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NCAA MEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS REGIONALS: GREENSBOROMarch 18, 2009Brad GreenbergJoey Lynch-FlohrArtsiom ParakhouskiKenny ThomasGREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA AMY YAKOLA: We are joined by the Radford student-athletes. We have Kenny Thomas, Artsion Parakkhouski. And Joey Lynch-Flohr. Questions for student-athletes. Q. Give me your best Brad green berg story? JOEY LYNCH-FLOHR: Any ideas? I'm trying to think. There's a couple. Help me out here. ARTSIOM PARAKHOUSKI: I'm going to say that he recruit me like from for Radford university. And I didn't know nothing about him almost at all. And when, actually I came for the visit at Radford, and actually meet him and talk about like I am going to commit to Radford. I started to understand him like he's a patient coach. He had a lost experience in the NBA. And I knew that he was going to bring some really good difference in Radford university in the second year. And that's why I'm enjoying playing at Radford university right now. Q. Artsiom? ARTSIOM PARAKHOUSKI: Yeah, you can call me just Art. Q. Thank you very much. My guess is you probably know more about Tyler Hansbrough than he knows about you. But could you, a, describe your game, and b, tell us what you know about Tyler? ARTSIOM PARAKHOUSKI: You know, Tyler Hansbrough is the best player in college right now. He won the award last year, in a Smith Award or something. Yeah, he is basically the best power forward right now in college. I know he's playing hard every game. You know, he got a lot of experience. He plays at the best college in the nation. It's going to be a hard game against him, you know. I just have to compete against him. Q. What do you have? For those of us who haven't seen you play? What is your game like? KENNY THOMAS: I have to like just more focus on my defense, play against him. Like not so much open looks for him, be tough with him. Make it a physical game. Just push him around. Try to push him around as much as I can (smiling). Q. Can you talk about what it was like when you first got here? What surprised you, and what caught you off guard? And I read that it took you three years to learn English. I wonder how long it took you to learn trash talk? ARTSIOM PARAKHOUSKI: Trash talk? (Laughing) you know, I don't know really yet what means trash talk, you know. Yeah, knew come words, but I'm not pay attention to this, you know. I just try to learn English like it's the English (laughing). Q. Can you talk about your arrival here and what surprised you about being in the U.S.? ARTSIOM PARAKHOUSKI: Yeah, it's totally different culture here. It's kind of hard to adjust this culture over here, you know. Especially when I transferred from junior college to Radford, it's basically totally different from junior college now to college level. It was like just hard to adjust. Q. Talk about playing UNC, were you a fan growing up? And give us some reasons why you think you can beat the Tar Heels? KENNY THOMAS: You know, like I said before, man, it's every kids dream to go to UNC. We're happy to be playing them, but when we play them all that goes out the window. We're approaching this game just like any other game we play this season. We know it's going to be a battle, but we don't want our season to end just like they don't want theirs to end. Q. Could you talk about what it's been like since you won the tournament and the anticipation and build-up, what it's been like around town and on campus? KENNY THOMAS: Radford definitely isn't the same Radford as it was last year. I can definitely say that. The atmosphere is wonderful, man. We have great fans. Every class I go to someone is saying play your hearts out against UNC. Give it all you got. Just the encouragement has been great, man. Just the feeling that I have, it's just exciting. Just this atmosphere alone, just this very moment I'm in right now is just great. So right now the guys, we're cherishing and relishing this moment, man. We're going to seize it also. Q. You guys play wake forest pretty tough, and even outrebounding them. How were you able to do that and does that give you confidence coming into a game like this? ARTSIOM PARAKHOUSKI: You know, I was like focused on this game. I knew they had the best lineup, big lineup in the nation. You know, I just didn't pay attention to this so much. I just try to be free, play my game, you know. Just try to compete with them and just play free. Q. I'd like to hear your impressions of playing with Art, and anything you've done to help him adjust to this game and life here? JOEY LYNCH-FLOHR: Well, Art's made my life a lot easier. I was playing center last year, and I wish we would have had him when we played Georgetown so he could have guarded Hibbard instead of me. But Art's made things a lot easier. It shows just what he's done, player of the year in our conference. His game also reflects the awards I've gotten just because I've been able to play off him. Teams can't double team. I don't expect North Carolina to think they need to double team us, but he's just made my job a lot easier on on the court. KENNY THOMAS: I mean, Art's awesome, man. He draws so much attention out there when you're on the floor. I think he makes everybody's game easier. This year he's averaged a double-double, that speaks for itself. I just basically pass it and then spot up. So he has great eyes and he has a great touch on the ball, so he's great. Q. Same question that I asked Kenny. Talk about playing the Tar Heels, as someone from Virginia, did you follow them? And what kind of opportunity is this guess it leaves something to remember for the rest of your life? JOEY LYNCH-FLOHR: Yeah, I mean, there's more game tape out there on on UNC than anyone else. We watch them two, three times a week, just catching them on TV or Sportscenter. So we were all