Wake Forest Post Game Quotes
2/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 6, 2003
NC State vs. Wake Forest February 6, 2003 Postgame Quotes
Wake Forest Head Coach Skip Prosser
On the game: "They're a good team. They find a place they can attack you and they attack. We thought Coach Sendek and State had a masterful game plane in the first half. They were much more the aggressor and we were like [Muhammad] Ali on the rope-a-dope, taking all the punches. We were determined to be more aggressive in the second half, because I think their first half zone lulled us to sleep a little bit. We've faced a lot of defenses, but our offense wasn't about where to put the X's and O's. Our priorities were to take care of the ball and, secondarily, to play fearless. We wanted to make sure we were throwing it to the guys in the white shirts instead of the guys in the red shirts. It works out better when you do it that way. But I'm proud of our guys. They find a way. In this league, every game may not be apocalyptic, but they're all pretty important."
On going zone in the second half: "That was a classic act of desperation. We weren't stopping them man-to-man in the first half. They have the kind of guys who can beat you off the ball."
On his freshman big men: "I thought Eric Williams played well and Chris Ellis, in limited minutes played well. Based on their style, we thought it might benefit us to be a little smaller, but you can't discount the performance of those two guys."
On Josh Howard: "Ad infinitum he's been our bell cow. He has tremendous passion and he has an abhorrence of losing and I think that's had a rippl effect on our team. He doesn't like to talk about it much, but he raises our level of play with his actions."
On Taron Downey: "I don't think it can be appreciated the pressure on that kid. He's our only guard. He hates to come out of games, he hates to come out in practice. He played very well in the second half."
On his team: "I'm proud of our kids. We've battled injuries, battled adversity, just like every other team in the league. Just like old Bruce Willis in the movie, we're dying hard."
Wake Forest Senior Josh Howard
On the game: "We had to come out with more determination and more focus in the second half. We weren't expecting that much of the 2-3 zone, we maybe practiced that one or two days. In the locker room we focused on both defensive and offensive rebounds. They kicked our butt in the first half on the boards."
On Eric Williams: "We needed someone to step up in the first half. He will keep learning and the rest of the freshmen too. The more they learn, the further we will go in the ACC and in the NCAAs. [Williams] played like a man tonight. He knew what he wanted to do and he really finished his shots."
"It felt like everybody was clicking on all cylinders. The rim just looked bigger in the second half, and everybody was making shots."
NC State Head Coach Herb Sendek
On the game: "The real key tonight was part way through the second half where we had a difficult time getting the ball in the basket. You have to give credit to Wake Forest. We didn't capitalize on our opportunities, and on the road that won't get it done. We didn't convert and we have no margin to miss lots of opportunities."
On Josh Howard: "Josh Howard was the player of difference down the home stretch. He was nothing short of teriffic. He made shots in transition and shots off the dribble. He had five offensive boards. He simply went into another level when the game was in the balance."
On Wake Forest: "They are very good. They have a marquee player in Josh Howard, they have great size inside. Their record speaks for itself. Wake just made plays at the end of the shot clock, and played a very good game."
On the ACC: "It's a brutal league. Who's good and who's not, there are no easy games in this league. There is great basketball night in and night out. You just have to go on to the next game after a win, and especially after a loss."