NCAA Men's Regional Semifinals and Finals: Kansas City Thursday, March 28, 2019 Kansas City, Missouri Roy Williams Kenny Williams he makes the right play. He plays hard and with energy.

Cameron Johnson That's -- you always need a guy like that. He's done a great job of filling that role for us this year, and I think next year he'll be able to step in with an expanded role, THE MODERATOR: Up one the dais, Kenny Williams and I think he'll take off with it. and Cameron Johnson representing the student body. We have an opening statement from Cameron Q. Kenny, do you see a lot of yourself in Brandon Johnson. and his development and kind of the path that he's taken? Cam, please. KENNY WILLIAMS: Yeah, a little bit. You know, his first two years weren't the easiest, I'm sure. But, you know, CAMERON JOHNSON: Here we go. We had a good I'm just happy with him with the success he's having week of practice this week. Got out here safely and this year. He stuck with it and he fought and he just looking forward to what's to come. There you go. kept working hard. I think that's why he's had the success he's had this year and the success he will THE MODERATOR: Start right here. Thank you. have next year. The Pats are somewhat the same. Wasn't the easiest, but everything always comes Q. Kenny, you can answer this. around and it's coming around for B Rob right now. Cameron, you can also can. Q. Kenny, can we just get an update on your Coach Pearl was up here talking about how difficult hamstring and then also Nas's apparently got the a matchup you guys were for them. What about flu and is going to be questionable. If he's not able Auburn gives you the most concern, and why is it a to go tomorrow, he's limited in any way, what does tough matchup for you guys? that do for y'all? KENNY WILLIAMS: Well, first off, my hamstring is KENNY WILLIAMS: You know, they shoot the ball so feeling pretty good. I did a little bit of practice well, and kind of weird because you think about getting yesterday. I'll practice today, but I don't think it will be back in transition, think about protecting the basket. any setback for me in terms of Nas, though. We're They like to run to the 3-point line and get those 3s in hoping he's going to be out there. I'm sure Doug and transition. You got to make some adjustments, but the Jonas will do everything they can to get him back biggest thing is the way they shoot the ball. I think feeling stronger and feeling healthy. everybody knows that. The fortunate thing if he doesn't play, we've got guys CAMERON JOHNSON: Shoot a lot of 3s and make a that can step up. You know, of course we want him out lot of 3s. They've been doing that pretty well, there. We don't want anybody to not be able to play. especially late. We'll have to pay special attention to But if he doesn't, you know, like I said we've got guys to that. step up. We've B Rob, we've got Sev, and our guys in the starting lineup that can play more minutes if we Q. Kenny, for you. In years where UNC has been have to. really good, '05, '09, '17, there's been a 2-3 -- besides the Jackie Manuel, Marcus Ginyard, is Nas is just someone that can come off the bench and Brandon Robinson kind of the next guy in that line give you 15, 20 minutes and he'll be a factor. But if of guys that are good on defense, big energy, he's not there -- it's nothing that we're not used to. comes off the bench and gives that spark? We're used to guys not being able to play. So KENNY WILLIAMS: Yes, I think so. Because B Rob, somebody will step up, and it's only a matter of who. he's willing to sacrifice his body, points, whatever it may be, to bring energy and B Rob comes in off the bench, Q. Cam, Coach's got a pretty good history here in

Rev #1 by #274 at 2019-03-28 17:48:00 GMT page 1 of 5 Kansas. Do you notice anything different? He's We didn't really think of that. We just go out there and back here, is the looser or is he more on edge or somebody gets the ball, and take off. just he's so focused you really can't tell the difference? A big thing of what we want to do get a separation CAMERON JOHNSON: He's so focused you really between the point guards and the wings running the can't tell. On the way over here from the hotel, he's floor and the big running the floor. They've been on us telling stories and about when he had to travel all pretty hard recently about that. Again, we practice it a around the world to get home and back for Christmas. lot, work on it a lot. It's just what we like to do. And so he's pretty much himself right now. He's a good ole coach. THE MODERATOR: Okay. Anything else for the Tar Heels? Q. Either one of you guys. You really dominated the boards. Cam, I guess you're more of an inside Gentlemen, thank you very much and best of luck guy, you can talk to this. tomorrow. Kenny, you gave me the dirty look, so you can answer it, too. You guys dominated the boards last The head coach of North Carolina is here for 15 week even more than usual. minutes, Coach Roy Williams. We'll ask him to make a statement on his team, about being in Kansas City, and Their weakness is rebounding and your strength is we'll get to questions. rebounding. So, how do you take full advantage of it against these guys? ROY WILLIAMS: We're happy to be here. Every coach is going to say that. The longer you play, the more you CAMERON JOHNSON: He out rebounded me against enjoy it. My team has gotten a little bit better and a Washington. I came up short, but everybody else did little bit better throughout the course of the season. what they're supposed to do. I'll have to get a couple Played pretty well last week in Columbus. Need to play more this game. We got to keep going, and that's the really well here. thing about offensive rebounding. It's just about getting there and getting yourself in the right position. I watched the Kansas/Auburn tape and scary. No Sometimes the ball falls to you. Sometimes it doesn't. question about that. Bruce has done a great job with The more bodies you throw at it, the better off you are. his team and the kids have responded well. So we're We're good in doing transition defense. It will be a big looking to hopefully play well. part of our game plan going forward, and it's something that we really do hang our hat on. Q. I understand you didn't get it from Coach Smith, but your number of teams left on the board Q. Mr. Rebounder. celebration, where did you come up with that and KENNY WILLIAMS: That's just what we do. You know, how did that get started? like you said, it's our strength. We're going to try to go ROY WILLIAMS: We started it in 1991. It was our first out there and out rebound anybody by 30 if we can. run to the Final Four, and I have no idea where it came We haven't emphasized it anymore just because of from. It just seemed like a nice thing to do. I think their rebounding numbers. Coach emphasizes it Coach Smith, when I was working for him, he talked enough even if it's more. Like I said, we'll focus on about how each step was really so much more fun, so what we can do and rebounding is one of them. we thought about it a little bit at that time. I really can't tell you. Something I fell into. I still use the regular grip THE MODERATOR: Is there anything else for the and don't use crossover putting, so I still do that, too. gentlemen from North Carolina? Q. Auburn as a team has shot the 3 ball extremely Q. The Auburn coach was saying that you guys well this season. As a team, how do you kind of consider an offensive rebound like -- or defensive combat that defensively tomorrow night? rebound three seconds from a layup at the other ROY WILLIAMS: We better get out and guard them. end. I'm wondering how you guys put into words There's no question about that. What they've done is the tempo that you prefer? off the charts. North Carolina has been pretty good CAMERON JOHNSON: Coach emphasizes every and had some pretty good shooting teams and last practice, and he just -- when we get the ball, he says year made 305 and this year we made 305. Auburn run. If somebody is not running, he yells at them to has made 421, so that's another couple of leagues run. He yells at us over and over about it even when away from what we are. you're dog tired at the end of the practice. So it's not like we're defensive rebound, three seconds to a layup. But you got to get out and guard them. You try to make

