Nov. 27, 2015
Recap | Final Stats | Notes | USATSI Gallery
– GEORGIA TECH COACH Brian Gregory
On today’s performance:
“We were able at times to match their discipline and toughness that they play with. We just weren’t able to do it over a 40-minute span. That’s the challenge when you play them because they’re going to bring it every single minute. We did a good job on the glass, but were able to finish enough plays around the basket. They’re a physical defensive team primarily without fouling. They really know how to use their bodies and length. It’s an area that we need to continue to improve in. There were a lot of positives. Unfortunately, we have to have a lot more to beat a team like Villanova right now.”
“These two games gave us a barometer of where we are as a team. I think we’re a good team, but we can get a lot better.”
On playing Villanova:
“We played a very good team today. (Villanova is) a team that I think that is only going to get better. (Villanova) has proven itself so far to be not only a Top-10 team, but a Top-5 team in the country. They’re going to get better because they have some younger guys that will only continue to improve.”
On Villanova’s defense:
“They do a great job of “wall-ing” around the basket. Hands are up. They’re physical. You have to be able to play to that physicality. They rotate well – full body rotations. You have to make able to make some plays off of two feet. You have to drop the ball off and the big guys have to catch it in some traffic and finish. We weren’t able to do that.”
On Charles Mitchell:
“It’s not necessarily the weight that he’s lost. The discipline and maturity it takes to lose that weight, that’s what makes him a good player. He changed his lifestyle. You can’t change as a player unless you change as a person. He’s changed his commitment level and that shows often in games.”
VILLANOVA COACH JAY WRIGHT
On today’s game
“I’m very proud of my team. This was a very good win against a well-balanced, tough, experienced, Georgia Tech team. I don’t think we played our best here. I think the two teams that played us did a great job of being physical with us and taking us out of our rhythm; we battled through that and I was very proud of it.”
“I was proud of our defense. Even though our rebounding numbers didn’t look good today, we still did a pretty good job.”
On Villanova’s success in November over the past few seasons
“We have really good players. We really do. In the beginning of the year when some teams are trying to figure out who they are and what they are, usually the more talented teams win. As you get going and teams start to get their personality it can change, but I think we just have really good players.”
On playing in New York
“We always have a great crowd when we play in New York. We love Barclays Center. It’s just a beautiful place to play. Brooklyn is awesome. We are at the Marriott close by which is really convenient. It’s great any time you can play at Barclays Center.”
On Villanova’s defense
“I’m a little bit surprised at it right now. We are struggling rebounding, but we are turning people over and we are getting a lot of stops. I think we have really good basketball IQ and we have two seniors that take pride in defense and demand it of everyone else, but we can still get a lot better defensively.”
