MOCS MEN'S BASKETBALL QUOTES
Game No. 20 | Chattanooga vs. VMI | McKenzie Arena | Jan. 22, 2015
Head Coach Will Wade
Was it easier defending them?
“No, I mean I think the more you play against them in league, the better we'll get against them. So it was good to get this out of the way here. I think we'll be more prepared cause there's only so much you can do to simulate that and prepare for it in practice. I thought our guys did a nice job. I think we only turned the ball over 10 times, which is really good against them. Every turnover you commit, it seems like two. So it seems like more when you play a team like that. But we did a nice job. We didn't turn the ball over, we were tough with the ball and that certainly helped us.”
Are you happy with holding them 31 points in the first half?
“Yeah, I thought we did a nice job. I think they shot 32 percent from the field. We did a nice job. We did a nice job clogging up the three point line for them. They took about 15 less attempts than they normally take; made five or six less than they normally do. So that's been something we've been really good at. That's a focal point of our half-court defense. If you give up a three in practice, that's the one thing I cannot stand it. So that's one thing we really spend a lot of time on and it paid dividends. It was strength on strength. Our three-point defense is really good. Their three point offense is really good. Tonight our strength won out.”
Thoughts on running the ball.
“Well we got out and transitioned well. They trap the rebounder and do some unique things so it opens up some transition opportunities that maybe wouldn't normally, you wouldn't normally get. Now they run in transition well too. They got us over the top twice with their big. They missed it the third time; they threw it out of bounds. So they got us a couple of times too.”
How fast of a pace was this and how much did you enjoy it?
“I like playing at that pace. I wouldn't play exactly like they do but if I had my, you know I'd play closer to that. You know I like the way they play; I like the way Duggar [Baucom] does things. I don't mind it at all. Our players like it. You know you can play everybody; get a lot of folks in. It was fun. Takes a lot of control out of my hand; there's only so much coaching I can do. I have to do most of the coaching in the time out. Usually, you know I'm calling plays and maneuvering around. It's just players making plays and that's where the game; very little, you know the coaching is done in the preparation and in the time outs making a couple of adjustments because you don't know what they're going to do so you can't set anything up. They're going to trap you or play a different defense something like that.”
Senior Guard Ronrico White
On how fun the game was tonight:
“It's very fun. The style that they play is really fast paced. You're always really in transition, transition offense, transition defense and that's sort of like a practice setting. You are just always moving, always trying to find the open guy.”
On Chattanooga's ball control:
“We did a good job of handling the ball, with only 10 turnovers tonight. The teams VMI beats have a lot of turnovers so it was very important for us to take care of the ball.”
On spreading out the attack:
“It feels good. We're always trying to find the open man no matter what. We are not a selfish team. Not one bit and that something I really like about this team. We're just trying to find the open guy and whoever it is that night is who it's going to be.”
On playing VMI and its press:
“It's very hard. You have to be alert from all directions. It's all about your teammates flashing, and they did a good job of that. They made themselves available. It wasn't just one person who broke the press, it took everybody being alert and taking care of the basketball.”
Junior Guard Eric Robertson
On his three three-pointers:
“It felt pretty good to just make some shots. It's something that I've been working on so it feels good when the ball goes in.
On being able to push past VMI:
“Taking care of the ball was very important for us, first and foremost and break the press. Once your broke the press, it was a three-on-two or two-on-one and then it was all about converting.”
