of 32 teams left in Division I basketball playing in the NCAA Tournament. So, I mean, we have the utmost confidence in our offense, our defense. And us being able to switch around defenses and go at people with different looks is a key part of what we do. So we're going into the game with 100 percent confidence like we do every game.
Q. Manny and Moses, anybody else who wants to take it, last week you guys, a week ago tomorrow, you play Kentucky in a, quote, neutral site but obviously they had the crowd. You know Carolina will have the crowd here tomorrow. Do you think playing Kentucky last week and their talent level, that atmosphere helps prepare you for tomorrow?
MANUALE WATKINS: I mean, yeah. We've been playing at neutral sites. They obviously had a lot more fans and Carolina is going to have a lot more tomorrow.
But we don't really get into the fans and the atmosphere. We're just here to play basketball and do what we love to do. That's all our focus is is going to be just try to get a win in. They have five guys out there; we've got five guys out there. That's basketball.
MOSES KINGSLEY: Yeah, they have five guys and we have five guys, and we're going to come out and play. They don't have more guys than we do on the court, so we have to do what we came to do, don't worry about things and just do what we've been doing for the whole season, just come out and execute, get stops, get rebounds and let's push the ball.
Q. Jaylen, I think I got this right, I think 8 seeds are 11-53 against 1, so it's not impossible. But the odds are stacked against you. How do you guys feel about an 8 seed taking on a 1? How would you like to add Arkansas to that group of 8 seeds that have upset 1s?
JAYLEN BARFORD: I think -- can you ask the question again.
Q. I think it's around 8 seeds are 11-53 against 1 seeds, so obviously the odds are against you. It's not impossible because 11 teams have done it. What do you think about those odds and your chance of becoming the 12th team to do it?
JAYLEN BARFORD: I think our chances are pretty good. I think we're a pretty good team, honestly. We can play anybody in the country. I think we just have to come out and play and don't worry about what the seed is, just take it one game at a time.
Roy Williams
THE MODERATOR: Thank you. We're joined by Coach Williams.
COACH WILLIAMS: We were very pleased that we're still here, number one, but -- with the way we did a lot of things last night, realizing in the NCAA Tournament turns around pretty quickly ... doing sign language, I didn't know if it was a NASCAR or what was going on. I was ready to pit and quit if you needed me to.
We did feel good about a lot of things last night. Got them something to eat. Got them to bed and getting ready to practice here. We have no idea if Joel Berry, what his ankle's going to be like in another 30 hours or whatever it is. He's not going to practice today. He's been getting treatment. I'm hopeful that he will play. But just to wait and see.
The bottom line is I can't be Mr. Miyagi, as I said last night, and clap my hands and rub it make it better. We'll have to see what it's like. It was the only time I was hoping we played at 1 or 2 and when I got the notice we played at 6:00, the way I looked at it it's four more hours for Joel to heal. So I'm hopeful that we'll have him.
Q. Arkansas loves to play fast. They press. Does that work in your favor, just because of all the athletes, and you guys obviously thrive in the open court as well?
COACH WILLIAMS: Well, I don't know if I'd say we thrive because of all those athletes we have. We're good in a fast pace, which is the way we always play. The difference is if you play at a fast pace and you turn it over, it's not good. If we get the shot that we all want and go up and down the court, that is familiarity for us.
We do want a fast pace. Arkansas wants a fast pace. They really guard the Dickens out of you in full court. And we try to guard you in half-court situation. It's a different philosophy there. But we've got to make sure we're not careless, we're not casual, we're not cool. Those three C words I don't like at all. If you're careless, casual or cool when you're playing with them, you're going back home.
Q. How have you seen Justin's role emerge this year, and how has he taken to that being a leader and a primary scorer on this team?
COACH WILLIAMS: You know, last spring, after the season was over with, we had several conversations going through the combine. Had some more conversations. And we focused on two or three things, and I think he's done a great job with it. He's really had a better focus, not that it was bad, but he had a better focus in the weight room. He's bigger, stronger, faster, quicker, all those things.
