Everything From Virginia Tech HC Mike Young After Win Over Bryant

Virginia Tech men's basketball head coach Mike Young spoke to the media after the Hokies' 78-61 victory over Bryant. Here's the entirety of what Young had to say:

Opening statement:

"First, I'm happy for Virginia Tech. What an incredible turn of events for our athletic department, certainly our football program. I'm thrilled for Whit. Thankful for Whit and others that contributed in making that happen. I can't imagine there being a better football coach available that we could bring here than James Franklin. Had a chance to meet him. I'd never met him before. We're all just elated that he and his family are with us. A great day. Amani Hansberry is such a critical part of what we do. If we had a big game, he would have played. He hurt it late. I don't know the exact play. I'm not sure there was an exact play, but he strained his ankle a bit. Was hurting on Monday. We practiced very light on Monday, but he was bothered and Hisham [Ziyout] put him in a boot. He felt a lot better yesterday. I thought there was a chance that he could play and then we met this morning and it was Hisham's recommendation. We've got three coming up here that are critical to our team and our program and our league. And I didn't want to run the risk of aggravating it a little bit more. Now, we're looking at he's on the shelf through Monday. We travel down there. So, there you have it. Nothing major. He'll be in the starting lineup barring something unforeseen against Colorado State on Wednesday in the Battle 4 Atlantis [Tournament]."

On Christian Gurdak, who tallied a career-high 15 points:

"That was a heck of an effort. He was as good tonight as Dorne was bad. He was great. He was great. He's a player of the game. In my humble opinion, the Holly Farms player of the game, remember? Yes, sir. That going way back. These young people have no idea what that's all about. Gurdak was awesome. Tobi [Lawal] was great again. I think 18 and 13. Jaden Schutt didn't have the numbers that he's had of late, but still very good. Ben Hammond, a good night. But what a nice performance from Christian."

On if this performance is what Young saw from Gurdak coming out of high school:

"That's a bit much. He's a big dude. But, young post players, it's a lot to absorb, but man, he's really really smart, academically and athletically. And he's a quick learner. He wants to absorb everything you give him. He's got big eyes when you talk to him. He certainly elevated himself today. He'll be the first big off the bench in the Bahamas."

On what he's added to his game:

"Well, a level of toughness now. He jumps no higher than David Teel, but he's tough, he's rugged and he's got long arms. Big offensive rebound down there late, probably I don't know, seven-minute mark, six-minute mark. He kept one alive. I think we made the front end and missed the second. Kept one alive and stuck it back up top and I think we scored that maybe a three. So, again, really happy with his play. Great, great job from Christian Gurdak."

On Avdalas' "economical" movement:

"A little too economical, but he doesn't try to make the spectacular pass. He's a terrific player. All right. Wasn't terrific tonight. He was good. Pressing a little bit. He wants to be such a perfectionist. He wants to be so fine. And he's the best passer I've ever coached. But he's a special kid. Special player and we are enjoying him here in Blacksburg."

On where Young sees the team after five games with a break to the B4A Tournament:

"I'm incredibly excited. We've all got work to do. All of us. Mark Pope, dear friend, great friend. They've got work. We all do. We all do. Keep in mind, it is November 20th. But I am bullish on our team. I am encouraged. I've seen it. And we need a little more time. But Battle 4 Atlantis and those three head knockers that we're going to encounter down there, we got progress to make here over the next week before we see the Rams. We're competing our tails off defensively. Tyler Johnson's remarkable there, as is Tobi. Hansberry is the best communicator we've got. We really miss that without him on the floor. And he masks some some mistakes that others may make just by sheer basketball IQ. He's a big part of it obviously, but I'm really fired up about our team."

On outrebounding Bryant, 38-24:

"Hansberry is a big part of that. He's rugged. He's rugged. And it seems like the trio of of Hansberry, Tobi Lawal and Tyler Johnson has just been ferocious. It was against St. Joe's. It was against Charlotte, it was against Providence. Missing one of the three amigos in there tonight. [Antonio] Dorn and Gurdak, while they played really hard, they don't move like Hansberry. Not as strong as Hansberry right now. But I think all in all, good on the glass. I really did."

