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SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 13, 2009Dee BostRick StansburyBarry StewartJarvis VarnadoTAMPA, FLORIDA Mississippi State – 82 CLAUDE FELTON: We'll continue with Mississippi State. Coach Stansbury, opening comments, please. COACH STANSBURY: Well, number one, congratulations to Darrin and South Carolina. They've had a terrific year. He's done an unbelievable job with that new team getting them to the point they've gotten too. That was a difficult match-up. They presented so many problems and took his two guards Downey and Fredrick. To our team's credit, I thought the first half we were lucky to only be down four. I think we played our best ball. South Carolina had a lot to do with that. But we didn't make shots and had a hard time keeping some guys out of the lane. I felt the second half some things turned for us. Number one, I thought that the point guard got in the lane. Created some plays. I thought Barry Stewart absolutely took over offensively for us. And Jarvis, as he's been lately in every game, has dominated that paint and rebounded that basketball. That was a huge stat. Not giving them the put backs except in that zone. So great team effort. The bench was good again. I think we had 13 or 17 points off that bench. That's important when I get play off that bench. We're happy to still be here and looking forward to playing again. CLAUDE FELTON: Questions for the student-athletes. Q. When did you start feeling that shot in the second half? After you hit a couple of those step backs it was like you shook your head and thought man, that actually went in. You kind of smiled. BARRY STEWART: Yeah, yeah. COACH STANSBURY: He shook his head, I saw it. BARRY STEWART: No, I just felt it. You know, sometimes you just feel it. When the shot's falling you just keep shooting. The step back is a move I worked on. I don't show it much, but I was just feeling it tonight. Q. Was there a shot, or was it right after the first one that you thought this was it? That your confidence really rose? BARRY STEWART: The first half I hit a three, and I felt good then. Just Coach had to put me on the bench for other reasons. But I felt good after that first shot. Q. Jarvis, first off, how's your leg? I notice the wrap. JARVIS VARNARDO: It's good. Q. I know also you're approaching the SEC blocks record, taking it in four or five. Have you given something like that much thought? JARVIS VARNARDO: No. I'm all about wining. We've got a good win against a good South Carolina time. I hope we keep wining tomorrow against LSU. Q. Just your thoughts on LSU, what you remember from them? Obviously playing them twice already? DEE BOST: I mean, LSU, they run their sets very well and they play tough defense. I just know we've got to pound it inside with Jarvis and get him involved early so we can get the lead. Q. It seemed like you really pushed the ball better in the second half. You really pushed it. Was there more emphasis or did you just go with the flow of the game? You really seemed to get your team more into a running game? DEE BOST: First half they scouted us very well, because teams put two defenders at the top and tried to slow me down. In the second half, we got stops and Jarvis got rebounds and he got out to me. So that just helped us push it. CLAUDE FELTON: We'll excuse the student-athletes. Continue with questions for Coach Stansbury. Q. Yesterday you talked about the need to keep Devan Downey out of the lane which ultimately disrupted South Carolina. Talk about the job and how you were able to keep him out of the lane? COACH STANSBURY: A lot of coaches talk about it. And it's easier to talk about it than do it. But for the most part, we did it. You're not going to shut him out. You're not going to keep him out of that lane. You've got to keep him out of the lane not with him scoring but creating plays for everybody else. I think when you look at his stats, those two things show. Number one, he was 5 for 20, 11 points, but only had 3 assists. And those three assists are three below what he gets. He's capable of getting 8 or 9 in his games. That was a huge emphasis. He gets in there so deep. You help off those two post guys on the baseline, and that's how Holmes, Muldrow, and Archie score so many points around that baseline. We were going to number one try to keep him out of there. When he gets in are there, make him shoot it versus dishing it off. For the most part, probably worked about as well as it can work. Q. I'm sure you've answered this a hundred times, but a lot of people are seeing your team for the first time in this tournament. Can you talk about Jarvis and how he alters shots? He didn't block every shot, but they're always thinking about him. He alters shots and it just changes the way players attack against you guys. COACH STANSBURY: Well, I think that Jarvis is playing with energy. He's played with over the last two, three weeks. He's pretty good in there. Again, you can see in his first two games here, he's playing with great energy. Every shot goes up, he seems to get his hands on rebounding that basketball. You know, it's very obvious, if I'm an opposing coach, you have to talk about him. You have to be concerned about him some. But those six blocks he got, what he does is this. He keeps Downey from getting to the basket always and shooting the basketball. May make him pull-up and shoot that little floater, which we'll have him shoot that and get all the way to the hole. That's how he kind of changes the psychology of the game some, those opposing players. Q. Can you talk about the job that Jarvis did against Mike Holmes. The second one is rebounding. You guys had 