Mark Gottfried Hosts Weekly Press Conference
2/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Following is a transcript from University of Alabama head basketball coach Mark Gottfried’s weekly press conference on Thursday, February 21. Alabama’s next game is at Auburn on Sunday, February 24 at 1 p.m. CT.
Mark Gottfried, Alabama Head Coach:
On Auburn:
“It’s obvious whenever Alabama and Auburn play, it sounds like a broken record but it’s true, you always have great games; competitive games. All of the coaches and players on both sides view this one a little bit differently, so we anticipate a great atmosphere and a very competitive game on Sunday.”
How much stock do you put into this game when it’s on CBS or at this point does (the national television exposure) that matter?
“I don’t think it matters. You’re on TV so much. We are. We’ve been on TV so much, national TV, regional TV, that I don’t know that that’s going to play too much into a factor for anybody.”
Have you found that the outcome of the game and the series affects recruiting for the next class?
“I don’t know that it really does. I think over the long haul it does, over a long period of time I’m sure it has an effect. And if you go back and think about when I first took the job, I think at that point Auburn was really maybe at their heyday in basketball, or one of their great periods. So we had to turn that around a little bit. I think maybe in the long haul it would affect that but, again, going into the game, I don’t think you’re thinking about that as a real determining factor for anything during the game.”
Talk about how having a bye week, no game in the middle of the week, affects you and especially in terms of preparation?
“Anytime you have a midweek day off like we had??we’ve done this one other time??I think it’s good. The first thing it does for our guys is it allows them to catch up academically in some areas. When you get going sometimes, even in three games in a week like we have next week??we’ll go Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday??and academically that can be hard. So this week is always good from that perspective. And I think, too, just being able to take a day or two and get away from it. On those days that you have practice we’ve gone really hard and gotten a lot of extra shooting in this week. Then we’ve also been able to just get away for a day or two, too (Sunday and Wednesday), and I think that’s healthy sometimes; just get refreshed. I think it fell for a good time for our team.”
Is Brandon Hollinger still going to be the primary point guard from here on and how has Rico Pickett handled the last few weeks where he hasn’t contributed as much?
“I think Brandon will play the point some. I don’t think that we want to play Brandon at the point all the time. I think Rico has been great. I think he’s come back this week and he’s had a great practice Monday and Tuesday and probably for him, I told him Monday prior to practice that this week probably comes at a great time for you more than anybody else on the team because you need to be the guy that steps up here and responds well when you have practice times. Sometimes you don’t have a lot of practice time. The games are coming real fast. I think he’s responded really well. I thought he was very, very good on Monday and very good on Tuesday. So we’ll just kind of keep working with him. But I think he’s been fine. I know it’s frustrating sometimes as a freshman. He’s going through some of that but I think he’s going to be fine.”
With Auburn being undersized, will you exploit that or will you go with the flow of the game in how you match up?
“I think it depends on the game a little bit. Obviously when you play a smaller lineup, you’ve got to defend them. Now they still have to defend you. I don’t think we’re a big team by any stretch of the imagination either. So there are times when we’ve played a lot with four perimeter guys. But, again, I think we’ll kind of watch and see how the game develops. We know how we want to play and I’m sure they have a way or feeling how they want to play. But we’ll see what happens on Sunday.”
Did you learn anything, rotation wise or playing time wise in the last couple of days?
“No, I don’t think so. I think one thing our guys have done is competed really hard. We scrimmaged both days pretty good, Monday and Tuesday, and we got a lot of shooting in this week, so nothing earth shattering as far as any changes.”
How much did you play small against Auburn last time?
“Some. Not a lot, but we did. Again, it just depends. If they start shooting the basketball well from the 3-point line, you’ve got to find a way to make sure you take that away. Sometimes it’s hard to take it away with two big guys chasing them around out there. So again, that’s just I think how the game unfolds a little bit.”
Does having beaten a team already in the season re-energize a team, especially when you had such a decisive win?
“I don’t know that there’s any rhyme or reason for that. Sometimes it just happens and you play well. I think the last time our practices were good. I think our guy’s intensity level was high. I think it’s been the same this week. But I don’t know that that guarantees you anything, that you’re going to go out and play well. I think our breaks that we’ve had in the schedule have come at a good time, and this week I think has been pretty good so far.”
How do you bounce back, especially after a game like at South Carolina where you lost in the end like that?
“I believe our players have done a very good job of bouncing back and being ready. And again, coming into practice and trying to be alert and learn from those areas that we want to teach and coach and things that we have to do better at certain points in the game, I think they’ve done a great job with that this week. I know it hurts when you lose like we did but at the same time you want to learn from it and they’ve done that. I think they’ve zeroed in and paid attention real well and applied those things and you get ready for your next game.”
Have you talked about these last five games and finishing strong and then having a second season in the SEC tournament?
“We haven’t necessarily talked about these five games but I think our message has been clear the whole time. They’re going to play hard. We still feel like we can do some great things with this season. There’s always that hope and that’s what you’re working toward. The attitude hasn’t changed. The guys have been really good in that regard. So I anticipate us just kind of plugging away and playing hard like we have. Last week I thought we played very well Wednesday against Ole Miss and we came back on the weekend and played well enough to win even though we didn’t and that hurt. So sometimes you get the feeling that it can change a little bit here and there. It’s just like if (USC’s Devan) Downey doesn’t make the shot we walk out there with a win and now we’re feeling real good about where we are, ??Hey, we’ve won two in a row. We’re playing better,’ yadda yadda yadda yadda. So that’s kind of where we are. We’ve going to just stay the course and keep working hard every day.”
Any predictions on the Memphis vs. Tennessee game?
“I think it will be a great one. I think it’s going to be a fun one. But the only game I really care about this weekend is Alabama and Auburn. That’s it.”
Can you assess Mikhail Torrance’s play at the guard in the last couple of games?
“I thought against Ole Miss he played pretty well. He was pretty solid. I thought at South Carolina he struggled at times. He did some good things but still I thought at some key times we need to be a little bit better there. We’ve talked about that with him and worked on some things there. But I think all in all he’s done a nice job. And like I said, Rico has played pretty well in the last couple of days as well. I think Brandon has always kind of been the steady kind of guy there at the point a little bit for us. I think all three of those guys have done a good job.”
What does Frank Tolbert bring to the table for Auburn?
“He’s very intense. He plays really hard. I think he’s a tough match-up a lot of times because just with the way they play he ends up as the four-man a lot of times. Which then if you play a big player---and a lot of teams have played two bigs---they have a hard time guarding him. I think he can make the three. He goes to the basket strong and tough. His intensity level is high. I think he’s a very good player. I think as a senior he’s had a very good year.”
How do you think your team is mentally at this point in the season?
“I think they’re good. They’re very good. That’s one thing I’ve liked about our guys. They have stayed the course pretty well and played very hard, so I think they will continue to do that.”
Do you think seniors tend to step it up as the season winds down?
“Well, we’ve got one senior (who starts) and I do think even in practice??although I think he’s always practiced well??I think even the midway point of a guy’s senior year, you can always see just a little bit more urgency in everything. Guys want to stay after practice and shoot a little bit more. Everything just matters a little bit more because they know it’s coming to an end. For us we just have one senior (who starts) but I do think that’s the case. I remember back when I was a player it just feels differently. It’s your senior year. Your sophomore year, your junior year, you know there’s next year. That senior year, there is no next year. It’s over. So I think guys cherish things a little bit more. I think Mykal Riley’s been in that boat. He’s played well. He’s practiced well. He’s shot the ball extremely well. Defensively he’s been better, so, hopefully, he can keep that up.”
