Gary Williams just made an appearance on the Sports Junkies. I had to stay in my car an extra five minutes to hear the end of the interview, but I was early to work, so no worries Gary. Here’s a brief synopsis of what he said:
- There’s been a lot of talk about expanding the tournament field. Williams advocates an eight team play-in for the final four spots, much like how there is a one game play-in for the final spot right now. He feels that 96 teams would be “way too much,” and that if it went to 96 teams, “you might as well let everyone in.”
- Williams obviously doesn’t like having to go across the country to play in Spokane. He pointed out that the parents and families of the kids have to pay for their own travel, and it’s tough for many of them to even make the trip, never mind the casual fans. Williams feels that the NCAA should pick-up the travel tab for the families of players.
- One thing Williams likes about Spokane is that it’s remote, and that there will be little distraction from the task at hand. He equated it to going to Boise in 2001, a year that the Terps made the final four. I can see the analogy. Spokane is like the Boise of Washington State.
- The Junkies asked Williams about whether he was offended that Seth Davis picked Michigan State over Maryland in the second round, and Gary’s one word response was, “Dookie”. When they pointed out that Dookie Jay Bilas picked the Terps, Williams responded, “Jay Bilas had a religious experience.” Awesome.
- When asked about the Terps match-up with Houston, Williams pointed out that Aubrey Coleman is the leading scorer in the country. He equated Coleman to Steve Francis, saying that, much like Francis, Coleman plays with a chip on his shoulder from being a junior college transfer.
- The team is going to practice in College Park today and then travel to Spokane this evening.
- Gary said that the Terps are not overlooking Houston, but his assistant coaches are preparing for Michigan State. He said, “If you win, you have to be ready.”
- Despite being shipped out to the west coast, Williams feels great about getting a #4 seed. He is impressing on his players the quickness of the tournament, and the importance of simply getting through the first weekend. He said, “If you’re one of sixteen, you got a shot.”
I was impressed with how relaxed Gary sounded. He’s obviously been there before. Listening to the interview, I got the impression that he feels good about the team’s chances. At the end he asked the Junkies how their brackets are coming along, and Lurch said that he had the Terps beating Michigan State but losing to Kansas. Gary’s response, “You know what I like about you guys? You’re honest.” Good stuff.
