1/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2008
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
January 10, 2008
Saint Louis 20
@ GW 49
Post-game comments
GW Coach Karl Hobbs
Have you talked with the team about the start of conference play being a fresh start?
"Not really. We've just been talking about improving and coming together as a basketball team. We are aware of how good our league is. But we're just talking about getting better and improving as a team."
How pleased were you with the defensive pressure, or was Saint Louis' poor shooting the reason why they scored only 20 points?
"I think it was a combination of both. One of our keys was to contest every shot. I don't think there was a shot that wasn't contested. For us to have 10 blocks is an example of that. They had some good looks at the basket, but missed the shots. And we're talking about some guys who are pretty good shooters. We were fortunate in that regard."
Do you ever feel sorry for the opponent when they're performing so poorly?
"We're more focused on trying to do fundamental things right basketball-wise. My theory is always if we do things fundamentally sound and the right way, we're going to win enough games. And that's my whole focus. I never really pay much attention to the score. My focus was to contest every shot, sprint back on defense, and box out. We were able to do those things. It's about our ability to execute, and we've not been able to do that all year."
Where did you see improvement tonight?
"We improved in paying more attention to detail, and with contested shots....A perfect example was near the end of the half when their big guy had the ball inside and little Maureece [Rice] just went up and...I don't know if he was trying to block it or what he was trying to do, but he made an attempt. And the big guy missed the shot. I don't know how much affect Maureece had, but the bottom line was that was the emphasis going into the game."
How does this starting line-up compare with others you've used?
"They came out and played well. I really haven't thought about how the compare with others. The next game, you may see an entirely different starting line-up. We're still trying to find an identity right now. And we're trying to find a comfortable way to play. Since I've been coach here at GW, I can't recall playing that much zone. So we may become a zone team, I don't know."
Rob Diggs played outside the paint a lot tonight. How did that work?
"It was very effective. We wanted to make their big guy stay out on the perimeter because we knew he couldn't guard out there. We didn't want him to be a factor because he's pretty good when he gets the ball inside...It also allowed us to play Joseph [Katuka] more. Tonight was the most minutes he's played. He's starting to feel a lot healthier. He's really strong, he's running a lot better, and he's improving every day. It also gives us a little physicality inside, as you could see with our bigger line-up tonight. [The A-10] has become a physical league...We're hoping that Joseph will give us a little more physicality and take the pressure of Rob."
GW Sophomore F Damian Hollis
Have you ever been involved in a game like tonght's?
"It was very exciting. Before the game started, I knew it was going to be a special game because everybody in the locker room was just wired with energy. I've never felt that much energy in one room from our team before."
Can you sense that something is happening with the team chemistry now?
"Definitely. If we build on to this, there's a lot of change coming. Especially with our practice style. If we start out with a lot of excitement, that should keep us going."
Is it exciting to be defining your role as the team develops?
"I don't look it like that. I try to fit my game around what coach says. And I try to work hard. That should take care of the rest."
Saint Louis Coach Rick Majerus
Opening Statement
"I thought GW played terrific. They played good defense, they hit some shots, they executed well, and they gave an excellent accounting of themselves tonight. We had some issues, but I think you have to give credit to George Washington for playing very well and doing a good job."
What did GW do to throw your players off?
"I haven't looked at the stats, but they probably had about 7 or 8 blocked shots and about 10 steals. They changed the number of shots, and we have some issues in terms of our offensive proficiency."
What did you say to your players in the 2nd half when things got out of control?
"I try to keep coaching the game, and working with them, and trying to make them better on an individual and collective basis."
Could you tell they were frustrated?
"We had some defensive things and could have rebounded better. But we're a team that has some issues. We hope we can try to get them better. That's why we're practicing tomorrow. We did miss some good shots, yes. But anyone can look out there and see that we don't have height, we don't have depth, we don't have a lot of experience. Our sixth man is virtually a walk-on, who I found in a rec league charity event. But we do have other things that we have to capitalize on."
Have you had a game where you had that much trouble scoring?
"Like the Boston College game, we defended very well tonight. We blocked out well and negated our size disadvantage with that. But we have issues related to the make-up of this team...I thought we played hard. We don't always play smart. Change is very difficult on them. It's like being a step-parent, walking in and taking someone's family. I didn't pick them, they didn't pick me. They really are trying hard. They're not used to how I would play the game...It's a process. Their effort is good. We had a couple of guys who didn't give a good effort, and that gives us difficulty because the other guys are so marginalized with issues."
Will it be tough coming back and playing Dayton on Saturday?
"It should be fun for them to come back and practice tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it, hopefully they will too. I'm trying to awaken a passion in some of them....That's something we're going through together."
