He said it didn't really matter to him that he was playing against a team from his home state.

And when he was asked if he was recruited by North Carolina, Florida State freshman forward Patrick Williams said, "I honestly can't remember."

Well, the Tar Heels will certainly remember Williams after his performance Monday night in the eighth-ranked Seminoles' 65-59 victory over the historic power.

Williams scored 14 points, pulled down 9 rebounds and made all six of his free-throw attempts in the six-point win.

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"Pat is kind of growing up in front of our eyes," FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton said. "He was less hesitant. He was extremely aggressive and alert. He played with a lot of confidence (against the Tar Heels). That just shows what kind of progress he's making."

Williams missed two recent games -- Notre Dame and Virginia -- with a toe injury. It's probably no coincidence that those were two of the worst defensive performances of the season for the Seminoles in conference play.

While Williams is impressive enough on the offensive end, it's what he does on defense that can change games.

The Charlotte, N.C., product is listed at 6-foot-9. But he is so quick, agile and athletic that he can stay with guards on the perimeter. And he is such a terrific leaper that he has become the Seminoles' best rim protector. As a freshman.

Williams, who spoke with the media Monday night for the first time since enrolling at FSU, wasn't asked to play defense like this in high school. He blocked shots with sheer athleticism, but he was asked to do so much offensively at West Charlotte High that he wasn't exactly a lock-down defender on the other end.

That has changed in a big way. And it's a major reason why he's in Tallahassee in the first place.

"It was the defensive mindset," the former five-star prospect said of why he chose the Seminoles over Louisville, Arizona, Maryland and many other national powers. "A lot of schools (in recruiting) came and talked offense and what I can do offensively. Florida State was different. ... They were talking to me about defense. I felt like that really stood out to me.

"Because there are only a select few guys who can really lock up defensively."

Hamilton said one of Williams' best qualities is that, "he knows what he doesn't know." Which means he's been a sponge since he got on campus, trying to learn any and everything he can about the program, the defensive principles and what is expected of him day in and day out.

"I just came in and asked a lot of questions, really," Williams said. "I just wanted to learn the culture here at Florida State. Our culture is definitely defense first. ... So I just tried to fit in. I didn't want to be that guy that came in and really doesn't fit the culture."

Oh, he definitely fits.

Williams is long, quick, athletic and completely unselfish. He scored 14 points on Monday night. On four field goal attempts.

"He's too humble to me," senior guard Trent Forrest said. "To a lot of us, we would definitely say he's way too humble."

Williams said Forrest and the rest of his teammates are always telling him to be aggressive when he checks into games.

"They see what I can do each and every day in practice on the court," Williams said. "So they just kept feeding me that confidence that when you're in the game, shoot the ball and shoot it with confidence."

Because his talent is undeniable.

There seems to be little doubt that Williams will be in the NBA one day; it's just a matter of when he decides to go. And while FSU has had plenty of talented forwards over the years, there haven't been many players during Hamilton's tenure who have possessed the kinds of skills Williams does at both ends of the court.

They are the kind of skills, quite frankly, that North Carolina could've used on Monday night.

Whether or not UNC showed interest during the recruiting process is a moot point now, of course. Because Williams is a Seminole, wowing fans, coaches and teammates alike with the things he can do on a basketball court.

"We call him the freak of nature, because he is," sophomore forward Malik Osborne said. "His athleticism, in my opinion, is unmatched. He's able to jump quickly off the floor and get as high as anybody in the gym. And that helps us defensively, especially with him being long and athletic. He is a major part of our 'Junkyard Defense" ... I'm glad he's on my team."

Williams finished 2019 as the No. 20-ranked player in his senior class by Rivals.com. He was the No. 3 small forward and could've gone almost anywhere in the country.

He chose to sign with Leonard Hamilton. To continue building FSU into an ACC power.

"I got a lot of questions about, 'Why Florida State. Why this school?'" Williams said on Monday. "So i was ready to get down here and prove to them why I came here.

"And I think I've been doing that."

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