George Washington University Athletics
Post Game Comments
12/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 9, 2009
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
December 9, 2009
Providence 110
@ GW 97
Postgame comments
GW Coach Karl Hobbs
Was it unusual, the way things unfolded?
"We knew that's how they play, and they made great plays. They have great field experience. And this was a very important game for them, and they played like it. That's what veteran basketball teams do. They've been around. Their experience and talent showed. They answered the challenge and they answered it on the road. That's a testament to how well coached they are."
"Their guard play was terrific. Each guy had an outstanding game. The encouraging thing for us was they needed to have an outstanding game tonight to win. We just needed two guys to not play so well."
"I'm so excited about our team. I hope we can continue to play the way we played today. Nine turnovers in this kind of a game is major against this kind of team. To get 97 points and shoot the percentage that we shot...We tried to press these guys, but they moved the ball so well. Our pressure is predicated on the opposing team not being able to make the long 3. And that's what they do best We made some adjustments, and I thought they adjusted very well. I can't say enough about [Providence]. They're fun to watch. It was a fabulous game."
Was this game as important for GW as it was for Providence?
"No. For us, we're at a different stage. It meant a lot more for their season, and I mean that as high praise and compliment to Providence."
How important is this game with conference play just around the corner?
"It's big because we had 9 turnovers against this kind of ballclub. And it was a fast-paced game. If you didn't bring your track shoes today, you weren't going to be able to participate. That was growth for us. Obviously we have to get better at defending the 3, and we have done a good job so far. We just haven't seen this kind of team that can put four guys out on the court who can all shoot that deep, and are good 1-on-1 players. Once they spread us out, it became very difficult."
GW senior F Damian Hollis
How was Providence able to get so many 3-point shots?
"They probably took the same amount of shots as any other team, but they were all going in. Everything seemed to be dropping in."
Was it disheartening to lose a game like this?
"In a way, but we just have to come back tomorrow and get back to the drawing board. It was just their night tonight. I had an idea that the game would be like this, but I never expected them to hit so many. I don't know what their percentage was, but their shooting was just ridiculous."
How did you get to the line more in the 2nd half?
"We wanted to attack more. They were up by about 10 points. So we wanted to stop the clock and get back to the free throw line so we could have a chance to get back into the game."
Providence Coach Keno Davis
Opening statement
"I want to start with understanding just how good of a win that was. Our schedule has been demanding in the non-conference. And people who understand basketball understand how good George Washington is, how tough it is to come in here to win...So to come in here against an extremely well-coached team, and a team that played as hard as any team we played against this year, I'm proud of our guys not only to win but to hold on to a lead because we've kind of run out of gas in some or our earlier games, or not had the experience to close out games."
Do you expect to be so 3-point centric in league play?
"I don't know that we're going to be a good enough team to focus on one thing. Tonight as we drove the basketball, [GW's] help side was incredible and we weren't able to get to the basket as much as we like. But we made the extra pass, and we a lot of those 3-point shots were assisted. If a team wants to extend on us and take 3-point shots away, we'll have to find other ways to score. If they're going to pack it in, we have to take what the defense gives us. We're not quite talented enough to go to what we do best."
On the role of team play in setting up and hitting 3s.
"Twenty-one assists is a lot of assists, it's a big number. But the same for George Washington with 25 assists. They pushed the ball as hard as anybody I've seen in my time at Providence. They get up and down and will be a tough team to match up with this year."
Are there any concerns about your defense, giving up 97 points to GW?
"It is, and I'll have to watch the tape...I kept asking my assistant, `Are they scoring against our man? Are they scoring against our zone?' He said "Neither; they're just scoring. The ball is getting out of the net and they're getting by us.' We couldn't press [GW]; we couldn't quarter-court press them to slow them down. They went faster when we pressed them...For a team to be unpressable, especially for us going in, shows how talented they were .So we had to find another way to win, even though it was an up-tempo game, we weren't able to score off our press. We had to do it by getting some stops in the half-court."
Providence senior G Brian McKenzie
Talk about establishing your rhythm tonight.
"It was a learning experience, especially playing on the road after URI. As I senior, I tried to step up in the locker room at halftime, and remind the freshmen not to get rattled. We were getting a little too happy at halftime, so I had to remind everybody that we'd been here before, and to stay poised."
