North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State-Pepperdine coaches quotes
3/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NC State coach Jim Valvano
“First of all, I want to say what an outstanding team Pepperdine is. They’re a very impressive ballclub and have a lot of talent.
“I thought that fouls played a big role in the game. In the first half, they were in foul trouble and in the second half, it was just the opposite we were in trouble. It certainly changed the game’s thinking around.
“I think you need to win a game like this if you expect to go far in the tournament. You need a little luck if you want to go a long way.
“We started out, I think, 0-for-11. The guys kept saying, It’s the ball.’ I said it was going in OK for [Pepperdine], so I don’t think it is the ball. Needless to say, we were quite tight in the game’s first few minutes.
I thought our tourney [the ACC] helped us. We had a couple of real close games, including a one-pointer in our opener. Those close games helped us down the stretch tonight.
In the NCAA, it is a different type of atmosphere. You are kind of anxious. In our league, we knew the teams we played some of them three times but in the NCAA, it’s a new environment. We were shooting very poorly. In the first time out, I told the kids that this one would go down to the wire. It would be a buzzer job. It was that and a whole lot more.
[On slowing down the tempo] “We were struggling offensively. We were not consciously slowing down the tempo. The tempo just became more cautious. That’s the way the two teams were playing. We were tight tight as a drum and just became more cautious with our play. We were not intentionally slowing it down. That’s just the way the game took shape.”
[On time out with the score tied and 12 seconds left in regulation] “I believe very strongly in putting the ball in the hands of our best ball handler and letting him create something. It’s the same play we have used several times before. I put Sidney [Lowe] in the middle and put two good shooters on either side of him. We want him to take it down the middle and let him create something. I have confidence in
[On Sunday’s game against UNLV] “We came out tight tonight. It didn’t surprise me. Like I said, it was a different atmosphere. I feel that we’ll play well Sunday.”
Pepperdine coach Jim Harrick
“I thought we played real well. Both teams had plenty of chances. They made a couple of free throws down the stretch. I thought it was a great, great, great college basketball game.
“I thought both teams were tight. Our boy Suttle didn’t shoot the way he normally does.
“I am proud of our boys. They were pretty equal clubs.
“As to the texture of the ball issue, it’s not the ball, it’s who’s shooting.”
Pepperdine’s Bill Sadler
“We had to make adjustments. We weren’t boxing in real well (in the first half). At halftime, we had to make the adjustments.
“They go to the boards real well.”
Pepperdine’s Mark Wilson
“I couldn’t believe it, after being ahead. I knew we could come back in the second overtime and win the game.”
