George Washington University Athletics
Postgame Comments GW vs. Fordham
2/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2009
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
February 7, 2009
Fordham 62
@ GW 87
Postgame comments
GW Coach Karl Hobbs
Does the win take a weight off your shoulders?
"There are still 12 games left, so there's still a weight there."
Was there a point in this game where you started to feel comfortable?
"Not at all. Even in a game like this, I was very pleased we were able to score points. But I'm still on Damian because he's out of position on defense. I see all the things a guy is doing, and I focus on constantly trying to correct those things. So it's hard for me to find comfort. Tomorrow morning when I wake up and realize we won the game, I'll feel comfortable."
You've been coming so close during the losing streak. What made the difference today?
"One, we shot the ball well and we made shots. Two, Coach Whittenburg brought a team in here that's had some injuries, and a couple of guys are out. We caught a break with that, and in this game sometimes you need to catch a break. The positive is that we took advantage of the situation, and we played well on both ends. Hopefully, we can grow and use this as a springboard to help us win the next game."
How do you see the remainder of the schedule in terms of making the A-10 tournament?
"Every game is for us an important game. Because of the parity in the league...everyone has a chance. Every game is a big game, and Wednesday's game is the biggest game of the season."
How much does the team want revenge against La Salle?
"Revenge is not a word we use we use at GW. For us, it's about the process, it's about playing well and executing. The next game is the biggest game of the year, and the one after that is the biggest game of the year. But obviously this one coming up is an important game, and I'm glad we're playing at home. We have to put ourselves in a position to win the game at the end. If we can do that, being at home, we'll be in great shape."
You must be pleased with Joseph Katuka's play today.
"That's something we need. One of our struggles throughout this year has been rebounding. He's given us a nice physical presence, and he's really starting to come on. He's really starting to become a factor in the basketball game. Wednesday, he will be a factor because we will need his inside presence, we're going to need him to not only score inside effectively, but also be a force defensively so they can't get easy baskets and layups."
With 10 players scoring today, you must be happy with the contributions from the bench.
"When you look at our games, we have really struggled with getting four guys to play well in one game...We're at the part of the season where we need 3 or 4 guys to get the points that they average. Hopefully, this is the start of it. This is a tough stretch of the season, and we have a lot of games with only a few days in between. People forget that these guys are also studying and taking exams. It's a real physical and mental grind right now, and they're doing it under the most stressful and pressurized situation. But I'm confident the character of this team will show."
GW junior F Damian Hollis
How does it feel to finally win after a long losing streak?
"An 11-game losing streak is crazy. Words can't express how happy I am, but Monday in practice and every time we play, I'm going to go hard and hopefully we can win some more."
Early on you seemed like you were giving up shot opportunities. What changed to get you to start shooting?
"The whole week, Coach has been talking about getting the shot that we want. So I was doing that--if I didn't think it was a good shot, I'd pass it off and see if we can get a better shot."
Do you think the team has turned a corner?
"Yes, as you know, all of our games were pretty close. We just needed some breaks and some stops at the end. It had been building up, and it finally exploded today....Everybody's been working hard, and now we finally get to taste a win."
GW senior F Rob Diggs
How does it feel to have surpassed the 1,000-point mark today?
"It means a lot to me. I'm just happy to reach this mark in my career at GW, and happy to have the fans behind me each and every step of the way. I want to thank them."
Does it help to have gotten [the 1,000th point] in a win as well so there are no mixed emotions?
"The win was really good. It brought a whole of of good emotions to the locker room, and helped us get rid of a lot of negative aspects. It reminds us that we can still accomplish something great."
