March 18, 2006

Head Coach John Thompson, III
Every season has ebb and flow and sometimes multiple. Was there any point at which you were concerned?
"No. I think you hit the nail on the head. I talked to our guys about that at the start of the season. A lot of seasons you feel like there is up and down and ebb and flow. I think the successful teams are the teams that emotionally don't get on that roller coaster. You try not to have high highs and low lows. Try to keep steadily plugging along toward this time of the year."

On the concerns with Ohio State
"What they do is they do a terrific job of spreading the floor with the spacing they have and with the terrific shooters they have. They have complements for each other. They have different components that when you focus on one, they have answers. They have a good combination of perimeter and interior players. They have terrific shooters. They have terrific perimeter players. At the same time, they have [Terence] Dials inside."

Has Roy Hibbert learned how to take advantage, offensively, because of his size?
"I think he's getting better at that. I don't think the question with Roy is learning how to take advantage of his size. It's getting a comfort level down in the block in general, having some moves he can go to. He's definitely getting to that point. Now, he's getting to the point where he's understanding how to take advantage of that [his size] and how to use that as a basketball player. Roy has come a long way. He still has a long way to go, and he knows that. He has a long way he will go. We'll see as time progresses."

When did you find out the game times were switched?
"I found out late last night. The time does not matter. The opponent is still the same. All of our energy right now is focused on who we're playing."

With Ohio State's recent shooting woes, are you afraid the floodgates might open?
"Everything causes anxiety this time of year. That's the truth. You watch enough tapes and you watch enough breakdowns of them, and you realize they have terrific shooters. That's the first thing I see. That is something we are going to have see if we can limit their open shots. They have an interior presence you have to deal with also."

On using the disappointment from last year as a framework for this year
"Building a program is a process. Did we learn from last year? Yes, I think so. Can I say how tangible it was? I'm not sure. We have a group of people back. We still have a young team. With each year that you miss out on something, you understand and you get a little taste. You know just how important the little things are starting from the beginning of the year."

When you play teams that don't have your size, do they still attack on the interior?
"I think that most teams do what they do. Meaning, whatever your strengths are, that's what you're going to do. If you are just looking at heights, I don't know too many teams that we're going to play that's going to have someone that's bigger than us. I would anticipate that as with most teams we've played, Ohio State is going to do what they've had success with all year. I don't think they're going to reinvent the wheel."

Do you view coaching as more than basketball, like your dad?
"Pops has said many times that he did not have the luxury of just being a coach. If he had had that luxury, he probably would have had a lot more victories and a few more championships. Part of my job, being at Georgetown, is to help these guys to grow and to mature. Part of your job is not just to coach."

Do you still have the deflated basketball?
"Yes."

On the importance of pace in this game
"I think we will see as it plays out. I think with our team we have the ability to go fast or to go slow. We've shown that throughout the year. At the same time, every team at this time of year, you want to control. You don't want to fall into a trap. You have to figure out how you feel you will have success. They are a team that can score points in bunches because of their shooting. They can get going and push the ball in transition and score in bunches. We can adjust. We can go slow. We can go fast. Pace is not in the discussion. We can adjust to how we have to play that day."

Do you think Roy Hibbert has been affected by the pressure to live up to the legacy of Georgetown big men?
"No. Not at all. Roy is comfortable with who he is. When you talk about the Georgetown big men, most people are talking about Patrick [Ewing], Alonzo [Mourning], and Dikembe [Mutombo], and Roy knew walking in the door what he heard from us was he was not close to where they were. One day he will be."