Everything Ryan Odom Said After Virginia’s Dominant Victory Over NC State

The Virginia Cavaliers sealed yet another victory this season. Earlier this afternoon, the Cavaliers faced NC State for their second ACC matchup of the year, and fortunately, the outcome was much better this time around. UVA ended up walking away with a 76-61 victory over the Wolfpack, bringing its overall record to 12-2 and 1-1 in conference play. After the game, head coach Ryan Odom sat down with the media to discuss Virginia's win. Here's everything he had to say.

Opening statement...

"Yeah, obviously a good game for us. You know, we're coming off a three overtime loss, our guys were obviously disappointed with our effort at Virginia Tech, and wanted to just play better, and you never know how that's going to go. After a tough defeat like that, sometimes it can snowball on you. And I thought our guys did a nice job getting off to a good start and continuing that through the first half. You know, the theme of this game for us was just being disciplined. In our last game, we were not as disciplined as we needed to be, and it bit us in a multitude of ways. And I thought our guys did a nice job of forcing some misses and being disciplined early in the game to block out and come up with rebounds so that we didn't have to face their stout press the entire first half. And I think that was certainly helpful for us getting off to a good start, and the confidence just kind of kept brewing from there or growing from there, and our guys continued on. Second half, it got hairy there, and our guys responded in a positive way and were able to finish the game off. But we have a ton of respect for Coach Wade and NC State. Certainly, that was not their game, you know, tonight. I've watched enough film to know they're, you know, really, really talented. Holloman goes out, you know, obviously a key player for them. Hope he's okay, you never want to see anyone, you know, injured, but happy for our team and, you know, looking forward to getting back to Charlottesville and getting ready for the next one."

On the key to UVA's response early in the second half...

"Yeah, just being connected. You know, being connected, you know, defending a little bit better, taking care of the ball, you know, some of that was our miscues, you know, just a little bit casual with the ball. The ball gets knocked out of our hands, and all of a sudden, it ends up in a layup. Where we almost have a layup, and it gets knocked out. We had several of those to start the second half, and we knew they were going to come at us. This is a really good basketball team in NC State, and they have talented guys and an awesome coach, and we knew they were going to come at us, and the key was how are we going to respond when they do, and I think the response was excellent. Let's meet toughness with toughness, and let's get better and be more together and trust and not defer and be confident, and when you have the shot, you take it. And I think our guys, when you have the drive, take it. And I think we were able to leverage our size a little bit on the wings, you know, at that point to be able to get into the interior, which created some openings for our guys to make shots."

On Sam Lewis...

"Yeah, I mean, we don't always have a first option, quite honestly. I mean we do have a leading scorer, you know, everywhere I've coached, you know, it's all the open guys, the go-to guy, and certainly we run plays for specific guys at times, but it's more about moving the ball. The ball will find you, and it's your turn. And Sam was ready tonight. His teammates found him, and he knocked it down. We have tremendous confidence in Sam and his ability to make shots and make the right play."

On getting his offense to bounce back...

"Yeah, I think playing in transition was one. You know, we played a lineup in the Virginia Tech game, which was a little bit of a slower lineup, you know, Devin and Thijs, you know, and then a seven-footer, either Ugo or Johann. Well, that's not a lineup that we've played a ton. We did play it some tonight, and so that lineup typically slows a little bit. It's a little bit more methodical, bigger, and so we played it a ton, you know, in that game. Chance is coming off a sickness, you know, after Christmas, Jacari's out, you know, it was just a little, that's not an excuse, it's just the facts of what happened in that particular game. And then it's three overtimes. And so it just naturally, you know, slowed. And so we encouraged our guys to do their job, get up the court, all right, push the ball when we get stops, and try to be us."

On improving defensive rebounding...

"We talked about, you know, our ability to force misses, and our guys have done that all year. Our two-point field goal percentage has been really good. Our three-point percentage defense has been really good, so teams get to the free-throw line. And some of that is as a function of us not being disciplined enough or consistently enough to be physical and hit people, to then come up with rebounds. And so like, we can't go out like that. Like we have to be a team that's going to be physical, that's going to defensive rebound. All right. Because that really helps our offense when we're able to do that."

On the technical foul called...

"I was just irritated at quite a few things, you know, at that point. Irritated at my team, right? Irritated. And I shouldn't do that. Like that shouldn't be something that I do, but the guys responded, and certainly we had three veteran officials out there. They're all excellent and did an excellent job, you know, today overall, and you know, we're going to miss you know coaching calls, refs are going to miss, officials are going to miss calls at times, and they own up to that. We have to own up to when we make mistakes as coaches and players, and it's just part of the game, but our guys, you know, needed a jolt of energy there, and I think they did a nice job of responding."

On pressing after the free throw...

"Yeah, we try to press after every made shot, after every free throw. That's just how we play. And occasionally we'll call it off, you know, depending on the opponent. But it's just what we do."