Ross Hodge press conference summary: 2-12
West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge addressed the media ahead of the road contest at UCF and WVSports.com provides a summary of what was said.
–Hodge believes that his team has gotten better really everywhere. The collective understanding of what they’re trying to do along with defensive and offensive spacing. Also individual players have gotten better but where they can continue to improve is all areas both individually and collectively. There is a battle you have to fight this time of the year that you are what you are and what is what you are but until the last horn goes off you can continue to get better as a team. Defensively you kind of morph each year and different teams have different identities but what this team has done particularly well is playing without the foul. This team has done that well and also has made more free throws than the opponent has attempted in several games. You have to continue to evolve as a team and get better.
–For UCF you have to give the coaching staff credit. Anytime you’re coaching a team where not one player was back the year before and you have a winning record in the Big 12 and positioned yourself to be in the NCAA Tournament Coach Dawkins has done one of the best coaching jobs that nobody is talking about. UCF did a great job of finding players from different experiences. UCF also brought in some guys that had some familiarity and they’ve had a great schedule and taken advantage of it.
–Hodge said that some of where UCF is positioned in the metrics can be explained by the way that some of those metrics are calculated. For example, West Virginia beat Campbell by eight and dropped multiple spots and lost by a lot at Arizona and didn’t drop at all. It’s about how you beat certain teams at times not just winning the games because it is data driven. KenPom has a starting point for where it starts you so it relies on historical data from the previous teams and previous rosters. When you get chances and you’re playing a team that you’re supposed to beat bad you have to do that.
–Hodge said that he wouldn’t say anything has surprised him about the Big 12. They all know the Big 12 is back and it dipped down a little bit last year but this year with how strong it is at the top it’s pushed the middle and the bottom even more up. The top has separated themselves a little but but what you see in the middle and bottom is a very small margin for error and separation on a nightly basis with any team having the ability to beat any team. As soon as you want to write somebody off, they jump up. Hodge thinks that team matchups play a role in those and when you catch them on the schedule matters. All the players are talented and the coaches are good and sometimes that beats you.
–The bye was good it’s a little different because you played on Sunday. With where they were and they did decide to take Monday and Tuesday off and got back Wednesday. They got some mental and physical rest and got a good day of playing and prepping and now you’re back in your normal routine.
–Hodge doesn’t know if he would describe what’s occurred with UCF as ups and downs. They are 12-2 at home and their losses are to Vanderbilt and Arizona. Some of their other losses they have lost to good teams on the road. Like most teams they are good at home and it starts with Themus Fulks. He’s been as impactful as any player in the Big 12 this year. They’ve been very consistent at home which is where West Virginia has to play them next.
–Hodge said that the bye week is definitely worth having to schedule two extra out of conference games and what that could mean for the metrics. It’s such a physical league and you have to be so sharp mentally each night so you need a mental break.
–No final decision has been made on Jackson Fields but all signs are trending toward him applying for a medical redshirt. Ultimately, you want to be supportive and not put anybody out there on the floor that doesn’t feel like they’re at their 100-percent best. He had a legit surgery in the summer and was late coming back and his grip strength being able to lift weights was significantly impacted. If you’re not at your best, the job of the medical staff is to put them in the best position long term as well.
–Hodge doesn’t know if the league leads coaches to say some of the post game comments that occurred yesterday across the league. But you’d have to ask them. However, coaching does sometimes bring out some of your worst qualities and you have to show true resiliency. Maybe the messaging looks bleak sometimes, but teams have responded well and played great after that in the past. The Big 12 is a grind with the competitive environment and the venues you’re in and if you’re not razor sharp you’ll get your butt kicked. There’s a fine line between excuses and reasons and as a coach you have to do the best job you can to create accountability structures where it needs to be but also having the emotional intelligence to understand that some games you have to play so well and so good in environments that you can’t allow it to spill over to the next game. You have to turn the page really quick. In the midst of those games there still are tons of plays that your team should have made regardless of the team you’re playing. That’s where the accountability has to come in regardless of who you’re playing.
–Hodge doesn’t believe that playing UCF twice in three weeks creates any sort of unique situation. It’s a league spread out across multiple time zones and there will be some uniqueness in that. It doesn’t change anything from a preparation standpoint.
–Hodge said you can do a lot of different things to overcome poor shooting such as sending all five to the offensive glass. You can try your best to manipulate some of the spacing components of where help is being offered from. But there has to be individual accountability from the players as well. If you’re open or getting the foul line you have to step up and make those. Hodge hasn’t looked at a time where he watched the games and thought they have lost their way and are taking horrendous shots. But there are situations they can do things such as coming up with loose balls that can help them. It’s not as complicated as it may seem or feel as bad as it does at times going through those scoring droughts.
–Hodge thinks that effort has always been pretty good. The expectation and urgency wanes at times in particularly with some of his team’s starts. You can’t let your offense dictate your defense and when you get opportunities to step up and make an offensive play you have to do it. But nobody is pointing the finger on the team.
–Hodge was asked about Miles Sadler and he that you want to stay connected to what they’re doing even with the season going on. You want to continue to strengthen those relationships not only with him but his family and the same goes for all the signees so there is some connectivity. Hodge has been able to watch players when they’re not playing and they’re excited about Sadler and what he’s doing with his team.
–Hodge said a coach’s primary job is to put players in the best position to have success and you can still find ways to steal a couple baskets here or there. Finding that fine line balance of holding guys accountable but at the same time making sure that they know you believe in them. Players get corrected so much that you have to balance that out with how much you believe in them and the improvement they’ve made. You have to help them with all of it and finding new ways to attack other people with how you’re being guarded. And just making sure that you’re doing your part. The easiest crutch a coach can use is to blame his players and sometimes that is right but sometimes you can do better. Hodge always wants to start with himself on what he can do better.
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