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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEFebruary 4, 2013Jeff BzdelikQ. I just wanted to ask you about the importance of having the two veterans. You've got a mostly freshman dominated team, but you've got the two veterans in McKie and Harris. How important is it to have a couple of guys with that ACC experience? JEFF BZDELIK: Oh, it's‑‑ I don't think you can even define how important it is. The upper classman leadership is essential, both on and off the court, and as we all know, it's such a big adjustment for young players, particularly coming out of high school, to adapt to a long college season, especially in the ACC. You combine that with the academics and the social adjustment, as well, so to have some upper classmen who have been through it and who can help guide younger players through it and mentor them is absolutely imperative, especially on the court to settle them down, especially when they're playing on the road. It's critical. Q. I'm just curious about in this one‑and‑done age of college basketball, how difficult or valuable are the older players? And I'm thinking about a Miami team that's probably the oldest team in the league this year. It's not coincidental, is it, that they're playing so well? JEFF BZDELIK: No, you're absolutely right. I mean, that's‑‑ I think they have a sixth‑year senior, two fifth‑year seniors and three or four other seniors. The maturity, the mental maturity, the physical maturity, the experience factor, the desperation to know that this is their last hurrah, that element adds another key component to it. I know I go back to when I was the head coach at the Air Force Academy, we had fifth‑year seniors because they were prep school young men and other seniors, and we got up to 11th in the nation. You could just see the experience just play out and how important that is. That's why Miami is so strong. Q. I wanted to ask you, obviously you do have a very young team except for your two vets. Is it difficult for that kind of team to kind of put games behind them? I'm thinking of the fact that you guys played a very, very tough game at home against Duke last week and then came back, and there may have been other factors, but just were not as competitive as Maryland. Is any of that a fact that young guys sometimes don't compartmentalize as well as veterans? Is that something they have to learn? JEFF BZDELIK: It's been an issue with us. It has, even from the opening of the season. We played a very emotional game against Connecticut down in the Virgin Islands and lost by six. The next night, less than 24 hours later, we just played a real clunker against Iona. And then you're right, then we play NC State and get a win, and then we go to Georgia Tech and play just a horrific first half against Georgia Tech. And then Duke and then Maryland. It's been an emotional roller coaster, and so that's something obviously we've addressed. As the leader, I acknowledge I have yet to find a key to their emotions to have them be right for our next opponent. That's something that is a work in progress, I can tell you that. Q. Is it any easier coming back against a team that's probably your biggest rival as far as getting them focused and pumped up for this game? JEFF BZDELIK: Well, I think that we're slowly learning the hard way through the experiences I just mentioned. Yes, I think that obviously the name across their chest will resonate. That's just natural, especially with‑‑ we have so many players on our roster from this state. But at the same time, you have to play well, and we know that they're going to play well, and we're going to have to play well to have a chance to put ourselves to be competitive. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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