Everything From Head Coach Damon Stoudamire After A 56-52 Win Over MD Eastern

Here is what head coach Damon Stoudamire said to the media

Mar 1, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire celebrates after a victory over the North Carolina State Wolfpack at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Head coach Damon Stoudamire talked to the media after a win on Monday night againt MD Eastern. Here is everything you need to know.

Opening Statement: 

“I'm extremely happy from this standpoint. I've been here two years. We had lost this game before. So sometimes in getting better and being able to catch guys' attention, you need stuff like this to happen, but you want it to happen where you still get to win. I think tomorrow we'll have everybody's attention because I think that sometimes what happens is that you can get full of yourself and you don't think that you have to do the things each and every day that make you successful. The attention to detail, you know, understanding the assignment of who we are as a team and the things we've been working on. Sometimes it goes on a deaf ear until you get into a live game. And I saw some of that today. But again, to their credit, what I was proud of is the resolve. I thought we made a lot of big defensive plays. I was proud of Kam Craft. I thought he did some really good things on defense. Um, you know, Kowacie, you know, he hit a big shot after struggling. I'm really proud of Peyton Marshall. He's put in a lot of work. He's lost a lot of weight. I think that he showed exactly who he can be long-term. Everybody is getting a chance to see Mo. I think that Mo is just going to continue to get better. Personally, I think that we got the best front court, not only in our league, but I think we got one of the best front courts, if not the best one in the country. I really believe that, and Baye (Ndono) didn’t even play, you know.” 

“I think that you've seen the way they played together, the buddy ball, the different things, and you know, uh, to ask those guys to play, the minutes, nobody's played these types of minutes. So, you know, to come out here and to get this run, you know, and to blow it out, but then to get the win at the same time, you know, it was huge. So, you know, you can always take more from a win like this than winning by 30 points. Yes, you didn't want the anxiety of the game, but at the same time, too, um, right out the gate, it put us in a state where we got to be locked in. It gives us something to go and work on as we move forward and get ready for Friday."

On a lot of new guys playing together for the first time… 

“Well, you can you can blame it on that, or we can blame it on that. We can use it as a built-in excuse. But again, I think that some of it is getting a feel for each other, but then some of it is that, you know, and I really believe that sometimes you don't, you don't really understand until you get into a game, you know, you can't take anything for granted. You've got to come out, you've got to play the right way. We turn the ball over, and I've been saying this to anybody who would listen. If we're playing with 10 turnovers or fewer, we're going to win every game. Tonight we had 13. And to me, a lot of them were unforced. And we got to cut that out, you know, and the biggest thing each and every game is understanding assignment none and guys understanding that we don't need home runs. We need singles and doubles. We don't need the spectacular play. We need to keep it simple. I don't want to put it on that, but I do believe uh that it's something to it, but I'm not going to sit here and use that as an excuse of why um it looked like it did.” 

On the defensive performance…. 

“That's how you know we want to play. Our practices look a lot like that. You know, we're up on the floor a lot. We play a lot of bodies. Really want to wear guys out. You know, right now, there's not a whole lot of separation with guys. So, you know, you've got to utilize everybody. I thought that everybody that stepped in the game had their moments and you're trying to you're trying to find out what combinations play well together. You're trying to find out, you know, who can play under the bright lights. So, you know, getting up the floor is a great way. We had 13 steals in this game. I don't know if we've had that before. Um, you know, so I was proud of our team for that. One of the biggest things that stands out, what I'm disappointed in, and I say this, I'm disappointed. Our guards got to rebound better, though. We do a bad job of watching our bigs do all the work like the one thing about our team. I have said it loud and I've said it clear, and you know, so it's nothing that it's nothing that anybody wouldn't know as you even watch the game. I love the fact that I'm able to coach these guys, but our guards, we have to again, we have to understand the assignment. If we just don't turn that ball over, and it's only one game. So, we've got a long way to go, and they'll get better. Guys will emerge with different things.

