Feb. 20, 2002
Mike Brey Postgame Quotes
On the game . . . . “This was a game that certainly I was concerned about. It was tough to beat them in Morgantown and I knew they would come in here playing loose with nothing to lose.”
“We came out and attacked. We put up 28 assists, which showed unselfishness and we moved the ball well.”
On the Seniors … “This is the time. I told them the other day that they only have five basketball games guaranteed to them. This is their time to lead us and set the tone. They did a good job of that tonight. They did a good job the past two days in practice and tonight setting the tone.”
On Jordan Cornette… “Jordan hasn’t played on the perimeter for us yet, but he had to tonight. He played really well for us. He’s not playing like a freshman now.”
On Matt Carroll’s Injury… “Matty strained his foot. It’s the same injury he had at Rutgers. We’re going to try to get him some rest and hopefully he’ll be available Saturday (at Miami). Because of that injury some younger guys had to come in and play some more minutes and they did a good job.”
Notre Dame Player Quotes
Notre Dame senior forward Ryan Humphrey
On the game … “It was important for us to come away with a win tonight. When we lose, everyone tends to put their heads down. Everyone was quicker tonight and played well. It was good to have Chris(Thomas) and David (Graves) play well tonight. The only bad thing that happened was that Matt (Carroll) went down with a sore ankle.”
Notre Dame freshman guard Chris Thomas
On the game . . .. “We were solid moving the ball. As a team, both offensively and defensively, we had some lapses in the last two games. Coming out and playing as well as we did tonight says a lot about coach and our three senior captains. They did a good job setting the tone for the rest of the team tonight.”
On his two games prior to West Virginia… “I wasn’t necessarily worried about myself. I was worried tonight that we would take West Virginia’s record for granted, have a slow start, and end up in a dog fight. As for myself, I heard a lot of constructive criticism from coach and the team. Coach told me to continue shooting and that is what I did. I listened to the advice they gave me and that helped me out there tonight.”
Notre Dame senior forward David Graves
On the game … “We were able to control the ball and pass it well to each other. We had 28 assists which is phenomenal. I was pleased with the way we played tonight. Jordan (Cornette) played well from the perimeter and (Chris) Thomas made shots. Overall, I think the difference tonight was that we were more under control than the previous two games. “
On being in the starting line-up … “I really didn’t have a different reaction. I always want to come out and play well. I know our seniors want to put this program back to where it needs to be. Tonight, I wanted to leave no doubts about the way the starting line-up needs to be.”
Interim Coach Drew Catlett Postgame Quotes
On the game … “Notre Dame simply came out and played with the type of intensity and emotion they needed to get the win. Tonight, Notre Dame was in a situation where they needed a win after two consecutive losses. I told our guys before the game that transition defense would be the key for us to get a victory and we simply did not defend the way we needed to. We have had this same problem all year, we do not guard well. You have to give credit to Notre Dame. They are a very good team that is well coached, and they deserved to win tonight.”
On Notre Dame freshman guard Chris Thomas … “Chris Thomas had a great game. In my opinion, he is the best freshman in our league. When you have 26 points, 12 assists and two turnovers, that is a great line for any player, let alone a freshman.”
On Notre Dame senior forward David Graves … “One player that does a great job for Notre Dame is David Graves. I think he is the guy that keeps Notre Dame together. He is kind of a guy who has gone through Notre Dame and our league unnoticed. By the time he is done here, he will be in the top 10 on several of Notre Dame’s all-time lists. He has had a great career for four years and yet he has never made first- or second-team all-BIG EAST. He is a very smart player who played very well for them tonight.”
West Virginia Player Quotes
Junior forward Chaz Briggs
On the game…. “We played hard , but not smart. They got out a lot on us up-and-down like we thought they would. We didn’t defend on the perimeter as well as I think we should have. They broke us down and dumped the ball off, making it hard for us to defend down low.”
On Notre Dame guard Chris Thomas … “He is probably one of the best point guards in the country right now. He knows how to get his teammates involved. He knows how to get open and make his own shots. He runs the team well for a freshman.”
On their up-and-down season… “Nobody pays attention to it, but if they do, they don’t show it. Everything seems the same since day one when we first started. I haven’t seen any changes or differences.”
On second-half… “They defended us pretty well. They stopped us from executing on the offensive end. We started to breakdown mentally and that was really the turning point of the game.”
Senior forward Chris Moss
On fan attention throughout the game … “I think it disturbed my game a lot. I couldn’t make anything. You don’t think about the attention at first, but the more you start to miss the more you try to tell yourself to not listen to them.”
On the team’s defensive woes… “We struggle mightily at taking people off the dribble. That just opens up everything. If a guy gets into the lane, it creates all kinds of problems on defense and on blocking out. If you penetrate, you force somebody to step up which leaves a man open to score.”
On Notre Dame forward Ryan Humphrey… “He plays a solid all-around game. He rebounds and blocks shots well, and scores when he gets the ball. That is what is so special about him. He is one of the best players in the league.”