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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

January 24, 2011

Frank Haith

COACH HAITH: We're coming off a week of two tough losses by a total of four points, two points both games. Obviously we're 1-4, but we're four point as way from being 3-2 going into this game against North Carolina. I thought our kids did well in terms of getting back into the ballgame the other night, excuse me, last night against N.C. State.
But we missed a lot of shots around the buckets, a bucket early in the game. You know, the difference in the game could be that the shot that C.J. made at the half, falling away, he made it to the half. We missed a couple of plays. Reggie missed a dunk there in the second half, beginning of the second half.
But there is a lot of basketball left to play. We'll keep getting better and learn from those two games.

Q. I know you weren't there in Coral Gables when Miami was part of the Big East. But having been there throughout the school's tenure in the ACC, what do you feel has been the primary benefits of the ACC membership? I know your home attendance seems to be way up from the Big East days. Just curious as to whether Miami's starting to feel like an ACC basketball program to you?
COACH HAITH: I think that's a great question. Obviously, I grew up in North Carolina, and I know the passion and enthusiasm for college basketball in the state of North Carolina and Tobacco Road and for the ACC for that matter.
But I think being here throughout our progress during the tenure in the ACC, it has gotten better and better each year. I think one of the things that helps is just geography-wise in terms of the teams we play. It's just been a lot more interesting in basketball, and it's growing each year.
We had a tremendous outing the other night against Florida State in our home opener with our student section, and enthusiasm. And remember, my first couple of years where there was not the case. So it's gotten better, and I think it's just because of the pageantry of this league, and the tradition in this league has helped in that regard.

Q. Do you notice is it easier to recruit as part of the ACC? Do you think as opposed to what other coaches there, you know like Coach Clark and them had to do in terms of the Big East?
COACH HAITH: It's never easy. I think Larry had some pretty good players here during the latter part of the years here at the University of Miami, so recruiting is never easy. There's a lot of that. If you talked to Leonard, I think maybe recruiting was pretty good because he could go up to the east coast and recruit because there are some good players, and like we try to do, go to New York, because you're playing in the Big East.
But I don't know that that's -- I can't tell you not being here during that time, in terms of I don't know if recruiting is ever easy. I think it's still very competitive and very tough whenever.

Q. Coach, I was wondering if I could get you to talk about Reggie Jackson and the job that he does for Boston College. He's second in the league in both points and assists?
COACH HAITH: I think he's a terrific player. He's really worked hard on his game. He came in being a really good athlete. He's become more well-rounded as a player.
He's not only just a good athlete, but he's become a really good shooter. I think he may be on a team that has a lot of three-point shooters. I think he's the best three-point shooter on their team.
You talk about the stats and just being a point guard. I mean, I know early in his career he had had to play with Tyrese. And Tyrese had the ball in his hand a lot. You probably didn't get a chance to see Reggie's development in that area. He's really worked hard at it and become a more well-rounded, complete player.

Q. So much has been made about what Harrison Barnes is doing well or not well or whatever. But when you're getting ready to play him, what kind of things stand out to you about his game. Even though he's struggling with his shot, how does all of that factor in when you're preparing for a guy like that?
COACH HAITH: Well, a guy that talented, you don't look at the numbers what he's doing right now. In terms of our preparation for him, I've seen Harrison play quite a bit in terms of high school and watching tape on him. He's a terrific player.
It's like anything. In terms of a freshman, it takes time. We're going to use our due diligence and guarding him and having a tremendous amount of respect for him as a player. Knowing he's capable of having a big night. So there is no doubt in my mind he's a guy that we've circled and understand it's important for us to do a great job on him.

Q. Is there a certain thing that he does that stands out to you that maybe people don't always notice?
COACH HAITH: Well, I think he runs the floor very well, which a lot of North Carolina kids do. You've got to find him early in transition. You mentioned he's not shooting the ball well. But one of the thing that's North Carolina's done in the past, their wings have been great shooters at the end of the breaks.
But I think he's a good finisher. He's definitely a good offensive rebounder. We've got to do a great job of keeping him off the glass. Those are things I know for sure that we're going to have to do, not just Harrison, but the whole North Carolina team.
Definitely for Hill, we've got to make sure we've got a body on him and we're playing him very physical.

Q. You've had some very close losses of late. Are you focusing on anything particular to try to turn those losses into W's?
COACH HAITH: Yeah, we'd like to do that. There is no question. But I think both games, the two-point losses I just mentioned, we're four points from being 3-2, which is like second and third in the league as opposed to 1-4. It's not just those last plays. It's our intensity and doing things throughout the game.
Neither one of those two games should have come down to the last play, and I think that's where we have to grow and get better from. I think our team knows that.

Q. Do you feel you're close to getting the intensity you want and you can avoid the losses in late-game situations?
COACH HAITH: Oh, if I was sitting here and we're getting beaten by 20 points, there is no question we're close. You've got to feel good about where we're at. It's so early in the year.
I mean, this league race is just now getting started. February and March is a lot of basketball to be played. So the fact that we've played some close ballgames, obviously you're disappointed. You want to win those games. You know, we're close.
The fact that you have close games you know you're right there. We've just got to continue to develop and get better. You look at our starting lineup we played. We started two sophomores, a junior and a freshman. I think that's right, three sophomores -- three sophomores a junior and a freshman, so that's our starting lineup. We're a young team. I think we're only going to get better as the year goes on.

Q. How would you look at your team from this season? You mentioned that you're very young. But obviously there has to be that natural progression that comes in. How would you characterize your team at this point in the season to last year at this point in the season?
COACH HAITH: I think we're much better. I think we're much better. At the beginning of the year last year we started out 6 out of the 9 games on the road in the Atlantic Coast Conference. That was very difficult. We had some tough losses and we played much better basketball toward the end of the year last year.
Right now we're playing good basketball, and this is the first part of the year. So hopefully we can get better and progress, and get to the point where we're one of the top -- teams in the top half of this league. I think this team is very capable of getting there.
We played a Florida State team who I think is very, very good to a two-point game. We played Duke. We played at Duke and at Clemson, two tough places to play. We've got to go to some other tough places. I like what this team has done in but terms of we just haven't finished some of those games.

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