4/18/2023 0 Comments Teams says im away![]() ![]() I just thought JuJu, he had been through the battles. So although, you know, the big 10 just prepares you for big teams. Go get me one." He looked at me and said "I'm going to get ya, Coach." He's had to play Hunter twice, Zach twice, Crowell twice, Derrick Walker. And I have a lot of confidence and throwing the ball down the JuJu. They were doing a good job trapping pick and rolls. I think anyone that's watched us over the last month and a half, two months understands how good Julian Reese is. What did you see from him especially after Bell fouled out? He had 7 points in a row just kind of leading a bit of a comeback in the second half in his first NCAA Tournament game.ĬOACH WILLARD: Yeah. Julian down the stretch had 13 points in the second half. So that's that was a reason I put him in when I did. I didn't want to put to try and put him back in at the 5-minute mark and he's been sitting for that long. If he had gotten his fourth foul a little bit later, I probably would have sat him a little bit more. That was why I put him back in when we did. So I was a lot more confident trying to buy as much time as possible. So we fought back into it, we cut it back down to 4. ![]() There's times we've had to get Jahmir times. And again, I think the fact that I can move Hakim over into the point guard spot, we've worked a lot on that this year. He's one of those guys that's not flashy. And I thought Jahari did a phenomenal job. When he decided to transfer from Seton Hall, there was no hesitation from me. Just in the second half, what's the balance with Jahmir in terms of holding him out until 7 minutes left and knowing he's the best option to get your offense going?ĬOACH WILLARD: I have a lot of confidence in Jahari Long. I was only three hours away, they knew, you know, they knew who I was. I told them we're going to have a whole lot of fun, we're going to work hard, and we're going to win. I wanted this year for them because it was extremely difficult year last year for the kids. So I think the fact that they knew what I was going to do, you know, I couldn't go in there and bull shit them. I knew his high school coaches, his AAU guys. I think the fact that they knew me and knew who I was, I think that really helped the because because I had recruited Donta pretty hard. I think me being, you know, so close down the road. When you took over, can you just recount the early conversations that you had with Donta, with Hakim, and kind of those times of, you know, you putting it down and them having to kind of be rerecruited?ĬOACH WILLARD: Yeah. They have worked hard and they have had a great attitude, and I'm just excited for them. But, you know, you have to give credit to these young men. It's not easy putting together a group that's going to be so together. So I'm more excited about this group, Jahmir is a transfer in, Don comes in, transfers in. ![]() And they were upbeat, they were positive. You know, we have been down all year at certain points in the game. They have had an unbelievable work ethic. ![]() This group, they have come together, they have asked to do everything that I've asked them to do. I'm more excited for the kids than I am for me. What was it like getting your first win with Maryland after the long good year that you had down there at College Park?ĬOACH WILLARD: Yeah. Congratulations on the win this afternoon. And I thought Hakim and I thought Don Carey's leadership in the huddles, especially early on, was huge. And I think this is a team that understands if one guy is not playing well, you know, okay let's step up and give that guy some help. I think the way JuJu played over the last month and a half, ever since he recovered from his shoulder surgery. Our scoring has been pretty balanced all year. But Hakim's in 56% of our pick and rolls. You look at, obviously, Jahmir has had a tremendous year. I think it's been like that most of the year. What does that say about the diversity of this offense?ĬOACH WILLARD: Yeah. Kevin, the fact that Jahmir may have had his troubles but then had three of the starters contribute double digits. And I thought he was pretty good the rest of the game. He got hit a couple times, and I think it just relaxed him. And I think once he kind of saw it and everybody saw it, it was like a boxing match. For anything, it was just getting him to kind of calm down, see it. It's another thing to all of a sudden see a Coach Huggins' defense live. Kevin, what did you see from Jahmir early on, and how much did his kind of turnovers contribute to you guys falling behind there?ĬOACH WILLARD: Yeah, I think it's one thing to practice against that defense for a couple days. Legacy Arena Maryland Terrapins: Head Coach Kevin Willard, Donta Scott, Julian Reese, Hakim Hart. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |