University of Massachusets Athletics
Head Coach Steve Lappas Quotes From Weekly A-10 Teleconference
January 18, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2005
Coming off of his second victory against a ranked opponent this season, a thrilling overtime victory at George Washington, head coach Steve Lappas took part in his weekly A-10 Media Teleconference. He spoke about the game last Saturday and how the Minutemen are maturing throughout the season.
Question: How big of a step was Saturday?
Lappas: When you win a big road game like that, it's a great thing for our kids. It was a tough environment and they had a great crowd. To get ahead like we did, then lose the lead, and still hang on to win was great for our kids. I think our sophomores learned a lot. There was a lot of maturation in that game and I hope we can build on it.
Question: Do you usually switch defenses as frequently as you have been?
Lappas: I definitely have. All of the defenses we have used this year I've used in the past. We've switched a lot in the later years. It seems to be mixing well with the team because I want to have the opportunity to play Jeff Salovski and Rashaun Freeman together. We have definitely done this type of thing before.
Question: Is Jeff Viggiano getting closer to being able to play?
Lappas: He's getting closer, but I'm not sure if he will be able to play on Wednesday. He is definitely getting closer.
Question: The announcers during Saturday's game discussed how the team bounces back after tough losses. What do you learn about your team when they are able to bounce back like that?
Lappas: To have that type of character shows me a lot. The bottom line is that we have been giving a great effort all year. We didn't play particularly well against St. Joe's, but we gave a great effort. We didn't play that great on the offensive side of the ball, but defensively we played about as well as we can play. The one thing that holds this team together is that we play hard all of the time. We play with a lot of energy, and that gives you a chance. Then, if things start clicking offensively, now you really have a chance to win.
Question: The one thing that you keep talking about is maturing. Is that something that a young team learns about?
Lappas: Absolutely. We had some games where we fell behind like Xavier. We've had six really tight games that were decided by five points or less. I think it's great. It gives you confidence. You learn how to win, and hopefully that's what we got on Saturday.
Question: I don't want to say Rashaun Freeman took over the game, but obviously he was a key factor. At the end, he makes the big shot, and he's trying to say "It's alright, just calm down." Was he trying to calm you down?
Lappas: I don't remember him trying to calm me down or me trying to calm him down. It was probably a little bit of both.
Question: If an A-10 coach asked you how you defeated George Washington and how they can beat them, what would you say to them?
Lappas: Every team is different. You have teams that play great man-to-man, you have teams that play great zone, and you have teams that mix it up. You have to do what you do. When people watch a tape of GW, they think that they can press them. But what if you're not a pressing team? You have to go out there and do what you do and figure out a way to try and beat them. They're a very difficult team. They are a great basketball team. It was one of those days when they didn't shoot the ball as well as they normally do. Thompson is a 52% three-point shooter, and he went1-for-6. You can't figure that out. It just happened that day. He will come back and teams will say, "We can do this to GW," and Thompson will torch them, and they will be hitting themselves in the head. You do what you do and you try to do it the best you can. You may tweak it a little for every game, but that's how it goes.
Question: What were you thinking on the sideline when GW started to cut into that 18-point lead and started to come back?
Lappas: I knew they were going to. When you go on the road and play six freshmen and sophomores of our eight players, we're not going to go on the road and beat GW by 25 points. I was happy that we had that kind of cushion, so that when they went on their run, the game is tied instead of them going up 18 and now we have to come back. I knew it was going to get close. I didn't know that we were going to lose the lead or anything. Especially the way they play, and as hard as they play, there was no way that they weren't going to make a run.
Question: Now, that last play, the Rashaun Freeman layup with under one second left in overtime, was he the primary option on that play?
Lappas: We didn't call timeout, we wanted to continue to play aggressively. I didn't want to call timeout because with a team like GW, the worst thing you can do is try to setup on the sideline, then you might not be able to get the ball back inbounds. So, we just wanted to get the best shot that we could. We were running our motion offense. It was not setup for anything in particular. Our players know to look for Rashaun, especially when he is posting up. Anthony Anderson controlled it and made a great pass. He did not have time to catch the ball and come down with it because time would have ran out. So, he just caught it in the air and laid it in the basket.
Question: This is your second win over a top 25 team. Are there any parallels you can make between your victory over UConn and GW as far as playing teams in the top 25?
Lappas: No. They play very differently. UConn doesn't press the way that GW presses. UConn did press like that a few years ago, but they aren't going to do that anymore. There is no formula for beating top 25 teams. If there was, everyone would have it and I'd stop coaching and sell the book. There's no formula. You have to go out there and play great defense with great energy. Then, you have to believe in yourself and that's something that only time can help you do.
Question: Of your next nine league games, the only team that you play against that has a winning record is St. Joe's. When you look at the schedule ahead, do you think that it will lighten up because of the teams you are playing?
Lappas: You hope so, but I really don't know right now. I have to see how it all plays out. I think that they know they have a chance to accomplish things and hopefully that's what happens in each game. You know that you can lose to anybody and you know that you can beat anybody. You go out and you beat UConn and GW and you know you can beat anybody. But you can go out and lose to some other teams and you know you can lose to anybody. Right now, we have to take it one game at a time and be ready everyday.