50 rebounds compared to their 36. Can you talk about what you guys were able to do successfully down low? COACH STANSBURY: I like seeing is that stat. I haven't seen that stat very much this year. That's a stat where we've kind of put our programs together with over the years, out rebounding folks and playing with toughness. I will say this, over the last two and a half weeks we've gotten better in that area. That's two opponents in a row we've out rebounded number one. That's first all year. Even coming into here we were really close on the rebounding board. I like that. When we can continue to play on offensively and rebounding basketballs, that increases our chances of winning games. That means every defensive rebound we can get, that's one less offensive rebound that other team's getting. And that's an important stat. We have definitely gotten better at it. I think our bench is a part of that, too. I'm able to play a role in a three spot, a Kodi in a four spot some for some minutes, those 10, 12, 15 minutes a game. We're pretty good rebounding the basketball. I thought Brian Johnson came in tonight off the bench. In particular, when the game started we were behind 14-4, South Carolina kind of hit us in the mouth. They came with most of the energy. Our bench came in and got us back in that game. Reenergized us, closed the gap, and was able to get the starters back in. From there on, was able to play. Q. What do you attribute the slow start to? COACH STANSBURY: If I had the answer to that, you know, I wouldn't be here. You don't answer that just as well as I do. Got no answer to it. Give South Carolina credit. They started really well. They made shots. They beat us in transition a little bit early. But what I like about it is this, we didn't panic. Our team didn't panic. We were down 14-4. There was no paniciness. It's obvious our team's been down a lot this year. We have the potential to score in bunches at times to get back in games; and again, I think our players know that. I thought we stepped it up defensively and played with a little motion. Brian Johnson, and Row, and even Kodi and even Rowdy in that stretch. I thought those guys brought some energy to that game. And South Carolina maybe lost a little bit of theirs. Q. Near the end of the regular season it seemed like y'all had a little trouble with fatigue. Do you worry about that now that you're getting into your third day of the tournament, that being a factor? COACH STANSBURY: Hey, win or lose tomorrow, the team will not be an excuse or an issue with us. We're just happy to still be playing that third day. This is something we said about our bench, we have something that gives us a chance to play in a four-game tournament. If you don't have a bench, a four-game tournament is very tough. It's three games right now. But we have a bench. Like yesterday, I was able to rest a lot of people. Today we played a few more minutes. But we have a lot of confidence in our bench now giving us some minutes. When those guys are starting to gain, maybe not getting it done. Again, we're just happy to have the opportunity to play in this next game here. Q. Speaking of the next game, can you talk a little about the match-up with LSU and what concerns you about that game? COACH STANSBURY: Well, there's a lot concerns us. They're a very difficult match-up. You know besides being the most experienced, poised team, one of the most experienced and poised teams in the country. They don't rattle very easy. They're put together very well. You've got the player of the year in Thornton who can just manufacture baskets. You know, things break down, he's a guy that can shoot it deep. He's so good in that paint, jumping over top of you, using his strength and athleticism, and can put it up and bounce it. He's very difficult to defend. Then you have Tasmin Mitchell who, you know, he's just a work horse. He's tough. He's a tough match-up. Temp many, you know, one of the best defensive players in the league. Spencer makes shots right when you don't think he can or other teams need something. He'll jump up and make the shot. So you have Johnson as shot blocker. Great depth off the bench. The seniors coming off that bench. They're very good. Again, they beat us both teams. Beat us at LSU. We had a heartbreaking loss in Starkville, double-overtime game. We didn't shoot it very well. But LSU had a whole lot to do with us not shooting it very well. So it will be a very difficult challenge for us tomorrow, but we're glad we're around to have that opportunity to still do it. Q. You talk about the double-overtime loss. What do you remember most about that a game? I know Jarvis fouled out. COACH STANSBURY: What I remember most I probably can't say because you guys will get me in trouble. You know what that is, don't you? Okay y'all know what that is, and I didn't say it. That's what I remember a whole lot about it. It was a tough, a hard, hard loss. We came into the game I think 6-2, 7-2, what were we, anybody? 6-2 at the time playing for first place overall. I know my perimeters were 8 for 44. 8 for 44 my four starting perimeter guys. And we were still able to take the game into double overtime. We had an opportunity in regulation to win it. A lay-up and a put back. We had an opportunity in the first overtime to win it. The second overtime, got behind 6 and tied it up again with 20 to 30 seconds to go. And Tasmin Mitchell basically finished us off. I remember he had 37 or 39 points. So a lot of bad memories about that game. Again, they're a difficult team to defend in so many areas. But we look forward to the challenge again tomorrow. End of FastScripts |
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