Everything From Damon Stoudamire Ahead of Tomorrow's Regular Season Finale vs Virginia
Georgia Tech is looking to end its regular season on a four-game winning streak but first, they will have to go on the road and beat Virginia, something that they have had a hard time doing as a program.
Today before the team departed for Charlottesville, head coach Damon Stoudamire spoke with the media, and here is everything that he had to say.
1. On his expectations for facing Virginia...
"You know, just want to keep the focus on us, to be honest with you, you know, that's what we've been doing and you know, Virginia hasn't really changed that much.
They do the same thing and you know, they're really good at doing the same. same thing but you know we just want to we just want to go into the game and have good offense play good defense and minimize mistakes on both ends of the floor and that'll give us our best shot at winning."
2. On what if he thinks Georgia Tech is a scary team going into the ACC Tournament...
You know... I... you know I think that we're playing well. I do think that I think that you know the guys are have bought into each other and so it's good to see and I think that If they just play the way they're capable of playing, you know, they can beat anybody they can you know, and they've proven that and We put in we're starting to put games back to back again, and I think that's given them more confidence.
3. On how to prevent the other team from going on long runs. much like the one they gave up against Virginia in the first matchup...
"I think we're still not finishing games the right way, but we're winning games, so to speak. I don't think we've stayed away from lows in games, so to speak, but at the same time, too. Like, I don't necessarily know if we're doing anything better, other than the fact that we're locked in mentally. You're gonna always hear me say it. I'm not big on the physical, I'm big on the mental. We barely practice, we practice for 30 minutes a day. Like it's not about practicing, it's not about going on the floor, killing guys for two hours, it's about mentally, like what's the approach? You know, an approach gotta be the same. So for me, whether it was November or whether it's you know, March now, like the approach, the approach has changed. I mean it. that they're buying in. But that to me is just the key. It's not anything different that we're doing. ou know, our numbers don't say too much difference, but the actions are saying differently. And so you're minimizing some of the things that we had a lot of earlier.
4. On Virginia's offense and their style of play...
"Well, I think that's the things I'm talking about. It's the mental game. you know what I mean? Like, you gotta be better mentally. I just don't know how much of a focus it's ever been for some of our guys, you know what I mean? Like, you gotta think the game as much as you can play the game. And, you know, we're Virginia. You know, only thing that means is that with 25 seconds, you know, you still, you gotta make, you know, the six seconds, you know? play of that one possession. You know, you can't allow a backdoor cut. You can't allow offensive rebounds You can't allow a wide-open jump shot on a flare screen. You know, so, you know, for me, again, it's, I don't think that Virginia's trying to trick you but they are good at the tricks that they do. And we got to be locked in to them from jump and not allow, you know, guys that are capable of being you to beat you. But then the role players that they have, which are really good players, not allow them to get to the 50 -50 plays, whether that's offensive rebound, put back, whether that's missing an assignment, defensive end, that allows them to help beat men or help McNeely get open for a wide-open shot. That does the thing. that you can't do. And then on the offensive end, you just got to be disciplined. You know, I just, you know, again, I just, I think like we're winning games, but you know, I don't think we're doing anything different. I just think guys have unlocked the amenity. You know, I just, they're getting better physically because they're getting better mentally, you know? And so that's been the biggest difference to me."
5. On limiting McNeely tomorrow...
"Well, of course we got a limit him, you know, but we talked about him, he was the guy that He was struggling, I think, coming into that game. But we talked about him. But you got to, again, in transition, you got to find him. You got to know where he is on the floor. And you just got to be locked in. When you're in a cross -match situation, you got to know who you're guarding. And so to me, that's where he got away from us. And we got to do a better job. tomorrow against him in that area."