excited to be playing in Greensboro so we could come here. We wish we were a 15, but playing UNC there, there's nothing like it. One of the best teams. Lot of people thought they were going to be the number 1 team coming in overall. But we are extremely excited to be playing UNC. Then again, like Kenny said, as soon as we step on the floor all of our admiration for them goes out the window, and it's just another game, another opponent. AMY YAKOLA: Happy to welcome to the podium, Bradford head coach, Brad Greenberg. Coach, a quick opening statement. COACH GREENBERG: All right, first, I'm trying to see if we can market the school. Do you see Radford on here? I'm trying to make sure. I wanted to pick out the right shirt so we'd have a chance to get some pub. I guess I'd be remiss if I just didn't say that I'm humbled to be here. You know, it's a thrill to be part of this. It's a thrill to be sitting here on the stage looking out at bright lights and a lot of people that care about what we're doing, care about the story of Radford being in the tournament. I'm very appreciative that I've had a chance to coach a fine group of young guys this year that have bought into what we tried to do from the beginning of the year. Now I see them enjoying this experience, which is very special for me, but certainly I think incredibly special for them. So it's just a nice thing to be able to be a part of it, and see how it affects a group of young men that have been working at it since the second week of September. We're talking six-plus months of dedication and commitment to try to be a better basketball team each and every day. Now they're getting a chance to do something pretty neat. Q. When you look at your resume, you wonder how the heck a guy gets here eventually. Can you look back and see how improbable this is, and as such, what does it mean to you? COACH GREENBERG: Well, I thought I might have been here about 20 years ago, maybe (laughing). When I first got started in basketball after playing in college and being fortunate enough to be an assistant coach right out of college. You never know what path you end up taking in basketball. For me, it was from coaching in college to coaching in the NBA. That's a pretty turbulent world, NBA coaching. So all of a sudden I found myself in management, and a whole different path that was going all right. Then somehow, you know, back in college after a whole bunch of years away from it. So, yeah, it is pretty improbable to be sitting here at 55 looking out at you guys. But it was my first passion, coaching and college basketball. I always thought at some point I'd get back in it, maybe as a division 3 head coach, after making a whole lot of money as a GM and decided to chill out for my last couple of years at basketball. But I was really lucky. I was really lucky. I had support from a lot of people who encouraged me to get back in coaching. Especially my brother, Seth. And had an opportunity, first in Tampa at South Florida with him. Grew into Virginia Tech, and then I was in the right place at the right time as an assistant coach on a good team. Radford was a good fit. Two years later we're here. So it's a nice story. Q. What does it mean to you personally to achieve this? COACH GREENBERG: Yeah, it means a lot. But I've had some ups and some downs. You know, as nice as it is for me, you know, I've had some moments in the sun where it means more to me that these guys are experienced in something very cool. It really does. You know, I'm appreciating that I just get to do this. That I get to walk in the gym every day and coach some guys, and that they let me coach them and let our staff coach them. They are now in the locker room watching this, probably, on the closed-circuit TV. They're getting ready to go step out on the court in Greensboro and look out and think, you know what, we're part of this wonderful March Madness. I've had some fun in basketball before. This is as good as it gets for me. But I know this is going to impact their lives in a way they'll remember this the rest of their lives, so I get some satisfaction, a lot of satisfaction. Q. Have you talked to Seth and has he given you any tips? COACH GREENBERG: We don't ever talk. We don't ever talk. Q. On how to attack this team? COACH GREENBERG: Yeah, he told me get back. Get back on defense. You know, a couple of other things. But nothing that we didn't know already, and nothing that you guys don't know already. It wasn't like I needed him to tell me they're pretty good, those guys. I mean, this is the 13th time they've been the number 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. No one else has done that. I always kid around and say Carolina isn't a program, it's like they're the firm from that Tom Cruise movie. Once you're a part of it, you can't get out, you know. Their former players, you know, the loyalty factor of Carolina basketball players is admired throughout the country. It's a special thing. I got a chance to spend time over the air years with people like Mitch Cupcheck when I was in the NBA, you know, and Larry Brown who refers to Coach Smith. You know, it's different. My guys ten years from now are going to say, you know, well, I don't know what they'll say about me or how to refer to me. But it won't be Coach Greenberg, I can guarantee you that a. Q. Coach Williams, Roy Williams mentioned yesterday that back when you were with the 76ers you had a conversation with him about perhaps becoming the head coach. I'm wondering what you remember about that conversation, and when it was, and how that conversation went? COACH GREENBERG: Well, I was really lucky when I was with the Blazers and the Sixers that I got a chance to travel around the country and watch college players in preparation for the draft and get to talk to a lot of people about all kinds of stuff. I did, after I had left the Sixers, you know, contemplate what I