Postgame Comments: GW vs. Charlotte

Feb. 23, 2011

NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
February 23, 2011

Charlotte 57
@ GW 74

Postgame Quotes

GW Coach Karl Hobbs

You got scoring contributions from a lot of players tonight, including five in double-figures. Is that something you've been working on--to have a more balanced offense?

"We're getting it through the normal course of running our offense. Guys are starting to play well. It's been a year of adjustments...Over these last couple of weeks, this team has started to find itself. It's taken us some time, but I like where we are right now. We still have to take care of the end-of-games, and not go through stretches where we allow a team to score 14 straight points. We still have a long ways to go, but all the guys are shooting and playing well."

What was your focus coming into tonight?

"Our main focus was Derrio Green; he had 22 points in the last game, including 5 3s in the last few minutes. We have a great deal of respect for Jamar Briscoe; he's an outstanding point guard who can really create plays. And our other concern was Javarris Barnett. So we wanted to focus on those three guys. And the thing we talked about--we need to do a better job with our defense. That's all we talked about at halftime. In order for us to where we ultimately want to go comes down to how well we defend."

Unlike La Salle, where you lost a big lead, this one came down, but never went below double-digits. What was the difference in those two games?

"One of the things we did when we got back was go through every situation where we had opportunities--whether it was pulling the ball out, inbounding the ball, getting trap, knowing that we had 4 timeouts and didn't use them. We went over the situation when we do turnover, what do we do defensively. We put in an inbound play for those situations. We went over 10 different scenarios after that game...but we still have to get better at playing with leads and executing under the 2-minute mark, because here on in, I think it's going to come down to that."

You're in position to host a first-round game in the A-10 tournament, and perhaps get a bye. How important is that to you?

"It is, but our focus right now is to play defense, and get to a point that we're executing and when we need a shot, we get the shot that we want. If we take care of those things, the wins will take care of themselves."

When did you start the 6:30 a.m. shooting practice for the players?

"We went through a stretch where we had four guys on occasions shoot 4-for-27, and we were losing games by 4 and 2. So we started getting guys up at 6:30 to get in some extra shooting. And I like the fact that the guys enjoyed it, and felt they needed that. And this is the end-result."

GW Sr. G Tony Taylor

Do you guys feel like you're on a roll?

"Definitely. Everyone is supportive of each other. We're just coming together really well. We're gelling a lot better, and Coach always preaches that we have to play our best ball in February. I think the whole team is starting to buy into it."

Is it easier for you when so many other guys are scoring? Does it take pressure off you?

"I don't think it's ever all on me. We have a bunch of guys on the team who can easily get 20 points a night. We've been distributing the ball really well, and that's allowing everyone to--as Coach says--ride the bike."

GW So. G Bryan Bynes

Talk about where this team is right now.

"It starts in practice. You have a lot of confidence and practice hard, so you come out and play hard. We all have a liking for each other. That's a big key for playing out on the court."

What have you been thinking about during the games that has helped you improve?

"I'm not really thinking about anything. I'm just listening to what Coach is telling me--to attack more--and spending some extra time after practice putting up shots. And it's a credit to my teammates tonight; they found me when I was open."

Charlotte Coach Alan Major

Opening Statement

"GW did a good job of getting their offense going early in the game. We fought back out of that hole in the 2nd half, and the guys showed great courage, but we don't want to be in that kind of position against a good team at home. Congrats to those guys who played well."

What was the biggest difference in the teams coming out of halftime?

"They came out as a home team should. The first 4 minutes of the half are always important. They did a good job of taking control of those first 4 minutes. Usually it's a difference of 6 or 8 points, and they came out and got a gap of 6 or 8 points in addition to the plus-11 they already have. Whereas if we come out and do that, it's a 5- to 3-point game. So that's how a game can turn on a matter of 4 to 5 possessions....That was the difference; they came out for the 2nd half with a lot more energy than we did."

Since beating Xavier, your team has struggled. What do you think has caused that?

"The game that took a little steam out of us mentally was Rhode Island. We had the game won with the exception of just getting a rebound; they just tipped it in and won. Our margin for error is very small in terms of--we can't afford to make too many mistakes. We have to stay on a certain path to win games. Against Xavier, we stayed on that path. We've also had difficulty handling success. The first time we played GW, we were still riding that wave after Xavier. And we know in college basketball that you have to come back down to earth quickly."

With three games left and being on the edge of getting the 12th spot in the conference, what are you hoping to do?

"Just to finish strong. It's a results-oriented society we live in, but I don't want to hang that over our guys so that they'll get tight. It's more important to attack the process of playing great down the stretch. If we do that--and we showed flashes when things get dark, like tonight--our problem has been sustaining that over 40 minutes through foul trouble and depth, and everything we've had. If we do that, the score will take care of itself down the stretch."

Is it frustrating to always be so close and come up short?

"We've been right there so many nights. They asked me back on media day about what's the biggest thing I remember about the A-10 now that I'm back, and I said it's a fine-line conference. We average 69 points a game, but right now we're giving up 71. Our whole season has been a one-possession game...We've knocked on the door so many times, and a few bounces here, a few plays there, we're sitting in a completely different situation. The thing for our guys is to see how difficult it is to win in this league night in and night out."

2/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball