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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEJanuary 23, 2012Mark GottfriedCOACH GOTTFRIED: We're coming off a nice win. But I think for us what's good about our team right now is I think we're well aware that we have a lot of room to improve and we can get a lot better. So feel good that we were able to win a road game this weekend. But I think at the same time, we're realistic to know that we've got a long, long way to go. Q. You've still got five guys averaging in double figures as you've had all year. The guy who seems to be taking the lead in that respect, at least in conference play is Scott Wood. What other things have gone into improving his game this year? COACH GOTTFRIED: Well, I think that Scott, obviously, is a terrific shooter. But he's running the floor better, he's defending better. I think with our team, it's not so much that we try to get the ball to one particular guy in the games that we've had. It's just gone a little bit more to him lately. With our team, I think all of those guys are very capable, all starters. Scott has improved. He can still get a lot better, but he's played very well lately. Q. Is he in practice as deadly from the free‑throw line as he's shown to be in games? Everybody practices free throws, but is he just as automatic? COACH GOTTFRIED: He is. He's like that every day. In our shooting drills, even the live drills in practice, he shoots it extremely well. When he gets to the foul line, he's confident. We spend a lot of time shooting free throws. It's interesting, when I spent a couple years with ESPN and traveled around, a lot of teams didn't shoot as much or spend as much time shooting foul shots as I anticipated. So I think that we do. He's just such a natural shooter and he's a confident shooter. Q. Have you before been around a free‑throw shooter quite like him? COACH GOTTFRIED: Well, I had Mo Williams. Mo Williams was similar, but Scott, I think, is clearly the best. Q. What type of problems is UNC's height going to cause for you? You obviously can't match up with it very well. Not many people can, but what are the problems that you're worried about trying to defend them inside? COACH GOTTFRIED: Well, we're not very big, and we know that. But we have to compensate for a lack of height with quickness or toughness and see if we can overcome that. They're really good at their length and where it helps them, obviously, around the basket, scoring the ball. They're a terrific offensive rebounding team. The ball goes off the rim, and a lot of times even if they don't secure the ball, they can keep it alive and tap it, eventually come up with the ball. So we have to do a great job in this particular game of securing a defensive rebound, and that's going to be a challenge for our team. Q. How long after you were on the job did you begin to understand what this game means to your fan base and how much frustration they felt with you recently with UNC's winning streak in this rivalry? COACH GOTTFRIED: About five minutes. Our folks, this is a proud basketball fan base at N.C. State. NorthCarolina has been terrific. Our people have hope that that will change at some point. Q. I'm sure by Thursday there will be a fair share of hype regarding this game. Is that something you embrace and you think your players and team will be good for? COACH GOTTFRIED: Oh, I think our players will be excited. They've been excited to play every game, but this game's different. There is no question. It feels different to your players, fans, students on campus. So our players are very well aware of that. For us, it's just a great opportunity and I think our players view it like that. Q. Was there a situation maybe last night on the trip back that there were more thoughts about UNC than Miami? COACH GOTTFRIED: Well, I think that I would say yes. I think our guys, as soon as the Miami game was over, that their minds shifted to NorthCarolina. Again, I think that they will be excited. There is no question. Q. I don't know if you own any red blazers, but second of all, a young team that's had a lot of success, just the key to making sure they stay composed and doing well on the road in league play so far? COACH GOTTFRIED: The first question is no, I don't have a red blazer. I think for our team right now what's important to realize is although we've had a couple of nice wins, we're a long, long way from where we want to be. Our guys know that. We talk about that. We talk about where we want to go, and even our program where we want to take it, where it's been, and what do we have to do to get there. So it's a process. We understand it's a process. At the same time, winning is what breeds confidence. So we have to win big games. That's what changes your program. That's the opportunity that we have. Q. I know everybody's focusing on Thursday night's game against Carolina. A couple of times this season, you've had two games in three days kind of thing. Can you talk about having to play Carolina on Thursday night and then having to have a quick turnaround and play a team like Virginia on Saturday? COACH GOTTFRIED: It's tough, but it's part of life. There is no sense in complaining about it. I don't allow those kind of things to be issues. They're not something that we talk about with our players. It's not something that we would ever use as an excuse. It is harder. But I think everybody in the league goes through it.  I think later in the year, when we play at Duke, I think that one's a 9:00 Thursday game, and a 1:00 Saturday game with Florida State at home. They're there. They're a part of the schedule. You roll with it. You go with it ask don't let it bother you. Q. Do you do anything differently to prepare when you know you've got the two and three coming against two teams like Carolina and Virginia? COACH GOTTFRIED: Well, if you can, you may put some stuff into your practice on Tuesday or Wednesday that you may‑‑ even without your players realizing it, just work on a few things, one or two things that you may not have time to work on Friday. Outside of that, very little. Obviously, the concentration needs to be on the next game, which is Thursday's game, and I think Virginia plays Thursday too. They may not, but I think they do. Like I said, it all balances out. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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