Dec. 13, 2008

Recap | Box Score

Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson III
On Georgetown's defensive strategy...
"I just wanted to play man. There are some things we have to work on, league starts in a little bit here and I just wanted to guard the stuff they do man to man. We are fortunate because they are a terrific team. You look at all that they've lost last year and they come back out and play at the level where they are playing right now, with the young guys they have out there and that's a very good win against a very good team. We have to get better, we have to continue to improve, we have to continue to get back."

On the overall game...
"We have to get to the point where we can get contributions from more. That was a good college basketball game, the flow of the game was, we could never pull away, they could never pull away. It was back and forth. It was two teams that will probably continue to get better; it was a tight, tense game. There was no breathing room and so for our guys, for our group, for our younger group right now hasn't been in those situations. We have some individuals who have, but collectively the unit hasn't been in that type of situation and we held on, stayed with our stuff, stayed together. Our execution has to be much better but I thought we were cohesive for the most part."

On Chris Wright's effort...
"Chris Wright gives you an honest effort. He works his behind off. He's growing up on the floor, he's growing up off the floor. His understanding of getting his teammates involved, his understanding of what is a big possession, what is not a big possession, his understanding managing a game, managing his teammates, he is getting better at that. He made big plays and not just baskets."

On Georgetown's execution and maturity...
"I think that our team will get to the point where we can win different ways. Our offensive execution has to continue to improve. As the year goes on, as league play starts, as you get later on and are fortunate enough to make a post season, you have to be able to execute in the half court to win, period. We have a group of guys who are playing together for the first time and they are feeling their way through that. They are trying and they are trying to help each other. We need to make sure we keep mixing it up, instead of settling."

Memphis Head Coach John Calipari
On the game ...
"I thought it was a great game and I'm really proud of my guys. We're not ready for this kind of game. I'll give you an example, down the stretch I'm trying to figure out my team. Eighteen seconds to go I'm just trying throw the ball to Tyreke [Evans], get a basket so I can call it because we only have one timeout. Guess what, you can't do that with this team. You have to take your chances call timeout, get a better shot, maybe make it and then foul. You can't do what I did. I tried to do what I did a year ago, which is let them play through it, somebody will make a play then we got an extra timeout and we'll come back and win."

On Georgetown...
"I have to tell you, my hats off to John Thompson and the job he's done. To lose what they had and to have a team that had that much desire to win anyway and have the swagger they have. I gotta give it to them, because there were times we had a chance to get [the lead] to eight or ten and they just said, nope not happening."

On his team's play ...
"My veterans have to play better. We can't count on freshmen, you can't do it. We're not going to win what we're trying to win...I don't have my team figured out yet. I'm trying everything and looking at it and watching it. Sometimes I'm really happy and other times I'm like oh my gosh. We haven't been like this for three years, we knew our team, and now we have no idea."

On Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson being the leaders on the floor...
"Part of it is more energy. I thought Shawn Taggert played with unbelievable energy in the first half. We all have to play with that type of energy. If we do we're so long and so big we become a force and then we'll figure out how we'll finish games. I tried some different things than we tried against Xavier and it got us into overtime. But those two, this is there team and I think they'll be fine and I think they need to know that it will be on their shoulders if we're going to do anything special."

Georgetown Sophmore Guard Chris Wright
On playing a team as talented and big as Memphis:
"I think we all knew it was going to be a challenge because they are a big, athletic team. You know, they have experience on their team so we knew it was going to be a challenge. We were ready and we knew we were going to have to fight through some things. Obviously, when the shots were not falling, we knew on the defensive end we would have to get down and get some stops and we were fortunate to get some big stops."

Where is the comfort level on this team at right now?
"I am comfortable but I have room to improve...I feel like the team is starting to come together. I feel like today was a big step for us and I think grinding it out and winning this game was very important for us. We fought through a lot of adversity the whole entire game."

Georgetown Junior Forward DaJuan Summers
On how he feels the team is adjusting to the season...
"I think we're adjusting well. The guys are doing the things they need to do in order for us to adjust well. It's supposed to be a transition from last year to this year. Guys are working hard in practice and everyone is on the same page so I think we're doing a good job of it."

On overtime...
"Today after the game I told the guys we won this game together. No matter what the stat sheet says, or how the fans look at it, or whatever. I feel we did as a team; everyone contributed when they needed to and did the things we needed to, to win as a team. Everyone played their position today, and that's what we need to do as a team to win."

Georgetown Sophmore Guard Austin Freeman
Significant of winning in overtime...
"There was just five more minutes on the clock so we just had to play together and stick together in the game as we did. We made stops, we got the rebounds, made the free-throws but we stuck together in overtime and we got the win."