His shot is going in this year. So for us, I told him I wanted him to be more aggressive. We need him to rebound more. We need him to get to the free-throw a line more. Hadn't got to the free-throw line as much as I think he should have. And I think a lot of times, because he's got the little floater and everybody thinks it's okay because he still got the shot off. But I think he's done a fantastic job for us, understanding that we want him to score and need him to score.
I think he went through the four-game stretch there at the end of the season and through the ACC Tournament that he perhaps was trying to do too much or do what he had been doing but doing it quicker. And so just got to try to get him to settle down and just be Justin.
Q. You guys are plus-13 something on rebounding margin. What's been the key to that, because I think you only have one guy averaging more than six rebounds.
COACH WILLIAMS: We lost Brice Johnson last year, who was a great rebounder, led the league in rebound, had 23 rebounds in one game. So from the first day of practice we emphasized that we've gotta do a great job and rebound the basketball as a team.
We don't have a natural guy that just goes and the ball finds his hands all the time, like it did with Brice. We pushed the O in Justin, the three men on our team, that you've got to be able to go get some rebounds. We talked to Theo when he's a 2, Kenny Williams when he was a 2 that you've got to go get some rebounds for us.
Me, personally, for 29 years, I've really thought that that was the single most important factor in who wins the games. And so I've emphasized it forever. But we've had a couple of games this year where we didn't rebound it well and we usually got beat or struggled during those games.
Q. You said you're kind of unsure about the status of Joel for tomorrow due to his ankle. If he can't go or if his minutes are limited, how does that change things specifically offensively?
COACH WILLIAMS: Well, Nate Britt, Seventh Woods, Stilman White, those guys have to share the time. None of those guys have done as good a job as Joel, shooting over 40 percent from the 3-point line.
Nate shot it well last night, I think made two 3s last night, was five assists on our chart, no turnovers. Stilman can shoot the basketball, Seventh has tremendous speed and quickness. If I can put all three of them together and have one player at the end, I wouldn't be that worried.
But Joel has been one of our leaders and not just by scoring or shooting 3-point shots, but the way he plays defense. But we can't go out and draft anybody. So we've gotta figure out somebody to play.
Q. What do you remember about the game against Arkansas in the second round in Jacksonville two years ago? And can that be any help in preparing for this, because they've got pretty much an entirely new team?
COACH WILLIAMS: I don't think it can give you much. Their whole team, look at their roster, on our scouting report everybody's a junior or senior there. Been through it. Some of those guys were playing at that time. But most of them were not, or half and half, probably.
But I know we won. I know it was a very aggressive game. I know I felt going into the game exactly how I feel right now, that we've got to attack, attack, attack, under control and not turn the ball over.
Q. Tomorrow, Duke is basically going to play a road game here against South Carolina because of the HB2 law. If you were in that position, what would be your reaction to -- because of that law, basically having to play a road game in the second round as a 1 or 2 seed?
COACH WILLIAMS: Well, you know, a lot of times 1 or 2 seeds get to play a home game, us and Duke both, over the years. I just think it's a terrible law. That's the worst thing. It's not good for our state. I don't think we should be happy about it. It's an embarrassment, and those kind of things.
But we've gone on the road, played NCAA Tournament games before. It's part of it. It's what you do. I think we played Notre Dame at Notre Dame on Saint Patrick's Day one time, is that right, Artie? You're the only guy in here older than me. I wore my Masters green jacket just to tick everybody off and we won (laughter). I'm not a member at Augusta. I just had a jacket like that.
Q. You mentioned Stilman. He's had a very unique career. And obviously very unique experience in the middle of it. What was it like watching him come back to basketball? He said he barely touched a ball for two years, and to see him be part of these teams these last couple of years?
COACH WILLIAMS: It was. You think about it. You play and all of a sudden you're thrust into the magnificent spotlight of trying to go to the Sweet 16 with a guy who basically came as a walk-on kind of thing. And he really did a nice job.
I still say and believe that if we had been able to get to the Final Four it would have been one of the great stories in North Carolina basketball. Then he leaves for two years and he comes back and the first year he's back he's banged up and hurt all year. He had a foot problem while he was gone. It was still a thing that was bothering him a great deal.
This year he's really been something for us. He's led our scout team, blue squad, whatever you want to call them. Every day he's been a load for everybody to handle. And I told him, I said, you may be the only guy I really have not given enough time for what you deserve. And so one day I asked him, I said, "Would you rather me praise you a lot like I've been doing, or just give you more plus points to get you out of sprinting?" And he just looked at me and said, boy, Coach, that's a hard choice. But he's been fantastic for us.
Q. I'm not old enough to remember when South Carolina was in the ACC. But with that kind of historical perspective, you're playing an SEC team. They're SEC fans. You guys are North Carolina; they're South Carolina. Is the building going to be for or against you in your game tomorrow? What's your gut feeling?
COACH WILLIAMS: Oh, I gotta think -- I looked around yesterday, there were a lot of Carolina blue shirts in there. I think we'll have a decent crowd. I think we'll have more people cheering for us than perhaps there will be cheering for Duke in the other game.
Q. When you look at Arkansas's lineup, Moses Kingsley obviously stands out in the middle. But what have you seen from No. 0, Jaylen Barford, over the last couple of weeks of season?
COACH WILLIAMS: Jaylen, and I haven't seen much of him. I saw about three minutes of their game against Kentucky -- I think it was in the tournament; didn't they play Kentucky in the tournament just last week or the week before last? I saw three or four minutes of that.
But Jaylen, you know, I know the reputation, No. 1 JUCO player in the country, all that kind of stuff. He's really got a great ability to get the ball to the basket and finish. He can go in the medium post and shoot his turnaround jumper. 6'3", 210, looks like, and looks like he plays even bigger than that.
I think he's been extremely important to them. And he fits into that constant motion of harassment, havoc kind of mentality that Mike tries to push. He's been really good for them. He's a load for our guys, I can tell you that.
Q. You mentioned last night how good a job Mike has done with this team. Can you expand, what he's done well with this team?
COACH WILLIAMS: I've known Michael for a long time. I spent four, five, six years going to Arkansas playing in the college coaches golf tournaments, spending time with Nolan and Michael. Nolan has been a good friend, and Rose, their family, for me for a long time. But Michael coming back and replacing Nolan -- not replacing him, but that's what everybody thought. There were a couple of coaches in the middle there, too, I think. But everybody thought Arkansas basketball is back. And that was a pretty big burden for him to start with. But he's a guy that just sort of keeps plodding along, plodding along, plodding along.
He looks more like a sprinter than a marathon guy, but I happen to think he's a marathon guy who has really stuck to his philosophy, stuck to what he believes in, the way that he worked with Nolan when Nolan was the head coach.
He's added his own personal traits to it. But I think he's comfortable coaching that way. And I even saw -- might have been in their media guide stuff or maybe it's just off the paper -- I guess three or four kids who have committed to come there next year, all three of them the state of Arkansas.
He talked about that, their pride in Arkansas basketball. And he has a great deal of pride in Arkansas basketball and just done a great job, I think. Good guy. Good guy. His wife's a lot nicer than he is. But other than that he's okay.
Q. I guess, I know you guys have played a lot more tournament games, but this will be the third straight time Arkansas has been in the tournament and played North Carolina in the second round. I know you played them when you were at KU in the Elite Eight, I think it was. What do you think about playing Arkansas three straight times like this and kind of the North Carolina/Arkansas, because it's the sixth tournament game between the two teams?
COACH WILLIAMS: I'm not sure about the three -- we played them three straight ourselves? When did we play them again?
