Buzz Williams on comeback vs. Washington, Andre Mills, alumni weekend, Guillermo Del Pino

Ahmed Ghafir
21 hours ago
9 min read

Updated: 19 hours ago

Everything that head coach Buzz Williams said after Maryland men's basketball's 64-60 win over Washington:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SAhFUQe6Ns

On the gameplan to slow down Hannes Steinbach

“I like some of the things that we've talked about this month. I think, of all of the deficiencies and the things that we're trying to fight against, the one thing that correlates on both sides of the ball is our defensive rebound percentage and our offensive rebound percentage. And without explaining too much, so that it doesn't get too long of a diatribe, we grade every possession. We call it rebounding effort. We've done that the last seven years. There's a lot of language involved. There's a lot of technique involved. None of it is like otherworldly but I think from an accountability standpoint, what we've tried to do - we're not there yet, we're broaching it. But if you think of offense as one thing, and you think of defense as one thing, what we've tried to do is almost split it in thirds. It's offense, it's defense, and it's rebounding. Other than field goal attempts, rebounds are the second-highest volume thing in the game. We assign certain guys certain responsibilities, relative to offensive rebounding. And then, from a defensive standpoint, what is the responsibility of the shooter? What's the responsibility of the other four? And when we play a dominant rebounder such as six, there's different language involved. And I thought our guys were tremendous in executing that. 85% defensive rebound percentage, 44% offensive rebound percentage. It at least gives us a chance. As long as there's not an outlier stat, it gives us a chance to shoot more balls, which we have to do if we play with a low turnover rate, gives us a chance to make more free throws. It's the one thing that is impacted on both sides of the ball. And so there were other good things that happened, but it's the one good thing that happened on both sides of the ball.”

On Guillermo Del Pino playing more, Darius Adams only nine minutes

“Personally, I thought Willie was the MVP. I don't know what you saw, and that's not to be negative towards DA. I love DA but every possession is so monumental. And we're playing with nine guys. George [Turskon] came back, which was good. His ten minutes and three rebounds were really effective to give us some physicality, particularly with Solo’s foul trouble. We're very reliant on Collin over the last three and a half weeks. That's helped us. But relative to the margins that we're fighting, we're not in such a position that we’re held hostage to any player, regardless of name. We’re held hostage to their ability to execute what the game plan was. I think Willie has played nine minutes this month. I don't think he's ever scored a point in Big Ten play. I think he was zero field goals, zero free throws. I think he was averaging 0.6 rebounds, so for him to step in and play 27 minutes, I thought was monumental.”

On the evolution of Andre Mills

“I think there's some volatility when you're a freshman, particularly when you're more downhill than anything else. At Rutgers last week, he was 3-of-14, and then in Evanston, I think he scored half of our points, half of our free throws and half of our threes. That would have been an outlier stat relative to his three point jump shot percentage. I thought that kind of opened up the game for him. He's been very consistent with our staff. He and DA, as I've mentioned, in working on two footed plays. I think tonight would have been his highest number of assists in his career, probably his highest number of turnovers. We're getting better at the first side drive. Our movement on the first side has improved. We're still a little too anxious once we get them into rotation, on keeping them in rotation, not Washington, just in general. So we've kind of - that's almost become a division of what we're doing at the start of each practice is working on first side, second side into third side movement. Because we don't have anybody to throw it inside too. So our paint touch has to occur off the bounce and arguably Dre, as of today, is our best to ignite what we call around the horn. Our decisions at the rim, particularly against 11, I think he's 15th in the country in blocked shots. Some of that - we count a block shot as a turnover…but we've made improvements. We still have growth in front of us, but I think Dre embraces the physicality that comes with that. We've just got to make better decisions at the rim.”

I say a lot of things that I probably wouldn't say publicly to Dre. I love him. I know all his people, his people have given me permission to coach him as if coaches used to coach. I'm not saying that's wrong or right, and I'm not saying I'm wrong or right. The intent of my heart towards Dre is always in the right place. My tone of voice is not always the best, but it's a language that he understands readily. I don't specifically remember what I said, but tonight was our highest basket assist rate of the year. So we are making progress. I think what happens, and we talked a little bit about it at halftime, but kind of similar to rebounding, as the ball is moving off the bounce, the ball has eyes, so there has to be somebody in front, there has to be somebody behind. And now, how are we utilizing Collin relative to that? Because he's only going to get a touch above the rim. And then the fifth guy is always the one more. And we're struggling getting somebody behind we were in the first half, so I would say that's probably what I was hollering at Dre about. Because Dre is used to igniting it and when somebody else is driving it, he doesn't do a good job in the movement. But when it comes back to him on the second side, now it becomes even better. And so if I was guessing, that was probably what I said. And then my last time out when I was screaming at him in the game, and it was because of the same sort of genre of conversation.”

