Georgia Tech Post-Game Quotes (Game 15)
Virginia Tech Hokies (14-1, 3-0 ACC) 52, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-6, 1-1 ACC) 49
January 9, 2019 • McCamish Pavilion • Atlanta, Ga.
Georgia Tech Head Coach Josh Pastner
Opening statement:
“They’re [Virginia Tech] an excellent team. They are extremely well-coached at a very high level and a tremendous credit to them. They’re outstanding defensively. I think they’re an outstanding defensive team I really do. All you can ask for is a chance to win the game and we had some chances we just didn’t capitalize. Our guys played their tails off and it was a great effort and a high-level game. It was back and forth. It was just one of those things where in the end the ball just didn’t bounce our way. We held them to 52, I just thought we’d score more than 49. So, we followed the game-plan defensively. They came in statistically the second-best three-point shooting team in the country and I think second or third in offensive efficiency. Defensively, we did a tremendous job.
“But overall, great fight. The crowd was outstanding. The five TVs and three video game systems [giveaway] worked because we had a great crowd. The free stuff brought the students and I thought the student were great and I thought the crowd was great. I feel sick to my stomach that we didn’t win for the students there and for the crowd and for Georgia Tech, but electric atmosphere and just a high-level game.”
On who the last offensive play of the game was drawn up for:
“We were going into James [Banks]. And that’s why I like to have a timeout late, but also we should not have been in that position. We should have been up – we had those free throws and James had a layup. I think they’re [Virginia Tech] an outstanding, awesome defensive team as good as they are offensively. I think they are one of the best teams, if not the best team in the country at stunting. I think they’re the best stunting team in the country. That’s a credit to coach [Buzz] Williams and his staff.”
On the great defensively play by Georgia Tech:
“We held them to 52 points and they come in averaging 80. They’re one of the best offensive teams. I told my team we’re going to have to hold them in the low 50s to win and we did that. It’s no different than Tennessee, if you look at the stats. The team that’s played the best defensively has been us. But we had struggles scoring, it’s just been one of those things. Our only way of survivability for us to be able to have a chance is through defense. Through our time here we’ve been a high-level defensive team we just, unfortunately, haven’t been able to score.”
On the struggles in free-throw shooting late in the game:
“Well Michael Devoe missed two front-ends of a one-and-one. There’s not that much you can do there. Those are four points. I mean Jose [Alvarado] was 5-of-8 from the free-throw line. He should be 7-of-8. I mean that’s six points right there. We have to make free throws. Versus Wake Forest, we were 28-of-34 shot 83 percent.”
Virginia Tech Head Coach Buzz Williams
On Georgia Tech’s defense:
“Georgia Tech played great. [GT head coach] Josh [Pastner] is doing a really, really good job. Defensively they’re No. 18 in the country in the numbers that matter. They’re playing with a lot of new guys. I think with each passing game they get a little better, a little better. I would say over the last three games [they’re] arguably as efficient as they’ve been [all year]. And we struggled throughout the night [so] credit to them.”
On Virginia Tech’s defensive execution:
“We did okay. We were much better in the second half. We’re continuing to try to have a priority on not giving up second opportunities. We were very good at that in the first half, not quite as good in the second half. I think we’re continuing to take the steps that we need to take.”
On winning despite a poor shooting night overall:
“As demented as it sounds, I think a lot of what transpired tonight was very good for us. We were in a similar position 43 days ago and didn’t handle it as well. Numerically, if you shoot 19 more balls than your opponent, you’re always going to at least have a chance unless there’s some outlier category. I thought our guys hung in there even though it wasn’t as pretty as we wanted it to be offensively. They trusted cover-2 better than at Penn State. We’re excited about the result, but there were a lot of lessons that will end up being good lessons for us down the road.”
On whether Georgia Tech did anything special to disrupt Virginia Tech’s offense
“Coach [Pastner] could answer that better. I thought our attack relative to what we had learned in their slides, how they handle ball screens, what happens when the ball goes to the corner… I thought our path to breaking [their zone] was good. We didn’t make the shots that we usually make, but that’s a credit to them.”
On Virginia Tech’s road demeanor:
“Our intensity was better. Our togetherness was tremendously better. We were more connected. We played for one another. I know we didn’t make a lot of shots but assisted basket percentage was really good. Free-throw attempts and free-throw makes in comparison to Penn State… I guess that’s a statistical category that shows up. But [we had] a lot of the intangibles that I think you have to have to win on the road.”
On Josh Pastner’s progress at Georgia Tech:
“It’s part of the evolution of a program when you take over the job. It’s atypical in Power Five that you would take over a team that had the experience that he had in Year 1. It’s atypical that a high school senior ends up becoming a first round pick after Year 2. It’s all of the coaching jargon as far as your philosophy on the floor, your culture off the floor… all of that only takes time. There’s been a complete metamorphosis to his roster. He’s won more games in his first two years in the ACC than any coach ever. [Abdoulaye Gueye] is a redshirt senior and [James Banks III] became immediately eligible which I would say is ‘manna from heaven.’ Last year, [Josh Okogie] goes to the draft and [Jose Alvarado] broke his elbow… it’s just hard to get in any sort of rhythm when you’re in Year 3. In Year 1 they played in the NIT Finals? And you could argue were on the cusp of being an at-large team? I just think that’s a lot of stuff. Staff change, roster change… he’s managed it all very well. There’s a very bright future if you look at what they’re doing statistically relative to the age of the roster. I think out of 351 teams they’re 282nd as far as youngest and they’re competing in this league? That’s why he has to put gel in his hair. [It’s] because he’s got a lot of grey hair.”
