Postgame Quotes - Wake Forest 88, NC State 84
2/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Wake Forest Head Coach Danny Manning
Opening Statement
"Tonight was a very exciting ball game. I think tonight in the first half we did very well offensively, because we had a lot of things working for us. In the second half, they had a lot of things working for them, and they made a lot of shots. We held on to get the win. I really like the balance that we played with shot selection to get the points. We have to do a better job on the glass, because they had their way getting 42 rebounds and 17 offensive rebounds. We are happy, but we have to continue to tighten up some things."
On NC state comeback in the 2nd half...
"We made mistakes defensively but when you shoot 65% from the field you cover up a lot of those mistakes. It worked the other way in the second half, and they got back in the game. Early on for them Anthony Barber was the guy scoring points for them; very aggressive, and he has been playing really well these last couple of games. It was just a matter of time before Trevor Lacey and Ralston Turner started making shots. Those are two of the tougher players in our league."
On finishing strong enough to win...
"We won. Never apologize for winning. We did enough to hang on. Yes there are some things we need to polish and get better at, but for the guys to continue to stay the course and grind it out...we were happy with that."
On comparing tonight to the VT close game...
"I hope it had some type of significance in their mindset. As coaches, we look at it different. We put ourselves in situations to win some games, and we have to adhere to our scouting report offensively and defensively. If it gives them a mental boost and we can ride that...then let's go."
On the overall message in the huddles...
"Whenever you are up on a team, particularly in this league, teams are going to make runs. And we know that. For us it was just about calling a timeout and regaining focus."
On Madison Jones performance...
"I think Madison has been playing very well, not just tonight but since we have been in conference in terms of assist to turnover ratio. I thought he played an outstanding ball game."
On Hudson's performance...
"Crab played a very good game for us especially in the first half. He has the ability to go out and make plays like that. He stepped up to the line and knocked down his free throws and got the ball past half court. Our freshmen have to be contributors to us in order for us to have success. We put those guys in situations and that is a lot of weight to carry as freshmen, but these guys have stepped up to the plate."
Since playing NC State last...
"I think we have progressed, but so has every team. We got stuck playing an early game for conference. NC State is a different team as well. Typically after the Christmas break we have the chance to really focus on basketball and that is when teams start to get their stride. In order to have success you have to win home games, and we have been able to do that these past couple games."
NC State Head Coach Mark Gottfried
Opening Statement
"I think that in the first half Wake played phenomenal. They shot the ball better than I have seen them shoot it. I've watched every game and they were terrific. Some of it was because of us. No question about it. We weren't as quick to the ball and quick to shooters. Some of that was us. But you also have to give them credit and say some of it was them. A lot of it was them, the way they played. I thought they played terrific. Shot the ball with confidence. They shot it extremely well. You know nine three pointers in the firs half was too many. Then I thought the second half our guys played much better. We out-scored them 33-13 that one stretch to finish the game. Obviously we were in a big hole so it was too much. Our guys played with a lot of effort and courage the second half. In my opinion not enough in the first half. But the way Wake Forest played in the first half, they were terrific. They deserve a lot of credit."
On the difference between the first and second half...
"I thought we needed to pick them up a little more and get to shooters better. I think they made one three in the second half. Then we went to a small lineup, with the four guards. Our big guys struggled today. We scored 84 points and our four post players had 15 points. WE aren't getting enough offensively from our post players. Defensively with (Konstantinos) Mitoglou and (Darius) Leonard we were at somewhat of a disadvantage with our big guys in there. We weren't winning the mini-battles in there as far as with our bigs so we went to our four guards. We spread the floor. We tried to use our speed, quickness and penetration. I thought it helped us offensively and gave us a chance to get back in there. On that half our guys cut it down to five at one time and we were right there in striking distance."
On whether they ran out of gas at the end...
"I think we could have played a little bit longer actually. We needed a few more minutes on the clock. I thought we played hard all the way to the wire. Even on the last turnover there, with nine seconds, he missed a foul shot and we've got to take it right to the rim. We are down four. See if we can get a quick two. Take the ball out and we had one timeout left for that play but we turned it over I don't think our guys ran out of gas. I think they played hard. We had too big of a hill to climb."
On their consistency problems...
"We can be great and we can be bad. We are all of the board. I have coached a long time now. I have had teams, especially young teams that do that. The consistent part of the game is tough. It's like Malik tonight. I don't think he can have a tougher game than he had tonight. He has been playing really well and tonight he was really bad. He will bounce back. Sometimes that happens when you are banking on a lot of young guys. We have been all over the board. We have been great at times. Even within games. We finish the game tonight we outscored them 33-13 to finish. Even within the game, we can be great and we can be bad. We are everywhere right now."
Wake Forest Guard Madison Jones
On surviving NC State's comeback attempt...
"Even when teams start to make a run, we know that they are a good team. We can't let adversity hurt us. We have to start coming together even more and I think that's what we have been doing lately to get our wins."
On how he played...
"They knocked out a lot of shots and I drove and tried to penetrate as much as I could. They were knocking down their shots and making the game much easier for me, so that is what I try to do for them."
On how he plays...
"(Coach Manning) just wants everyone to be aggressive no matter what. My aggressor, I don't always look to score as much. Sometimes I can, but when I am being aggressive I try to look for my teammates more and try to get them more shots. I just try to make the game easier and get them in a good rhythm. I know that my teammates, especially our good shooters, are shooting well and doing well, they want to have a good night."
On the win...
"It feels great. It was our last home game for about a week so we really needed the win. We came out really well and we did well. So we need to keep grinding and not let up this next game. We need to head down to Georgia Tech and get another win now. "
Junior Guard Codi Miller-McIntyre
On the first half...
"It felt great going to halftime not having to worry about fighting back or picking it up. There was a good feeling going in just to maintain what we had and keep pushing. They are a great team with great players. We knew it was just a matter of time before they got going. We just had to contain them once they did."
On his teammates' threes in the first half..
"Like I've been telling our freshmen, they complement Madison (Jones) and me; we like getting to the basket, they like shooting. The more threes they make, the more it opens up the court for us to drive. Then the more we drive, it closes up the court so they can shoot. When they're hot like [they were today], it makes it that much easier for Madison and me."
On NC State's run in the second half...
"It was a different feeling [than the first half]. It felt similar to the [game against Virginia Tech], where it's like `here we go again,' but not in a nervous way in terms of confidence. We've been here. We know what not to do to lose the game and we know what to do to win it. I think that was the difference in previous games."
On using this win in the games ahead...
"We just have to stay focused and realize that defense ultimately wins our games. When we get stops that fuels our offense. We have to take everything we learned from this game, like boxing out more. We've learned not only that we can fight, but that we can knock big plays down at the end. We have to carry that with us."
