Wake Forest Athletics
Post-Game Quotes - Virginia Tech 76, Wake Forest 62
2/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2011
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
Post-Game Quotes
Virginia Tech 76, Wake Forest 72
February 22, 2011
Joel Coliseum - Winston-Salem, N.C.
Wake Forest Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik
Opening statement...
"I thought that, simply, we can't allow a team to score 9 out of the first 10 possessions in the second half. You get stops, you just can't allow teams to score at will like they were. We had a lot of defensive rotations, we're slow, and go beat off the dribble. Then when we did stop, we've got to be able to block people off and finish the defensive possession by defensive rebound. I said to them before the game, Virginia Tech's tallest player is 6-8; it comes down to blocking people off, driving people back, and pursuing the basketball. We allowed them 16 points off the offense when we did get stopped. We had some decent looks, missed some shots, but we have to be able to get stops - that's where you win games."
On defense...
"Most young teams don't defend very well. It's new to them. But, we're not a young team anymore because we've played 28 games. We'll continue to work at it, plain and simple."
On improvement...
"We're a better basketball team, there's no question about it. Is it reflected in the scores, reflected in winning and losing? Yes, and no. But we're a better basketball team for a variety of reasons. One, we are maturing off the court. That's a positive thing. People don't see that aspect of it. It will help us in the future as we create the culture that we want here. Is it reflected in the play? Yes. I thought we saw some players do some things today that we haven't seen. They're learning and growing. Unfortunately, so is the competition. Everything is different. Are we different than we were in November? Yes, we are. Are we different now than we were in December? Yes, we are. The competition's different too. But there's growth. There's positive growth - a lot of growth people don't see. Because they don't see behind the curtain."
Virginia Tech Head Coach Seth Greenberg
Opening Statement...
"I'm really proud of our guys. I felt their approach was outstanding. I was talking to Mark Godfrey this afternoon and he asked me if this was a trap game. Our approach has always been the next game. I think that the kids really did handle that. I thought that we really shared the ball. We thought Jeff Allen had to be a focal point today and he was sick as a dog, yet I thought he gave us fantastic minutes. To have Jarell [Eddie] come off the bench and make shots and rebound the ball was huge, and we had a lineup out there one time for about four or five minutes of Manny [Atkins] at the five, Terrell [Bell] at the four and Jarrell at the three; not exactly the lineup that I envisioned. They hung together. We decided to open up man-to-man and my greatest concern was the potential to get in foul trouble and that became a reality. We had a number of different guys get in foul trouble and we just massaged our way through that, but I'm proud of our guys. Eight wins in the ACC is not easy. I don't care if the league's good or the league's bad, it's not easy. That's an accomplishment with three games remaining."
On whether his team is prepared to face Duke on Saturday...
"We'll find out. We're going to try, we're showing up. They're a special team, coached by a brilliant coach and they play harder than anyone. We're going to compete, I guarantee you that. We'll play hard, but we've got to play smart and we've got to play well, and that's going to be the challenge."
On how the team has handled injuries this season...
"This team has gotten better for sure. I never talk about the injuries, I never talk to our team about the injuries. The only thing I thought of was `Alright, this is who we are, let's try to figure out how to put these guys in position.' Once JT and Allen were out, we were going to play a certain way. We had to tweak who we are and what we try to do, but we never talk about the injuries and we never build excuses. That's not our mindset, we just move forward."
On Jeff Allen's play and illness before the game...
"He had stomach flu and cramps. He was sick to his stomach all afternoon. He turned to me in the middle of the first half and said `Coach, I don't feel well,' and I said `That's good, play on. There are a lot of times that I don't feel well either, but I've got to stand out here.' It's so fun to watch Jeff's growth. He's really playing at a very high level right now."
