	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

March 7, 2011

Steve Donahue

THE MODERATOR: We'll bring on coach Steve Donahue of Boston College. We'll ask coach for a brief opening statement and go to questions.
COACH DONAHUE: Just finished up a good week for our program. We won obviously a very big road game for us at Virginia Tech where I thought we played very good basketball for 40 minutes, then came home against Wake on Senior Day, executed very well on the offensive end, were able to beat Wake here yesterday.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for coach.

Q. I wanted to know how aware or how on the radar the whole NCAA speculation thing is? People have you as one of the last four teams in at the moment. How much is that bearing going into the tournament?
COACH DONAHUE: I'm probably the least informed about those kinds of things. Joe Lunardi is a friend of mine probably since seventh grade. I don't read his stuff. For me it's just not conducive to me producing a good practice, having my head clear about what I'm doing.
I imagine my players, like all kids, are on the Internet doing those things. But it's not something that we focus on the team. We try to do certain things each and every day based on how we're playing, what we can do better, how we can work on our skills, and try to attack it that way rather than worry about all the things that could be going on in college basketball.
It's got to be so fluid, especially this year with so many teams going for it at this point in the season. I just think for me it's a lot easier, my life is a lot easier, coaching my team is a lot easier, if I just block it out.

Q. So you're not in contact with Joe anymore?
COACH DONAHUE: I'm not. When he first got into it, so funny he got this spot, and does such a great job. It's amazing what it's come to. When he first started doing it years ago, I used to call and joke to him. Now everyone listens to him. You're an important guy; I'm not going to mess with you anymore (laughter).

Q. On the Lunardi thing, did you go to school together?
COACH DONAHUE: You know what, he's a Philly guy. He went to a different parish. He went to St. Joe's. My whole family went to St. Joe's University. My sister has worked there since 1976. Joe obviously has worked there forever, as well. That's kind of the connection.

Q. Prior to your success at Cornell the last few years, what did you do right after your season ended without having a conference tournament? Did you go to any other conference tournaments, watch them on TV, or tune out of basketball?
COACH DONAHUE: A little different each time. It's hard to sneak away after a long season and go to these conference tournaments when you have four kids, to be quite honest. That to me would have been a little selfish.
I've been to the Big East occasionally. I loved the ACC growing up. I think it's the first tournament I can remember. I don't know if it is the original tournament. But my father, just watching it with him, I remember all the great team in the early '70s. David Thompson NC State teams in particular, my first recollection of big-time college basketball. What a great stage it was. It meant so much.
Not that it doesn't mean a lot now, but back then it was the way you advanced to the NCAA tournament, you had to win that tournament. Those are the things I kind of remember originally about it.

Q. Not having much experience with the conference tournament with all your time in the Ivy League, Coach Jones being in the same boat, have you talked to the players how to prepare for this? Is there a group discussion going on?
COACH DONAHUE: No, there isn't. I think my 20 years in of the Ivy, in all honesty, we had six conference tournaments every weekend. When I was in there, I think 13 times the Ivy League was won by one loss or zero losses. You couldn't afford a loss in the Ivy League. You still can't.
I approached every weekend, and we played back-to-back every weekend. We did this situation that I have every year right now, where we played a team, had to come play our travel partner, like we're going to do Wake. I think those experiences enabled me to focus on what you have to do with your team, not get overwhelmed with the things you could tend to talk about in this situation.

Q. Have you talked to John Cahill about next year, any chance he might return?
COACH DONAHUE: I think we briefly talked about that. My assistants have. I think there's a lot of things probably going through John's head, spinning. I think this is obviously a huge surprise to all of us, the way this story has developed. So I think it's probably something we'll take a deep breath after the season and sit back and look at it and see what the best situation is for both of us.

Q. What are your biggest concerns about turnaround and facing a team that you just played and beat fairly handily?
COACH DONAHUE: I think your biggest concern as a coach is human nature. I told you those times we played Columbia, Joe Jones seven of those times, back to back. Human nature, when you beat somebody, to make sure you understand how difficult this game is going to be. Just because you beat them is wonderful, but what I will stress to the guys is, my experience is the games are going to be totally different in every aspect. Even though the same teams are playing four days later, the games are totally different. You have to expect it. As a coach I expect it. I know it's going to be a difficult game. I know there's going to be different challenges. There's going to be things that did not even occur in this game.
I think if you go in with that mindset, understand that, I think you're ready to coach that type of game. I don't expect anything less.
I was impressed with Wake. I think they have terrific young players. I have a lot of respect for Jeff, what he's doing. I thought they played really well here. I thought they did a good job and I'm sure they'll be ready for Thursday.

Q. Is there any advantage in the fact they've played at least once this season in this building, just the setting that they've been here before?
COACH DONAHUE: I really don't believe in any of those kind of things. I never thought so. I've never been a coach that needs to go shoot at the arena. My background is, we take seven-hour bus rides, we go into a gym we never played in, we go in and play. I don't sense that being the case at all. I really don't.
I think it's more important how you're playing at that time, how your guys are mentally at this point in the season. I think all those things determine how you play at this point rather than the building you're in.
THE MODERATOR: Coach, thanks for being with us today. Good luck this weekend.
COACH DONAHUE: Thank you, guys. Thanks for having me.
THE MODERATOR: This concludes today's ACC men's basketball teleconference. Thanks for being with us.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297