Chattanooga Mocs Basketball Postgame Quotes
Chattanooga vs. Montreat
Chattanooga, Tenn. - The McKenzie Arena
Dec. 29, 2010
Head Coach John Shulman
Opening Statement:
"We weren't real sharp. Give Montreat credit for making shots and hanging in there. We were not real sharp, but we did what we are supposed to do. What we were supposed to do was get to the 7 p.m. game tomorrow night. We did that and we are going to play a really good Georgia State team, who looked like the Lakers earlier this evening. We were very unalert on the glass and defensively. It is what it is. We are happy to be playing at 7 p.m. tomorrow."
On having to be at your sharpest to beat Montreat tonight:
"No, you don't, but you still have to respect the game and play the game how it is supposed to be played. That is playing in character. Guys know going into the game that the goal is to get to tomorrow at 7 p.m. Some games are...can we get better, are we improving, what are we doing? Tonight's game was all about getting to tomorrow night's game. That is why those guys. I thought that Keegan [Bell], Omar [Wattad], Big-D [DeAntre Jefferson] and Ricky [Taylor] did not play a whole lot, so that was the nice thing. The best thing about tonight was that Jeff and Troy got a lot of minutes and those other guys did not get a lot of minutes. I don't think that those guys played at all after the 13:00 mark. Hopefully, those guys will be prepared and ready to go for tomorrow because tomorrow is going to be an absolute war."
On what Jeff Smith and Troy Cage did tonight to help the team:
"I just told them that we are not going where we want to go without those guys. It is very simple. We are not going to go and win championships here without Jeff and Troy. Without JO (Josh Odem), they have stepped up in making shots. I will give them that. We got to step up in other areas, though. Jeff [Smith] ended up with two defensive boards, but he is way too athletic to only end up with two defensive boards. That is something that we have to address and Jeff has to go rebound the ball for us. I thought that he did a poor job in the first half defending, but the nice thing is that he is getting minutes and if he wants to keep getting minutes, then he is going to have to produce. He and Troy can shoot the ball. Let's see if we can get something done on the defensive end."
"We have to do a way better job of defending one-on-one. If I am Georgia State, then, I can't wait to play tomorrow night. Those guys rebound the ball, score inside and will dominate us inside if we play like we did tonight."
On Troy Cage's dunk:
"The best part about the dunk was Dante Hampton. Dante could have scored the ball, but he was very unselfish. I was really impressed and thought that he played well. I thought he was unselfish and ran our team. He gave up two, where he could have scored it. Right now, that is where we like our team. Everybody is getting along and having fun together. I guess that we have won five out of six, but I am not going to lie to you. We have less than 24 hours until we play a really good team. They played lights out tonight. I did not watch, but I know how good Corpus Christi is and their coach Perry Clark. I know that if they did that to those guys, then we will need to show up tomorrow."
On enjoying the win:
"I am enjoying the win because you have to enjoy them all. This is tournament basketball and that is what I tried to tell them. If you win the first round of the conference tournament, then it is time to move on to the next one. If you don't, then you get left behind. The reason that you played tonight was to play tomorrow night at 7 p.m. and that is tournament basketball. We will take a few clips from tonight to try and learn and get better, then it is time to start focusing on Georgia State. We do not have a lot of time to focus on Georgia State. Once again, Lincoln's [Walters] team played - Longwood, Charleston Southern, Appalachian State, East Carolina and UNC Asheville - five Division I, we are the sixth and they are going to play a seventh tomorrow night. If they play the teams on their level, then they are going to be pretty good. They scrap, rebound the ball and dribble-drive like [John] Calipari. Everyone has kind of stolen the dribble-drive from him and it is very difficult to guard. They did a nice job of executing it."
On the conversation with Montreat Head Coach Lincoln Walters:
"It is pretty neat for Montreat to come in here and play the Dr Pepper Classic. He is appreciative of being here and hopefully people enjoy him being here. He was apart of a Sweet Sixteen team that was pretty good. When guys come back like Lincoln and Wes Moore - not the coach - for a homecoming and they love UTC. We have to continue that. There is no greater thing as a coach. I did not get a chance to coach Lincoln, but him coming back and embracing and remembering what he did at UTC is something that we want all of those guys doing. It was nice having Lincoln back."
On Georgia State:
"They have pretty good players. I have not really looked at them, that is a pet peeve that I have. [Barndon] McGee was at Indiana and Auburn. He is a pretty good player and a high-level guy. [Eric] Buckner is a high-level guy. [Dante] Curry made a bunch of threes. You hate a guy coming into your building and making threes because it kind of brings back bad memories. I think Curry is a transfer from South Florida, a little point guard that is a high-level guy. I watched him on the AAU circuit and he is a really good player. They have really good players. Ali Jihad is a really good player. They play in the Colonial and are athletic and tough. They are going to guard you and have tough minded guys. It is going to be a great championship game."
Junior Guard Omar Wattad
On surviving and advancing tonight:
"Every tournament game is survive and advance. We did a good job playing a good Montreat team. We held our home court and advanced to the championship. That is all you want to do in a tournament type atmosphere. Georgia State is next."
On the differences of playing Rinehart and Montreat:
"There are little things here and there that the average fan does not see. There are things that we did not do well today believe it or not. Rinehardt missed some open shots that could have made the final score closer in the end. In a game like this, you still have to win it and we did so by a lot. We were really clicking on offense. Everything is fine. You win and that is all that you want to do. Now, we have to win against Georgia State and win a championship."
On facing a strong Division I team in Georgia State:
"Georgia State is a very good team. They play aggressive. We are absolutely ready. We need to be ready every night and every day in practice. We are going to be ready for Georgia State."
On how the team has built some depth with Jeff Smith, Troy Cage and Dontay Hampton contributing over the past two games:
"I think those three are all deserving of a lot of minutes. We are a deep and talented team. All of them scored, Jeff with 16, Troy with 15 and Dontay with 11. I think they played really well. Everybody on this team is very talented. This team is going to evolve and we need everybody. We are getting there."
Senior Guard Jeff Smith
On your season so far:
"Coach has always told me to be ready when my name is called. Now, my name has been called, so I am just prepared right now."
On contributing in the last couple of games:
"It has actually gotten me into a flow and more confident."
On having something to prove:
"I have some things to prove and right now I am just trying to earn playing time. Right now, I had a decent night shooting the ball and some nights, my shot just doesn't fall. I have to rely on my defense."
On how tough is it to sit games waiting for your chance:
"It is very tough because you bust your behind in practice. The game comes and you think that you are going to play, but you aren't. Like Coach Shulman said when your name is called just be prepared to play."
