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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE OPERATION BASKETBALLOctober 29, 2014Darion AtkinsMalcolm BrogdonCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA Q. What did you learn about your teammates that returned with you as well as yourself and what Virginia basketball truly is? MALCOLM BROGDON: I think we really established our identity last year, which is playing within yourself, playing with humility, knowing who you are, and priding yourself on defense. I think that's really what took us to the heights that we saw last year, and I think with that confidence instilled in us, we will be able to have a successful season this year. Q. I just asked Trevor Cooney who he anticipates will be the toughest teams in the league, and he named four before he remembered to say you guys, especially after what you accomplished last year. Do you feel like you're constantly proving yourselves? MALCOLM BROGDON: I don't think that's a bad thing. I think it's something that this program that has as of late thrived on, being an underdog and being underestimated. And I think we have a chip on our shoulder, and that only adds to the fire that we have going into every season. Q. Malcolm, what is the key to maintain what you guys have done last year? You see a team now and obviously you knew your team last year, what's the key to try and duplicate what you guys did last year? MALCOLM BROGDON: Ignoring expectations, ignoring hype, and blocking out the distractions. Q. You never looked rushed last year, the team, I mean, always looked under control, patient, even in tight situations. Where does that come from? MALCOLM BROGDON: I think it comes from a couple places. I think it comes from Coach Bennett. He's very calm. He's not a guy that panics when we make mistakes, when we get down in a game. I think it comes from our point guard London. He came in as a very mature freshman that showed a lot of poison the floor, and I think it came from our leaders last year, Joe and Akil, who led by example and were great leaders for us. Q. You just said the names Joe and Akil. We know how important they were to the success last year. Who steps into those roles? And are they capable of filling those kind of shoes? MALCOLM BROGDON: I think myself, Darion Atkins and Anthony Gill will step into those leadership roles this year. And I think we are capable. I think we'll all lead in different ways. But I think we are capable of leading this team to the best of our ability and to the extent to which this team needs to be led. Q. Malcolm, how long did that Michigan State game stick in your craw over the summer? And is it still something that in a way can motivate you guys? MALCOLM BROGDON: Definitely. You know, they're a very good team, and we're hoping we play them again this year in the Big 10‑ACC Challenge. We didn't get them, but we hope we see them again in the NCAA Tournament. But we don't overlook anybody. We know right from the very beginning the non‑conference games, we have to go in knowing that we have a target on our back, but play like other teams have a target on their back and go at people from the very beginning. Q. With Akil and Joe gone, how confident are you guys in the new group of guys that you have? And how you guys are meshing together so far? MALCOLM BROGDON: Very confident. I think we have great chemistry already, and I think we're gelling very well together. We have four new freshmen, five new guys, including a transfer, that really have already bought into the system that understand and they just want to learn. They want to find their role on the team. And I think as long as we have guys that are receptive to advice and receptive to leadership and how this program is run, we're going to be successful this year. Q. Last season Virginia was never out of a game. You always found a way to come back for the most part. As far as the talent on the team right now, what can you say about having that ability to face adversity and still stay in the games, like you did before? MALCOLM BROGDON: I think you're right. I think we're a very resilient program. We pride ourselves on that, not backing down. I think for us last year, it was a matter of having great leaders that their mood never changed. They never got too high or too low, and this year I think it will be the same. I think we'll have great leaders that will exemplify those same qualities. Q. Take us back to the championship ACC game last year. What did it mean after all the stories have been told about Virginia not being back in the finals? DARION ATKINS: I think everyone was surprised that we had the season that we had, especially in the ACC Tournament and having the run that we did in the NCAA Tournament. It was a great year with the championship. It was a lot of fun. It was a great experience, a great journey, and people thought we were the underdog coming in, which we were, and we were glad that we were. We just had a lot of fun doing it. Q. With all the talent in the front court for Virginia, how do you view yourself in the mix and kind of work off other guys? DARION ATKINS: I view myself as a person who's going to be a key guy in the mix. Our front court is really good. We're really talented and experienced. Me, Mike Tobey and Anthony Gill, I think we're going to do a lot of damage this year. We can mix and match with me and Mike or Anthony and Mike or me and Anthony, and I think we're going to do really well. Q. When you talk about yourself being a big part of the mix, how would you define your game and your elements that you really bring to Virginia? DARION ATKINS: Well, sort of the same things as Akil. I can rebound. I'm a really good rebounder defensively and offensively. I can run the floor really well, I can defend really well, and I've added some more to my offensive game. I didn't really get to showcase that last year and I'm pretty eager to do it this year. I've developed my jump shot inside and out, and I've been working on my post moves a lot. Q. Tell me if I'm wrong, but part of the genius of you guys seems to be how all of you accept your roles so thoroughly. Is that something that Coach has to instill in you when you get there or does he recruit guys that fill those roles? DARION ATKINS: I don't know if he recruits guys. I think it naturally happens, because if you're part of the team that we have, he instills it in you, and it's just something that you buy into, and you just get comfortable with it. You accept it. And without everyone accepting their role, we won't have the team that we have or that we should have and that we did have last year. Because if everyone is out for themselves or being individualistic, it's just not going to work, everybody with the team that we have. Q. You guys kind of shocked the ACC last year, and out of all the great teams that were in the NCAA Tournament, you guys were the only ones to make it past the first weekend. What do you do to make sure that there is no dropoff? DARION ATKINS: You stay calm and confident basically. You keep your energy and morale up. You just don't lose sight of the big picture, and you just go out and play the game of basketball. You don't get caught up in the hype and the expectation or the pressure, and you just come out and you just keep doing what you're doing basically. Q. You and Malcolm both have overcome injuries during your careers. You seem to be healthy now, and your team seems to be, by and large, healthy. Talk a little bit about the changing role of being now more of the hunted as opposed to being the hunter. Because no two ways about it, as ACC champions, it's a different world. DARION ATKINS: Well, to be honest, being the hunter versus being the hunted, I mean, I kind of see it as the same thing. Me myself and speaking for my team, I don't think we necessarily get caught up in the hype. I don't know, we're just a basic group of hungry guys, humble guys, and we just come out and we play and we don't really think too much of anything, whether we're ranked No.8, whether we're ranked 50. It doesn't really matter what it is, we just come out and play and abide by principles, and that's something Coach Bennett instills in us. Q. How much did your run last year increase your confidence as a team? And how eager are you guys to get back out there and have a run like you did last year? DARION ATKINS: Oh, yeah, it definitely increased the team energy and our eagerness to be able to come back and get ready for this season. I think that's natural for any team. I think you can say that for anyone. We have a chip on our shoulder. We're ready to come out and show everyone that we can build off of last year and that we can go deeper in the Tournament, and hopefully get to where we want to be, and that's a National Championship. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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