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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEJanuary 14, 2013James JohnsonCOACH JOHNSON: Well, I just think that our Hokies, the young group that we have, we have an opportunity to go down and get our first ACC win on the road was a tremendous confidence booster for this team, and a definite reward for how hard these guys have been working after the previous struggles that we've had. We're happy that we got the road win, but we've got a lot of work to do to continue to get better. Q. I'm curious, with a full week to get ready considering Robert coming off the flu and how thin you are, how much does it help to have a little extra time right here? COACH JOHNSON: Oh, I mean, it helps tremendously. We started practice or had film this morning at 10:00 and go down to practice. And we've got nicks and bruises again. A foot was stepped on in the game. Got a guy throwing up down there. So I'm down two in practice today already. But we have a week to get prepared here and try to get healthy. But this sickness and flu that's running around hit us again. Q. Who didn't practice today? COACH JOHNSON: Well, everybody's dressed out, but everybody's not full tilt. Everybody's dressed out, but everybody's not full tilt. Q. Is there any update on Marshall? I know he had hoped to be back by this coming weekend. You seemed like you thought that was a long shot. Is there an update? COACH JOHNSON: No, he's not. I still take it that it's a long shot. He won't be with us this week. Again, it's week to week. They've looked at his X‑rays. Everything looked good and the healing process is going good, but he's not ready to play. Q. Do you have a new timetable for Marshall? If not this week, could it be next week? COACH JOHNSON: They're just saying it's still indefinite. Again, they took a look at the X‑rays and everything looks like it's healing like it's supposed to. But they still haven't given me any timetable. Q. In terms of your zone defense, how encouraging was that coming off that game on Saturday? Is that going to be the new defensive model the rest of the way? COACH JOHNSON: Well, I think my defense overall, I think, was impressive to me on the road. We were able to get stops and able to limit them to a number of offensive rebounds. Our man and our zone, but the zone definitely gives us an opportunity to mix it up a little bit, a change of pace, change of tempo gives us a different look out there on the floor with certain lineups that we play. So it's certainly something that we're going to continue to work on, and we've got to get better at it. We'll definitely see that at some point throughout the season. Q. Referenced Robert Brown a little earlier and his health issues. Just how big was it to see him? He had been struggling so much with his shot to hit those two in overtime in such critical spots? What does that do for him moving forward? COACH JOHNSON: Those were huge plays for our team. You know, the fact that he was able to play after being sent home one day with over a hundred degree temperature and then not practice for two days. I didn't know how much we were going to get out of him anyway. And then 30 seconds into the game, I've got to go to him because of an injury to Marquis Rankin. For him to gut it out and play the way he did, it says a lot for the young man. Having him on the floor gives us another ball handler and a guy that can attack the basket. He's a threat scorer. Even though his shot is not going down for him. As you saw in overtime, he is a threat to score the basketball. Those are big plays he made, even the assists. When he's on the floor, he's getting three and four assists and making guys around him better, even when his shot is not going down. So to have him out on the floor and have him back is big for this team. Q. He started off the season so well from a shooting standpoint, and then hit that slump. How do you, as a coach, deal with a player during a slump like that? Is it just keep shooting? Do you look at mechanics? What was your process with Robert? COACH JOHNSON: Well, I think one thing I've done with Robert and all of these guys is just have them keep shooting. Come in and continue to get shots in the gym and work on the game outside of practice. But in the game, if the shot is there, it's a shot that you work on and you practice, and that I think you can hit. Go ahead and take the shot. I think that instead of just settling for the three I think in the Georgia Tech game, he was able to attack the rim a little more. I'd like to see him do that more as opposed to settle for Threet‑point shot. Because his game is too diverse to be a three‑point shooter. Q. A follow‑up to the zone defense. Was that‑‑ I know you used it in the past under Coach Greenberg a couple years ago. But was that a hard decision to make? I know you came into the season and just came into the job wanting to play defense a certain way. I've seen for a few games it didn't work out. What went into the decision‑making process to move toward the zone for that game? COACH JOHNSON: We've been practicing and working on our zone and we played a few possessions, as you know, during the regular season already. It's just the defense that we have. We've got to continue to work on. Depending on personnel of us, depending on personnel of the opponent and how much we're going to play it. You get into ACC play, and this is such tremendous players and diverse players and well‑rounded players, that you've got guys that can shoot at every position and handle the ball. So I think it's just going to depend on our opponent and the lineup that I have on the floor. Again, with the short bench, I've got to play the way we truly want to play as far as pressing and that type of deal. But we've got to try to get some different looks out there on the floor. Q. How important was it for you guys confidence‑wise to have so many players other than Eric that stepped up in that overtime and contributed to that win? COACH JOHNSON: I've been say saying that all along. For us to be a good team, we have to have other guys step up. I mean, we have to have more guys playing well consistently. For CJ Barksdale to come out and get his first career double‑double, and to get the production that we're getting and of Raines and van Zegeren holding down the center spot there for Jarell Eddie to rebound the ball like did he and hit the big three, Robert Brown, and make a couple of shots in overtime that he did, those are the necessities that we've got to have. Again, we've got to have those guys playing more consistently night‑in and night‑out for us to be a good team in this league. Q. Was there a real sense of relief among the team for getting that win and getting over the hump and going through such a tough stretch there? COACH JOHNSON: To be honest with you, I didn't really see a sense of relief. I know the guys were extremely happy about the win, but I didn't see and sense any type of relief. Just happy that the hard work has paid off. In this league you can't get too up and you can't get too down. That's something we talked about heading into league play. You've got to try to move on to the next game. It's fortunate that we do have a week, but we can't rest on that victory. We've got a very good Wake Forest team that's playing really well right now coming in here on Saturday. So we've got to try to turn the pages and move on. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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