Postgame Quotes
Chattanooga at Davidson
Davidson, N.C. - Belk Arena
Feb. 4, 2012
Head Coach John Shulman
On Davidson executing and knocking shots down from three:
"They played really good. I am going to say in the first 15 minutes that we had one screw up in 'fire' and that was really it. They made shot after shot after shot. They were similar shots that they got in Chattanooga, but the ball did not go in, in Chattanooga and the ball went in today. Their physicality was something I was concerned about. I was very concerned about it. We had eight defensive rebounds at the half, so we did a poor job on the glass. I can't say a poor job defensively all the time. I thought that we were incredibly alert in Chattanooga playing Davidson. You really need to be able to play Davidson and not double in the post. You really have to be able to do that because they have great shooters. If you are able to do that and we did that two years ago when we beat them in our place. We never doubled them. We were bigger and stronger at that moment in the post. To be able to double them with all the motion the run you have to be alert. You have to be super alert and paly unbelievable defensively. I thought that we continued to play hard. I thought that we continued to play hard in the second half, but when you are facing Davidson and they are hitting on all cylinders. They are a pretty good basketball team."
On being off offensively tonight:
"You want to throw your offense completely out of whack, we are right there. We have just been trying to survive. Omar [Wattad] does he run the inside or the outside lane [when playing the 3 or 4]. There is a lot of stuff that goes into this besides going out there and playing ball. You start switching from 2's and 3's to 4's and 5's and now you are switching some huge things. Are we out of whack offensively, you are right, we are. We are playing with lineups that we don't even practice with. That should not change us defensively, I will say that. After a while, you battle and battle and battle and you keep on seeing that ball go in. In the back of my mind, I was scared that one of these was coming. I think we were pretty good my first year when we went to the NCAA Tournament and won the North. I remember that we got absolutely dismantled over here with a really good basketball team without any injuries. We are just so beat up mentally and physically right now, but I have no doubt that we can get through it. We can have short memories. We had short memories last year a lot. This is the only one that we had to have a short memory on and we will have a short memory. We have to get back home. We have to get fresh, get some of our players healthy and something good has to happen for us."
On freshman Lance Stokes looking comfortable offensively driving to the hoop when an opening was present:
"I am waiting. He was right in front of you here with an open lane to the basket and he drives and stops. I said what are you doing out there. If you are not going to get to the rim, then what help can you be for us.
"Lance knows that we want him driving the basket and that is what he can do to provide for us. Remember, he is playing a completely different position, then he was playing a week and a half ago. It is hard enough to throw Stokes in at Davidson and we are throwing Drew [Baker] in the mix. I thought that Drazen [Zlovaric] was better today. He played better. You have to be so alert both mentally and physically to succeed at Davidson."
Freshman Ronrico White
On being aggressive tonight as a freshman:
"I really don't like to back down from anybody. They are just playing basketball like I am."
On responding after the hot start from Davidson:
"They had a quick start. The fans got into it, this place was rocking. They hit a lot of threes, but they also missed a lot. I think it really came down to rebounding. They out-rebounded us in both halves. Anytime we get out-rebounded it is going to be a tough night."
On playing without two of the team's top rebounders:
"You would really like to have all of your guns in there, but we really can't complain about that. We can't expect them to back off because we don't have our two big time rebounders. We needed to play today and rebound and we didn't."
On what you bring off the bench:
"I do try to bring energy coming off the bench. I do not feel like I am a freshman anymore because the year is almost over. Coming back from Christmas break, coach told me that I am not a freshman anymore I needed to play a little bit better. That is what I try to do."
