What Head Coach Ryan Odom Said In His Monday Media Availability

Virginia pulled off a neutral victory last time out against Ohio State and will be on the road to face the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta. Here is everything head coach Ryan Odom said to the media on Wednesday.

On the bench this season…

“Yeah, they've been huge all season. I think the story of this season has been the sacrifice of not only the guys that are coming off the bench, but also the guys that have been starting the majority of the season. They all sacrifice in their own way, and Ugo is a prime example of that. He's a dynamite player, an even better person. Our players and staff are really confident in him. He impacts the game in a huge way. You go back to the Florida State game, he blocks the shot in the corner, the three-point shot. Last game, he blocked, you know, the shot in the lane, you know, to secure the victory. Just really excited for him and uh that we've all been a part of of uh you know able to witness his growth.”

On the brotherhood of his team…

“Yeah, I mean it contributes in a big way. They're extremely connected. I think I said this the other night, like these guys will be friends long after Virginia. They've just created that strong a bond since they've been here together. I know that when they're not together, when certain guys have to leave, and they're separated, they'll certainly be sad about that.”

On what allows the team to thrive in tight moments….

“They've just grown together. They've had some shared experience now that, you know, has helped them grow. Certainly, when you have success in those moments, it can motivate you and uh give you the confidence that you can do it again. I think that's clearly what's happened with this team. They never feel like they're out of it. They feel like there's an opportunity to step up, and I think the defense has been a big part of that. Obviously, you know, they've really wrapped their arms around that side of the ball, and it's become, you know, our identity.”

On how to balance being present with postseason in the back of your mind…

“I think postseason is going to be the postseason, and so we don't really talk a ton about that. The only thing we mentioned the other day was, you know, I went through the the the overall schedule and counted out, okay, you've won five games in a row here, then you lost a game, and then you won six games here and then you lost a game, and then we were right in that moment where we won five heading into the Ohio State game. Like, what are you guys going to do here? To win a national championship, you have to win six in a row, and you have to win six in a row against really good teams. And our conference prepares you for that. And by no means are we only thinking about that. But I wanted to make a point to them, you know, consistency is where it's at. We want to be the most consistent team that we can possibly be. Clearly, we need to do things better, and the guys need to own up to that and understand that we need to play better if we want to reach our ultimate goals. But, right now, this team has been really good at focusing on what's right in front of them and being really present in the moment during games.”

On winning his 22nd game with Virginia…

“It's just a number. Um, certainly proud of that. Proud of the guys. You know, that's the most important thing. There have been a lot of great coaches here that have walked the sidelines, and certainly, you know it's our time right now, and I just want to do my best, no different than I said in the press conference. I want to do my best to honor, you know, those that came before me and certainly Coach Bennett right before me, and his staff and crew, Ron obviously in that as well. I want to do my best for UVA, and I'm excited that we're going to be able to honor him, you know, this coming Saturday.”

On if the shooting has gotten better or improved….

“Our guys are working hard. You know, they're always in the gym shooting and getting better. We've just got to find, you know, cleaner looks in transition. You know, we've got to begin to leverage, you know, the defense that we've been playing, and turn that into some easier opportunities on the other end. Then also execute at a higher level when we're in our sets or our flow game. There's just a higher level that we can we need to get back to.”

On if having three consecutive road games changes perception…

“The travel can get to you. So certainly as a coach, you always worry about that. Uh, getting on planes, off planes, late nights, you know, when you get back, having class the next morning, and we're playing a 9:00 game, you know, at Georgia Tech. So, the time difference, you know, in Nashville, those are all circumstances and, you know, we control how we respond, you know, to those circumstances. And our guys have shown an ability to just take it as it comes and not get overly concerned with things like that, and just focus on what's right ahead. As coaches, we try to do our best to, you know, limit their time on their feet and you know, focus on just our overall preparation.”

On what he sees from Georgia Tech on film…

“Yeah, they're a good basketball team, and there's not a layup, you know, in our conference. You know, we respect Georgia Tech. We respect their players and their coaches. Um, and we know it's going to be a dog fight. You know, every game for us has been hard. You know, it's not like we've, you know, been in a situation where we are blowing teams out. You know, we've got to, you know, we have to manage this game and and and go in there with a sense of urgency and a competitive fire, and we know they're going to be ready. They shoot the ball well, they attack the basket, and we've got to make sure that we're, you know, we're the aggressor.”

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