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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

January 10, 2011

Gary Williams

THE MODERATOR: We have with us now Maryland head basketball coach Gary Williams. Coach, if you could, a few comments about your team, then we'll open it for questions.
COACH WILLIAMS: Well, I was proud of the way we competed at Duke. We have to do some things better to win that game. But our level on the defensive end was what we needed to go in and play a team as good as Duke. So I was proud of our guys last night.
We have a quick turnaround here. We got back about 2:00 last night, getting ready for Wake on Wednesday. They are a team that is improving and have quite a few weapons. Very balanced scoring, and have a lot of ways to go to get some points.
THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for questions.

Q. What do you and your staff see in Jordan Williams that others might not have seen?
COACH WILLIAMS: Well, I think what we tried to do is, like we had a player named Lonny Baxter that played on our championship team. The one thing I liked about Lonny, even though he wasn't a great player coming out, he had really good hands. You could throw him tough passes and he could catch the ball. And Jordan has the same ability.
When I recruit, I try to look for that, a guy that was successful here, his characteristics. So if I see that in a recruit, I don't worry too much about how they're rated or whatever. It's, Can he do those things for a guy that was successful here?

Q. Has he exceeded your expectations at this point in his career?
COACH WILLIAMS: I'm open. When we get a player, I'm open to how good they can be. If they're willing to work. Jordan worked hard in the off-season in terms of getting his body in better shape and get more minutes and get more endurance. I think that shows on the rebounding end as well as scoring.
It's a two-way street. The player has to get it done, and Jordan worked hard in the off-season.

Q. All of these double-doubles, what is making him special out there? What separates him?
COACH WILLIAMS: Well, he's 260 pounds and he's pretty quick, a little quicker than people think. He goes after the basketball. You can't be a good rebounder without going after the ball, no matter how high you get off the floor. He takes up some room, goes and gets the ball.
He's gaining confidence offensively as we go along here this year in his sophomore year. There's still some things that he has to work on that can make him a better offensive player. But he's willing to work. As long as he keeps that attitude, he doesn't have a ceiling on how good he can be.

Q. I know you didn't get what you wanted last night, but did you learn anything about your team in the way that they competed and stayed close for most of the game?
COACH WILLIAMS: Well, I thought we've been getting better in practice the last couple weeks. But you don't know that until you play somebody at that level. Like I said, I was pleased that we could compete. In other words, you have to get your team up to a level where they're competitive. That has nothing to do with how you shoot the ball or anything like that because we didn't shoot the ball particularly well. But you have to give Duke's defense a lot of credit on that, too.
But we were there. That's a good sign. But we have to win games like everyone else this time of year. Getting close, that's not what you're about this time of year. You have to win games. Hopefully we can get on that.

Q. What do you see as the little things you need to do to take that step?
COACH WILLIAMS: Well, I think you have to make open shots when you have them. You're not going to get a lot of open shots against a good defensive team like Duke. When you do have them, you have to knock a pretty good percentage down. We missed some in the stretch that we had a lead in the second half and didn't make some shots. You have to make those shots.
It's one of those things, if you get the shots, that's the big thing. We did get some shots. The next step would be to make the shots. Hopefully players can do that. If they can't, that's the way it goes. Maybe you look for ways to score either off pressure, second shots, things like that, if you can't make the open jump shot.

Q. Talk a little bit about the play of Dino Gregory.
COACH WILLIAMS: He's solid. He's been able to pick up his game offensively a little bit where you have to guard him. I think his first couple years here he wasn't really a threat at all, but now he's a decent shooter. I think he's figured out he can get some points just by being aggressive in there. He's really helped us because obviously Jordan Williams can't do it all. He needs help.
Dino really has done a great job as a senior. He's given us some leadership as a co-captain this year also. We lost three good seniors last year and we needed somebody to take up that leadership role. Dino has done a good job of that.

Q. There was a point toward the end when Jordan was beckoning everyone into the huddle for a talk about a minute and a half in the game. That seems like something a guard usually does. Is his leadership beginning to spring out of him as he realizes how important he is for this team?
COACH WILLIAMS: Well, a lot of times the best leaders lead by example, not by what they say. Jordan has worked hard and he's been there every night for us so far this year. That's the best way to lead the team.
I think players listen when Jordan speaks. I've always been one to think that leadership doesn't have everything to do with what class you're in in college, it's about how you perform on the court, whether you have the other players' respect or not. I think Jordan has earned the other players' respect this year.

Q. I know coaches don't care about this kind of stuff, but the media does. Is there any sense, based on what he's done, that maybe what he's doing isn't as appreciated right now as it should be, maybe he's being a little bit overlooked at this point?
COACH WILLIAMS: Well, I don't think he's been overlooked. Up here he's getting a lot of attention. I don't know where he's being overlooked. Nationally he's on the Wooden Award list. It's down to 30 now and he's still on there. He's earned his way on there.
I think people around the country, a game like that last night on national TV, certainly helps. He's a sophomore. You have to earn your way, in most cases, not in all cases, but most ways. Jordan is earning his way. I'm proud of what he's doing and he's doing it the right way. We'll see how it goes.
THE MODERATOR: Coach, thanks for taking time being with us today. We'll hear from you next week.

End of FastScripts

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