Rev #1 by #274 at 2019-03-28 17:48:00 GMT page 2 of 5 them stop, stop them from getting out in transition because that's where they shoot a lot is in transition. I have a great deal of respect for so many coaches. Don't turn it over and don't take bad shots which leave You mentioned the media. I don't know that -- I them out to the run outs. And the other thing, you got probably have some enemies in the media that just to be tough enough to guard your man so nobody has don't say too much. When I first got the job at Kansas to help you every possession and -- because as soon 31 years ago, I told all of them, I will try to do as you help, they find the open man and everybody can everything I can to help you do your job as long as you shoot it. They've got a whole team of green lights. don't harm me from doing mine. I'm straightforward with that part of it. Q. The numbers say you guys are playing at, you know -- you usually breakneck pace. How, why, And then people themselves, I like people. I don't have what makes that happen for you? a problem. They said, "Don't you get tired of doing an ROY WILLIAMS: Well, we've done it every year I've autograph or picture?" been a coach. That's just the way we play. I never had a team that played as fast as I wanted them to play and I said, "No. What I would get tired of is if I walked into this one, too. I want us to play a heck of a lot faster a room and you saw me and went out the other door. I than we're playing. I do believe in getting a quality shot would really get tired of that." at the end of it. There's a couple of guys in this room that I've been If you talk to our guys, if they were come around I say, around for several years, and somebody that's even got "attack, attack, attack" and I pause and they say, an old gray beard in the back, I remember from a long "under control." It is. It's the way we've always played. time ago. Two, three of you. Jerry just doesn't have a And when I played a hundred years ago, I loved playing beard. that way and I think fans like to see it. And the only group left is coaches, and I don't necessarily think the Q. Coach, you mentioned coaching and loving to game was meant for my enjoyment, Which is not a lot, I coach. Same thing Coach Pearl just said when he can tell you. was up here before. There have been a few black eyes running around in college right Q. As your team is advancing through the now. What's your sense of where basketball is and tournament, there are also a lot of coaches who are the perception of what's been going on off the losing their jobs. Makes us really realize how court and what can be done to fix that? difficult it is to do what you guys do. ROY WILLIAMS: Well, you know, that's a hard answer. You've been doing it a long time, it's a very, very, I've only got six and a half minutes left, I could use all competitive profession and yet you don't seem to of that. have made many enemies along the way. I want to know, what is secret? I don't enjoy it, but, at the same time, I've been criticized because I don't move in that world. I've been ROY WILLIAMS: You're moving in an awfully small a head coach for 31 years. I've never had a parent ask group of people, John. me for anything. I don't deal with agents. I wear shoes, but that's what I do with them. I don't do Q. What's the secret of you developing such anything else with those people. positive relationships with other coaches, the media, and administrators? There's no question it's a black eye right now, I think is ROY WILLIAMS: The coaches, first of all, my high the terminology you used. school coach was most influential man in my life. My parents broke up when I was young and my mother But that's what we have in society right now too. was the angel of the world. But my high school There's a lot of things going on in our world I'm not basketball coach set a standard for me that I'll never be happy about. The NCAA was formed in about 1906, able to reach. And then when I get in college, I was and it was formed because President Roosevelt said there with Coach Smith. He set a standard that I'll there were some things going on in football recruiting. never be able to roach reach. One school was trying to players from the other school. So we've had problems like that all the time. But I do really like coaches. For the most part, I Now with social media and the attention and believe coaches get into the game because they love everybody's got a camera, everything is out in the the game and love working with teams, love working public. with kids. And so it's a group that I feel a great deal of friendship with. I really have not -- I have not been approached. And I

