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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: RALEIGH

March 16, 2016

Raleigh, North Carolina

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. We're now ready to start the student-athlete portion of the North Carolina press conference. We have with us Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson and at this time, we'll go ahead and open up the floor for questions.

Q. This question is for Brice: This moment has been like a heck of a year for you, from your jersey in the rafters, winning the ACC title. When you look back on this year, what is your best moment?
BRICE JOHNSON: Definitely being able to say getting in the rafters with my boy here. That's definitely probably the biggest moment for me, just because I never thought I'd end up here, just coming from a small town. Just never thought I'd get to this point in my life and be able to say I played a great season that it's finally getting recognized.

Q. Marcus, I'm sure you've been reminded a million times already that no 16 seed has ever beaten a 1 seed. Is that a little bit of a pressure thing for you? And is there any similarity to the whole Clemson never having won at the Smith Center sort of thing for you not to have to be the one that breaks it?
MARCUS PAIGE: You certainly don't want to be the one that ends that streak. Similar to how our Clemson rivalry in the Dean Dome. We haven't really thought about it that much. We think of it as it's a one-game season each time we step on the court from here on out. Obviously 1 seeds are supposed to beat 16 seeds.

Florida Gulf Coast is a good team. We're not taking it lightly. We're preparing for it the same way we would as any other game. So we're taking all of the steps in the prelims to take care of them, so hopefully we won't be that team that breaks that streak.

Q. Watching the game last night, what do you think when you see a 16 seed, the 16 seed that you guys are playing, beat another 16 seed by 30 points? What stands out to you when you watch that game?
MARCUS PAIGE: Yeah, they're pretty impressive. They defend well. They were first in their conference in field-goal defense. They're a little bit more athletic and they have more size than a typical 16 seed you would see. So, I think they present some challenges but it's the NCAA Tournament. So we don't expect it to be a cakewalk.

Yeah, they're a good team and it will be a good challenge for us right off the bat.

Q. Brice, FGC likes to pound the ball into the paint. Obviously you like to do that, as well. FGC plays in the A-Sun; not used to the type of size you guys have. Their bigs are kind of quick, how do you see the matchup in the paint tomorrow night?
BRICE JOHNSON: We definitely have bigs that have some quickness and we do have some guys that have some size. Me and Isaiah are very quick and Kennedy and Joel are bruisers and have decent speed themselves. It will probably be a favorable matchup for me and Isaiah to play more than those two just because of our athleticism. We can probably match up better. We want to utilize Joel and Kennedy at same time to be able to use our size advantage against them.

Q. For either one of you, Marcus, you just mentioned the athleticism of the team you're about to play. How much more exciting does that make this matchup for you guys when you know they're the team that has the pace that you kind of like?
MARCUS PAIGE: It definitely makes it more exciting. We prefer that style anyway. We're a pretty athletic team. Both teams really like to throw the ball inside. A lot of college teams now prefer to space the floor and shoot jump shots and drive and attack the basket. They really like to pound the ball inside and they get the majority of their points in the paint and we do the exact same thing. Hopefully we'll be a little better at it tomorrow.

Q. This one's for Marcus: Throughout the year, we always hear, "If Marcus shows up. If Marcus shows up." Describe that type of pressure. And also what do you think when you hear that about yourself, if Marcus shows up, the team is going win?
MARCUS PAIGE: I just think, first of all, that means I'm a pretty important part of the team but it's different in the past where if I didn't show up, especially for a big night offensively, then we would struggle. Clearly that has not been the case this year we've been fine in games I have not played well and even better in games I do play well. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself more so than anybody else.

I try to ignore it and help my team any way I can. Whether that's stepping up defensively and being the lead guard or assist man. I need to balance my shots because that will help the team out.

Q. For both players: Everybody wants to win a national championship, but not everybody is built to win a national championship. Would it be a waste of the talent assembled if you guys don't win it all?
BRICE JOHNSON: I wouldn't say it would be a waste, it's just -- you don't know what to expect coming into the Tournament. I mean, a lot of night you might have an off-night and somebody might beat you. You can't go and say it will be a waste because you don't know what's going to happen.

We are built to win one. We have to go out with the intensity to go out and show it. We have to play great defense every night. At times you're not going hit shots; you have to let the defense control the game for you.

Q. Marcus, do you have anything?
MARCUS PAIGE: I think "waste" is a tough word to use. There's not only one team that has a great season but there's only one national championship. If you look at last year, Kentucky lost one game all year. Great talent but they didn't win it. I don't think people would consider that a waste of the season.

You have to have a lot of things fall into place to win the title. That makes your season obviously better, more special. A deep tournament run, Final Four berth. Those things can make your season special and definitely not a waste. I would say that's tough to say.

Q. Either player, last week, at the ACC Tournament, you guys raised your game noticeably. Was that just a matter of it being the postseason and it's go time or was there something that happened that kind of brought that about?
MARCUS PAIGE: Yeah. I think on the court, definitely our defense is one thing that our people point to change dramatically from the regular season. All our defensive numbers got better and we looked like a more cohesive team on the defensive side of the floor. I think a lot of that is because it's March; there's a lot of tough on the line in terms of winning championships.

I would say that, yeah, it's definitely a change. And I think it comes from understanding that this is it, this is where you get a chance to be remembered.

Q. This is for Brice: You know, Coach has made no secret over the years about what a good offensive player you are, but what a not-so-good defensive player you were when you first came in other than blocking shots and I can see Marcus laughing about it still. Can you walk us through the steps you took to become a good defensive player and was it coaching prodding, or what was it that made you improve as a defensive player over the years?
BRICE JOHNSON: Well, first of all, I'm not the best, but I'm still working at it. I mean, still a work in progress but I am ten times better than I was my freshman year. It's totally different than playing in high school, where I could stand in the lane and block every single shot that came in there because the guys weren't my size. Then coming here I wasn't the biggest guy playing the 5 position and having to guard guys 50, 60 pounds heavier than me. I mean, it was just a lot of time and effort put into it, just gaining weight, being able to move my feet and not playing the 5 position. We've got guys a lot bigger than me now. I was able to move back to my natural position.

It's still a work in progress. I'm still definitely ten times better than I was when I first got here.

Q. This is what you play the whole season for the next couple days. What is it like the night before the NCAA Tournament starts? And what is going through your mind how you prepare it, because it's been three, four months, really four years to get to this moment?
BRICE JOHNSON: The night before, I mean, treat it like any other game. I mean, don't really treat it as anything special. I mean, probably treat the Final Four as something different but we haven't gotten that far yet. So, I mean, as of now, I just kind of treat it as a normal game. Just have to go out there and be ready to play. You know everybody is going to give us our best shot. You have to be ready to play. I don't really treat it any differently than a regular game.

MARCUS PAIGE: Yeah. I mean pretty much what he said. You try to treat it like a normal game. Obviously it's a little different because you know the stakes are higher. You try not to think about that as a competitor going in. You try to relax and know when you go out there you got to give it your best shot and leave it all on the floor and then you can accept whatever result you get.

So, just trying to go in with the right mindset, knowing you're confident enough to get it done.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions for the student-athletes? All right. Gentlemen, thank you very much. Good luck tomorrow.

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