wanted to do and whether coaching was something I would pursue. And spent a lot of time with a lot of people like Roy Williams, and David Odom, and Herb Sendek. I took a little trip one day down this part of the country and brain storming some people. You know, a lot of people that knew me just said, hey, that was your first love. That's what you used to do. You were a coach. At heart, that's what you always planned on doing, you somehow just segued into management. A lot of great people encouraged me to get back into coaching. Q. Did you talk to him about coaching the Sixers? COACH GREENBERG: Oh, that. You know, I talked to a couple of different people. I don't know if I remembered specifically talking to Roy about the Sixers. I don't know. I don't know. I don't remember that. I probably did. I probably talked to a lot of people. But Roy, he's an unbelievable guy. He's one of those guys when you run into him, he doesn't just say hello. He asks you how you're doing and he means it. That always struck me as him being different. So he's different. He's a genuine, authentic guy who as much success as he has had and has, he's a warm person. I really respect him for that. Q. Virginia Tech and Carolina have had some memorable games the last two years in the tournament. Did you get to watch those where some wins over Carolina might have gotten your brothers team in? What was that like and how did you face North Carolina in the tournament? COACH GREENBERG: Two years ago I was actually sitting in had the Dean Dome while they were playing in the ACC tournament against each other. I was watching the North Carolina championships. I was looking over the shoulder of one of those security guys who had one of those hand held TVs. When Hansbrough made that shot a whole bunch of people started buzzing around. They were happy. Someone looked at me and I went, you know, damn! And they said what's the matter? And I said that's my brother they just beat. This year I was in my office watching the second half. I actually went to the Carolina game at castle coliseum this year. Got a chance to see Steve Robinson and Coach Holliday afterwards. It was funny, because they were saying hey, you guys are having a good year. Steve is a Radford grad. So we were talking about our team. Little did I know at that point, you know, our paths might cross in this event. Q. I'm just wondering, I'm looking at your bio, and your last coaching job before the big gap was with the Knicks going home. I'm wondering what your memories are of that? And why you stopped coaching? Was it that crazy there? COACH GREENBERG: No, but can you help me get Sunday delivery in Blacksburg? They don't do that. I'm trying to get it. I'd like to have my coffee on Sunday morning with the New York Times. Well, after the Knicks, you know, like a lot of people in the NBA, you just want to get a job if you're out of coaching. I was fortunate. I got a call from the Portland Trailblazers who I had gotten to know some people with the Trailblazers ownership when I was in L.A. with the clippers. And they offered me an opportunity to work as a scout in their organization and stay living in the east. That was the best option I had after Bob Hill was let go. And Rick Pitino came on to be the coach of the Knicks. So I was lucky. The Trailblazers scouting job turned into a player personnel job, which turned into a vice president job. Which, you know, kind of moved me along the management path. And it was going pretty good, so I stayed with it. Q. A lot of people don't know who Parakhouski and Mitch are, how comfortable are you with that match-up tomorrow against North Carolina's bigs? COACH GREENBERG: I think Art and Joey will compete, and they'll do okay. They'll do okay. They're hard working kids. They're good players. They have size to match-up. You know, I'm glad we got them on our side, that's for sure. They're playing against someone who is indefeatable in Tyler Hansbrough. He just goes and goes and goes and goes. So they've never played against anybody like that. But, that's the great thing about, you know this kind of stuff. You know, these two guys who want that kind of challenge, who want to test themselves against the very best are going to get a chance to do it. I think that they'll be able to play to where they'll gain the respect of the Carolina front court guys. I really believe that. I think that Joey and Art can play on most teams in the country. I think that the Carolina guys will respect them after they go head-to-head with them. Q. Can you talk about the mood in the locker room right now? Is it one where they're kind of a little nervous about playing who a lot of people think is a team that's going to win the championship? Or is it kind of like well we're 16 seed, we have nothing to lose, let's go out there and give it our best shot? COACH GREENBERG: I think all of that. You know, they're well aware that just about every talking head with or without a matching tie and highlighter picks Carolina to win it. But at the same time there is nervousness, but a good nervousness. Excitement, but that's all good. They should be excited. They should be nervous. But I also think that there's an element of confidence, too, which has to be there. We talk about that. If they don't have a level of confidence, a high level of confidence as they approach the game, then our capacity will be diminished for sure. You cannot go into a game not thinking you can do it. Respect the heck out of the team you're playing, know that they're terrific, but at the same time be confident that you have it in you to play 40 minutes of the very, very best basketball you've ever played in your life. Individually and as a team. You have to feel that way. That's no disrespect to who they are. I remember my days with the Sixers as a rookie, Allen Iverson was chastised because he had the audacity to say when he stepped on the court against