March 3, 2008
Call 322-GOLD for Tickets to Wednesday’s Game
Mar. 5, vs. Miss. State at 7 p.m. CT (Senior Night Postgame)
Audio: Listen to the entire teleconference at SECsports.com
Vanderbilt basketball head coach Kevin Stallings and Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury discussed Wednesday’s matchup with the national media during Monday’s SEC Teleconference. Find out what each coach had to say about the upcoming game.
Vanderbilt Head Coach Kevin Stallings
Opening statement:
“We’re coming off a tough game at Arkansas. It was a game we thought we had a chance to win but couldn’t quite pull out. Hopefully we’ll get regrouped and ready for the Western Division champions and a very, very good Mississippi State team. There are a lot of challenges when you play Mississippi State on both ends. They’re very good at scoring the ball. (They) have five guys that can score. (They’re) very good defensively. Their defensive numbers are really incredible. I believe that (James) Varnado has blocked almost as many shots as any other team in the league which is incredible. In any event, we’ll have our work cut out for us. It’s a very big game for us and one that we’ll have to play real well to win.”
Is defense the primary reason why Mississippi State has been successful?
“I think it’s a combination (of a few things). I think they’ve got two of the five best players in the league. They almost undoubtedly have the Defensive Player of the Year in the league. In addition to that, they’ve got two guys they put on the wings that are really good shooters. They’re a team that can score from every spot on the court. They’ve got a couple of (future) pros on their team.”
How will Vanderbilt approach the game against Mississippi State with James Varnado’s shot blocking ability?
“Carefully. We don’t want to put anything on a platter for him, but we’ll see through further film study what we think we can do effectively and then try to do it. It’s a challenge, but it’s not as if he’s the only one. (Charles) Rhodes can block them. They’re a very long athletic team.”
How has the 3 point shot evolved from the late 1980s until the present day?
“When it first came out, there was a mindset among most coaches to not pay attention to the lines and simply shoot the shot. As it evolved, many coaches started saying to stand behind the line and not on the line. Now I think it’s used for spacing purposes. I think people use it to space their offense and use it as a weapon. Kids practice with it a lot. It’s changed the game. It’s added an element to the game that has changed strategy. Teams can upset others. I think it brings the little guy back into the game, a guy with great shooting skills. Over the evolution of it, there’s been much more of a premium placed on guys that can shoot the basketball.”
Mississippi State Head Coach Rick Stansbury
Opening statement:
“It’s very obvious we’re going into an atmosphere nobody has had any success in all year. It’s (Memorial Gymnasium) never an easy place to play. What makes it even more difficult is that they have a very good basketball team. We’ll be in that building on Senior Night which will add even more emotion and energy we wish we didn’t have to go against. Our team is playing well. We’ll go in playing with a lot of confidence. We know we’ll have to play extremely well to have a chance up there.”
Why has Jamont Gordon recently not hit many shots?
“I don’t think he has taken as many shots. Some teams (play) zone (against) him and some teams keep him out of the lane. On the road, you don’t get as many easy baskets in transition. Jamont has done many other intangibles correctly that have helped us win.”
With the unique setup of Memorial Gymnasium, how will you communicate with your team during the game?
“Unfortunately, up there, stomping won’t be good enough. I can stomp at home because I’m about one-third the way up the court. When I get out of the box, I’ll be about one-half the way up the court. There, even if I stomp, I’m going to be along way from them. The endline runs east and west up there versus north and south. I can’t stomp loud enough up there for them to hear me. I have a bad heel, so I get out of the stomping business around this time of year.”
How would you define a good defensive team?
“Good defensive teams are determined by what they do on the road. That’s where you really have to be at your best.”
Do you think Mississippi State is a good defensive team?
“I think we’re a pretty good defensive team. I look at the stats through 28 games but more so in SEC games because everyone’s schedule is different. It can be watered down. Through SEC play, we lead the league in defensive field goal percentage. To me, that’s more important than points allowed because points allowed can be based on style (of play). Teams that run more will give up more points while others that hold the ball and are more deliberate give up fewer points. Sometimes your offense is controlled by what your defense does. We have pretty good balance. I think what gets lost besides our ability to defend and the fact that we lead the country in blocked shots is that we lead the SEC in offensive field goal percentage in conference play. That gets lost because we’re known as such a good defensive team. We’ve gotten better. Jarvis (Varnado) protects the basket.”
In practice, do you focus more on offense or defense?
“In the preseason, we definitely focus more on defense. It’s about setting the tone. We build energy, toughness, and the ability to defend. I don’t think you can be great at everything. No team can lead the country in everything. You have to pick and choose what you want to be good at. You can’t be good at something if your personnel doesn’t fit that. Last year, it was one of the worst rebounding teams I ever had, but there was some emphasis put on scoring. We were close to leading the league in scoring. You have to adjust to what your personnel is and make up your team according to its strengths. Every year, you have to be able to find ways to defend and rebound. Everyone is good at home, but what separates good teams from teams that compete for championships is the ability to win on the road. The things that can be a constant when playing on the road are defending and rebounding. Offense will come and go.”
