George Washington University Athletics
Postgame Comments: VCU at GW
3/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 16, 2010
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL FIRST ROUUND
March 16, 2010
VCU 79
@ GW 73
Post-game comments
GW Coach Karl Hobbs
On Damian Hollis' performance tonight.
"I saw a guy that was very determined, a guy who wanted to keep playing basketball, a guy that did everything to try to win this game...I'm just extremely proud of the way he played and the way he handled himself tonight. You need to play every game like it's your last, and he gave everything he possibly had."
What did you do to stop VCU's run and get back in the game?
"When we went over their personnel, we talked so much about Larry Sanders and we were so concerned about him and [Joey] Rodriguez, that we almost never talked about the other guys. And we almost played like we never talked about the other guys. They did a terrific job of making 3s, and we knew we had to defend them better in the second half, or else we have no chance of winning the game. We felt that if we defended 3s, didn't turn the ball over, and get shots at the basket, we'd be fine."
Was Sanders the reason you sagged on him and played zone a lot?
"Yes, he's a terrific player, he's going to be a mid-level NBA draft pick if he leaves school early. He has tremendous strengths and inside moves, and make free throws on top of that. But our concern at the start of the game was him, and he played big."
On tackling a team that could have easily been in the NCAA Tournament.
"We were excited about the challenge. We were loose. You could see the enthusiasm from our guys. We played with no worries. I was really proud of our effort. The most exciting thing in addition to how we played was our fans, the number of people who showed up for our game. I'm so appreciative of that because everything happened so quick--finding out who we'd play at the last minute. The support was as good as it's been all year."
Talk about the experience of post-season play for such a young team.
"We felt it was big; we were excited when we learned we'd be playing. It's important for our young guys to get some post-season experience, to know what it's like to be in a one-game situation. The experience is immeasurable, and it gives these guys something to shoot for. We think this will be a momentum booster for us. This will motivate them to work harder and dream the dream, and the ultimate dream for our program is to win the Atlantic 10 tournament and play in the NCAA tournament. That's our goal, and that's what we'll be shooting for next year."
GW senior F Damian Hollis
Talk about this final night of your GW career.
"I tried to give it everything I got. It was mainly for my teammates and coaches. I switched up my life for them and give 110 in practice or games. I stopped going out and doing extra stuff. I just went to the gym early to practice, stayed late, and then came back later to get more shots up and extra conditioning so I could be as good as I can be."
What are you thinking about now, with your college career over?
"The remainder of the time I'm here, I want to give everything I've got to the guys who are returning. I'll help in any way--talk with them, work with them. I'm just excited to experience the rest of the world and see what life's like after college basketball."
GW freshman G Lasan Kromah
Have you been able to learn anything from Damian Hollis?
"Going through the season, I was able to watch him play hard, and learn how he let the game come to him. It was a great experience, and I just tried to pick up anything I could."
Did you approach this game differently than any others, knowing that it could be the last one?
"We just came out knowing that it was an other opportunity to play longer. We were loose and just played our game."
VCU Coach Shaka Smart
Opening statement
"That was probably a fun game to watch...It was a fun game to coach at times. George Washington did a terrific job of battling back. They made some big shots; I thought there were a lot of possessions where we defended well and they still stepped up and made some big shots. I was proud of our guys for hanging in there. We made some free throws late, we made some stops late, and that's what allowed us to win the game."
Talk about GW's aggressive defense in the 2nd half. Did you expect them to play that earlier?
"I used to work at the University at Dayton. And when I was in the Atlantic 10, George Washington used to press the entire game. They were known for that. Even though we watched the tape and they weren't doing it that much this year, we knew in the back of our mind that they're a pressing team. That bothered us some. I thought when our guys were organized and took their time and followed our gameplan and attacked the press, I thought we were fine. They certainly forced us into 17 turnovers, which is way too many."
You've had trouble holding leads this year. Were you afraid that would happen again today?
"In any games, there are runs on both sides. When George Washington went on its run, our guys did just enough in terms of getting stops. The thing about the outside shot is, sometimes it's going to fall, sometimes it's not. We made 10 3-point shots in the first half, and things were going well. It's hard to tell your guys to get the ball inside when they're making all those 3s. When the second half came around and we weren't making shots, that affected us a little bit. We needed to do a better job of attacking the basket. But what allowed us to win was, when we needed it the most, we got some stops."
What caused your shooting to cool off in the second half?
"We've got several guys on our team who are very good shooters, and I tell them all the time if you're open and you're a good shooter, that's a shot you work on in practice, and go up there. The guys shot with a lot of confidence in the first half. In the second half, there was a little more rust on those 3-point shots; I think that's what caused us to miss some of them. Plus fatigue probably played a role as well, and I credit that to George Washington."