Michael Jordan, that he thought he was the best player on the court. Why wouldn't you think that if you're going against a great player? I mean, if you think you're not as good as that guy or can't play with that guy, then your capacity to perform that night isn't going to be what you'd like it to be. So we respect them to the endth degree. But I want my guys to go out there thinking they're about to do something that's never been done before. What other attitude do you want to have when you go into the game? There shouldn't be any. Q. Could you just describe the style of play for your team? And also elaborate a little bit more on Art's game. He's obviously a very good player, and just tell us a little about him and what you've learned about him. COACH GREENBERG: I don't know if we have a style of play. It's not as if we go into games thinking we want to run or we want to control the ball. We want to work hard defensively, and try to keep them from catching the ball in what I would term is their scoring spots. You know, that every team and every player has spots that they he want to get the ball to and every individual has positions on the court where if they catch it, they're in pretty good comfort zone. So we try to defend as best we can to keep people from being in their comfort zones. Offensively, we try to get the ball inside. We have two big guys, and we've preached all year that we want to establish that inside presence before we do anything else. We haven't played against, you know, as much size and athleticism as we'll play against tomorrow, but that's still our goal. I mean, that's our strength, that's what we want to do. You know, every coach says the same things about, you know, we want the team to play hard. I want our guys to try to be the first to the floor on that first loose ball, and to get after that first, what I call 50-50 ball that's up for grabs. To be so alert and active that they get there. They're driven to get there. That their will is that strong that they get there. And every coach says that. I'm not saying anything that Carolina couches and every coach and team that's still playing in the locker room isn't doing, too. As far as Art, Art's a developing player. He's played basketball for five years. Tyler Hansbrough, it seems that he's been first team All American for five years. So Art isn't as experienced as a lot of kids, but he's growing each and every week and getting better and better. He's a big guy. He's got good hands. He's got a pretty soft touch. He's a very good defensive rebounder. He's got solid timing for defensive rebounds. So most rebounds like in his area, he's got a pretty good shot at getting them. That's probably the strongest part of his game. He's a really good defensive rebounder. Q. Everybody on your staff, even players talk about and praises Carolina and all. But specifically this week and in practice, do you literally say to them we can beat these guys, and if so, if you saw the scenario like that unfolding, what were your half of it have to be? What would up to do for that game? COACH GREENBERG: We have to do what the teams that have beaten them have done. In the games they've lost. However it's happened, they haven't shot well. They've shot, I think, under 40% in the team in four losses. They've shot under 30% as a team from beyond the arc. You know, you've got to stop them from scoring. They just score so easily. They have the highest scoring starting five in college basketball. You can't stop just one guy. Every guy that touches the ball has the ability to put it in the basket and make a play. So if you can't stop them from scoring the points a little bit, you can't beat them. So, I mean, that's what you've got to be able to do. Do we talk about being able to beat them? Yeah. As I said before, it's like the little league baseball coach that tells the kid not to keep the bat on his shoulders for strike three. We want to swing for it. That's the only way to do it. I have a frame of reference. I was part of a coaching staff at St. Joe's in 1981 that back before there were 64 teams that played an opening round game and squeaked by Creighton and matched up with the No. 1 team in the country, DePaul. You know, we had four kids from Philadelphia, and one kid from outside Philly, and somehow beat Mark Aguirre, and Harry Cummings, and Teddy Grubbs, and Ray Meyer. On a last second shot. So I mean, it can happen. It's not easy, but it can happen. That's the only way to approach it. Q. I want to touch on what you just mentioned that St. Joe's game from way back. Do you remember specifically that game? And the days leading up to it, and the things that happened? COACH GREENBERG: Sure, I remember it very clearly. I remember it in our coaching meetings, we said if we can get to the first TV timeout without having to call our own before that, we might be in good shape. Yeah, I mean, we actually watched that game on the bus on the way here. At least I watched it. Most of the guys were asleep, but I liked watching it. Then after the game, they showed I think it was Don Cricky, I think, interviewing John Smith. You know, John Smith said exactly what, you know, all our guys know we have to do. We've got to try to have some control over-the-air game and not beat ourselves. You know, if we can keep the game at a certain rate, certain pace, that gives us a better chance. So that St. Joe's game was different. No shot clock back then. No three-point shot. We were playing a 2-3 zone, and we had five guys in the paint and the team still wouldn't shoot it. So it's different now. If you do that, people are just lining up shooting threes. So it was a different kind of game. But we were able to control the pace of that game and get a couple of lucky breaks at the end to be able to have a shot to win it. AMY YAKOLA: Thank you, Coach. End of FastScripts |
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