Comments from Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner and Belmont coach Rick Byrd following the Yellow Jackets’ 71-57 win over the Bruins Sunday in a second-round NIT matchup at McCamish Pavilion:
Josh Pastner
On setting the school record for most home wins in a season:
“We’re not sharing it with anybody. We stand alone. For the ’16-’17 team, it’s an unbelievable reflection and compliment to the crowd throughout this season for us. To be able to do that, to get 17 home wins, based on where we started back in April on a major rebuild, to do this in year one is a direct reflection on our crowd. They have willed us to victories this year and once again today they were fantastic. And I’m so proud to have been associated with them, and this team has just continued to get better and better and better.”
On playing Ole Miss:
“Andy Kennedy is the winningest coach there at Ole Miss. He’s great. Their team is very good. To go and beat Syracuse at Syracuse is very hard to do. We’ll have to play even better than we played today, but I’m really proud of our guy to finish this home stand like we did. It’s been an unbelievable year.”
On the team’s play:
“Our offense generated through our defense and the way we moved the ball was really pretty basketball. I mean, you guys know, you’ve heard me from the beginning – the open man is the go-to man, high assists on made field goals. That’s been a staple of our team. And player movement, ball movement. And this afternoon, it really showed, and it was just really pretty the way things worked itself out.”
On Tadric Jackson:
“Tadric, what I’m proud of is, part of his continuation and development and his maturation is his ability to be consistent. Indiana he ahd a great game and today he played well. So it was back-to-back games and he was good defensively both games.”
On turning the ball over eight times:
“We’ve done a much better job of taking care of the ball. Every day for the last (few) weeks of practice, we’ve just been doing toss-back drills where you throw the ball and you toss it back and we spent five to 10 minutes every day just two-hand chest passes – throw it with two hands and catch it with two. And I think it’s helped us. It’s about as basic and pre-school level for a drill, but it’s been good for us just on the sureness of the ball and taking care of the ball.”
Rick Byrd
“Well, everybody we play is more athletic than we are. Everybody we play. They’re certainly athletic, but I think it’s more how hard they’re playing and how much purpose they play with. They fight hard not to give you any good shots. And, when you’ve got a shot blocker in there at the back of that, then you might drive it to the middle, but you’re going to end up shooting a 10-foot floater or you’re going to end up getting in there and get (the shot) changed and blocked.”
“When our defense was set and we knew what they were running, then did pretty good. I”ll also tell you this - we lost focus and purpose. We made scouting-report mistakes in the second half that we don’t normally make and shouldn’t make. I don’t know if we’re tired. Maybe I practiced them too hard the last two days. We looked a little tired to me. And if that’s the case, then that’s my fault.”