Rev #1 by #274 at 2019-03-28 17:48:00 GMT page 3 of 5 make decisions, I look at situations and say, you know, and what will go into whether or not he plays that's probably not going to be our kind of situation. I tomorrow? love dealing with parents and so -- it's bothersome to ROY WILLIAMS: Didn't feel good last night. Was me, yes. It gets so much attention, yes. That bothers running a little bit of a temperature this morning. Didn't me, too, because I think there's a lot of great things feel like eating. I didn't bring him over here to the going on in college basketball, particularly -- you sit arena with us. I have no idea. I can say it's hard to back there and listen to Cam, Kenny and Luke talk, you make a 180-turn because there's no way in the world like those guys. There's a bunch of those guys out he could play if we're playing today. He's sitting there there, there's a bunch of coaches out there gave give and he has a plate in front of him. He felt -- looked to me that same kind of feeling. me like it was hard to pick up the fork. And the last time I looked, it wasn't that heavy. Q. Roy, I know you like to say that you wouldn't mind bringing your team to play on the moon as I don't foresee making a decision until game time. But long as you're still playing. But is there anything if he's like he is now, there's no way he can play. special about being back here in Kansas? And the other thing is, have you or do you plan on spitting Q. Roy, in '05 you guys had Jackie Manuel. '09 in the river before tomorrow's game? Marcus Ginyard. '17 Kenny Williams. Is Brandon ROY WILLIAMS: I'm going to sneak around and do Robinson next guy in that line of the 2-3 tweeners what I wanted to do without telling anybody. It is a river really defensive mind that bring that spark off the and it does go into the Mississippi. That's what I was bench? told a hundred years ago, that spitting in the ROY WILLIAMS: Kenny Williams again is the best Mississippi was good luck. And so those are the perimeter defender we have. Only problem is, B Rob places that I've been. I don't spit in the French Broad likes people and he tends to hug them away from the up in the mountains of North Carolina. ball. Sometimes the referee is standing right there and calls a foul, and sometimes that means he's way over It's fun to come back here. I met a couple of my there when the ball is being driven to the basket. But buddies last night, couple of our former players. I'll he has gotten better and better and he's important to have some former Kansas players coming to the game. our club, and I think if he continues to invest in that part My family will be here because Scott and his family is of it on the defensive end of the floor, he'll really be coming and he's got a bunch of buddies that he gets to more important to us in the future. You can watch him. see and Wanda is having lunch today with one of her He'll hub somebody tomorrow. good friends. I have tremendous number of friends that are really, really important to me. I shouldn't say Q. If Nas can't go, how does that affect your team? tremendous number of friends. I have friends who are What do you miss? How do you fill that void? tremendously important to me that I will get a chance ROY WILLIAMS: Guys, we had breakfast at 10:30. So to see and I spent some time with them last night. I haven't exactly got our staff together and talked about it for ten hours. But we've played without Nasair in Q. I'm wondering about Auburn's style of play and moments already this year. He was playing his basket is it different from other teams, is it more -- his basketball was going up and up and up and dangerous with the 3s? sprains his ankle and the doesn't play much in the ROY WILLIAMS: When they're making shots like that Virginia game and he gets poked in the eye in the next when they did in the first half against Kansas, it's hard game or visa versa. Then he started going -- leveling for anybody to beat them. That's the facts. You hope off and not going on the upward spiral like we wanted they miss some on their own, and you hope you guard him to. them, and that helps influence them missing some. In the last two games last weekend, he was No, really impressive what they did. And we've played sensational. If he's going to play like that all the time, with teams that wanted to play a fast pace. We again, we're going to miss that greatly because we don't have we like to do it after make or a miss. Auburn does it anybody that can do those things he did. Like I said, more out of a miss or a turnover than they do after a we've had to play without certain guys. Couldn't be make. any worse than it was last weekend. Garrison Brooks is our most solid defender, goes out. I don't think we're That pace and shooting that 3-point shot that quickly is going to get him back. Kenny goes down and I don't hard to handle if they're making those shots like they think we're going to get him back. Garrison had were. surgery and all kinds of stuff and -- but they were able to come back and play. Q. What can you tell about Nassir and his illness

Rev #1 by #274 at 2019-03-28 17:48:00 GMT page 4 of 5 Somebody in Kansas, somebody at Auburn, somebody at Kentucky, somebody in every school has got to step up and play, and there's somebody in the North Carolina uniform got to be able to step up and play tomorrow.

Q. Now that you've coached more years in Chapel Hill than Lawrence, any new reflections on that time? I know when you come back here, it's always brought up. ROY WILLIAMS: It's been harder the times that I've come back here because we played Kansas. That's been really, really difficult for me. Lawrence, Kansas, University of Kansas, Allen Fieldhouse. That was 15 great years to me, 15 years that I really loved, and that's the way I look back on it.

Coming back and playing Kansas here, playing them the next year in St. Louis, those kind of things, it isn't pleasant because of my feeling for that school and a lot of the people. I come in today and I see three, four great friends handling, giving me my wrist band and everything else. And I enjoy that part of it.

But the way I look on it is that when I got to Kansas they went through 93 people. I was the 94th person they interviewed and gave me the job. I had 15 great years there and loved it every minute. But it was time for me to move on. And it's been 16 years at North Carolina now. And I was able to go back home, and my sister and my dad passed away the first two years after I got back, so I was glad that I was closer for them and things like that. No, I've been a very lucky guy to say the least.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Good luck, Roy. Thank you.

ROY WILLIAMS: Thanks, Joe.

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