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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEFebruary 25, 2013James JohnsonCOACH JOHNSON: I think we're coming off a good win here at home last night against Florida State where we had multiple guys contribute and help the team out in different ways. We got to have a short‑term memory and turn around ask go down here and play a very good Miami team, very talented and well‑coached by Jim Larranaga. Q. I have a question about Shane Larkin. I know you faced him once earlier this year. What did you see out of him in terms of him leading that offense? COACH JOHNSON: Well, he's the head that makes the offense go. I think the head that makes the team go.  He's very good with the basketball. Quick, fast, and he's very good off ball screens. He can get into the lane. When he gets into the lane, he's good enough to finish with either hand around the basket. He's strong enough and physical enough to get in there and finish it against some bigger guys and he's making plays. He's hitting the role guys and the post guys, and kicking out to McKinney Jones, Rion Brown, Durand Scott, those guys so he's very good off the ball screens. Q. CJ, the last two games both sets career highs in points. Both times I think he's had 32 points in his previous ten games combined. He's had 31 in the last two. What has been the difference for him? COACH JOHNSON: Well, I think a couple of things can contribute to that. One, I think the struggles and going through that situation in the Maryland game, he's continued to work even harder through that. It hadn't paid off until these last few games, but his work ethic from that I also think Marshall Wood being back, competition at that spot helps a little bit. I also think the fact that Marshall Wood is back and able to get threes during the game, he's a fresher body out there. His legs seem to be a little springier out there. He's playing with more effort and playing harder for longer periods of time. I think that has to do with a little bit that he's able to come out and get a breather, and Marshall Wood is going in. When Marshall Wood is going in, he's producing also. Q. One quick question about Miami. You had the early lead against them at home, and obviously weren't able to hold on. What things do you guys need to do better this time around down there? COACH JOHNSON: I think we need to do a better job off Shane Larkin off the ball screen. And then we've got to do a better job of executing our offense when we've got to leave. We've got to get good shots. We can't turn the basketball over. We've got to lead to their offense. Q. Rankin, is he going to be available? Was that a one‑night issue for him or might you be without him? COACH JOHNSON: It's funny you say that. Just talked to my trainer. He was actually sitting in the office here when I got on the line. He's throwing up and has diarrhea this morning, so I don't know. We don't know what it is. Maybe a little food poisoning or a stomach virus. Not sure what it is right now. But probably not going to be available for practice today. Not sure how long this thing will last. Q. I wonder if you would talk about the idea of how you handle morale and energy and everything after a nine‑game losing streak with some really frustrating losses in there where you played really well and couldn't quite pull it out? How do you deal with that? Obviously the team responds with a really great effort this weekend. What is the approach to that when things are going badly? COACH JOHNSON: Using that psychology degree from Ferrum College. You know what? It's been just talking and communicating with the guys. They watch me and kind of feed off me. I've got to stay positive. And I've been staying positive, and stayed upbeat, and trying to approach this thing having short‑term memory. We've learned. We've viewed tape. We've worked hard in practice. We learn from our mistakes and what we need to do better. Things we thought we did well, and then we move on to the next game. That's kind of been our approach all year long. Early on when we had that win streak, that was our approach. Through the struggling and the losing streak, that's kind of been our approach also, and that's a tribute to the guys, too. I've got a great group of guys that want to work hard. They want to get better. They want to win. They play together. They like each other. So that makes it easy to come in practice, and everybody's on the same page with a positive attitude. But it's just continuous talk and encouragement and keeping them upbeat. Also, the way I am, they look at me and kind of feed off of me. Q. Is there ever a moment when you've been through this where you're really worried about losing them or even temporarily? COACH JOHNSON: No, not really. Because, again, I've got a good group of guys. I've got senior leadership with Erick Green and the way he's played, and the way he's stayed positive throughout the whole time. He's tried to talk with guys and keep them upbeat. So I wasn't really worried about losing them at any point during this. Q. I was wondering if you could share your opinion on Joe Harris from Virginia? I know he was scoring and shooting relatively well all season. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing your thoughts on the impact he's had on the conference this year and what it is he gets done every night. COACH JOHNSON: First of all, people talk about Joe's scoring and shooting, but what people tend to not talk about is Joe's competitiveness. He is a tough, hard‑nosed competitor. He plays with great speed, great pace, changes direction. He's very smart, and he reads screens very well. He's shooting the ball, scoring in a lot of different ways, posting up, getting to the offensive glass, shooting the three, putting the ball on the floor. He's a complete player. I don't think he's getting enough‑‑ getting talked about enough what he's doing for that team and the type of year he's having. Q. Why do you think a guy like that can get kind of maybe pigeon holed maybe is the word to use when you talk about the scoring and the shooting? Those seem to be the type of things that guys like us usually notice. But coaches, you guys, notice more of those other things. COACH JOHNSON: I just think when it comes down to the productivity and those are the things you look at. The scoring, the shot attempts, shooting percentages and shooting in that type of thing. But sometimes the other small things get overlooked, and that's just how it is. But he's a leader for that team. He's a competitor. He keeps that team together. You watch tape on them during timeouts, and he's grabbing guys, pulling guys in the huddle. He's helping guys off the floor. He's doing all those little things. When you have your best player doing those things it helps the rest of the team out, and that is showing in the way Virginia is playing right now. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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