George Washington University Athletics
2/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 27, 2008
Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery 
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
February 27, 2008
Rhode Island 68
@ GW 85
Post-game comments
GW Coach Karl Hobbs
Is this the best you've shot from outside this season?
"No question. Maybe since I've been here as coach. We've been looking for a night like this. [Noel Wilmore] was the difference. He made every big shot, and every shot he took was almost a dagger. They would make a run, and Noel would finish it with a 3. It's probably one of the best games we've played all year."
What did you say to the team at halftime?
"I told them that they have a guy by the name of Will Daniels, who's one of the best players in the league. And they have [Jimmy] Baron, who's clearly one of the best shooters in the league, and Parfait [Bittee] is a terrific point guard. They were going to make a run. This is a very prideful basketball team...Our shooting in the first half caught them a little off guard. They weren't anticipating that. That's all we talked about--don't give up 3s, and don't give up second shots."
Is Noel fulfilling the role you envisioned for him?
"He really is. Most of it is that we finally got the guys to understand what his strength is. We play games, and he's open in the corner. And that takes time. Remember, we're a work in progress. It took time for us to gel, it took time for our chemistry to come together. If you watched us in the early part of the season, our chemistry wasn't very good."
Is it too early to be thinking about making the A-10 tournament?
"I've said all along, it's not about the tournament. It's about getting our guys to play to their maximum, and as best as they possibly could. Whatever happens after that, I can live with it. That's what we struggled with...Now, we're starting to do that. I'm really not concerned with Atlantic City. I'm concerned with guys improving, and overall as a basketball team us getting better."
How does tonight help you going into what could be the toughest game of the season?
"Not much [laughs], because Xavier is really good at home. If they were coming here, it would give me a great lift...We have to go into that game with the mindset that we're going to execute and play our style, and they'll have to beat us. Hopefully, we'll maintain our poise..and we're playing against the best. We've got our work cut out for us. We have to hope three of their shooters are having bad shooting days."
GW junior G Noel Wilmore
Are you getting more confident with your role on the team?
"I think some other guys are taking [fewer] shots, so the ball moves around more. I'm getting opportunities early in the game for easy set shots, which is what I'm really looking for. It's how I can get going when I get my feet set and catch and shoot set shots early in the game. That makes a big difference."
What helped you get open tonight?
"A lot of it has to do with Rob Diggs. Rob is playing phenomenally offensively. He has no quit in him in him, and he's giving us a lot right now. A lot of attention goes to the lane, and also Wynton [Witherspoon] is very good at driving the lane. And Maureece [Rice] of course poses a threat, so I find myself wide open."
What kind of a lift does a game like this give you?
"Pretty high. I think it's my career-high game. Anytime I get 9 shots from the 3, I always feel good afterwards."
Rhode Island coach Jim Baron
What was the difference tonight from the last time you played GW?
"First of all, you're on the road playing against a team that's won some games. They had a lot of confidence today and made some big plays. They made some big shots, and they're a team that's very effective when the ball is dropping, and it was dropping today."
What effect did the 3-point shooting have on the game?
"It's like hitting a home run. Guys hit shots from deep, and a number of guys stepped up and did that...Wilmore stepped up, Hollis stepped up...it was a combination of a lot of guys. I really haven't seen them [GW] shoot as well as they did today."
