ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 9, 2021

Anthony Walker

Miami Hurricanes

Postgame Press Conference

Miami 79, Pittsburgh 73

Q. Anthony, can you talk about the energy and the mood of this team right now? What happened between the Boston College game and now, the way you guys are playing right now is very different from how you were playing a little earlier. What's happening here with this team right now?

ANTHONY WALKER: Like I said earlier in the year, we believe we're going to win every game. Going into that Boston College game gave us a lot of momentum coming out with that win. So just going into this tournament, we think it's a new season. Right now we're 1-0, so we're going to keep going, keep this energy as high as we can keep it, and we're just going to keep rolling.

Q. I know it's kind of hard not to look ahead, but with potentially having to play five games in five days and so many games in such a short period of time potentially, how do you maintain your body to get yourself prepared not just for tomorrow's game but maybe potentially games down the road?

ANTHONY WALKER: Right now we're about to go do treatment as a team. We're about to make sure that everyone is okay. But as best as we can, we're just going to keep our bodies as fresh as we can and we're just going to come out and play hard, 120 percent every game all the way up until -- that's it, we win.

Q. What can you say about this season -- I spoke with Coach about it, having to deal with all of the injuries as well as COVID and all the protocols. Just how this team found its way to where you are right now, and if you feel a rejuvenation or maybe a rebirth at this point.

ANTHONY WALKER: Yeah, we won two games in a row, so we feel really good about ourselves, and we're just going to keep this momentum pushing as much as we can. We've got to go watch film on this next opponent, and we've got to game plan. And we're going to come out tomorrow with the same amount of energy we came out today with.

Q. Coach L gave you credit for your defense on Justin Champagnie. What did you focus on to hold him down as well as anybody has all year?

ANTHONY WALKER: Yeah, he's been dominating this league all year. I tip my hat off to him. Today my game plan was just to keep him off the offensive boards and away from the basket as much as I can and turn him into a jump shooter. But he's been playing well all year, and he's got a great future ahead of him. He's a tough matchup.

Q. Do you anticipate that you're going to have the assignment on Aamir Simms tomorrow?

ANTHONY WALKER: We've got to go back and game plan for that. I don't know yet. I've got to talk to my coaches about that. We've got to talk as a team. It don't matter who we have on Simms. We trust him 100 percent, and we believe we're going to come out and guard him 100 percent.

Q. I wanted to ask you about Nysier Brooks. He's had two really big games in a row. I know he's been a vocal leader, spirited guy all season. What do you think has changed in his game, and is he a big reason -- that's one thing that has changed the last couple games is his offensive production. What does he add the last couple games? What do you think has changed with him?

ANTHONY WALKER: He's our anchor and our motor, so just getting him more touches in the post. He's a great passer out of the post. He's a great scorer out of the post. So just getting him the ball more puts him in a better position and puts us in a better position. So as this tournament goes on, we're going to continue to find him more, and he's going to continue to help us win in a big way.