Wes Moore: "We're Fighting For Our Lives"
No. 22 NC State head coach Wes Moore met with the media following the Wolfpack's 73-61 loss to No. 11 Virginia Tech Monday evening in the 15th annual Play4Kay game.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Moore’s press conference.
Opening Statement
It was a very frustrating night. I’ve got to do a better job. To be honest, we had two poor practices leading up to this, and we played kind of like we practiced. At the end of the day, I’ve got to make sure we’re prepared and that we know what we’re doing, and I didn’t do a good job of that. I definitely should’ve called timeout sooner than I did. There are a lot of things that I could do better. Again, it was very frustrating. I’ve got to try to get everybody focused and get the energy back.
On both teams knowing each other well and Virginia Tech having the advantage tonight…
We were supposed to trapping pick-on-the-ball, and we didn’t get that done, and [Geogia] Amoore went off. Like I was saying, I should’ve called timeout a whole lot sooner and tried to regroup the forces a little bit. We got out-rebounded by 18. I always say rebounding’s the most important stat in the game. You give them extra shots. To me, rebounding comes down to hustle and chasing balls down. We just didn’t get that done. Like I said, the last two days of practice have not been good, and it carried over to the game.
On the Hokies’ defense presenting challenges…
They switched to the zone. To be honest, we haven’t been shooting the ball great. At some point, you’ve just got to knock some shots down. I think that’s a big difference. We’ve struggled here of late to hit shots. Obviously, Kenny [Brooks] has done a great job. They’ve got a veteran team. They’re basically where we were a year ago. They’ve got a lot of kids who have been there four years. They were well prepared, and they came out and executed.
On the glue that held the team together in the previous years…
We’re missing leadership, to be really honest. We had some great leaders. Again, we had two kids that had been here five years, one that had been here four, and Raina Perez who was in her fifth year of college, so she was a veteran as well. They knew how to win. They were leaders. Now, they’re gone, and some of the kids who have been here a few years are not used to having that role and are still maybe more concerned about what they’re doing instead of what we, as a team, are doing. Like I said, at the end of the day, it’s on me. I’ve got to do a better job, get them on the same page, and hopefully get them back with some enthusiasm. You’ve got to have heart.
On if NC State versus Virginia Tech is emerging as one of the better ACC and national rivalries…
I don’t know. Right now, I can’t say we’re living up to any rivalry. We’re 6-6 in the ACC now. We’re fighting for our lives.
On getting the Wolfpack where he wants to be…
If I knew the answer to that, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I don’t know. Like I said, we’ve had a great run, and we’re used to winning. It’s tough. I agree; I need to find a way to improve my demeanor. Maybe that will rub off. At the end of the day, you have to prepare. You have to come out and play hard. Like I said, the last two days were not good. I’ll be honest; the effort in the Georgia Tech wasn’t good. I don’t know. This is new territory for me. I’m trying to figure it out.
On the team only recording six assists versus Virginia Tech…
I think we do go one-on-one a little bit too much. Again, I’ve got to keep stressing we want to share the ball. We had six assists tonight. That’s just not what we’re used to or where we want to be. Part of that is, when we do maybe set someone up, we don’t knock the shot down. You don’t get an assist when you don’t knock the shot down. It’s probably a combination. We definitely sometimes try to do too much on our own and get a little bit out of control.
On the value this team still has before the season ends…
Lord, I hope so. We’re running out of time. We’re 6-6 in the league, and thanks to our beautiful friends at the ACC office, we’ve got four of the next five on the road. We’ve got a tough stretch coming up. We’re either going to fight, or we’re going to die. We’ve got to figure it out in a hurry. We’re going on the road for the next couple, Carolina over here, and then two more road games. It’s a big challenge.
On the message to the team going forward…
I don’t know. We’ll see how we come out tomorrow during practice. I told them tonight: “We played like we prepared.” I don’t know, y’all. I guess my message is: “We still have a lot in front of us. We still have opportunities to turn this around and, who knows, maybe do something really good. We can’t do it on the course we’re on right now, so we’ve got to change.” Hopefully, we’ll figure that out.
On the Play4Kay game…
Somebody told me we raised over half a million dollars tonight. That was Coach [Kay] Yow. She was always giving, always caring about other people, and even in her passing, she’s still doing great things and trying to help others. That was pretty neat. It’s great that the way she lived her life is still continuing in her legacy. It’s pretty awesome.
On the halftime ceremony showcasing survivors of breast cancer…
It’s special wherever you are. There are Play4Kay games everywhere. They’re special everywhere, but my goodness, you’ve got to feel like… She spent 34 years here. She’s a legend at NC State, a legend in the state of North Carolina. It’s special to be able to play in these games.