Nov. 4, 2006

Recap |  Box Score |  Notes |  Photo Gallery 

Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams
Opening Statement:
"Those were two teams that basically played four guards and were a tough match-up for us in the exhibition games. I thought we did a pretty good job in the second half tonight playing with a little more defensive intensity; which was good to see. We did some things better. I think we're going to be able to score points as we go through the season. The big thing will be trying to stop the other team. When we get that I think we can be a pretty good basketball team. But it's going to start from the defensive end of the court and go from there. We'll find out pretty soon how good or bad or defense is. Tonight was better."

On Maryland's play:
"I thought D.J. in the first half had a stretch where he really helped us when it was close. The new guys were fine. They all did some good things and some bad things, but you have to expect that from new guys. You want your seniors and junior especially to be solid, especially as the new guys get into the mix, and we'll take it from there."

On the play of freshman Greivis Vasquez:
"I like what he brings. His attitude is very good in terms of loving the game. You always like to see that in players; all the great players have that. It's a good feel the way he plays. He's got to tighten up a little bit. He's used to doing some things that you can get away with, but you don't really get away with at the next level. But he's going to be really good. I really believe that. But he's got to continue to work and stay at it."

On team's three point shooting:
"We're not seeing all the open looks from the three-point line. We're not moving real well when the ball goes into the post. Hopefully we'll get more looks, because we've got some guys that are great shooters. Eric Hayes is a very good three-point shooter, as is Mike Jones. James Gist has improved his range a little bit, and Greivis Vasquez is a very good shooter. We've got enough shooters where we should be looking for it. Obviously, you want percentages and 7-for-12 is a great percentage, if you're not passing up wide open three's. But I'd like to see more three-point shots as well."

On the team's interior offense:
"Bambale [Osby] really wants to play with his back to the basket and he's good at it. It's a matter of gaining confidence that the ball's going to go in because he really does have good fundamental moves, and I think he can score in there. Ekene [Ibekwe] found out this summer that he can score inside against some very good players. Hopefully that will be able to happen this year, because any team that's good has the ability to go inside and outside."

Maryland Guard D.J. Strawberry
On the game:
"We were getting a lot better out there. We've still got a lot to work on, especially on defense. I think the offense was there, especially early, but we just need to keep working on getting better."

On facing a four-guard offenses:
"Sometimes there are mismatches, but I think that it benefits us a lot. Our athletic forwards like James [Gist] and Ekene Ibekwe] can get out there and guard those guys like someone my size. They're going to run those sets at us, but we're playing pretty well and we'll go from there."

On the offense:
"It was definitely a little bit smoother today, but we have a long way to go. It's still early in the season and we have a lot of freshmen that we're trying to work into the offense, and we just have to keep working to get ready for Hampton."

Maryland Forward Ekene Ibekwe
On coming together as a team:
"I think you could see things getting better today. We've almost got our whole team back now that Greivis [Vasquez] is out there. We still have Jerome [Burney] out, but when everybody is healthy, everybody is going to get better. We still need to work on some things, but we're out there learning."

On Maryland's backcourt play:
"I think they did a really good job. They're still learning, but it's all about making progress. They're going to make some mistakes, but that's part of being freshmen. They're still learning, and I'm really proud of the strides that they're making."

On improving defense:
"We just need to communicate and be aggressive. It's definitely something that we're working on. As time goes by, it will tighten up, and we'll have a lot better defense overall."

Maryland Guard Eric Hayes
On playing alongside Greivis Vasquez:
"I really enjoy playing with Greivis. We know each other really well on the court, so we know where to expect from each other. I love playing with him, so it was great to see him out there."

Maryland Guard Greivis Vasquez
On playing alongside Eric Hayes:
"We've already got a lot of chemistry out there. I really love playing alongside Eric. He can run the point and I can run the point, and either one of us can shoot the ball. We played pretty well out there tonight."

Carleton Head Coach Dave Smart
Opening Statement:
"I think our team did some good things but you just can't turn the ball over; they are too athletic as a team. Our turnovers turned into easy baskets for them. Their turnovers turn into easy possessions for us but they are not easy baskets. They were able to convert our turnovers into dunks."

On the positive aspects of Carleton:
"I think we did a decent job getting the shots that we wanted. We have been struggling a little bit offensively and I believe it is always a positive thing to compete against a team who has better athletes since our schedule only allows us to see this level of athleticism two or three times a year."

On Strawberry's play:
"He is a great player. He is an NBA prospect and it is a good opportunity for our players to see where they are at skill wise. We struggled with him in the first half but I thought we did a little better job of handling him in the second half. He is a great player and any opportunity that our guys have to play against that level of competition shows where we are skill wise but it also shows where we are making mistakes."

On where they go from here:
"Since we start league play next week, it is always good to come down here for the weekend and play against this level of competition. Hopefully, we can continue on what we have been doing the last four years. We certainly have the talent but we are not playing very well right now. I think we are a little complacent in terms of where we are now. This weekend will wake us up a little bit so we are able to head in the right direction."