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NCAA MEN'S 2ND & 3RD ROUNDS: PORTLANDMarch 20, 2015D'Vauntes Smith-RiveraJohn Thompson IIIJabril TrawickPORTLAND, OREGON THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Georgetown student-athletes. Floor is open at this time for questions. Q. Jabril, is this a game that you look at that if you come out and play your game, you think you guys will be fine and be able to advance? How much do you have to focus on Utah? JABRIL TRAWICK: I think what you say is right. We come out, play Georgetown basketball, we play hard, we try to out work them as much as possible, we'll be good. Utah is a really good team. But I think that we got to do what we got to do, we be fine. Q. Utah is one of the better teams defensively. How do you prepare for that, especially as they limit a lot of the points that teams are able to score? D'VAUNTES SMITH-RIVERA: I mean, I think we have a lot of offensive weapons that, you know, it will be pretty hard for them to try to contain everything. I think as long as we execute pretty well, I think we'll be fine. We're a pretty good defensive team ourselves. So it will be a battle. Q. D'Vauntes, is there any time when you're out on the floor or immediately after or immediately before a game where you did allow yourself to go, This is a cool experience to be playing here in the NCAA tournament, obviously tomorrow night with a chance to advance to the Sweet 16? D'VAUNTES SMITH-RIVERA: I mean, it's a pretty good experience for every team that's gotten through that first round of games. At this point it's business. Winning is the main focus for us, you know. In order for us to be able to be excited or, you know, look at it as a celebration, we got to continue to keep winning, so... Q. Utah is a top-10 three-point shooting team in the country. At times you have struggled defending the three this year. What do you have to do to make sure they don't go off from downtown? JABRIL TRAWICK: We just have to stay in front of them. When Delon gets edges, gets into the lane, he's a really good passer in finding his teammates. If we stay in front on pick'n roll, do well on the pick'n roll defense, I think we be fine. When they get edges, that's when they start getting three-points. We just want to stand in front of the guys and play great help defense. Q. With what Coach Krystkowiak said, he said you guys are physical, your size, everything. How important is it for you guys to be able to dictate what happens down there in the post, especially with somebody like Jakob down there? D'VAUNTES SMITH-RIVERA: Well, the first thing will be to keep our big men out of foul trouble. Yesterday that was one thing we struggled with, with Josh leaving the game early. If we can keep him in there, you know, give us significant minutes. Bradley Hayes also did a great job yesterday, Mikael Hopkins will also help us. If we can keep them in the rotation, keep them involved in the game, I think we'll be pretty good down low. THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you and good luck tomorrow. Georgetown head coach John Thompson. Coach, any opening statement, then we'll take questions. COACH THOMPSON: We're glad for the win yesterday, excited for the opportunity to play again, and look forward to a tough game tomorrow. THE MODERATOR: Open the floor up for questions. Q. Utah and Georgetown have never played each other in their programs' history. You both have had your individual successes throughout the NCAA tournament. What does it mean to be able to play a program like Utah at this stage of the tournament? COACH THOMPSON: I didn't realize we never played. You know, once you get to now, to this time of year, every team that's going to be left is a very good team. And they're no exception. They're very well-coached. They have one of the best players in the country on their team with Wright. I think both programs down through the years, the kids understand and play with a lot of pride, a lot of heart. I think that you'll see that tomorrow. Q. Through whatever scouting you've done, have you been able to get a level for Jakob's skill level and how tough he'll be to guard? COACH THOMPSON: I hope so. Between last night and just before we got on the bus to come over here, we've looked at many, many games. How are we going to guard him? I'm not sure yet. But I think that they do a good job. They're a balanced team. They're a balanced team. And once you start focusing on one person too much, they share the game and they make sure that someone else gets the looks, gets the shot. He's such a presence down there, at both ends of the court. We're going to have to be active, aggressive. Our communication tomorrow is going to have to be very good with each other. Q. Obviously Georgetown has a really great history of big men. Do you kind of use that as inspiration for your guys when you face a front-court player on Jakob's caliber? Have they got a tradition to live up to? COACH THOMPSON: I think we do that no matter who we're playing. That's part of our fabric, that's part of who we are. I don't think we need any additional inspiration. Georgetown, the guys that play on our front court, know who has come before them, what's expected of them. That's not too much pressure, huh (smiling)? Q. Your players and then also Utah's players have both mentioned they're kind of in this business mentality. It was hard for them to crack a