Travis Watson's Chat Wrap

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Feb. 14, 2002

Moderator: (11:59 AM ET ) ESPN.com and TheACC.com would like to welcome Virginia’s Travis Watson.

CJ: Travis, how will you guys control Darius Songaila? What do you think of his abilities to rebound the ball? Do you think you can outrebound him on Sunday?

Travis Watson: (12:01 PM ET ) He is a good player. Defenders are going to need help with him. He is a real versatile player. We will need to contain him.

Macon (Charlottesville, Va): Travis, being one of the smaller big men in the ACC, how has the emergence of Elton Brown helped take some of the load off of you? Good luck Sunday!

Travis Watson: (12:02 PM ET ) Whenever Elton comes in he usually defends the bigger guy on the court. When he is in the game that definitely helps take a lot off of me.

Chapel Hill: How are you able to consistently play so well when you are matched up against taller guys in the post?

Travis Watson: (12:03 PM ET ) I don’t know. I just play hard and let the game come to me. I don’t try to force shots. I know my ability to score, so I just try to play hard and that is really it.

Travis (Ortonville, MN): I know in past seasons, you guys have had trouble winning on the road and also in the tournament. Do you believe that this season is any different, and if so, how?

Travis Watson: (12:04 PM ET ) Yes we are a very different team. We try not to live in the past. We will have to face those things when they come to us.

Mickey (Arlington, VA): TRex- You’ve been hitting that 10-12 foot jumper with a lot more regularity recently but you and EB are unstoppable inside. What do we need to do to create better position and passing lanes inside?

Travis Watson: (12:05 PM ET ) Really moving without the ball. Moving and set screens to get open. Everyday in practice we work on those short range shots. Elton has proved he can step out and hit those shots. We need to keep working hard on those things in practice.

Josh(DC): Travis, What is the overall attitude of the team. It appears to be down since UMd! Do you feel confident you can go to W-S and beat Wake Forest on their floor?

Travis Watson: (12:06 PM ET ) We feel confident. We are on a two-game winning streak. We are trying to get that bad taste out of our mouth. We need to go down there ready to play and let things take care of themselves.

Marcus (Cville): Travis, what routine do you have to keep healthy and how do you wind down after so much bruising inside?

Travis Watson: (12:07 PM ET ) Really just ice and get treatment every day. A lot of ice usually does the trick.

Jay (Charlotte, NC): How do you think the improved play of the four freshman has helped the team to this point?

Travis Watson: (12:08 PM ET ) We definitely need them to play well because they are the first four guys coming off the bench. They work hard in practice and take that attitude into the games. The way they play will have a lot to do with our success as a team.

Nick (Boston): Hey Travis, who’s the tougher center to play against – Carlos Boozer or Lonny Baxter? Any predictions for their game on Sunday?

Travis Watson: (12:10 PM ET ) Both of them are real good players. I like to go against Lonny Baxter because he is more my height. I like to bang with both of them, but I am more familiar with Lonny because I have played against him at other times outside of college basketball.

Jared, Emporia: What is the team focusing on to bounce back from the four consecutive losses to Top 25 opponents?

Travis Watson: (12:11 PM ET ) We trying to get our focus back. The will to win. That comes from practice and taking that into the game. Those losses came when some guys were sick and now we are getting those guys back. So I think that will help with the way we will be playing in the upcoming games.

Carty (NYC): Travis, where do you see this team in March? Is the team preparing differently than last year?

Travis Watson: (12:12 PM ET ) Definitely still playing, but that is a long way from now.

John (C’ville): Travis, Coach Gillen seems like such a funny and nice guy. Can you describe what being recruited by him was like? How was his in-home visit?

Travis Watson: (12:14 PM ET ) It was a good experience. It was really him and his assistant Bobby Gonzalez that had a lot to do with me coming here. He is a good coach.

Jill (Raleigh): Travis, how do you guys plan to be more effective against zone defense? Go Hoos!

Travis Watson: (12:16 PM ET ) We have to shoot the ball better. We are really not shooting the ball well right now. Guys need to step up and hit the open shots. We will attack and if we can hit our shots, I don’t think too many people will play zone against us.

Jim (Chapel Hill): Outside of basketball, have you enjoyed going to UVA?

Travis Watson: (12:17 PM ET ) Yes. It is a wonderful atmosphere. Especially the education side of it. Plus the athletics are great too, so to have two great things at one place makes you appreciative.

Chas (NYC): Travis, you starred for the legendary Oak Hill Academy (OHA) in high school. How do you think it prepared you as an athlete and student?

Travis Watson: (12:20 PM ET ) The coach there was wonderful. The practicing was hard. We did a lot of traveling as well. We had to take our school work on the road with us. It was the same type of atmosphere as college. It definitely helped me adjust to the college atmosphere much easier.

Moderator: (12:21 PM ET ) That is all the time Travis has for us today. ESPN.com and TheACC.com would like to thank Travis for stopping by this afternoon.