By Jake Copestick (@JakeCopestick)
On Devin Royal’s game when bringing him in as a transfer:
“I played against him for two years, so that really helped. Getting to see him and scout him in person, and Kwame, I didn’t have to watch film on them because I watched so much film on him and played against him, so I had the respect from just going up against him.”
On Royal’s versatility:
“He’s versatile. I’m still trying to figure everybody else out. The only guys I had figured out were Matt and Perkins. I know their games from being here, (I’m) still trying to figure everyone out just a little bit. That’s why I think these games against really well-coached teams are good.”
On Adam Oumiddoch’s play:
“He’s got great confidence, he’s got a great work ethic. He’s gotta get a little stronger, he’s gotta understand both ends of the floor. I think he’s starting to understand how good of a weapon he is by getting up the floor, and he’s going to continue to get better and better.”
On the value of bringing back Matt Hodge and Tyler Perkins amid player movement:
“It’s huge. The more years you’re at a job, the better chance you’re going to have to retain. So after year one, having one of your best players come back, and obviously Matt had a great freshman season last year, I feel bad that not enough people are talking about the year that he had. It helps in culture, it helps in practice, it helps in what we do before a game because everyone’s trying to learn something new. We have ten new guys trying to learn how we do stuff.”
On this Villanova team being one of his most versatile:
“I think this is one of my most versatile teams. I like the fact that I can post up Perkins, Devin, Luigi and Kwame when he gets back. I’m still trying to figure out what the best lineups are and all that stuff. I love the fact that we have guys that can shoot it at all four spots, can post up at pretty much all four spots, so I think that’s an advantage.”
On Luigi Suigo picking up two fouls early in the game and fouling out:
“He’s gotta learn. He’s still a freshman, he’s 19. I think everyone sees a 7’3 freshman and assumes he’s a grown man. He’s played high level games for three years. I don’t have to worry about how (Royal) will react, but a 19-year-old from Italy who’s never played high-major basketball before, he’s gotta figure it out. We have to be patient with him, and we have to go through some growing pains a little bit.”
On where Suigo impacts the game the most right now:
“The fact that, for a big guy, we can throw it down low to him and he’s a great passer inside-out. He had some great passes against Rutgers, he had some great passes today. We just have to get him a little more active on the defensive end. He’s gotta be a little more active, but that’s all a part of learning how to be impactful. He’s still learning how to be impactful, and that’s the good thing about it.”
On Elijah Crawford’s role:
“Elijah needs to continue what Elijah is doing. I don’t look at our two exhibitions and be like, this is what they’re having. Even though these guys have been with each other, we didn’t practice during the summer. We were so banged up, and I’ve become kind of anti-practice in the summer because I don’t think we should be putting mileage on these guys bodies in the summer. I think everyone is still trying to figure out a little bit what they’re doing. Elijah did a great job controlling the offense, and I think as he gets more comfortable in what I want and I get more comfortable with him, he’ll continue to get better.”
On how the 5-in-5 rule has impacted Hodge’s return:
“At the end of last year, we talked about potentially redshirting him. It’s one of the reasons we went out and got Devin. Matt was such an important part of how well we played last year, not knowing if we were going to have him. I talked to him and said we were going to be bringing in two really good players because I have to have insurance, but he knows that he’s a huge part of this. When he’s ready, when he’s confident in his knee, he’s going to come back and help us because he’s a really good player. He looks great. He’s full in workouts, the only thing he’s not allowed to do right now is contact. His mindset is good, but the landscape has definitely changed how you treat an injury. Whether you like the five for five rule or you don’t like it, it’s irrelevant. It is what it is now, so you’ve gotta do what’s best for these kids.”
On if Hodge will play this season:
“Very confident. I can’t wait to get him back. I just know how big of a weapon he is and how good of a player he is. Most people forget about him because he went down right before the NCAA Tournament. When we get him and Kwame back, you can play Perkins, Matt, Devin, KJ, and a guard, now you’re big. Right now, we’re not big, but we have that ability to play with.”
On if Hodge will play before or after Christmas:
“Whenever he’s ready.”
On Tony Skinn and the job he’s done at George Mason:
“Tony was one of my best assistants I’ve ever had because he coaches the way he played. A lot of coaches don’t do it. He reminds me of Shaheen (Holloway), he coaches the way he played. Tony was always an excellent recruiter. He was always an excellent guy in practice. I watch all of his games. He’s become a really good X-and-O guy, and his teams play the way that he played. I think that’s why he’s so good.”
On learning anything about the team that he didn’t see in practice:
“I’ll go back and watch the film and take my notes. I think I felt we’d be a bit better of a shooting team at this point, but I think we will get to that point. I have a lot of confidence in our guys. I mean, Jake Fiegen is not going to go 1-for-9 very often. We haven’t shot it great the first two games. I think we will eventually. “
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