George Washington University Athletics
Karl Hobbs Media Day Transcript
11/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 4, 2005
GW Men's and Women's Basketball Media Day Photo Gallery
Opening Statement
COACH Karl Hobbs: First and foremost, I just want to thank everybody for coming out. Boy, life has changed from the time when I first got here until now. I'm very excited about this upcoming year. We have a great deal of experience. We think our young guys are going to come along as the year progresses and with that experience it gives us an opportunity to hopefully repeat as Atlantic 10 champions. As you folks well know, the landscape of the league has changed a little bit with the addition of Saint Louis and Charlotte, two very good teams. Our league also has 80 percent of the returning players coming back and that's going to make our goal and what we want to accomplish a little more challenging for us. But, we think if we can play consistent basketball at a high level we'll have success repeating as Atlantic 10 champs.
On the freshmen making contributions early
COACH Karl Hobbs: I think it will be a gradual thing, because there is so much they are still learning. We run a lot of different things defensively, as well as offensively, but it's going to take them a while just to make those adjustments.
On dealing with expectations
COACH Karl Hobbs: I believe last year was the first time in the Atlantic 10 where every coach voted for GW to win the league. Those are as high as expectations can get. I think this year the experience that we had last year having to play under pressure, having to play under those type of expectations, I'm hoping that it is going to help us this year.
On veterans helping along the young guys
COACH Karl Hobbs: That process has already begun. It has begun in practice, in the preseason and basically working hard every day and leading by example. Letting the young guys know what is expected of them, on and off the court as well, and they are doing a great job of that. The young guys are coming along very well. I'm expecting them to make the same progress as Mike, Omar and Pops did when they were freshmen.
On what the team has drawn from the experience of winning the A-10 and making the NCAA Tournament
COACH Karl Hobbs: As a coach, you are hoping that your team has learned from some of the mistakes we made last year that we have to correct. I really believe that being in the [NCAA] Tournament, the players are a little bit more self-motivated now that they've had that experience. Anything less than that would be a real disappointment for this basketball team and obviously our goals are to try to go a little bit beyond what we did last year, and hopefully we'll be able to do that. I feel pretty confident that we're headed in the right direction.
On the team's off-season
COACH Karl Hobbs: Our off-season experience this summer - we had our best since I've been here at GW. We've also had the experience of taking a trip to Australia, which I think was very beneficial for us. It gave us an opportunity to bond and to play some games that we wouldn't have been able to play under any other circumstances. It gave some guys the chance to emerge a little bit. I'm excited and I really believe that experience in Australia is really going to benefit us this year.
On restoring the program to national prominence
COACH Karl Hobbs: The thing that was most important, when I think about getting here, starting out and looking to get the program to where it is now, we're very fortunate that we have an administration here at George Washington University that understood that it was going to take character before wins. You have to put that before wins, and the fact that they were patient and understood the process [was important]. Basically that's what we tried to do with our first recruiting class, is really try to go out and get guys of character. Then we relied on our experience and what we do best, which is to develop players. The guys have developed every year. Guys have gotten better physically, mentally and gained a better understanding of how to play, and I think that's been the difference. The proudest moment for me is seeing the five seniors come into GW one way and in May, to see them get their degrees and leave a totally different way. That's the most satisfying thing for me as a basketball coach.
On the new structure of the conference
COACH Karl Hobbs: I think the addition of those two teams (Saint Louis and Charlotte), obviously, will give our conference a strong boost when it comes NCAA time. I think that we have at least four or five teams, most certainly, who are capable and good enough to be NCAA qualifiers this year. With Charlotte and Saint Louis coming into the league, it makes it that more challenging. In addition to that, now you don't have the East, West divisions, you just have the one league, which I think will make it a little more difficult. I think what you are going to find this year, and I don't believe there will be a team this year that's going to have less than four losses, is everybody is going to have four or five losses. I really believe that, unless somebody emerges to be very special, and right now I don't see that team right now.