Q. '08, two years ago. They didn't go between '08 and 2015.
COACH WILLIAMS: Okay. I gotcha.
Q. So they've kind of run into that Carolina Blue law.
COACH WILLIAMS: We did it with Michigan when I ended up at North Carolina my last couple of years at Carolina, we played Michigan, we played Michigan, we played Michigan.
And I went to Kansas and they played Michigan again. That kind of thing. And couple of years ago we kept playing Kansas in Kansas City and Kansas in St. Louis. I wanted to play them in North Carolina one time.
But it's weird the way those things happen like that. But, again, I think I'm right in saying this, Nolan Richardson, his first clinic he did at UTEP after the passing of his daughter, he asked me if I would go and I went to that just because it was Nolan. The people in Arkansas they treated me fantastic.
And I was there a lot during those years playing in that golf tournament, spending time there. Bobby Wilson, you see advertising some weird thing help your golf game on TV. He was the pro there at Pinnacle. He's the long drive champion of the world for three, four, five years. And I've known Bobby and Mr. Hudson and Mr. Hunt, the Walton people, I mean WalMart people, excuse me, they were always good. And so for me, with Mike, we've been on a lot of trips together and he's a guy I really enjoy and have a great deal of respect for. So I don't really look at it as North Carolina/Arkansas. To me it's people I have a great deal of respect for.
Q. Luke was mentioning South Carolina. What are your memories of those days when they were just a big a rival as anybody else in the ACC?
COACH WILLIAMS: In those days big rivalries meant there was a lot more going on than everybody knew about. Now with social media, if they had things going on back then, there would have been guys that weren't playing for years or years or years or coaching for years or years.
It was a fierce rivalry. A very heated rivalry. There was a lot of things openly said between the two teams and yet you had Frank McGuire and Dean Smith who had a great deal of respect for each other.
But I was in school at that time. Some of the big-time games, some of the very violent games, things that went on during those games. I still remember one of the North Carolina players, and I know who he is, yelled "Contact, contact!"
And everybody stopped -- and I remember the South Carolina player, and I know who he is, but if you want to find out you've gotta do your homework -- going out in the middle of the court and stomping his feet trying to smash the contact.
I mean, that wasn't looked upon as that unusual, that kind of thing. So it was a big-time rivalry in those days. But Frank Martin has really done a fantastic job down there. And this place has a chance to be rocking for him tomorrow night, but they got their hands full.
Q. When you guys are playing well defensively, what are you seeing on the floor?
COACH WILLIAMS: I wish I would see a heck of a lot more of it. That's the big thing I've got. When we're playing well defensively, I think everybody is really focused, seeing the big picture, knowing what the other team's trying to do.
And five guys moving together. Every time the ball moves, five individuals need to move. And for us then you have to finish it with the box-out.
Last night, the ball was shot and one of our guys turned around and looked and the ball bounced over his head and I turned to the team, "What is it that we don't understand?" 91 practices, 34 games, and I'm still having to preach going to box somebody out. So I'd like those ideas of I hope that we have that scenario tomorrow, when we're playing defense I hope it's out there.
Kennedy Meeks, Joel Berry
Q. You guys are leading the nation in rebounding margin like 13 -- plus-13 or something. But I think Jackson is the only guy average -- no, Kennedy, I think you're the only one averaging more than six. What's the key to you guys leading the nation by such a wide margin?
KENNEDY MEEKS: That's our main goal every game that we go into. We want to win the rebound margin. I think that's what leads to wins. I think that definitely gives you another opportunity at getting shots. So that's our main objective from the big men, especially. And I know we had the 2 and 3 men hitting the boards also. So we try to use our size to our advantage and fight around the box-outs.
Q. Kennedy, along those lines, given the pace of play that you guys play at, does that help the offensive rebounding be so successful, to do it against a defense that made it not set?