On Maryland’s defense down the stretch

“They're just so physically gifted, size, strength, athleticism, speed, length and their prowess is at the rim. And so everything that we were trying to do from a defensive standpoint, even though we struggled contesting threes in Illinois. In the month of February, we have improved over 200 spots in protecting the rim and tonight, 28% of their shots were at the rim. That's a stark comparison to what we were doing a month ago. I thought that coach Devin's defensive changes relative to ball screen coverages with 11, with six, were spot on. I thought our guys executed when we went from man to zone. We brought back a different zone that we haven't played since December. I thought that that was a good change of pace, and all of it was predicated on protecting our house and trying to keep it out of the house, whether it was zone, whether it was man or whether it was ball screen coverage. And I thought the execution of that was better. We forced probably more wood twos than they typically take, and we were able to finish with a rebound. We didn't get in the bonus in the first half, which is not good, but they didn't get in the bonus in the first half, which is great for us. In the second half, they got to the bonus, I don't know in real time, maybe four to six minutes quicker than we did. That's typically not a good sign, but that we were only giving them one shot at least gave us a chance. We were getting more shots at the rim and we were keeping them from the rim and only giving them one attempt. I did not know your stat though - three baskets in the last 7:40.

On George Turkson

“I know George has missed the last three games, I believe. We haven't been able to practice five on five since before Valentine's Day. George was released on Thursday morning when we got back from Evanston. Are you saying we played more guys or more minutes from those guys off the bench?

Well, Willie skewed that number. Willie ate up some of those minutes that were going elsewhere. But similar to what I said, I'm thankful for all of those guys in their heart and trying to have resilience through all that we've been through. And I think the teammate that Diggy was, the teammate that DA was on minutes that were typically theirs, that are going to Willie. They were probably more vocal than Willie is when Willie [is] sitting on the bench. Willie doesn't necessarily speak English as well as you and I do, but man, I thought he was - I just think he understands space. I think the ball never sticks. I think he understands how to create a shot for somebody else, and there's a chance that he can make a shot. He's a little oblivious, like when you say KenPom top 50, he has no idea. When you say Washington, he thinks it means down the street, not a state. He doesn't know Huskies are dogs, like in a good way. Like he has a really good demeanor. He's probably the most beloved teammate in our organization. They were celebrating him when I walked in. I thought he was the difference. And if [Isaiah] Watts was the difference, or George is the difference, or Collin is the difference, within all that we've been through and the margins that we're fighting and the things that we're measuring, whoever's doing well, keep doing well. And if I can sub you out to get a drink of water, or I'll call a timeout so you can take a break. Mean, I think I think Dre's played more minutes in the last three weeks than anybody on our team. I wouldn't have thought that in January, but I also think his efficiency in the month of February [is] drastically different than any other perimeter player on our team. And so it's not specific to well, he's a freshman. No who can help us relative to executing the plan and giving ourselves a chance to win?”

On Guillermo Del Pino’s size, IQ

“His IQ is really good. Can he stay in front of a fast guard? That's to be determined. Can he keep a fast guard from taking the ball from him? He did today. I think how we train has really benefited him. I think his body has changed. I think his consistency of playing here versus European in regards to the pace, in regards to the physicality, I think he's beginning to adjust to all of that. And I think the job that Coach [Steve Gephardt] has done in the weight room with him, and not just all of the team workouts, but all of the extra workouts. He needs just as much time in the weight room as he does on the floor, because it's not a skill thing. But when speed, athleticism and strength restricts you from doing what you can do, okay well, then that changes your game. If you're playing in the logo, you're probably not very effective but if you can get under the defense, now you can make good decisions. I thought there were a couple of the shots that he took that were just okay, some of those would twos. But I also thought that those two threes he hit, considering we're not as proficient from three as we'd like to be. Those were big shots for us. And I thought Watts’ one. I don't know what Watts was shooting, 22% from three going into today in conference play. And those are, that's manna from heaven. We shot. We made 10 threes. That's great.”

On the game-sealing dunk from Del Pino to Andre Mills

“Come on, man, what are we doing? The game was won, right?...Well then maybe it was a good decision. I just stood there. I couldn't believe he threw it, but I had a bad angle. Did somebody say he got the block on the other end? But when he blocked it, he didn't gain possession. Is that correct? Wasn't it kind of a scrum? And Dre drew it to Willie? I'll have to watch it, and I don't know, not being sarcastic, I guess they would have had to foul, right? Yeah, I'll have to think through that a little better. So I'm glad it worked out.”

On alumni weekend in College Park

“I know I said it in here yesterday, there were about 75, maybe more alums that were at practice yesterday. I didn't think practice was very good. They probably didn't either. There were a bunch here this morning at shootaround, and now we're going to the event. It's just been - for someone that's new to better understand the people that have planted and created the sustainability of the program is just - I'm excited to take a shower and go up there.”

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