	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

January 3, 2011

Seth Greenberg

SETH GREENBERG: First I apologize for missing the last teleconference. We were on our way to the Bahamas and trying to make a flight, and again, I should have just called in, and I apologize for that.
Our team is -- we're still probably a work in progress, as well. I mean, we're not the same team we were three weeks ago. Three weeks ago we thought maybe we would have Cadarian Raines and Dorenzo Hudson, and we're sure not the same team we thought we were going to be in the summer when we thought we'd have J.T. Thompson and Allan Chaney, but I like my basketball team. I think we're developing a really good chemistry. I think we've been really unselfish, we're taking better care of the basketball in the last five games, we're making some shots. And I think that we're developing a good chemistry and a good trust for each other, so that's been positive.
But I'd say the team we played yesterday does not resemble in any way, shape or form the team we're going to play in Florida State. I mean, they're a magnificent basketball team, extremely athletic, long, contest every pass, contest every shot, protect in front of the rim, have guys that can make shots, so we're going to have to be -- to continually take it to another level to have a chance to be competitive against them.

Q. With the injuries and the absences, it seems like Evans is really taking advantage of the opportunity to step up. Can you talk about --
SETH GREENBERG: Do you mean Green?

Q. Green, I'm sorry.
SETH GREENBERG: If we had Evans I'd put him in, I promise you. Yeah, Erick Green, he's been moved to the starting lineup, and knowing you're going to have to play through mistakes, and having Malcolm give him a crutch a little bit to take some pressure off him, Erick has really played well. He's been more aggressive. He's shooting the ball well, he's attacking the basket. He's always been a good defender. He's a legitimate 6'3", 6'4" and long and showing good leadership. I'm really proud of the way he's kind of embraced this opportunity, and you can see it just in the way he's carrying himself on a day-to-day basis.

Q. Any further update on Jeff's status? You mentioned, I guess, in the post game yesterday about his groin injury and he hasn't practiced very much.
SETH GREENBERG: Well, he didn't practice at all last week, he just played in the game. He's in treatment right now. We're off today because we don't play until Saturday. He's got to do a good job with his rehab. We're erring on the side of caution because let's face it, we don't exactly have a lot of options. But he's got a pretty good groin strain, and he played through it yesterday, which I'm really proud of, and we've just got to be cautious.

Q. If I could squeeze in one more, with all the injuries and absences, how has that affected how you practice?
SETH GREENBERG: It really affects it. We haven't been able to go up and down. We're going to try to force ourselves to do that a little bit this week. It limits the number of reps because the guys have no breaks, and obviously it's hard for us to simulate Florida State's size or length or quickness when you're playing against two and three walk-ons.

Q. When Dorenzo I guess went down as it were, did you guys give any thought to keeping Malcolm at the point and playing Erick at two because Malcolm had been your point guard for so long, or was there really no option that Erick could play the two, or kind of what went into that?
SETH GREENBERG: Erick can definitely play the two. We thought that was the opportunity to get Malcolm off the ball, try to get the ball to him in transition, try to take a little pressure off of him, plus I thought if we kept the ball in Malcolm's hands that Erick would continue to be his caddie. He would continue to defer, and the only way to get Erick to take ownership and be assertive and be aggressive and attack was to put the ball in his hands.
You know, obviously we were put in a situation that we did not need a passive Erick Green. We needed an Erick Green that would take some initiative and take some ownership and be more aggressive, so that was our mindset behind that decision.

Q. Prince Parker is practicing with you guys still right now. At what point do you expect to make a decision about whether he'll be on the team?
SETH GREENBERG: I haven't come close to making that decision. He's cleared to practice. Obviously understanding the hows and whys of what we do is not easy when you haven't played basketball in three years. Getting in shape when you were used to just extending your arms out for three seconds and then going back to a huddle is a little different than running up and down the court. So I mean, we'll see. I don't have a good handle on him yet, but he just gives us another body, which we sorely need.

Q. What player were you just talking about?
SETH GREENBERG: Prince Parker.

Q. A question away from your team, Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl will start his eight-game suspension on Saturday in the SEC. What are your thoughts on the impact to a team when a coach is away from his team like that, whether it be illness or in this case a suspension?
SETH GREENBERG: You know, again, I think that Bruce being able to be in practice every day and participate in the preparation is going to be a positive. I think the other thing, and it might be a short-term effect, will be I think the kids will have a cause to come together. Now, can that last eight games? I don't know his team, so it's hard for me to have an opinion on that.
But obviously you practice and you implement your game plan in practice and then you would hope that his assistant coaches who have been with him for a good, long while will be able to kind of empower his team and they'll have a cause to play for their coach.

Q. A lot of coaches have expressed an opinion on this penalty since it's come down from Mike --
SETH GREENBERG: Yeah, I don't worry -- if you want to talk about Virginia Tech, I'll be glad to talk about Virginia Tech.

Q. I'm just curious, with all these injuries now with Jeff, what have you been doing to kind of keep everyone's spirits up? Has that been an issue? Are you worried about the psyche of the team?
SETH GREENBERG: We're in a great place mentally. We've won five games in a row, so I think we've won games and the guys we're playing know they're going to play, and we've got more guys contributing. You know, there's a concern for sure. I mean, but in terms of our mindset, our practices, we haven't had a bad practice. We haven't had a practice like we normally practice; that's the problem. But our guys are in a good place right now. I think they like the way they're playing.
Everyone is making the extra pass. There's good communication. Again, we've had some good wins during this stretch. I'm not sure we've played anyone as good as the team we're about to play or the teams we're about to play, and I think that's the big thing.
I think that everyone -- I think the one kind of -- I don't know if it's a pet peeve, but the thing that kind of bothers me, I hear everyone talk about different leagues and leagues being bound, and the ACC -- the ACC is no different than any of the other leagues. I'm not sure any league is up. I think that all leagues have kind of leveled off a little bit, but I think that maybe no league has separated themselves.
I'm more concerned about just getting our guys in a good -- keeping them in a good frame of mind right now. I think that right now we're in a pretty good place, we really are. But winning puts you in that place, now you've got to continue to win.

Q. You talked about their team maybe will have a cause with him out. Do you sense your team has gotten a cause from all the injuries, all the adversity they've faced, they've kind of been strengthened?
SETH GREENBERG: Well, we always create causes for our team. That's who we are. I think coaches in general try to create a cause. But I think, yeah, this is something that our guys feel like we're going to try to -- no one thinks we can pull this thing off now, and I think our guys feel like -- the guys that are healthy feel like they're going to get their chance, and our starting lineup is a little bit affected. Obviously our front guard depth is affected significantly, but they're looking forward to the challenge and excited about it.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297