Wake Forest vs. North Carolina Post-Game Quotes
3/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2003
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Wake Forest Postgame Quotes
March 5, 2003 / vs. North Carolina
Wake Forest Head Coach Skip Prosser
"I though Carolina played very well. We couldn't guard them in the first half. Jawad Williams was particularly excellent and we had to go with a smaller lineup. We guarded them better in the second half, and Matt (Doherty) started to run out of guys, with foul trouble. But I can't say enough about our kids. I'm not sure they're going to be sending tapes of these games to Springfield as instructional videos on how to play basketball. Josh and Steve meant alot to this team and to Wake Forest, so this was a great night to be a Demon Deacon."
"All year we've tried to maintain the mantra of 'just trying to win the next game.' I can remember saying, after we lost the second exhibition game, that I can't believe I scheduled Yale. They're really good, they have veteran players. But now, just like then, we're just focused onthe next game. Coach Sendek does a great job down there, and when we played them here, I want to say that we were down at the half. So we're going to have to work hard to win down there.
On Josh Howard:
"He was struggling in the first half, but he was still playing hard and scrapping on the offensive boards. I've been around for a whole bunch of Senior Nights, and it's not unusual for that to happen. Our guys found him with some great passes in the second half, and he also hit some real big shots. That's what senior players do. We're just fortunate enough to have a couple of them. Our other kids played well, and I always say I have the best coaching staff in the country. It seemed like every idea they had worked, but ultimately Josh has to make the shots."
On Raymond Felton: "He's a great player and he will be really, really good in this league. Keeping him under control was a focal point of ours in practice this week. He missed some shots that he normally makes, but I thought our kids guarded him really well."
On the crowd:
"The crowds have been good all year, and we've especially enjoyed the crescendo to the end of the season. I think our students have been tremendous, and one of our long-term goals is to make this a tough place to play that is conducive to a home crowd and homecourt advantage. It doesn't happen overnight, but my assistants have been very innovative (unlike myself). In that Maryland game, I felt like the crowd just really wouldn't let us lose. In the future, we hope to make this place even more intimidating."
North Carolina Head Coach Matt Doherty
"It's frustrating to give such a great effort and come up short. I'm proud of the guys. They played hard and gave us a possibility to win versus a great team. We just came up short."
"Wake Forest shoots three times as many foul shots. They had 24 and we only had nine. We have our best players on our bench and that really shortens the bench. Rashad's (McCants) fifth foul really hurt us. We didn't go to him enough, but it's tough when he's in foul trouble."
"You have to give Wake Forest credit. Their defense is good and they have a great player in Josh Howard, who had a good second half. This is Josh's last home game, and I'm sure he was worried about family and winning, but he really settled down in the second half."
Wake Forest Senior Josh Howard
On his ankle:
"I was more worried about the butterflies than about the ankle, especially in the first half. But I just continued to fight though it and my teammates stepped up as they have all season and helped us get through the first half."
On Senior Night:
"I don't think it's hit me that this is my last home game. I came into the locker room at half and realized that the Senior Day stuff was over. I was ready to go and play. I really appreciate all the fans. It's been a wonderful four years, and I appreciate everything everybody's done for me. I play hard no matter what. I've played hard all my life. It's been a real blessing to have been here for four years."