Jan. 25, 2009
Vanderbilt 69 – No. 24 Florida 94
January 25, 2009 – Memorial Gym
Attendance: 13,993
Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt Head Coach
Opening Comments
We got it handed to us. We did not guard well and they seemed to get any shot they wanted to. We didn’t play well on either end. There were some things offensively that I was encouraged by. But, obviously, the story of the game was their three point shooting.
Have you ever seen a game when it comes to shooting?
I can’t recall one. We had an 18 for 35 game at Tennessee, but that’s the last one that comes to mind.
It seemed like they sped the game up. What do you think?
We had problems because our transition defense was one failure after another.The hit a couple of shots and got their heads up.
It seemed like your team had some energy early on…Can you talk about that?
They went on that run and kept making shots and our team was, wrongly so, demoralized. That was somewhat disappointing because at one point or another, you’ve got to make a stand. But, we weren’t able to do that, and a lot of that you have to credit to Florida.
Can you talk about your team’s confidence right now?
We are a team badly damaged in the confidence department. We’re badly damaged in the productivity department. We are not getting the play we need out of some key players.
Vanderbilt Players
Jermaine Beal, guard
“Our defense wasn’t very good obviously, but Florida had some other players that made some big shots for them, some shots in a row. It hurt us a lot. Teams make runs, but half of the shots they made were wide open. Whenever you get some players hot, it’s hard to stop them.
“We had some wrong assignments and let some guys open, and those players made shots.
“I think, as a team, everybody is embarrassed.”
Talk about the play of Gators forward Chandler Parsons (27 points).
“Coming in, his shooting percentage from three wasn’t that high. But he came in here, and hit four or five in a row.”
How is the team’s confidence after consecutive losses to Tennessee and Florida?
“We’re going through rough times right now. We just have to pick it up and find some way to get going in the right direction. I felt like the offense was all right. Our defense was just under par, not what it should have been.”
George Drake, guard/forward
“If you give guys open shoots, they’re capable of making it, either it’s the SEC or whatever conference. They made them tonight. It’s frustrating because our defense didn’t do what we’re capable of doing.
“This is one of my tougher losses. To come play and get beat like this at home, it’s really tough.”
Has the squad lost its confidence?
“We’re (Beal and Drake) the veterans of this team and it’s our job to let the young guys know that we have more games to play. No, our confidence isn’t shattered. We just have to practice and get back at it.”
Billy Donovan, Florida Head Coach
Thoughts on the game…
Making 12 3-pt shots in the first half was a huge factor in the game. They shot the ball very well too. I was a little bit concerned at the end of the first half because their shooting percentage was high in the first half as well. Really the 3 pt line was the difference in the game. To start the 2nd half, you are always concerned when you are on the road in this league and you have a big lead. You don’t know how your team is going to respond. We were able to get off to a good start in the 2nd half and build upon our lead, which gave us more confidence and more momentum.
On A.J. Ogilvy…
I know that Ogilvy was not himself. I know he has been dealing with some things health wise. It’s hard when your best player is going through some physical ailments. He is an experienced, veteran guy. You could tell something was wrong with him. But I thought Ogilvy got off to a good start posting and sealing.
On Chandler Parsons’ performance…
It’s a very valuable lesson for him. He misses two free throws Wednesday and goes through a very low point in his basketball career. He goes from being in the locker room crying his eyes out to today having maybe the best game of his career point wise. I’ve tried to explain that this is how fragile all this stuff is are. I said that there was a great opportunity for us to learn coming out of the South Carolina game. It was an emotional roller coaster Wednesday to Sunday for him.
On making 12 3pt field goals in the first half…
We just caught fire. Erving Walker had a great first half. Chandler Parsons got some decent looks. Walter Hodge got a couple of looks. And before you know it, guys started making shots from different positions. I think for any team, when you are making shots, it changes the complexion of your team when you are making shots.
On offensive execution…
Clearly, Vanderbilt is one of the best defensive teams statistically in the country. They have proven that over a long period of time. It’s pretty impressive what Kevin’s kids have done defensively being so young. It wasn’t so much that our shots were wide open or uncontested. We had so many guys at different spots making shots that it stretching the floor more than Vanderbilt wanted. I don’t know that it was anything that we were running or doing.
How team has matured since last year…
The first thing you have to understand is how hard you have to work to be successful. Last year, we had no concept of that. Once you start to work hard, now you have a foundation of what every team in the country is doing. The next thing you have to understand is how committed do you become. I think we are understanding and learning how to get more committed. We’ve laid some steps, but in no way are we there emotionally and mentally.
Florida Players
Chandler Parsons
On shooting effort:
“I was fortunate to hit some open shots. I’m so thankful to my teammates, we kept moving the ball around and I was in the right place at the right time. It felt good to get a rhythm going and momentum is going your way. We have guards that will find you if you’re open and are unselfish.”
On rebounding after South Carolina loss:
“That was definitely motivation for us. We knew it would be tough coming here. We knew that we had to come back today more focused and play very aggressive. I think we did a good job of doing that.”
On this being a turning point in season:
“I think so. We knew that our shooting was doing it for us in the first half but coach Donovan told us to keep playing defense in the second half and limit Vandy’s second-chance opportunities.”
Nick Calathes
On maintaining first half lead:
“We came out with a mindset to have a lot of energy in the second half. They kept coming back and making big shots but we focused some more. They beat us here last year and we wanted to get a win here. They’re a good team.”
On playing at Vanderbilt this season as a sophomore:
“Our toughness in practice every day helps prepares us. Each of us is playing hard and willing to play together to win. We still have a lot to learn as a young team. We’ll keep taking one game at a time.”
Erving Walker
On team’s perimeter shooting:
“We moved the ball around and found some open looks to knock down shots. Chandler is a great shooter and we expect him to make those shots.”
On playing in Memorial Gym:
“Sometimes we struggle with our shooting but we have a lot of guys who can hit three-pointers. When we get good looks, we expect to make the shots.”
On rebounding after South Carolina loss:
“We didn’t want to lose two in a row and prove that we can win on the road again. This was a big win for us today.”