Story Links

2010-11 Virginia Basketball Postgame Quotes
March 1, 2011
Virginia 69, NC State 58

Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett

On seniors:
“Will [Sherrill] makes us a better team when he is healthy. I told both Will and Mustapha [Farrakhan] before the game that I was very proud of them. I told them that I have been a part of a lot of senior nights and that the best way they could give back would be to play their hearts out and I think they both did that tonight.”

On being up 16-0 and then 18-17:
“We came out great and then struggled some. They scored five or six times in a row. We regained our composure and made stops and got some patience. We were able to withstand their run and then had enough to push ahead.”

On the win:
“I will tell you after the Maryland game exactly what it means for our seeding. We just want to play good basketball and win, especially here at home. We hope to play better against a good Maryland team that came in here and beat us pretty soundly the last time around.”

On free throws down the stretch:
“We probably would have some more wins if we had made more free throws this year. I can think of two right off the bat. But, I was glad we were able to hit them tonight.”

On upcoming game versus Maryland:
“My hope is that Will [Sherrill] can get healthier and we can find a way to win the game and get some momentum going into the tournament.”

NC State Head Coach Sidney Lowe

On the game:
“We were right there. We missed a lot of not easy baskets, but we had it inside. A couple of times we missed layups. We turned a couple over on fast breaks. Then, there were just a couple of poor decisions. We didn’t kick it out. We tried to do some things in the post area, really kick it out like we did early, and let the play happen. They played well. They were active and aggressive. It’s just like we knew they would be. We didn’t win.”

On keeping a consistent lineup between the first and second halves:
“I told the guys in the locker room, ‘Hey, your teammates pulled us through and got us back in it, and now you guys have got to come out ready to play.’ I wanted to let them know, ‘we still have confidence in you right now.’ We know we can play better than we just did in the first half. It didn’t happen. I thought about it, but we decided to just go with the starting group.”

On confidence in the team:
“It doesn’t change. I knew that this was going to be a difficult ball game. Their seniors and those guys want to win, and they’re tough. They’re tough here. The way they play, we knew it was going to be a tough ball game. We had to make every right play, every right decision, because they will make you pay for it. If anything, I have even more confidence because we saw our guys come off the bench, come in and do what they did. We’ve got to do it again where we get every body going where it starts off well, and then we have those guys come in inside. I haven’t changed.”

On Javier Gonzalez:
“Javi was great. When Javi’s down, when he’s got to fight back, that’s when he’s really at his best. If a game’s just flowing and going, you may not see that in him. When he’s got to man up, so to speak, and try to make something happen, he battles. If you think about any of the games we’ve had where we’ve been down and we needed something to happen, he was always in the fight. That’s just who he is. He’s never going to quit. He led us tonight. He led us with the communication, with the energy.”

On young players against Virginia:
“I knew it was going to be a difficult game for them. I knew it was. I told our guys, ‘don’t be deceived if you look out there and you don’t see somebody who might jump over the rim, and things of that nature, where someone might say they’re [Virginia is] not athletic.’ These guys are more athletic than you think they are. They’re smart. They play hard. When you put together a group of guys that are tough and smart, and know how to play, they’re always going to be in it. That’s what Virginia does. Tony has a different lineup without Mike Scott, one of the big guys, but the other guys know how to play, and they go to their strengths. I knew it was going to be tough. I wasn’t mad at my young guys. I wish they would have played better. This is a tough team to play against, and we’ve got to come back against Florida State now.”

Virginia Freshman Guard Joe Harris

On the team’s seniors’ play on senior night:
“Will [Sherrill] had a big night as well as Mustapha [Farrakhan]. They were both really hyped up before the game, which was great. We all wanted to come out here and get a win for them.”

On the upcoming game against Maryland:
“They [Maryland] really put it on us last time here in John Paul Jones Arena, so obviously we want some redemption. It will be a big game for us.”

On team’s free throw shooting improvements:
“We have put a lot of time in working on our free throws. The coaches have made it a priority to get them in before and after practice.”

Virginia Senior Forward Will Sherrill

On playing 37 minutes:
“I am feeling pretty tired. My leg was feeling good, but I am a little winded. I do not think I have ever played 37 minutes. When you are playing hard and having a good game like that the minutes go by quickly.”

On playing well on senior night:
“It was a great night. I was really happy to have my family here, and the ceremony before the game was great. I was feeling good about my shot yesterday and today in the shoot-around, and I knew the match-ups would give me an opportunity to get some open shots. I was feeling pretty confident.”

On persevering through injuries this season:
“When I hurt my leg the second time, I tried to think I was not done for the year. I looked at this game specifically because I knew the match-ups bode well for my skill set, so I tried to get well as fast as possible.”

Virginia Senior Guard Mustapha Farrakhan

On playing his final game in John Paul Jones Arena:
“It really hit me today, that this was my last home game. It went by so fast, and I keep telling the young guys to really cherish the opportunity to play. I really appreciate all the support I have gotten from my teammates and the fans who have seen me develop over the years.”

On the win:
“We were fortunate to get a win, and I am happy to win in my last game at John Paul Jones Arena.”

On keeping emotions in check for the game:
“I prepared for it yesterday. I was thinking about it all yesterday. Tonight I focused on the task and played as hard as I could for the fans.”

NC State Senior Guard Javier Gonzalez

On Virginia’s offense:
“It was a tough game. They were shooting well and all their threes pretty much went in. With a shooting team like UVa, you have to get up on them. It makes it easier for them to drive if they are shooting well.”

NC State Sophomore Forward Scott Wood

On NC State’s defensive effort:
“We came out and played about as poor as you can defensively. We didn’t have any energy. Defensively we were not together as a group and that was one of the things we needed against this team.”

On the feeling in the locker room after the loss:
“I can tell you my temperature is hot, I don’t know about anybody else. It’s tough losing and losing to teams I honestly think we shouldn’t be losing to. It just comes down to executing and playing better defense.”

On how NC State performs on the road compared to at home:
“There is an art to going on the road. You have to show up and let them know you are here. It is like a boxing match, if someone comes out and hits you a few times, you can’t step back. We have to come out a lot better because we are going to be on the road in Greensboro.”

Print Friendly Version