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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 7, 2011

Paul Hewitt

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Georgia Tech head basketball coach Paul Hewitt. We'll ask for a brief opening statement and go to questions.
COACH HEWITT: We feel good about how we've wrapped up the season. Iman Shumpert continues to play great basketball. He had a terrific week this week against Wake Forest, Miami yesterday. Jason Morris probably also has played the best basketball of his freshman year coming down the stretch.
We're looking forward to getting Brian Oliver back on Thursday. We have about as much momentum as we could possibly ask for going into this game on Thursday night.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Hewitt.

Q. What do you expect out of Brian on Thursday?
COACH HEWITT: Well, I don't expect him to be in peak physical condition, but I'm sure he can give us some minutes. It's no secret that shooting has been something that's been ailing us all season. He's an outstanding shooter. I know he's been getting to the gym even though he's had the cast on his left thumb. I imagine his shooting stroke will be fine. I'm just not sure how much wind he'll have.
Again, if he gives us 10, 15 minutes on Thursday night, we'll be pleased with that.

Q. Oliver didn't play in the second game. Even with him back, what else do you need to happen differently to do better, to have a result like the first time rather than the second time?
COACH HEWITT: We got to hope they're not as red hot as they were the second time. Even if Brian played, it wouldn't have made as much of a difference. They were sharp that game, they were fresh. They played really well. We obviously didn't play great, but they played really well. We could have played really well and lost because they were outstanding.

Q. You mentioned you're coming in with about as much momentum as you can. Last year you came in after a couple losses and manufactured a pretty great run to the title game. Do you see any difference, similarities, of how you're situated going in?
COACH HEWITT: After last year, we were in strong contention for an NCAA berth, so that will be the big difference. But we always feel good come tournament time. Our guys have got some experience. Iman has got some experience, Brian, Glen, Mo, they all have experience of playing in the ACC tournament, having success in the ACC tournament.
I would imagine that gives them a little confidence going in.

Q. Last year you had to play four days in a row. Is it possible or just difficult for a team to win four in a row?
COACH HEWITT: It's possible. If you get to that last day, really you have so much adrenaline, so much excitement going on, I don't think you really realize it. I think anybody who saw the game last year recognized that the fourth day didn't make a difference. It was more a big-time shot Jon Scheyer made down the stretch of that game, a one-possession game.

Q. With the four-day thing, I know later teams are fresher, but is it possible that the teams that win on Thursday have a little bit of an edge on Friday? They've played, they've won, used to the court, have momentum.
COACH HEWITT: That's an excellent point and something that I've always believed in, as well. If you get through the Thursday night game, at least in the first half you have an advantage over the team that's just hitting the court for the first time. When those upsets do happen on that Friday night, usually is the pattern the team that played the night before gets off to a quick start and they kind of run away and hide with the lead.

Q. Having to play that 9:30 game on Thursday night, do you really hate that?
COACH HEWITT: No, no, no. It's a great time of the year to get to play in the ACC tournament. I don't care that time we play. It's going to be a lot of fun. I know our guys are excited about the opportunity.

Q. What do you see as your defensive approach on Delaney and Allen this time around?
COACH HEWITT: When you're talking about a guy like Malcolm Delaney, he didn't shoot the ball well. I saw Delaney miss some shots in that game that he's more than capable of making. Second game, he was lights out in the parts of the game I saw.
Just have to contest shots to make it as tough as you can. He's one of the few guys in the country that can make shots when he's well-contested.

Q. And Allen?
COACH HEWITT: You know, again, we've got to do a better job of just making it tough for him. When he gets going, he's so versatile in that he can go off the dribble, he can make a 15-, 18-footers. He's also a good offensive rebounder. We have to make sure he doesn't get easy baskets. With players like that that are such great players, they have the career records to back it up, you just have to make it as tough as you possibly can, don't give them anything easy.

Q. Paul, you won your last two going into the tournament. There are teams that come in, Virginia lost nine straight last year, they win, and teams that come in on a nice winning streak, they lose their first game. Does momentum mean much of anything either way going into this thing?
COACH HEWITT: Yeah, I think it does because it may help you get off to a quick start. One thing about this time of the year, especially when you have so much to play for, nerves are a part of it. Young kids can get out there and get off to a tough start regardless of how they entered the game. You can get a little shaky, all of a sudden the basket starts to shrink on you, your hands aren't as sure, you turn the ball over.
It does mean something because it might mean you get off to a good start, especially in the first games. If you get off to a really good start, it can really mean a lot in terms of confidence, momentum, giving you the opportunity, giving you the cushion to overcome mistakes that are never going to happen.

Q. Your last two games, Mo Miller has given you 34 points. What's up with that?
COACH HEWITT: He's playing like a senior. He's going down the stretch. He wants to keep his senior year going as long as he possibly can.
I'm very happy for him because obviously at the start of the year he got off to a little bit of a rough start. He's playing some great basketball now. He's playing with a lot of confidence.
THE MODERATOR: Paul, we're free and clear for today. Thanks for being with us. Good luck this weekend.
COACH HEWITT: Take care.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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