smile up there. Would you say that's your mentality at this point? What is going through your head with this upcoming game? COACH THOMPSON: Without a doubt. You enjoy winning when the moment's over, and we're still in the moment. So, you know, if we have any other mentality going against a team that's as tough as Utah, that's as poised as Utah, that's as talented as Utah, we're going to be in trouble. So you walk off the court, you have fun in the locker room last night, and then now it's over. All of our energy now turns to Utah. So it definitely is, and I think should be, a businesslike approach. Q. Utah has the top-10 defense in the country. What makes them so challenging on the defensive end? COACH THOMPSON: They're big, they're versatile. They do a good job of just staying in front of you. There's no easy basket. You watch tape after tape after tape. No one gets an easy basket against them. They really make you work every possession to get a decent look at the basket. Q. Coaches always talk about wanting to play their best basketball at the end of the year. Where do you feel your team is right now in the sense of rhythm and play that you want to see out of them? COACH THOMPSON: I think we're at a good spot. I think we're at a good spot. And, as you said, you have to be at this point. At this point, you know, the teams that are going to win are teams that feel good about themselves, teams that execute, teams that have players step up like with Bradley Hayes yesterday. That's what this tournament is about. Those teams, those players that step up, that's who is going to progress. Q. Utah is also a top-10 shooting team from three-point land. You guys have struggled at times this year defending the three. What do you have to do to ensure they don't go off? COACH THOMPSON: Your last two questions you're saying we're not going to be able to score and we're not going to be able to stop them (laughter). You're correct. You know, there's a lot of similarities. Very different yet very similar to Eastern Washington in that they shoot. They put the ball in the basket. Once you start to give a little too much help, they're making the next pass, the extra pass. So just our attention to details has to be very good. That's the only way we're going to win. That's the only way anyone's going to win at this point. They're just not, as you know, anyone that's watched them, as well as they shoot the ball, they can get to the basket, they have a post presence. They're a very balanced offensive team in terms of you have to shut down or limit or be good at guarding everything. Q. Just with some of Georgetown's exits in the last couple NCAA tournaments, is there a sense of relief and maybe a little looseness that comes from being able to beat Eastern Washington, kind of get through that first-round game? COACH THOMPSON: I think that there's a sense of, I guess, relief that everyone has once you win your first game. But then again, not really. I mean, we're not here, we're not playing in this tournament to say we won one game. That's not why we're in this thing. I think that our team feels we still have some unfinished business, and we're anxious and excited to play tomorrow. Q. What did it mean for you to see Bradley come out the way he did yesterday and perform the way he did? COACH THOMPSON: It meant a lot because we needed it. You know, it's coach speak in many ways to tell your team, Be ready when your name is called, when your name is called, be ready. Someone who has not played that many minutes, that has worked extremely hard every day in practice, who cares. A lot of times, you know, you get to the guys that aren't playing that much, and you can see their caring wane. His caring has never waned. I'm happy for him, happy for us that he came in and played the way he did yesterday. Q. What discussions did you have with Josh about yesterday's game, staying out of foul trouble in the future? Were you surprised you were able to win by 10 with Josh only playing four minutes in the first half with two early fouls? COACH THOMPSON: Was I surprised to be able to win with Josh not being on the court? No, that's not surprising. We have other people that can step up and we can play. I think our team is versatile and we can play different ways. As it relates to the discussion I had with Josh, we probably don't want to talk about that right now. Q. In one sense with Josh kind of having some foul troubles, Jakob Poeltl also has had foul troubles that have limited him in some games. In one sense is it sort of the team to get the big to get two or three fouls first is going to be the advantage in this game? COACH THOMPSON: It could be. But I think both of us, both teams, are used to that happening. Both teams are used to playing without those guys. If it happens, it happens. I think we have enough other good players, as do they, that if that happens, I don't think it's going to be life or death. Q. From what you've seen in the scouting reports, what you've watched from Utah, is there any team that you faced this year that is similar to them that will give you help tomorrow? COACH THOMPSON: I'm not sure about that. No one through last night and this morning has jumped into my head. THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you very much and good luck tomorrow. COACH THOMPSON: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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