Everything that head coach Kevin Willard, Rodney Rice, Derik Queen and Ja’Kobi Gillespie said after Maryland’s 79-49 win vs. Manhattan.
Willard on Derik Queen’s debut
“I got the job three years ago and the first place I went down to was Montverde [Academy] to watch him. And I've got to watch him over the last three years progress. I've got to see him lose almost 18 pounds since he got here. And I think I said it on media day, he's one of the best freshmen, if not the best freshman in the country. I know a lot of people talk about other guys but what he did tonight is what he does every day in practice. So it's not really that surprising.”
Willard on the change from first vs. second half
“Just nerves. I mean, again, this is the first – like we got eight new guys. So I kind of knew it and Manhattan's very well coached team defensively. They run stuff. They're deliberate. I really wasn't that worried. I just wanted everyone to kind of get their game nerves out of us. It's a bad thing about playing scrimmages. The good thing is you play good teams. The bad thing is you don't get that game experience and so it's just a little bit more or less just everybody kind of relax and we'll be okay.”
Willard on Derik Queen’s stretch to open the second half
“I think that's something that we wanted to get the ball inside. We knew the size, we had a really big size advantage. We didn't do a good job of getting the ball inside in the first half. Again, it's when you have really talented players certain guys can take over games. I think Derik just kind of got a good steal, he got a big dunk in. He's a talented player. Sometimes just got to get out of his way.”
Willard on Ja’Kobi Gillespie in transition
“Ja’Kobi is a great shooter, too. What I'm excited [about] is five assists, no turnovers. For his first time out, having to run the show taking over technically for Jahmir to get 16 and five, play defense the way he played. I was really happy with Ja’Kobi.”
Willard on the on-court chemistry in the first game
“What I like the most about the roster is last year we would have been stuck with that same five out there and I would’ve looked down, it wouldn’t have been a whole lot of options. This year, we were struggling, and I had no problem going in with Jay [Young], Rodney [Rice], Tafara [Gapare], Jordan [Geronimo]. Like it wasn't even a thought process for me because that second group gives that first group every day in practice. So last year, I think we would have struggled and we did last year's first game. We struggled because we didn't have that many options. It was nice to sit there and be able to make a, put Rodney Rice in to start the second half and know what he could do. The chemistry is a long way. I think everyone's going to say the same thing. We're not the only one, but I do like the fact that I had a lot of confidence in going to the bench and playing Jay, playing Rodney, Tafara Jordan extended minutes.”
Willard on how Derik Queen and Julian Reese fared together
“I'm still – I know all the fans love want them to play together, and I get it. My biggest issue with playing together is I got to take them both out. And I think I like, we struggled. We went through a tough stretch when they were both out of the game. I think when they're both out of the game, I'm giving the other team a gift. I got to figure out – and it's really, really hard to try to play a center eight straight minutes at this level. And so one of them has to play almost eight straight minutes and it's really hard to get them back in. And I know everyone thinks it's a lot easier to do. It's really not easy to do with two big guys that have to run the floor, set screens, stay out of foul trouble, and if they do get in foul trouble, now you're stuck with one of them there. They work really well together. It just I just don't like giving the other team a free pass not having them one of them on the floor, because I don't care who you are – if you’ve got to guard Julian Reese and Derik Queen all game long and you never get a break, you're going to be in for a long night.”
Willard on Selton Miguel’s second-half absence
“Selton sprained his ankle two days ago, missed most of yesterday's practice. I wanted to get him out there and just get the feel of the first game and go through everything, but he looked like he was just kind of not himself and so that was just kind of what – I didn't want him to mess that ankle up any further.”
Willard on Rodney Rice getting comfortable in game one
“I think the biggest thing I've seen is, over the last two weeks, Rodney has been our most consistent and probably best player in practice. And so I think he's gained a lot of confidence in practice. So through his confidence, I have great confidence in him. And I think you're just going to see he plays – he keeps the game really simple. He's going to shoot it, or he's going to create offense off the dribble. For him to come out after being out that long and playing the way he did, again, that's the way I'm looking at things, those are all really good positives.”
Willard on the shot selection from three
“Well, we were 5-for-18 at one point. We'd only taken 18, which I was actually kind of happy about. I look at the last five misses – Chance [Stephens] missed two, Deshawn [Harris-Smith], missed one, Derik jacked one up. This team will shoot the basketball much, much better. That's, actually, the one thing last year, I actually asked Damon, I walked off the court and I was visibly nervous about the way we shot the ball. This year, I know we got guys that can make shots so I'm not that worried about that.”
Willard on Jordan Geronimo’s role
“I threw Jordan into the fire last year. Chance’s injury kind of forced that a little bit. So we kind of, I had to throw him into going from a guy that was not so much a role player but knew his role to going out and playing 30 minutes a game and trying to figure it out. Jordan, I think knows who he is now and I think that makes a huge difference as a player. Kind of when you figure out who you are and what you can do and how you could be effective on the court. I think Jordan's figured that out where I don't think he had figured it out last year.”
Willard on DeShawn Harris-Smith’s progression and comfort in year two
“I'd like to see Deshawn be a little bit more aggressive. He's putting the work in shooting and offensive wise, I'd like to see him be a little bit more. I think that was a little bit of our issue in the first half was, he can't be as passive. He's been really good going downhill and getting pick and rolls. But again, even though he played 32 games last year and played all those minutes, your first time being back on their lights, it takes a little time. But yes, I think I agreed with you.”
Queen on whether this is what he envisioned for his debut
“No, not really. I mean, I just had to go out there, rebound play how I usually play.”
On whether Queen had to shake any nerves
“No, no nerves. Just, I mean, just come out there and play basketball. That's what I love to do. [There’s] no need to be nervous. I've been playing basketball forever, so why be nervous now?”
On what the thought is when Queen plays like he did vs. Manhattan
Gillespie: “I expected that from Derik. He came in as a five star and I heard a lot about him, so I really expected it.”
Rice: “He does that in practice. So yeah, it was very expected. He was horsing down there. Yeah, that's what I'd like to see from.”
On the halftime message from Kevin Willard
Gillespie: “Just turn it up offense, more like pigs and, yeah, really, that's it.”
Rice: “Coaches told us to come out with and be more aggressive, mainly on offense. We needed to do better on that side of the ball. Our defense was well and yeah, just being aggressive. The main thing coming off into the second half.”
On whether Manhattan forced Queen to change his approach
“I just had to just go get some rebounds. Had a lot of points off offensive rebounds and then at the top of the key, when the ball got to me, it wasn't denied. So, like I was playing like Lamar Jackson.”
Rice on being the most consistent player in practice
“It definitely took me a few practices. But yeah, I've got my feet wet and just playing like myself now. I feel more confident. And the coaches, the guys on the team, they've instilled that confidence into me. So yeah, just playing like myself, playing free.”
On whether Queen heard the student section chant his name
“I mean, it was sitting right in front of me when I was on the bench and it just put a big smile on my face.”
Gillespie on his comfort running the offense
“I mean, I knew I just had to go out there and play basketball. And I got two bigs, like Derik and [Julian Reese] and then Rodney and all the other ones spacing the floor, so I knew the game would come to me.”
Rice on getting back on the court for the first time in two years
“Oh, man, it felt great. That first half was a little rough, in my opinion, but I had to, like I said, get my feet wet, come out the next half and get to it.”
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