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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEMarch 4, 2013Jeff BzdelikQ. The first time you played NC State, it's about six weeks ago. How is your team different, if any significance from then, and how is their team maybe looking a little different? JEFF BZDELIK: I think so much of this game is just the mental approach. Everybody is who they are in terms of who they do defensively or offensively, maybe a little sharper, maybe a little bit more detailed in how they execute. But when you approach this time of the season, so much of this is the intensity, the passion, the excitement that you do things with. You know, it's like the offense doesn't make the player, the player makes the offense. And defensively what is that? It's everybody knowing what they're supposed to do. But defensive passion, it's energy, it's imposing your will. Same with rebounding. And we see so many different types of scores. One game a team just plays really well and has a great win, and then the next time out maybe they don't, maybe they get beat soundly. So much of this game is emotion and passion and energy, and I think that everybody has got a lot to play for at this time of the year. It's really just doing what you do and doing it as well as you possibly can with your heart and your soul and paying attention to detail. They're very similar in terms of their schemes as far as NC State is concerned, and they're very, very talented, and they'll be at home. Their crowd I'm sure will supply them with great energy, and we in turn as a young team, we need to make sure that we handle that environment well. And at times on the road we have and put ourselves in position to win, and at times we haven't. So this will be a big test for us. Q. In the game you won against them in Joel Coliseum Devin Thomas had a terrific game and more than held his own against one of the league's best low post players in Richard Howell. Are you going to need a similar kind of effort from him in this time out? JEFF BZDELIK: No question, but we can't expect that kind of effort‑‑ I mean, result. 25 points, 17 rebounds, he had assists, blocks, steals, he was just terrific. But Devin is really improving. He's worthy of all the notoriety he's getting. You know, it's interesting, the first 23 games of the season, he shot I think 46 percent from the foul line. I think going into our game just the other day, I think he had hit his last 15 out of 20 and he was 9 for 12 in our game against Maryland. You know, he's constantly getting better. He's working really hard. He's a young player, and he's in‑‑ it's interesting, I asked him the other day about who has been the players he's really‑‑ that have been really, really tough for him, and obviously Howell's name was one of the first out of his mouth. So he has tremendous respect for those players. Q. I know you've played everybody now, and I'd like to ask for a little help. We've got to be voting pretty soon on all‑conference teams and everything. The part I need some help on is defensively. Who are three or four guys around the league that have really impressed you as defensive players? JEFF BZDELIK: You know what, I'm going to plead the Fifth on that. I am. I know I'm going to omit someone and I'm going to upset someone, so I'm going to be politically correct. That's a tough question, it really is. I know that when we as a staff have to sit down and vote along with all of you, there are several names that come up, there really are. So much of this game is also from a team defensive standpoint. It's all five players helping on defense on every possession. But I'm not quite sure. I know if I mention a couple of names, I'm sure after I hang up here‑‑ you kind of caught me by surprise here. I'll go, good gracious, I forgot that person and that person. Q. Don't make fun of us if our team is not very good when we pick it. JEFF BZDELIK: No, I'm not going to do that, trust me. I've got my own problems, okay? Q. Let me ask you this: Tell me about your own team. Are there a couple of guys that defensively that anchor what you try to do as a team defense? JEFF BZDELIK: Well, I think Devin Thomas. I think Devin Thomas is an outstanding defender. When you think about who he has to go against, the great big men in this league, Howell, Plumlee, Len the other day, Booker from Clemson. Everybody has got some size and bulk down there, and they're veteran players. I mean, I just mentioned Booker, Howell and Plumlee as seniors, and Devin is a freshman, and then you throw in Len who's a predicted lottery pick, and deservedly so, and for him to be doing what he's doing from a defensive standpoint I think also says a lot about who he is. He gets deflections, he blocks people off on the boards, which is an extension of defense, it's a culmination of defense, his defensive rebounding. I think Aaron Rountree on our basketball team, he's played limited minutes, but what keeps him off the floor is he needs work from an offensive standpoint and he needs strength. But at 6'9" he's versatile enough to guard three or four positions on the court, and he gets‑‑ if you look at his minutes per game, he gets a lot of deflections, and I know he won't be considered in the mix because of his limited minutes, but when he's out there, he's very effective defensively, as well. And those would be probably our two best defenders on an individual basis. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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