6. On what he has seen from the rebounding and the improvements...
"No, I think that, you know, guys are getting more aggressive. getting better instead of stabbing with one, they're grabbing the ball with two, making a concerted effort to, you know, make 50 /50 plays, you know, just giving the extra, giving the extra, and more than anything, they're committed to each other. I think that's the biggest thing. I just, you know, guys, I'm sorry, I don't have a lot of different stuff I haven't pushed the magic button. The thing that I've been doing is preaching every single day the same thing. And we finally, collectively, you know, figured it out and they're rallying together. You know, I always say this, man, players make coaches. I haven't done a thing. I haven't done a thing different than I've done all season.
I promise you I haven't done a single thing. I promise you I haven't done a single thing. I've been emphasizing the same points all year long and I think that now guys have finally seen if those things, they relate to winning. And when you get a little equity in that and some wins then you start to believe and I think that that's what you're saying. It's in a team that just believes in itself and that's to be attributed to them and how it's going to work out. we move forward. I think Is it's going to be attributed to them, you know, so I don't want to you know, I'm I'm I promise you I'm not one of them guys gonna sit up here. told you so no they playing better like them guys locked in like they committed to each other And that's what teams do you commit to each other, you know as a coach You just give an instruction you you see an adjustment you make it but they're committed to each other and they're talking and both ends of the floor and holding each other accountable, and that's a beautiful thing to see."
Damon Stoudamire coaching vs Notre Dame
7. On doing better stopping the opposing team from getting points off turnovers...
"Again, it was them They they did that, you know, I mean like they they they did that it's You know They're committed they it means something to each guy And so when it means something to you you hold each player count you hold they hold each other kind of boy You know, that's why you able to you know, sprint back and, you know, they miss a layup and we get the rebound and we come back and get a dunk. Like it didn't happen at your point. It didn't happen earlier in the year, but they've done a good job of that. I'm just proud of them, the way they're fighting. You know, again, it's not always pretty, you know, but we're getting the job done and, you know, we weren't doing that at, you know, at the start of conference play. We were losing games like we'd been winning. winning."
8. On if some of the performances at the beginning of the year cost them and looking back at them...
"See the thing about it is is I think everybody looks at it and we talk about what happened at the beginning of the year. Maybe we weren't prepared enough to win those games and this season's not over. So who's to say we can't make a run right now? I just think that you don't limit yourself and you don't box yourself as a human being, as a ball player, whatever it is. Nobody can tell you what you can be. And so looking back on those things and the games that we lost have made us better today. And so however this things ends up, proud of the guys for where they've come and I think they got a lot left and I think that I'm just as excited as anybody to see you know what happens over the course of the next week and so for me that's how I look at it I don't look back you know and say well we should have did this or we could have did that or you know whatever it is we were putting this position for a reason and we're playing as well as anybody in this conference right now period So why can't why not us? Why can't we it don't matter where we at? It just mattered that can we do the job moving forward? So that's how I look at it. And that's what I've been conveying to the fellas."
9. On if the experience with other tournaments will help them with the ACC Tournament...
"It could, but I think the biggest thing is that, you know, us being together, we just, you know, being a player, you know, you kind of know what players are going through. And I don't coach my team based on being a head coach. I coach my team based on my playing experience. So that's what why, you know, practice to me hasn't been that important. You know, it's more watching film, it's more walking through things, it's more making the main thing, the main thing, focusing on that and trying to make sure that guys are locked in to the task at hand. And that's essentially what we did in Hawaii. And, you know, we just have to, we just have to, you know, stay locked in. in and just stay in the moment. That's the biggest thing. Because as you move forward, it's a one -game scenario. And it's really starting tomorrow, one -game scenario. And it's a great atmosphere to go in to Virginia and to be singing night. And they'll be hype. And the arena will be loud. And, you know, I know they want to win. win to finish out the season well for them They're you know, they're playing for you know an at -large bid at the moment You know to stay to stay in that race and you know coach Bennett is really a great coach and he's been doing this thing a long time so, you know, you know, but we're looking forward to the challenge of you know Just again seeing what our trajectory is because this is about us at this juncture again. That's that's all we really care about and you know are we gonna are we gonna continue to keep elevating you know here over the course of the next four-five days."
