LOCKER ROOM REPORT: Wolfpack Players

NC State guards Dereon Seabron and Casey Morsell met with the media following the Wolfpack's 62-59 loss to Virginia Tech Wednesday evening.

Seabron finished the game with 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals against the Hokies. Morsell added 11 points off the bench with four rebounds and three steals.

NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch the players’ press conference.

What happened during the first 8-1/2 minutes? What went wrong?

DS: I just think we came out and didn’t hit our shots, and on the defensive end, we were blowing too many assignments, giving guys open looks, and let them drive to the paint to score the basket.

What did you talk about in the huddle at the TV timeout?

DS: It was definitely, “One possession at a time.” We just had to stay together and not have mental breakdowns. Even though things weren’t going our way, we had to keep fighting and try to crawl back into the game.

Does it feel like it’s the same game over and over again every night?

CM: Yeah. It’s the details. It’s the details: locking in on the little things. We know, as a team, that we can beat any team in the country. It’s about locking in, completing the possession, remembering plays, and doing the little things it takes to win games. We’re fine with the big things in terms of scoring the ball and doing different things to put us in a position to win. It’s the details that we need to figure out to close out games.

Do you feel like you exhausted yourselves trying to get back into the game?

DS: No, I think our wind was there. We’re a running team, so we’re in good shape. I feel like it came down to the last couple of possessions of the game. We knew, in that last media timeout, that every possession was going to be important, especially if we were going to come back to win the game.

CM: Yeah, I think we had a good feel of what to expect. When you play a team the second time, it’s always tougher to beat them. You can tell they’ve watched film, locked in on scouting, and learned from their mistakes in the first game. At the end of the day, we’re in a position to win these games. We’ve just got to clean it up.

What was the plan on the final possession of the game?

DS: It was really to get the best look we could, no matter who it was coming off the pass. We’re just trying to get a good look to put us in the best position to put us in overtime.

CM: To add onto that, the play was set up to get multiple clear looks. [Terquavion Smith] happened to be the one that got it, but the play was for multiple people.

Casey, this is probably the best game you’ve played since the Nebraska game. Do you feel healthy now? Has getting your rhythm back been an issue for you?

CM: Yeah. It was definitely a step back for me. I wasn’t as quick. I wasn’t as explosive. I kind of rushed it back, but as time goes on, I feel a lot better. Right now, I think it’s pretty much 100 percent, but I think trying to get into a flow or rhythm took some time.

Dereon, was Virginia Tech doing anything different when you got the ball tonight?

DS: Yeah, I could definitely tell. Anytime I had the ball and tried to attack, all five guys honed in on me in the paint. It was hard to get driving lanes, so the couple of times I did drive, I had to kick to the corner.

Casey, how personal will Saturday’s game versus Virginia be for you?

CM: It’s not personal. It’s just another game. Of course, those guys are still considered family to me, but I wouldn’t say it’s personal. We’ll probably laugh at the end of the game.