George Washington University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: #5 Virginia 76, GW 57
11/11/2018 6:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
GW Head Coach Maurice Joseph
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On what's difficult about preparing for Virginia's defense: "It's tough. It's a challenge. The thing about Virginia, and we know this from playing them, this is our third time in the past three or four years, they don't waver from what they do and who they are. They are going to block and move on offense and going to pack line on defense, problem is, 6'5 on the ball, 6'8 in this gap and 6'7 in that gap, and 7ft in the paint. You can't simulate that because you just don't have the sheer size that they have, in practice, but you can prepare your guys for how hard they are going to play and how physical they are going to be and talk about it and look at it in film. It is hard to duplicate, but I thought that our guys did a pretty good job across the board, especially in the second half, handling their pack line and getting to the free-throw line and making shots. I thought DJ was much better in the second half. Disappointed we lost, but a lot of things that I was encouraged about from this game that we hope to take back and build off of."
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On three-pointers in the second half: "We shifted what we ran a little bit more to get our feet in the paint. The good thing about them is that we know they are going to be in the gap, so if we can get by the first line of defense, there is going to be somebody absorbing you. If you can move that ball quickly and swiftly, then there is a solid chance you are going to get good looks. Now you've got to knock them down because you've got again, 6'7 closing back at you, long arms and athletic. I thought we did a good job finding guys. We ran some different things to get some guys some looks and Maceo [Jack] did a good job coming in and knocking down some shots in the second half so, we adjusted what we were running a little bit more to kind of take advantage of their sinking gaps and I thought our guys did a good job executing. We finished with 6-18 [from 3] so I'll take that against a talented defensive team."
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On fighting back in the second half: "Some great fight. We are a team that is young and inexperienced. We are not going to pay a great deal of attention to our record right now. We are going to focus on growth and the process and really getting better. I honestly think, as disappointed as I am that we lost the game today, I am going to take a lot of positives home because we are going to build off of this. We have got a lot of young guys in that locker room. We are more so worried about continuing to form our identity and understand who we need to be. We are not there yet. We have a ways to go, but I am looking forward to these guys taking on the challenge of getting grittier and tougher and building that mentality. We are going to outwork and outlast and persevere. We took a step forward in that direction because a young team, in this environment, against a team that talented, has every right to lay down. They could have said you know what, alright they are number five in the country and they've got this All-American and that All-American, and 7ft in the paint. Our guys didn't shy away and more than anything, that makes me proud."
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Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett
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On first-half impressions: "I thought our first half we were sharp, made it hard for them to get good looks in the first half for the most part. We ran our offense, touched the paint. Obviously when guys make those shots, when [Kyle Guy] gets rolling and [Ty Jerome] some good things happen. [We] had to withstand some foul trouble and still played at a solid level. So, I liked what I saw in the first half, I did. I thought we competed in the right way and had a mindset about us."
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On Ty Jerome's offensive aggressiveness: "I think he was always pretty assertive, but I think we need that from him. He's worked so hard on his game and his outside shooting and his body, all those things, to get in the lane. So, he's played two really good games and I think offensively he seems to be assertive with the ability to find guys and when we got in foul trouble I thought he looked a little more assertive on that."
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On second-half play: "I thought we played well in the first half and I thought they outplayed us in the second half. They really did. They got open looks, we were sluggish, little loose with the ball and just got outplayed. The encouraging part was how they played in the first half, it was discouraging to get kind of outcompeted and outworked. A lot of clean threes, they made some nice shots, and they out-executed us in the second half and that's, for us to be as good as we can, that shouldn't happen. There were some opportunities for guys to get more time as the score was there and there wasn't enough fight and effort and soundness with it. The ability to play a better quality of basketball was discouraging. So, absolutely got to clean that up and keep working."
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On what's difficult about preparing for Virginia's defense: "It's tough. It's a challenge. The thing about Virginia, and we know this from playing them, this is our third time in the past three or four years, they don't waver from what they do and who they are. They are going to block and move on offense and going to pack line on defense, problem is, 6'5 on the ball, 6'8 in this gap and 6'7 in that gap, and 7ft in the paint. You can't simulate that because you just don't have the sheer size that they have, in practice, but you can prepare your guys for how hard they are going to play and how physical they are going to be and talk about it and look at it in film. It is hard to duplicate, but I thought that our guys did a pretty good job across the board, especially in the second half, handling their pack line and getting to the free-throw line and making shots. I thought DJ was much better in the second half. Disappointed we lost, but a lot of things that I was encouraged about from this game that we hope to take back and build off of."
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On three-pointers in the second half: "We shifted what we ran a little bit more to get our feet in the paint. The good thing about them is that we know they are going to be in the gap, so if we can get by the first line of defense, there is going to be somebody absorbing you. If you can move that ball quickly and swiftly, then there is a solid chance you are going to get good looks. Now you've got to knock them down because you've got again, 6'7 closing back at you, long arms and athletic. I thought we did a good job finding guys. We ran some different things to get some guys some looks and Maceo [Jack] did a good job coming in and knocking down some shots in the second half so, we adjusted what we were running a little bit more to kind of take advantage of their sinking gaps and I thought our guys did a good job executing. We finished with 6-18 [from 3] so I'll take that against a talented defensive team."
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On fighting back in the second half: "Some great fight. We are a team that is young and inexperienced. We are not going to pay a great deal of attention to our record right now. We are going to focus on growth and the process and really getting better. I honestly think, as disappointed as I am that we lost the game today, I am going to take a lot of positives home because we are going to build off of this. We have got a lot of young guys in that locker room. We are more so worried about continuing to form our identity and understand who we need to be. We are not there yet. We have a ways to go, but I am looking forward to these guys taking on the challenge of getting grittier and tougher and building that mentality. We are going to outwork and outlast and persevere. We took a step forward in that direction because a young team, in this environment, against a team that talented, has every right to lay down. They could have said you know what, alright they are number five in the country and they've got this All-American and that All-American, and 7ft in the paint. Our guys didn't shy away and more than anything, that makes me proud."
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Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett
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On first-half impressions: "I thought our first half we were sharp, made it hard for them to get good looks in the first half for the most part. We ran our offense, touched the paint. Obviously when guys make those shots, when [Kyle Guy] gets rolling and [Ty Jerome] some good things happen. [We] had to withstand some foul trouble and still played at a solid level. So, I liked what I saw in the first half, I did. I thought we competed in the right way and had a mindset about us."
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On Ty Jerome's offensive aggressiveness: "I think he was always pretty assertive, but I think we need that from him. He's worked so hard on his game and his outside shooting and his body, all those things, to get in the lane. So, he's played two really good games and I think offensively he seems to be assertive with the ability to find guys and when we got in foul trouble I thought he looked a little more assertive on that."
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On second-half play: "I thought we played well in the first half and I thought they outplayed us in the second half. They really did. They got open looks, we were sluggish, little loose with the ball and just got outplayed. The encouraging part was how they played in the first half, it was discouraging to get kind of outcompeted and outworked. A lot of clean threes, they made some nice shots, and they out-executed us in the second half and that's, for us to be as good as we can, that shouldn't happen. There were some opportunities for guys to get more time as the score was there and there wasn't enough fight and effort and soundness with it. The ability to play a better quality of basketball was discouraging. So, absolutely got to clean that up and keep working."
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