Clemson vs. The Citadel Post-Game Quotes

Jan. 2, 2011

Clemson Head Coach Brad Brownell

Overall Thoughts: “I was pleased with our first half. We controlled the tempo and played fast. The second half we did not play quite as well, we had a few slip ups, but to the credit of the Citadel they played very hard.

“It was a reasonably solid performance, we did what we needed to early in the game. We didn’t do as well in the second half, but it was a good win and now it’s time to move on.

“Our guys are sharing the ball and committing fewer turnovers. On defense we are making it difficult for the other team. We have held five of our last six opponents under 60 points.

“The game is a game of habits, today was a day on working to build positive habits.”

“We did a reasonable job in all phases of the game, our execution, effort, and enthusiasm was pretty good, it was not great but it was not bad, either.

“It was good for us to have a competitive game. To be able to play a guard like (Cameron) Wells and a team who plays physical and beats you around was good for our guys.”

On the team’s defensive improvement: “This team needs an identity, and I believe defense is it.”

The Citadel Head Coach Chuck Driesell

Overall Thoughts: “This was the best second half we have played all year. We came out down 15 at halftime. We just had to be motivated and the guys were. I’m really proud of them. They easily could have folded against a team that really pressured us and caused us to turn the ball over 18 times. But, they really hung in there and we had our chances in the second half.”

On Clemson’s offense against the zone defense: “They didn’t really do anything to adjust to the zone, they just started making shots. That’s what a zone defense does – you have to get to the shooters and you have to protect the paint. A lot of times, if they miss their first couple of shots, it makes the rim a little smaller. It worked for us and our guys really played the zone defense well. But, Clemson hit a few shots, and once you hit some shots, the exact opposite happens – the rim gets a little bigger.”

On the rebounding advantage: “If you out-rebound your opponent, you put yourself in a great place to win the game. Most of the time, when you out-rebound your opponent, you win the game. That’s not holding true for us right now, but I’m really excited about our rebounding. If we can keep that up and increase our shooting percentage, we should be pretty decent. We really have a chance to have a tremendous January and February.”