KENNEDY MEEKS: I think so. I think it throws the defensive balance off. I think it kind of puts them on their heels. And Joel is the type of point guard, Sev and Nate are type of point guards that likes to attack you, so that definitely opens it up for the rest of your team.
Q. Joel, Arkansas is a team that likes to play fast, they like to press. Is that kind of playing into your hands with the kind of athletes you have and the depth you have?
JOEL BERRY II: Oh definitely. We're a team that, if the other team happened to score, we try to get the ball out really fast and get it down the court. So even though they press, I think it plays right into our hands, because if we can get it out fast where they don't have to, you know, get into their traps and everything, that helps us out. We can get down the floor, and we had the guys on the wings that can be able to attack.
Q. Kennedy, I was wondering what you thought about Moses Kingsley? He had a really big game yesterday against Delgado, who's All-Big East. What do you think about going against Moses? What you think about him as a player?
KENNEDY MEEKS: He's a great defender, major key to their team. And our main objective, of course, is to try to get him out of the game as much as possible, attacking the ball inside, and it will open the things up for our guards and Justin and Joel for easy shots.
So, like I said, he's a great shot blocker. I think he's leading the SEC in shot blocks. So he's got to -- either pump fake or just go right up. So our main objective tomorrow is to play as aggressive as you can, try to get some things going for our team.
Q. Joel, less than 24 hours after tweaking the ankle a little bit, I'm sure it's not 100 percent. How are you feeling?
JOEL BERRY II: I'm feeling pretty good. I'm walking better than I was yesterday. I did a lot of treatment today. It's just a little sore. But overall I feel pretty good.
Q. Kennedy and for Joel, too, do you expect them to continue to play the way they played? Do you expect them to still press you and to still try to make an up-tempo game despite the kind of athletes and the way you play?
KENNEDY MEEKS: Yeah, I don't think they ever change their game plan at all. I mean, they do a great job of trapping. They do a great job of having defensive balance and their guards are aggressive. So I just think we have to do what we usually do, which is our press offense and try our hardest to get the ball up the court as fast as we can so we can get into our half-court offense.
JOEL BERRY II: I'll say the same thing. I mean, pretty much they've been doing that all year long. And I don't expect them to get to this point and try to change up what they're doing. So I expect them to stick with their game plan and continue to do what they do. And we just gotta be ready for it.
Q. Both of you, I think I've got the stat right. The 1 seed is, like, 111-17 in second rounds, so obviously pretty good winning percentage. How do you all approach that because there's been a few upsets but not many? As a No. 1 seed how do you approach that?
JOEL BERRY II: We don't pay attention to those stats. I mean, I guess those stats are for you guys, but for us we've just gotta continue to play. And we can't look at that and try to say that that will help us win.
But, I mean, we've just gotta continue to do what we do, and we gotta go into each and every game and just be ready to play. And this one is going to be a physical and aggressive game. And we just gotta be ready for that.
KENNEDY MEEKS: I think we want to go into the game all the time thinking we're going to win and we're going to be happy at the end result. So, like I said, our main focus is not to worry about what seed we are, what seed they are because they're a great team, they're here for a reason. We can't overlook them at all, and come out with the right mindset and focus on our scouting report and put everything we have into it.
Q. Joel, knowing what kind of game it is, do you look forward to tomorrow because you know it's going to be a back-and-forth, up-and-down game? And what is the key for you guys against their press and their tempo?
JOEL BERRY II: Yeah, I just think more importantly is just stop them from scoring. And if we can get some rebounds to where they don't have a chance to set up for their press, I think that's the first objective.
And then the second one is just getting the ball out fast if they do score. I mean, this is the kind of game I love. I like getting up and down the court. And it's going to be a fun game. And it's going to be aggressive.
But I think that we have the team and the guards to be able to withstand their press. And, like I said, if we could just stop them from scoring and just get our rebounds and get out on the break, that will play right into our hands.