Everything head coach Kevin Willard said after Maryland men's basketball took down USC, 88-71, in a game they led for all but 48 seconds:
On limiting USC to two field goals over the final 6:31
“I think those guys have, you know, I think having that happen at Indiana, having that happen at Nebraska, [there] wasn't a whole lot of panic. [It] was just more about getting back to what we were doing defensively and I thought they did a good job responding.”
“I think 32 hit three big threes that kind of…give them credit. [USC head coach Eric Musselman] isn't going away. I mean, that's a good basketball team that's well coached. We had a turnover, they hit a three, we missed a layup, they hit a three and that's going to happen sometimes.”
On whether Willard believes something special is happening with his team
“I just like the way they're playing. I think they do have a lot of confidence. I like our defensive intensity. More than anything, I like the fact I can throw the ball inside on a consistent basis.”
On Rodney Rice’s adjustments over the last month
“Man, Rod's been good all year, you know? And I think what's really – the best thing about Rodney is he's fun to coach. He's very coachable and he's a great competitor. I knew he's a good player but he's so consistent every day. Every game, he leads us in plus-minus. Every game, he's going out there, and he's got a great knack – he's a scorer. So that's why it's I think it's helped them be so consistent.”
On whether he’s coached a starting five able to create their own shot
“I think what's really unique about this group is, and again, I don't think enough people are talking about Julian Reese. Like, he's my safety blanket. Like, at any time I feel confident I can come down, throw him the basketball. And he has been as consistent as any big guy in this league, all year. So when you have a talent like Derik and you have Ja’Kobi and Rodney and Selton [Miguel] who can shoot it, but in this league, there's going to be times where you got to get the ball inside the paint, and he's just been, he's been really good.”
On what’s changed for Ja’Kobi Gillespie since the Washington game off the court
“I just think he's finally getting comfortable with Big Ten play. The size and length of guards that he's seen, he didn't see that at Belmont. He saw really good guards, but not the size and length. And I think it just took him a little time to kind of get used to what shots he can take, what shots he can do. I think he's comfortable in the offense now. Again, it still was a new offense for him for most half of the year, so I think he's just gotten much more confident what he can do and he's much more confident going into games now.”
On whether Willard is concerned about three bench points
“No.”
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