You know, you got a way scene Kam out there. But I'm just telling you, you got a front line that I'm glad people have seen these guys play, you know, the way they play. A guy who wasn't even playing. Baye didn't play, and Lamar Washington didn't play as well. And you know, we just have an opportunity. Guys have to see it as an opportunity. And so sometimes in seeing it as an opportunity for a team success, you have to humble yourself to just make the right play sometimes. Two things that I've told the team during practice are that we will really, really look at the hockey assists, you know, the hockey assist means something to me because that means you're playing the right way. Off-ball defense has to be on point, like if you can't play off-ball, if you're not good off-ball defensively, that means most of the time you're not talking, you're not helping, you're not communicating. It happened a couple of times tonight, but overall it was pretty good. The difference again in this year's team and last year's team is that we are able to get up on the floor. We are able to do some different things. And we got more bodies. And in fairness as well, we got way more bodies. But, uh, it does feel good to have options.” 

On how long Baye Ndongo will be out… 

“We look to get him back on Friday. So, you know, it's one of those things as a coach, you know, you cringe when you don't have a guy like that out there on the floor. Because with Baye and Wacie, they give me a comfort zone. But the depth was really good. I mean, Mo is Mo. Mo did that. He's been doing that since he got here. But I'm I was really impressed with Peyton. Um, you know, you didn't get a chance to see Cole as much, but um, you know, Peyton really played well.  I was happy for him. He did a lot of good things. He fought through fatigue, you know, he fought through the he's a big old boy now, you know, so he fought through fatigue and did a lot of good things, and you know, he got a nice touch at the free throw line. I was actually surprised he missed that free throw. He makes all his free throws. That wasn't that nothing about that was a fluke. He makes his free throws. He's always done that.” 

On Kowacie shooters mentality…. 

“He's in a good space, and you know, he had a couple, he had one rattle in and ou,t and now he took good shots. I mean, a lot of the shots, and you know, we didn't shoot the ball that well, but you know, we probably took a couple bad ones, but a lot of the shots, man, were good shots. I felt like we got what we wanted you know but when the ball doesn't go in you know at times I think it can give players anxiety you know and you get a little you know you get a little tight you get a little nervous but again to to the credit of even Wacie you know the stuff did defensively he didn't do before let's be honest. He really got better defensively, he fought down there, he got steals, he was active, had active hands, and so he did a good job, and yes, I am happy you know he got. He has a shooter mentality because he didn't blink, didn't think, shot it, went right in.” 

On if he envisions the freshman playing as much as they did… 

“I went a little deeper just trying to find something. You know what I mean? And after a while, you just have to try to find something, you know. I came in and I was going to play everybody., I'd be lying, and I didn't think I was going to have to play everybody this way, you know, but the guys that played, they earned it, and they just have to continue to improve, you know, because they can help. Akai can help. He didn't shoot the ball that well, but you know, I think that he has to get a little more involved and lose in the little things.  I think he will as a freshman. I think he's trying to feel his way out, but he'll be better. I thought Chatfield came in and did some good things.

He made a three. I thought he was up in his guy. He did some really good things. We're going to be we're going to be good because we have a lot of depth. His numbers are right here. You forget that Mo hasn't played a lot of basketball over here in the United States. He's only been over here for one year, and he went to postgrad, so he's still learning as well. Not too many freshman are going to get 15 rebounds in their first game. Who might be a record? Somebody got more than that in their first game as a freshman. That has to be some type of record. You know, those guys will get better. But I was happy with those with the contributions of the guys coming off the bench, the freshman that is.” 

On Jaeden Mustaf asserting himself… 

“I felt like he was pressing offensively. Like I tell all these guys, and you know, man, you just have to get lost in other things in the game. You can't base your value on scoring the ball. He didn't take a lot of shots, but it's just saying he has to get more comfortable, you know, out there on the floor. I think that going into your sophomore year, and I told Baye this as well last year, you know, this is the hardest year because you go from the bottom of the scouting report to the top of the scouting report. So, they know your strengths, they know your weaknesses, and that's how they that's how they play you. He has to figure those things out.

I think he'll go back to work and, you know, he will watch the film and, you know, we'll go over some things. I'm looking forward to the guys just being open to, again, you're going to hear me say this a lot, understanding the assignment. Like, we got a team that has a chance to be special.  I promise you that. I’m with these guys every day. So as we continue to build and get better as the season goes on, we're gonna need Jaden, and we're gonna need Chaz and guys like that, they've got to be good for us, you know? They don't have to hit home runs again, but they have to be good for us. Single and double every single game.