Takeaways from UNC's Open Practice Session

Here is Henri Veesaar from his main stage interview at the ACC Tipoff on Oct. 7 at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown:

Q. Commissioner talked about this morning earlier how his goal is to get the ACC back to where he wants to be. As far as you as well as your team, where do you stand in that? What is your role in getting the ACC to the place that they want to be? 

HENRI VEESAAR: I think our role as a team is just to win as many games and put the ACC in the biggest platform possible. When with play, for example, the SEC and ACC games, just win those games. 

THE MODERATOR: Coming from Arizona, how much different is basketball out there compared to what you have seen basketball out here? 

HENRI VEESAAR: I would say it's quite different; definitely seeing the game change and the way that the team is. I think the biggest difference is really just seeing the connectivity of the team here and seeing how the coaches really are every day like hands-on off the court, no matter where. It's like the team meetings and all that. 

Q. Being at what's called a blue blood when we look at college basketball to wear that jersey, to be at North Carolina, be a Tar Heel and to come over from Arizona, hindsight 20/20, why was it the right decision, and what can you say about being a member of a blue blood? 

HENRI VEESAAR: I'm just feeling the love of the community and seeing what the school really means to the whole community of Chapel Hill and everywhere in North Carolina. Knowing that you play for so much more than just yourself."

"Like the players that paved the way for, you seeing everybody come back during the summer just to talk to us, the older players who are already retired or still have contracts overseas or are in the NBA. They risk theirs and their body just to play with us. Seeing that it means that much to them to make us better, that just means everything. You know that you got to bring it every day just for them. 

THE MODERATOR: We have just enough time for a closing statement. Would you like to make one? 

HENRI VEESAAR: I think I'll ask Coach to come up here. I know he's really good at this stuff, and he really loves all of this. I think he will do it.

To