Postgame Quotes - Wake Forest 98, VMI 71
11/12/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2013
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Wake Forest Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik
Opening statement
"We did a really good job of just sticking to the game plan. That game plan was to defend the best we could and to keep them in front of us and take contested shots. We wanted to rebound the ball and then run them back. We wanted to run them back in a way that we attack the rim. We did an excellent job in terms of 58 points in the paint as well as 26 fast-break points. Forward Devin Thomas did a great job of finishing defensive possessions with defensive rebounds and igniting the break. Everyone who played for us did a solid job. We just need to keep getting better and move on to our next opponent."
On attacking the rim offensively...
"That is where our defense really comes in. When we get stops and of course the culmination with defensive rebounding. When we do both of those we are a handful in the open court. We have a team built to do that. I liked that fact that we were unselfish. We had 30 assists on 34 baskets. We also had four players in double-digit scoring. Our strength is our depth and everyone needs and should contribute."
On the play of guard Codi Miller-McIntyre...
"He was a freshman last year. As a freshman with the first-time around they are just feeling their way through it. All of our players have really grown-up in a big way. What really excites me is to think of them from a year from now too. He really worked on his game and attended various camps. He got stronger and spent more time in the gym as well as watching film. That's just maturity."
VMI Head Coach Duggar Baucom
Opening statement...
"I credit Wake Forest, they played well. They made just about every shot they wanted. Especially once D.J. Covington went out in the first quarter with foul trouble. Devin Thomas was a beast. He played really, really well. Codi Miller-McIntyre was just driving it to the rim and we didn't have much answer for him. But I'm proud of my kids. A lot of my young kids played really well but we have a lot to build on."
On struggling after DJ Covington's exit from the game...
"We had a lot of our guys in foul trouble, which hurt us down the road. We had to play combinations we have never played, not even in practice. We had four guards on the floor. A few run outs here and more free throws and it goes from being a three point game to a 13-point game pretty quickly."
On the changes in the way referees call the game and its impact...
"That got crazy tonight too. Wake Forest's size stopped us from driving to the basket some. If the referees are going to call it that way, it is just going to turn the ball game into a free throw contest. There was really only one rule change and that's the block charge. Everything else has stayed the same. There were no other rules differences, they were just enforcing it. That is all well and good, but you have to use some common sense. If you don't, you'll have a team shoot 25 free throws in a half. That just takes a lot of game out of the game."
Sophomore forward Devin Thomas
On the win...
"I think we played defense well as a team. We handled the fast pace. We knew to get up and down the court. Once we got rebounds and got stops, we started pushing the ball. We did a good job balancing scoring on the team."
On the play of the defense...
"We rebounded a lot on defense, and I think we did a great job as a team to rebound the ball and get a lot of stops."
On the play of sophomore guard Codi Miller-McIntyre...
"He's finally understanding his strength in this game. He's unstoppable when he does it. If we can get this out of him every night, we're going to be tough to beat."
Sophomore forward Tyler Cavanaugh
On the win...
"We were focused, we came in with intensity, and I thought we did what we had to do. It was kind of a slow start but we're obviously scoring a lot offensively. Defensively, we have to tighten things up before we get into these bigger games. But a win's a win, and we'll move on from here."
On the play of sophomore guard Codi Miller-McIntyre and sophomore forward Devin Thomas...
"In the first half Codi (Miller-McIntyre) was really in attack mode, and that's really what his game is. I really think that him at the two-guard and Madison [Jones] at the one is one of our better lineups because Codi can attack without thinking too much about passing. But he also had seven assists I think. Devin (Thomas) was a beast on the glass and we have to feed him the ball more inside because he's going to be one of the best big men in the ACC this year."
