Everything From Virginia Tech's Amani Hansberry After Loss to No. 4 Duke

Virginia Tech forward Amani Hansberry talked with the media after the Hokies' 72-58 loss to No. 4 Duke. Here's the entirety of what Hansberry had to say:

On how he processes this loss:

"It's tough, but I thought we played really hard, a lot of passion, a lot of heart. We just couldn't make a shot. Shot like 26% from the three. I think we got a way better chance if we just shoot like over 35%. But we got the guys who we wanted to take those threes, taking those threes."

On whether Tech's three-point shooting struggles were down to Duke or Tech just missing open looks:

"It was just not falling. It was wide open. We just couldn't stick them, I ain't gonna lie."

On what Hansberry wishes that his team had done better in the last six minutes of the game:

"Probably move the ball a little bit more, trust each other. They started switching one through five. So try to make you play one-on-one. In my opinion, we don't have to go to one-on-one guys. So I think we got to just find a way to off-ball screen, move without the ball, get each other open, create double gaps for each other to drive, create winning situations overall."

On what Hansberry liked about his looks from three-point land (4-for-5 from deep):

"They gave me time and space, so I just took my time. I knew I was going to have wide-open threes going into the game. So, I just trust my work and shoot it with confidence."

On what's been working for Hansberry from deep in conference play (40% entering the day):

"Shooting the right ones. Not shooting a three with 23 seconds on the shot clock, even though I'm wide open. Playing the next actions, go get a layup first, get fouled, see something else go through the net, and then just shoot it with confidence."

On what the team says to Avdalas when he's going through his current rough patch (1-for-8 for five points):

"We bring him along. I think the crowd booed him today. I'm not sure why. I thought he played good today. I tell him every game I love him. I got his back when he's down, I make sure I pick him up. But I always remind him when he's up, never too high, never too low. So, I mean, he's still a kid. He's still growing up, but he's a really talented kid, and I think by the end of the season, he's gonna be a completely different player than what he was coming in in the fall."

Q: I saw you kind of pull him aside after that. He threw that lob to Tobi [Lawal] that didn't go. What would you tell him? Similar kind of thing?

"Yeah, I told him, use his smarts. You can't feed the post at the slot. So I said, I mean, it's a mismatch, but other guys are pulled trying to have his back, so keep moving the ball. We'll create more advantages. We had a lot of time on the shot clock. I think it was in between 15 to 20 seconds. So, I just told him, 'I know you see the play, but create other advantages for other people, especially when you got the five on you, you got a mismatch to yourself."

Q: So, do you think it's a confidence thing that he's struggling with?

"No, I think the pace here is a lot faster than what it is overseas. The physicality as well. So, I think he's just getting acclimated."

On how difficult it is to guard Cameron Boozer, especially due to his skills as a passer:

"Really difficult. He's a mismatched nightmare. He can shoot it, dribble and pass. He got all three attributes, and that's really scary, especially when you're like, 6'10", 250, so I mean, we try to make it hard for him. I think we did try to make some other guys beat us. But, I mean, really talented player."

On what about Duke's defense gave Tech trouble:

"I think it forces you to want to play one-on-one. I think later in the second half, we fell victim to that a little bit. We got stagnant. But it's hard to face a one through five, especially when they got good length, good defenders, good athletes. So, we gotta go back to the drawing board and figure some things out. But it is what it is."

On Duke's 46-24 edge in points in the paint and the challenges they present around the rim:

"They score 63% of their shots in the paint. We knew that coming into the game, so we try to make them beat us with the three. But I mean, Cameron Boozer, we got our hands full with him with Pat [Ngongba] around the rim. I think they get up in between 30 and 40% of their misses back. So with that size, I mean, it's hard to contest and run back in and rebound, with that size and length, I think we just got to find more ways to pull out some of those rebounds, get out of transition."

On what Duke did to limit Tech's free throws:

"I'm really not sure. I think me included, especially, we didn't really attack the basket as hard as we should have. Find bodies instead of trying to finish around length. Go to get fouled. I think that was on us. I think we could have done a way better job in the second half. I thought we did pretty good in the first. We had the one-on-one situation with around like six to eight minutes to go in the half. So really, just having a mentality to 'Yeah, they're giving up these threes.' But when we got a good situation, don't settle for a float, like I did those two times the first half. Really, go make them commit. I mean, we had two-on-ones because they hedging with the five man or the four man, and it's just me and Tobi. That's how we got the lob in the first place."

On the biggest areas of growth needed roughly midway into ACC play:

"I think we need to get some more swagger. I think we need to come together more, maybe hang out more off the court. But I'm very confident in everybody's abilities, even though we shot the ball poorly today. We got a lot of good shooters on the team, so really, just stay together and focus on what's most important, and that's winning."

On if Hansberry feels that the team did certain things better defensively in the second half:

"Yeah, I think we just cut up the grit and intensity. The fans helped us a lot too, but really, we rotated a lot well, we kind of helped up a lot in the first half, giving up a lot of lobs. Think we cleaned that up more in the second half. But overall, I think it's really just our grit on the ball, our intensity overall."

On how excited Hansberry is to get Tyler Johnson back:

"I'm very excited to get Tyler back. He's a real good guy, and he has the potential to be a star. So, that's pretty scary, especially coming into sophomore year. I think we gain another good defender on the wing, especially when we face kind of like those 6'5" guards that are really physical getting downhill. I'm really excited to get him back. I think it'll change the dynamic of our team."

On the team hovering around the bubble and what the mindset it:

"Honestly, we're taking it one game at a time. I think we're in a really good spot. 16 wins, just taking it one game at a time. We're not worried about anybody else. We're just worried about us, each other, individuals, picking each other up when we're down. I think we'll definitely get there. I know we'll definitely get there. So just finishing off, closing what we got to do."

On how much Johnson not being in for the Duke game hindered Virginia Tech:

"It hurts a lot offensively and defensively. Defensively, especially on the glass. Tyler's a hound. I'm a hound. Toby's a hound. When [Christian Gurdak] comes in, he's a hound. So, we got a lot of guys that can go to the grass. I think we kind of missed that on the guard play with Tyler being out. But I think over the last, I want to say three out of last five games, our guards had 10 rebounds. I think that goes up five with Tyler coming back."

On what the team wants to be able to do to contend with the teams in the upper echelon of the ACC:

"Yeah, I think we have to have focus in our prep, like we did vs. Virginia. I thought we had great focus coming in today. We just couldn't hit a shot. So really, just tying it down, having a short-term memory. Whether we lost or won the last game, it doesn't matter. It's on to the next. And just buckle up and prepare, prepare our mentals and our bodies for the next game coming forward."

On what Hansberry has taken away from the team in regard to its strengths and weaknesses:

"I'd say strength-wise, we're a really good first-shot defensive team. Weakness: we struggle to rebound sometimes. I think with time, it comes back. That helps a lot. But honestly, I think I learned that we didn't start off good shooting the ball. But now, I think we got really good shooters, especially when they get going. Like Jaden Schutt hit two really big threes for us today. And in terms of weaknesses, I think when we get tired, we kind of fatigue and lose our sharpness. I think we need to find another motor, another gear. And everybody, maybe me as a leader, to tell them and get on them. But I think that's it."