On flipping the switch with five minutes left in the first half:

"Good players. And I kept telling them in timeouts, 'Just keep the hammer down. Keep grinding on them defensively. They'll wilt. It might be the 18-minute mark the second half, 10-minute mark.' But I thought it flipped a little bit and their shooting wasn't quite as pure."

On preparing for Battle 4 Atlantis from an endurance standpoint:

"[You do] the best you can with what you got. We're all in the same boat. And those are critical. Every day is a Super Bowl. You empty the tank, for lack of a better expression. All right, we've got a 40-minute ball game against Colorado State. We're going to have play a really good ball game. You have a sandwich and you begin your work in preparation for the next day, whomever that might be, right away. And it's tournament basketball. It mirrors the ACC Tournament. It mirrors the NCAA Tournament when you got to turn it around and put a good product on the floor and have them prepared as best you can. Now, we've got ample time with Colorado State, but whoever the second one is quick. But great proving ground and a great learning experience for our team here five games in."

Q: Bryant is just such a tall, long team. Did you see that having an effect in those first 15-ish minutes where maybe your guys' play was a little bit choppy?

"Yeah. I didn't think we were very good at all offensively. I just told Mike [Burnop] and Zach [Mackey] if the offensive end is my biggest concern, I'm going to have a cold drink tonight. I'm going to sleep really well. We're going to figure that part of it out. Neo's on the ball a little too much at times. JB [Jailen Bedford], as good as he's been, Bedford was not very good tonight. Balls on the floor too much, we're standing and waiting for it to come back to us instead of fluid movement. When we did that and the ball moves side-to-side, we got anything we want. And I go back to Hansberry. Hansberry is the connector and we can run him up to the top of the floor and space the floor and he's going to put something together that looks pretty good. We miss that. Gurdak and Dorn can't can't do that yet."

On if there's a difference from European vs. college basketball, as it pertains to Avdalas and Dorn:

"Pretty interesting assessment. I think their game is more free flowing, not as much physicality. This is hard-nosed. This is nasty at times. But they're smart. They're great kids. And they are adjusting quite well as we go along."

On the key to turning around shooting woes after the half (Tech was shooting 25% from three and the foul line):

"We've shot the lights out of it from the line here of late. I look up once and we're 6-of-16 from the foul line. I can't explain that. Out of character. Tobi's been next to automatic up there. Our team has been. Neo went 6-for-6 the other night and I think was two for four tonight. We'll get that corrected. We'll be all right."

On what made Bryant pesky:

"That was the best I've seen them play. They were good. They had a good plan. They slowed the pace down on the offensive end and moved that thing and they got some shots down that I haven't seen them make through the first four games that I saw them play."

Q: You mentioned earlier you're encouraged by your defense thus far. Is another area ball security? Coming into tonight, your turnover rate was half of what it was last season (20% last year, 10% this year).

"We had 10 tonight. We have averaged, I think, seven and a half. We were No. 5 in the country coming into the game in turnovers per game at seven and a half. We had a couple of miscues. Ben had a bad one and a a out of character turnover for for Ben Hammond. This is a really good ball handling team, a really good passing team. Has exceeded expectations. But we've got it and we're going to be fine there."

On what Young wants to work on:

"All of it. Ball screen coverages, we've got to make a stride offensively. Our special teams work has to improve. Transition defense has been really good and we took a quantum leap ahead, against a really good fast Providence team in Connecticut. We've been good there, but it's something you don't rest on your laurels. It'll be an everyday deal that part of it and getting your defense set and seeing that offense and communicating the action. There's not one thing that we got to get better here. We got to get better across the board. And I look forward to our time down there with great competition. And I've never played in that tournament. I've never coached in that tournament. I'm looking forward to being there. I wish everybody well."