LOCKER ROOM REPORT: Wolfpack Players
NC State guards Dereon Seabron and Cam Hayes met with the media following the Wolfpack's 83-74 loss to Richmond Friday evening in the Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout.
Seabron finished the game with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists against the Spiders. Hayes scored 16 points and tacked on three assists for the Pack.
NOTE: Click the video in the player above to watch the players’ interview.
Dereon Seabron
How much of a problem did Richmond cause you inside with their size and physicality?
It was a big problem because usually you just play one-on-one, but it’s hard to defend when you’ve got everybody on the perimeter cutting to the basket. You’ve got to be alert on digging on the ball and when he’s posting up, but you’ve also got to be alert when your man cuts to the basket.
After being on the cusp of winning in these last two games, what will you say to the team as conference play approaches?
We’ve just got to figure out how to close games and not have those mental breakdowns on the defensive end in crunch time.
What’s your mindset been coming into this season?
My mindset is just doing whatever I’ve got to do to help my team. Whether it’s rebounding, defending, scoring, or facilitating, I’m just out there trying to do whatever I can for the team.
What can you take away from these last two games and build off moving forward?
We know what mistakes not to make down the road as we get closer to ACC play. Every game is a big possession game, so we’ve got to value those possessions.
Cam Hayes
After being on the cusp of winning in these last two games, what will you say to the team as conference play approaches?
We just keep giving games away that we should be winning. We’ve just had a lot of mental lapses and not locking in coming out of huddles. We’ve got to do the little things when ACC play comes because a couple of bad possessions will lose you games in this league.
You mentioned the mental mistakes that you guys have made that have cost you games. What’s the most concerning to you?
That we just keep giving games away, basically. It’s one of the big things. We’re not rebounding. We’re having defensive lapses. We turn the ball over. Those are my biggest frustrations that are going on right now.
What can you take away from these last two games and build off moving forward?
We’ve just got to lock in. We can’t play 32 minutes of basketball and spend the last eight minutes not locked in. We have to play 40 solid minutes and make sure we’re mentally locked in for all 40 minutes. When ACC play comes, we can’t make those minute lapses. Yeah, we can get up big, but if we can’t hold a lead, then what’s all that work just to lose it for?