By R.L. Bynum
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Here is the video and complete transcript from North Carolina’s press conference on Thursday with Coach Hubert Davis, center Henri Veesaar and guard Seth Trimble after the season-ending loss to VCU.
Q. For both of you guys, did you guys sense that maybe you were wearing down about the last eight minutes of the game?
HENRI VEESAAR: I did not feel like it. I feel like, especially at this time of year, the adrenaline is at level 1,000. So you don’t really feel or think about that. You’re just trying to make a play, just trying to help the team win. I think that’s what you’re really thinking about.
I feel like in March it doesn’t really matter if you play 40 minutes or 25 minutes, you feel the same way because just the level of energy and adrenaline and the effort you have. It makes no difference.
SETH TRIMBLE: Going off what he said, you get tired during the game, simple as that. You get tired, but we’ve been in that position many, many times this year. So it wasn’t anything at first.
Q. Is there a singular thing or two things that maybe just flipped it for you guys? It looked like they had more bounce than you did during that stretch.
HENRI VEESAAR: They did a really good job at the end of the game. I think I heard a stat they made 15 of the last 19 shots or something like that. Obviously they did a really good job. They stretched us out. They were five out.
We didn’t have anybody in the paint because they were able to knock down 3s, and they were able to drive us and get the rim and be physical in the drives and we weren’t as physical as them. So they were able to bump us and get shots that they should not get.
Q. For both guys, what do you think went wrong with your own offense over the past couple of minutes in regulation and overtime?
SETH TRIMBLE: Overtime, we were getting great looks, shots just weren’t falling. I think overtime was as simple as that. I think in the second half we just slowed down too much, got a little tense, and we weren’t playing as loose as we were playing the whole game. That makes a difference.
HENRI VEESAAR: I feel like they did a good job of packing the paint, and we’re just kicking out. Obviously we were 8-for-29 for threes. We weren’t able to hit those shots, and they did a good job of pushing us out.
I feel like we kind of were getting a little bit slower rather than in the first half. We were a little more fluid. I think that’s something we can control.
Q. Hubert, I’ll ask you the same thing that I asked them. Did you sense that your team got a little tired there?
HUBERT DAVIS: I did not. I didn’t.
Q. Hubert, why did you go to just a six-man rotation in the second half?
HUBERT DAVIS: Because that was my decision.
Q. Coach Davis, what is it that you can take from this game, this experience to help build on going forward in the future?
HUBERT DAVIS: Not really thinking about that right now. Just thinking about obviously right in front of me Seth and Henri. Specifically our seniors, Seth and Elijah, just thinking about them right now.
Q. Coach, generally, what do you think went wrong?
HUBERT DAVIS: What do you mean?
Q. Why you couldn’t score in the last four or five minutes of the game?
HUBERT DAVIS: Well, to go back to what Seth said, just because you miss a shot doesn’t mean something’s wrong. We had open looks. We had shots at the basket. We had executed plays. And we miss eight free throws. Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in.
Also, you really want to compliment VCU, their resiliency in down 19 to keep trying to find a way. I also felt like just the small details. In order for a team to come back, they have to be good enough and resilient enough to do that, and VCU was. But also believe that there were mistakes made that helped them come back. At times we’ve done that all year.
Q. Coach, you were talking about the seniors. Can you elaborate on what the leadership has meant to you on this team?
HUBERT DAVIS: It is, just to have Seth to be able to coach over the last four years, I can’t think of a more accomplished player and a great kid to be around and to coach. To be at one institution, his devotion to this team, to this program, and to this university should be celebrated for what he’s done and the impact that he’s made on this program and this team and this university forever.
The leadership of Elijah being here the last two years and his never-ending energy, effort, enthusiasm that he brings to the team, whether it’s in the locker room, on the bench, in practice, shootarounds. It’s something that’s been a huge benefit to me and to our program.
Q. Hubert, the free throws, again, as you mentioned, a little bit of an issue tonight. Why do you think that was such an issue for your team throughout the season?
HUBERT DAVIS: That’s a great question. We work on them and — but you’re right, throughout the season it’s — and there have been times where we’ve gotten away. You know, it didn’t hurt us. Tonight was one of the ways that it did hurt us.
Q. It’s obviously two straight years going out in the round of 64, which is not where Carolina expects to be. Do you think there’s something inherently missing, an ingredient, or is it just flukey things that happen in March and it doesn’t necessarily speak to anything larger than that?
HUBERT DAVIS: Yeah, that’s a big thinking question, and I apologize, I’m just not there right now. Just really sad that we’re not continuing to play and to move forward because I have loved and enjoyed this team. I enjoy and love all of them, but I’ve just really enjoyed coaching this team.
I really wanted this group and these kids to experience more. But other than that, it’s I’m just thinking about these guys and the rest of the guys that are in the locker room. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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South Regional
FIRST FOUR
Wednesday’s game
No. 16 Prairie View A&M 76, No. 16 Lehigh 55
FIRST ROUND
Thursday’s games
Oklahoma City
No. 4 Nebraska 76, No. 13 Troy 47
No. 5 Vanderbilt 78, No. 12 McNeese State 68
Greenville, S.C.
No. 11 VCU 86, No. 6 North Carolina 78, OT
No. 3 Illinois 105, No. 14 Penn 70
Oklahoma City
No. 10 Texas A&M 73, No. 7 St. Mary’s 50
No. 2 Houston 78, No. 15 Idaho 47
Friday’s games
Tampa, Fla.
No. 8 Clemson (24–10) vs. No. 9 Iowa (21–12), 6:50 p.m., TNT
No. 1 Florida (26–7) vs. Prairie View A&M (19–17), 9:25 p.m., TNT
SECOND ROUND
Saturday games
Oklahoma City
Nebraska (27–6) vs. Vanderbilt (27–8), 8:45, TNT
Greenville, S.C.
Illinois (25–8) vs. VCU (28–7), 7:50, CBS
Oklahoma City
Houston (29–6) vs. Texas A&M (22–11), 6:10, TNT
Sunday game
Tampa, Fla.
Florida_Lehigh–Prairie View winner vs. Clemson–Iowa winner, TBA
REGIONAL SEMIFINALS
Houston
Thursday, March 26
Tampa winner vs. Nebraska/Troy/Vandy/McNeese State
Greenville winner vs. Houston/Idaho/St. Mary’s/Texas A&M
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Houston
Saturday, March 28
Photo via YouTube screenshot; transcript courtesy of ASAP Sports
