Wake Forest Athletics
Dino Gaudio Teleconference Transcript
3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 17, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest head coach Dino Gaudio held a teleconference on Monday morning to talk with reporters about the Demon Deacons' berth in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Below is a transcript from Gaudio's time with the media.
Coach, no players currently on the roster have ever played in the NCAA Tournament. How much does experience factor into overall performance in the opening rounds.?
"I think the most important thing that will help us immensely is having gone through the Atlantic Coast Conference, those 16 games. In that sense, we have pretty good experience. I just think if we do what we're supposed to do which is guard and rebound, we've done a terrific job of that all year. If we play hard, then that's all we can do. I'm not smart enough to figure out whether we have more experience than Cleveland State or if Cleveland State has more experience than we do. I was watching film on Cleveland State and saw they weren't in the NCAA Tournament since 80-something, so none of their kids will have experience as well. We're just going to have to go out and play, that's all."
What's your take on Cleveland State and how do you think they'll match up?
"I think they are a hard-nosed, man-to-man defensive team. They press at times, they pressed different teams throughout the year. We saw a couple of tapes where they played a little bit of junk defense, a diamond and one, an inverted triangle and two. We've seen those things throughout the year on Jeff (Teague) and James (Johnson). We have experience facing that stuff. We were successful when NC State utilized that against us a little bit, and a couple other teams we played earlier. For the most part, Gary (Waters) is a man-to-man team, their numbers defensively are very, very good. They're aggressive, they're out in the passing lanes, they're into the basketball. They're a hard-nosed, tough, group of kids. Their point guard started for two years in the Big East. He can start in the ACC, I think. They're kid inside, Bullock, No. 35, is a little bit undersized but a big, strong kid. He can shoot the three as well as post up. It will be challenging, it really will."
What do you think of the experts saying that the Midwest is the most difficult region?
"It is really, really strong. You look at the teams. West Virginia is number six and they can beat anyone in America any night. It is really a strong region. All we're trying to do right now is worry about trying to beat Cleveland State and move on. If we're fortunate enough to win that game, then we'll worry about the next game. But overall, a strong, strong region."
You know teams will look at the Maryland game and try to force you to shoot from outside. Does that have you concerned?
"I think the shots we had against Maryland, we had some really good looks but for whatever reason, we were a little bit tight. I mean, we missed 52 shots, that's hard to do. We only had nine turnovers and we missed 52 shots. Teams are who they are and they are going to play the way they play throughout. We have four days to get ready and we will clean some of those things up. We have seen a lot of zone throughout and we will see it again in the Tournament. I think our kids just didn't shoot the ball well that evening and we are a better shooting team than we showed the other night."
Do you think your team is built to or can win right now with your team being so young? With your own Ohio roots is it anything special to be playing Cleveland State?
"I think our kids can beat anybody on any given night and conversely anybody can beat us on any given night. I just think throughout the year we have done a terrific job. We were 6-1 against top fifty teams and 3-1 against top ten teams. They've done a terrific job. I think we have a confident group and they are really excited to play. The Ohio part of it, yes I grew up there and I know Gary is a very good coach. Just looking forward to being in the tournament and playing in the tournament, it'll be a challenge for us to try to beat Cleveland State. They are a hard nosed tough group of kids."
What kind of an emotional rollercoaster has this season been for you as a coach?
"Last year, not this past season but the season before, was an incredibly emotional year having lost Skip. Things that people never even knew, like we would watch film of our games tapes from the prior year with Skip on the sideline and as we were watching tape we would clip stuff together for the players, it was hard in that sense. It was a really difficult year. This year it hasn't been as bad as that. I talk about Skip all of the time, I would never be where I am now if it wasn't for him. In that sense it's been difficult. The good thing about it is that this team has really stayed together. When coach passed away there were three freshmen who had not stepped foot on campus, Teague, Johnson and Clark, and they could have gone somewhere else. Then the three freshmen we received commitments from didn't have to stay. Could you imagine if we would have lost our three freshmen and the kids who are sophomores now? For me personally, I have toiled so long in this business, from coaching in high school to dreaming of coaching division I and those few years coaching at Army. I wouldn't be where I am at now if it wasn't for those years at Army. We are really just trying to enjoy it, prepare, and do our best to win, dance, and play the next game."
What were your initial feelings about the matchup with Cleveland State?
