ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 10, 2021

D.J. Funderburk

North Carolina Tar Heels

Postgame Press Conference

Syracuse 89, NC State 68

Q. You guys came into this game shooting really well from the field over the last few games and kind of struggled a little bit around the rim tonight. Was it their defense? Was it just a real physical game? What do you think led to that?

D.J. FUNDERBURK: I think it was a mixture of both, but most of all it was just us. We didn't hit shots. We were flustered by their defense, and the turnovers carried over to us thinking about it later on in the game in different possessions, and I feel like that factored, too.

Q. It seemed like you guys were in a pretty good place at halftime, down just five, considering all the things that happened in the first half. What did Coach tell you guys at halftime in the locker room and what do you think led to that Syracuse run to begin the second half?

D.J. FUNDERBURK: You know, we wanted to focus on our energy. Other than that, contain Boeheim. He had 20 going into the half, and he ended up with 27, so I feel like we did what we were supposed to as far as containing him. But we let everybody else start to find their shot, and they were just one unit as a team today.

Q. Obviously as a senior this year, you do have the opportunity to come back next year, but if this is your last game at NC State, what has this program meant to you?

D.J. FUNDERBURK: It's meant a lot. They've been there for me when I was in the wrong, when I was down, my highs and my lows. It definitely meant a lot to me, off the court more so than on the court.

I'll cherish it with my decision later on after the season.

Q. How exciting do you think the future is for this program with the way that some of these young players, especially the young guards have played and gotten some experience down the stretch here?

D.J. FUNDERBURK: I think it's going to be very exciting to see in the upcoming year what these guys develop into. Right now they're super excited to keep playing. There's an exciting group of freshmen right now and freshmen coming in next year, and I'm just looking forward to them gelling as a team and seeing what they can offer the team next year.

Q. It looked like Syracuse was really able to utilize ball screens and pick-and-rolls to open up their offense. What did you see from them using that and how did you and your teammates have to adjust defensively?

D.J. FUNDERBURK: All right, so a couple of times down the court, they would do like a naked ball screen or something. Obviously there's no help on the naked side. They might have a decent shooter in that ball screen, but somebody else is creeping out and getting away from the guy that would help off of their man on the naked ball screen, and they just left him open.

For instance, there was a play, Braswell had just hit two on me, so I lifted up and Dolezaj got a naked ball screen and they gave it to him, and there was no help side. Just stuff like that. They were just the smart team today, and we weren't together on the defensive side all 40 minutes.

Q. They beat you all three times you played them. Why was Syracuse such a difficult matchup for you guys?

D.J. FUNDERBURK: Probably the zone. That's all I can really put it to is the zone, and we let them beat us from the three-point line. I could say honestly in the game today -- maybe all three games, they probably had like 10 lay-ups total against us. Majority of their points was from the free-throw line and from the three-point line. For the next team to play them, I just hope they cover the three-point line and make sure they stay together as a team.