On possibility of becoming that special team
COACH Karl Hobbs: Based on the quality of the [other] programs [in the A-10], I think that would be very difficult. Is that possible? If that does happen, then we have overachieved a little bit in my opinion. I think when you look at the experience and the depth of a team like Xavier, a team that has experienced over the past eight years, 20-plus wins, and last year they had sort of a down year for them, 18 wins. How about that, a down year. Then, when you look at Charlotte, who has one of the more talented players in the league, some say the best player in the league, Curtis Withers, and you can just go right down the list. I think the parity is what's going to make this league an exciting conference this year.
On what it means to have Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Mike Hall back after flirting with the NBA Draft
COACH Karl Hobbs: It means a great deal, obviously, to have them back. You are talking about two guys you just can't replace. I'm not so sure I'm crazy about the rule that allows these guys to experiment in that fashion, but they had an opportunity to look at their situation in terms of playing at the next level. I think they both made great decisions to come back. I do believe in my heart that both guys will one day play in the NBA. It was a special day to have both guys come back to graduate with the other three guys they came in with and hopefully they will leave this place with somewhat of a legacy here.
On what was his advice to those guys about entering the draft
COACH Karl Hobbs: My advice to them was to do what you feel is best for you, because I feel that is the most important thing. And that's the best advice a coach can give guys when they want to look at those opportunities, is make the best possible decision for your future. I think both guys did that.
On having being ranked last year and how does that experience factor into this year
COACH Karl Hobbs: That is going to be the challenge to this basketball team. Can we handle expectations? In addition to that, can we play at a high level on a consistent basis? And that's going to be the challenge of this basketball team. Have we matured enough to go out every single night and play at a high level, and we didn't do that all the time last year.
On GW's style of play
COACH Karl Hobbs: My number one objective is to win the basketball game. We do play a certain style and the style we play and the effort at which we must play, it does require playing a lot of people at times. And we'll continue to do that. I think that we do have to play our young guys, because we have to get them prepared for the following year because we do have some guys leaving. So we do have to play some of the younger guys so that they can gain some experience this year, because next year they will be required to play a lot more minutes. They will be really depended upon. And so, I don't expect our style to change and the way we play, we'll continue to play that way. Our ability to freely go to the bench and get results is one of the positives of our team and that is what is going to make us special this year - the fact that we can play nine, 10 guys, even 11 guys for that matter. The comfort level at any time to put a guy in the game and know that he is going to produce and play up to his potential [is important for me].
On whether one freshman will receive more playing time than the others
COACH Karl Hobbs: I think all three are going to have moments where they are going to do some special things. There is no doubt about that in my mind, because they are capable and they have the skills [to do so]. Each freshman brings a certain skill to the mix for us. Noel is a fantastic shooter. He may be one of the better shooters I have ever been around, with the exception of Ray Allen of course. But, he is an exceptional shooter. Robert Diggs is a very versatile guy with a wide range of abilities, and Montrell is going to develop into one of our better athletes. He is sort of a Danilo Pinnock-type-of-player. I suspect that all three guys, like I said earlier, at times throughout the season will have an impact on games, and we're going to need them to have an impact on games.
On his team now and building the team he first envisioned having here
COACH Karl Hobbs: When you look at my team, there isn't a whole lot of difference between any of the guys, in fact, if somebody told you my entire team was related you would say, `Ok, they all kind of look alike.' Out on the recruiting trail, some would say, `Boy, he looks like a GW player.' I feel pretty confident, and I sort of joke and I say GW, in terms of the type of players and who we are, we've been sort of branded. You can tell what a GW player looks like, runs like and plays like. It's pretty obvious and I'm excited about what we've done. I'm excited about the team we've put together and the guys have responded and they are capable of playing the style that I like to play.
On his definition of a GW player
COACH Karl Hobbs: Long, lean, athletic and a very high basketball IQ. That would be a GW player.
On half-court play last year
COACH Karl Hobbs: I believe we were a pretty good half-court basketball team [last year]. I thought our problems came in with our inconsistency on the defensive end. I think we have to be more consistent defensively and we have to take care of the basketball. If we can do those two things, we have an opportunity to have a special season. Our half-court offense is pretty solid. Obviously, it could use some improvements, particularly from the three-point line, now that T.J. is gone, but I think we have several guys that will emerge and take up the slack and give us some consistent three-point shooting from the perimeter.