"Gary Waters is a terrific basketball coach. The team takes on his personality; they are a hard-nosed group of kids. I have the utmost respect for him. I think that the Teague-Jackson matchup will be an interesting one. We play a couple of point guards with Ishmael Smith. Jackson is a two-year starter in the Big East and a bigger guard. He runs the show for them, rebounds, can score the ball; I think he makes big shots. It will be an interesting game, a hard-fought game, and we are going to have to play well and be well prepared to beat them."
Is it tough as a coach to get these guys ready for a mid-major program?
'I think they know that everybody in this tournament is good. I have told them Cleveland State went into Syracuse and beat them, they played Kansas State really tough, they beat Butler, the kids know. They're not looking ahead of anybody; they understand how good this team is.'
Is there a sense of urgency within the starting lineup that going into next season you might not have all five guys back?
"I'm not thinking that at all nor are the kids. I think the kids realize that we just have to worry about today. The good thing about when I talk to our players is that they know they need another year. Throughout the year I've had a few messages from the NBA guys and they've said what the kids need to do to get stronger. I don't think they are worried about that and when the time comes if they think they are ready then we will deal with that then. I am just worried about winning the next game."
How much does emotion play in this game, with Cleveland State being the underdog?
"I think emotion can take you far. We know from the major upsets throughout the year that this game is all about playing with energy and emotion. The team with the most passion and that plays the hardest is the team that will win on Friday night. The margin for error for all of these teams is very small. You have to bring it all and if you don't you will be back on the bus or airplane heading home."
Could you tell the story you told the kids about you coaching with Skip at Xavier going into the NCAA?
"The story I did tell them is that we had a young guy named Michael Davenport. I was just preparing him for when the sites came up where we were playing. There were some great sites and one of the sites that came up was Lincoln, Nebraska. We have this young player Michael Davenport, who is a bright guy--he is a lawyer now--but was a freshman at the time. It comes on the board we are playing Kansas in Lincoln and a reporter asked him what he thought about playing in Lincoln. My guy goes 'there is nothing in Lincoln but seven-elevens and gas stations.' The sound bite was funny but the next day the head coach at Nebraska called and had said what did your kid do, you had all the Nebraska fans rooting for you. The next night the entire arena was filled with Nebraska fans booing us. It was more or less a story of wherever they send us we're happy, whoever we're playing we're happy. Don't stick your foot in your mouth."
What have you done since Atlanta and what are your plans this week?
"We were off Saturday and Sunday which was good. I am wishing we would have won in Atlanta, but if there was any good to come out of it, it was two days off to get some rest for your legs. Yesterday we met in the locker room to talk about wherever we go and whoever we play it's going to be a tough game. After the show came on last night the boys asked if they could practice. I said no. We (the coaching staff) stayed in and watched film until close to midnight. As I was pulling out I saw lights on in the gym, I bet they were up there shooting and stuff."
James Johnson got into foul trouble against Maryland. How do you get him to stay aggressive but not to foul?
"I don't remember the reaches but I think his second foul was not an intelligent foul. He was guarding Greivis [Vasquez] as he was coming down the floor and he was riding him a little bit. As soon as he picked up his second we took him out just so he could gather and calm himself and so one of the assistants could talk to him. Then we said ok we are going to put you back in but you have to play smart. They are learning. They are young guys and they have to experience things. For the most part he hasn't had too many fouls for most of the year. There is no question he hurt us, he played four and a half minutes in the first half and he is an emotional leader for us. He gives the guys a little bit of courage and he can score the ball. I love this team, we are just a young group of guys and as talented as they are at times they still have to experience some stuff and learn on their own. He is learning and I don't think he'll make the same mistake again."
Coach, when do you plan on departing for Miami?
"What we plan on doing is practicing today at home, tomorrow at home, and Wednesday as well. We will depart and go to Miami on Wednesday. I think there are a bunch of meetings and stuff on Thursday. Then of course we play Friday."
Take away the game in Atlanta, were you on a little bit of a winning streak?
"We won six of seven [to end the regular season]. That's pretty good in this league. One loss of those seven games was at Duke where we dug ourselves a hole for five minutes, we didn't play well. The kids crawled back to 82-80 with a stop on defense and a chance to get the ball back, in a very tough environment. I've seen teams go to Cameron before, be up and then lose by forty. These kids are fighters. With that one loss at Cameron where we clawed our way back and shot 61 percent from the field. We played really well on offense, but we had a really hard time for some reason. I think we are playing really well to win six of seven in this league."
