UC Santa Barbara head coach Bob Willams spoke to the media before his team's NCAA Tournament game at the Bradley Center. Here is a transcript:
Question: In 2002, Bob, you had a veteran team that almost upset Arizona. This year you've got a young team comprised mostly of sophomores. Tell us the difference between that team and this team in terms of like a confidence or an experience factor that they had that this one doesn't?
Bob Williams: I don't think there is that much difference. We had a junior in Mark Hull who was a huge game-player and made big plays against that game against Arizona. But we started three sophomores on that team and four sophomores on this team.And I think this group is less precise than that team. That team was a very technical team in terms of how it executed offensively, and it fit that personnel really well. This group is not as technical but makes plays at a higher level and are more versatile in the type of variety of guys that can make plays. And we have two great players, much like that team with Mark Hull and Brandon Fuller, of this team with James Nunnally and Orlando Johnson has two great players. This team probably has more guys that shoot the 3 at a higher level than that team. James Powell has the ability to get hot, Orlando and Nunnally, Nunnally being the best 3-point shooter in the league. There's enough weapons on this team in a certain game in any arena at any time if those guys are all hot at the same time, it could be an interesting experience.
Question: One thing I've noticed is that comparing teams, especially maybe your team from two years ago, this team seems a lot more quiet and understated than maybe the team of Alex Harris, Ivan Elliott and those guys, Chris Devine. Does that make them maybe a better -- give them a better opportunity not to be intimidated by a team like Ohio State, less emotional? How do you look at it?
BW: Every team has a little different personality. And I think you're pretty right, that team was fairly outgoing. You know, this group's pretty outgoing, but only amongst themselves.
And this team seems a little unfazed. The question mark is, we didn't play very well against Cal or against Arizona State. But it was also during a time in the year when we weren't playing well. Their confidence level is much better. They've grown together. They've gotten more confident. I think anytime you come off a tournament championship, you're playing with a little more confidence.
You're seeing some teams that almost get upset or do get upset. Some of the bigger schools they come in didn't win their tournament championship. They've lost their last game. They've had four, five, six days to sit on that loss and trying to straighten things out or whatever. And they maybe come in and don't play with that same confidence in the first ten minutes and it snowballs. This group is coming off playing its best basketball, I think, this last month, and because of that I like this group's personality going into the game.
Question: What's it been like watching tape of Evan Turner the last four days?
BW: A little bit like going to watch a horror movie. [Laughter] you know, I've told anybody that's listened, we've had the good fortune, we played North Carolina last year when they were the national champions. We played Kansas when they were like No. 3 in the country. We played Stanford when they were 4 in the country. We haven't played against anybody that was like Evan Turner. I mean, he actually, to me, I'm watching him play. I'm just so impressed with how under control he is at all times, how he changes speed, how he creates opportunities for people around him, how he shoots the ball, how he posts, how he drives, how he defends, how he rebounds. There's really not a weakness in his game. He's probably the most complete player, then, in my college tenure of being able to coach that I've had the opportunity to coach against.
Question: How about the rest of the team with Ohio State, the other things they can do that cause you concern also?
BW: Well, they have a team that reminds you a little bit, because of the guard play, shows you how old I am, to the triplets at Arkansas, except this is the quads, they have four guards they play all the time. They are as good a perimeter shooting team as there is in the country. They've got a big guy inside that's not afraid to do the dirty work. That's such a luxury at this game at this level because everybody is trying to prove they belong at the next level. These kids seem to play really within themselves and really well together. And Coach Matta deserves a lot of credit with that. And how versatile those four guards are in terms of their ability to rebound and defend, but they all handle it, they all pass it and they all shoot it. And I gotta think it's a coach's dream to coach. I mean, I have to think that has to be about as fun as any team in this country to coach because of how versatile the kids are.
Question: That being said, is there a formula to beat them? What would you have to do? I know defensively you talked about the perimeter shooting and your match-up zone has done a pretty good job against preventing 3-pointers. Does that give you any hope entering this game?
BW: Well, yeah, we have hope entering the game. We realize we're going to have to shoot the ball. Nunnally, Orlando, James, Jordan, Weiner, they get open looks, they'll have to knock down shots. We have to do that. We have to hope we can be physical enough to rebound with them, that they just don't kill us on the glass. We've had trouble with that. What gives us a little hope is during the tournament we played much better on the glass. And so that's a positive sign. And then if our match-up can keep them on the perimeter a little bit, we keep them in front and they've got to hit 3s -- anybody can have a cold night from the 3-point line. Anybody. And so we just have to hope that they are not going to get in and track meat up and down the floor. We don't want to track meat against them. We can't get murdered on the glass. We have to control that. And we'll have to shoot the ball really well against them.
Question: Are they nervous at all, the Gauchos?
BW: I think Ohio State is really nervous. They've been watching us on film. [Laughter].
Our guys? I think they're excited. I mean, the nerves, quite frankly, going into the locker room before we played Long Beach in the championship, the Big West tournament, you could cut them with a knife. I had to leave the locker room and change my mindset to go back in, because I had to loosen them up. They were uptight and they were nervous. This will not be as nervous. We will be looser going into this. And we should be. We have nothing to lose. We are David. They are Goliath. And we're not going to go out there and be hesitant about whether or not to let it fly. We're not going to go out there and be hesitant whether or not we need to take a shot. We have to go out and play aggressive and play our style, but I think our kids will be looser than we were in the Big West tournament. And I want them intense enough and tight enough to compete defensively and be physical on the glass. But offensively we've got to be relaxed enough to make some plays.
