Bulldogs Drop Meeting with Yellow Jackets

Friday, November 19

Athens, Ga.

9:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

2-2,0-0SEC

Georgia Tech

3-1,0-0ACC

Georgia Tech

Georgia

November 20, 2021 | Men's Basketball

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PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEOS

Coach Crean

J. Ingram

ATHENS, Ga. — The University of Georgia men's basketball team fell, 88-78, to arch-rival Georgia Tech in the first meeting between the two team since 2019 on Friday evening before 9,057 fans at Stegeman Coliseum.

"We had a great environment," Georgia head coach Tom Crean said. "I was really excited to see that kind of crowd here. I'm just sorry we couldn't send them home with a win. But they had a lot to do with our energy. They were fantastic. Hopefully they go home and say you know what, this team works really hard, they've just got a lot to learn. Unfortunately when you're four games in like this with such a new group there is a lot of learning that's going on."

Graduate Aaron Cook led Georgia in scoring with 18 points on 6-for-13 shooting, while graduate Jailyn Ingram notched a season-high 17 points and six assists. Sophomore Jabri Abdur-Rahim added 10 points. For the game, Georgia shot 50 percent from the field and tallied eight 3-pointers on 47 percent shooting beyond the arc.

Georgia started the game by making their first three shots to take an early 9-7 lead. Ingram led the way for Georgia with five early points. The Bulldogs and the Yellow Jackets went back and forth until Georgia took a 24-19 lead following an Ingram basket with eight minutes before the break.

Georgia's hot start quickly cooled as the team went 6-15 from the free-throw line in the first half. Senior Michael Devoe led the way for the Yellow Jackets with 19 points at the half, scoring eight points in the final two minutes as Georgia Tech amassed a 41-36 lead heading into the locker room.

The Yellow Jackets took a 10-point lead early in the second half following back-to-back threes by sophomore Deivon Smith and Devoe. The Bulldogs answered with six straight points from graduate students Ingram and Aaron Cook. The teams went back and forth before a Abdur-Rahim steal and dunk brought the Bulldogs within a point with 6:31 left in the game.

Georgia took their first lead of the second half with 5:12 left in the game following an Ingram basket. The team swapped baskets over the next two minutes, before the Yellow Jackets went on an 8-0 run, and put the game out of reach.

Georgia travels to Newark, N.J. for the Legend Classic at the Prudential Center to face Virginia on Monday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. EST. The game will broadcast on ESPNU. The Bulldogs and Cavaliers have previously met seven times on the hardwood. Georgia fell to Virginia, 87-54 on Dec. 24, 1987, at the Chaminade Christmas Class in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Head Coach Tom Crean
Opening Statement: Unfortunately, when you're four games in like this with such a new group there is a lot of learning that's going on.

When we show that learning we end up doing a pretty good job, like being in position to draw charges, forcing an extra pass. But there is too many times as one of the coaches said, and he said it right, we're out there just playing basketball, right, rather than thinking basketball.

There were too many times inside of the game that we did not do the job on the game plan, especially with Devoe and taking away his left hand. We fell asleep a little bit couple times on cuts. They fell asleep on us a couple times on cuts.

But they just scored too many points at the rim.

Again, we had numerous chances. We overcame deficits, we came back, but we missed free throws tonight at crucial times. It's one thing to shoot 12 of 14 in a game; it's another thing to shoot it at the times of the game that we then.

So we got a lot of learning to do. They want to learn. There is a lot of fundamental learning that's got to continue to go when it comes to switching, when it comes to what we're trying to take away from somebody, and then just having the wherewithal, stick-to-it-ivness which is locked in focus that we've just got to get better at.

We've got to do -- we just got to get that understood. It's not complicated, okay? What's complicated is when you're not locked into what we need to do. We're not in a place yet where we have a lot of different schemes and coverages. We're not a veteran group enough yet as a program to do this on this team.

But when we did do things right, when we did defended right, it worked out well for us. When we didn't, they got clean looks at the basket or tips if they missed.

So we've got a short period of time to get better before we play on Monday and Tuesday.

Q. Coach, you mentioned a lot of those issues. I mean, it's kind of unprecedented to throw ten new guys together in one season. I mean, what are you learning about this process, I guess, and how close do you think you are?
TOM CREAN: Well, I don't know how close. I would say this: With ten new guys, you would be shocked at what some never were taught. Maybe even the ones that were in college. Some basic things.

One of the biggest areas we're not going to make the jump -- you know, there is almost times we've got to go back to a summer camp teaching fundamentals on day one in station type of work because it's just not engrained yet.

We spend time at that, but it's just not engrained yet. A lot of this stuff is certainly correctable. The free throw shooting, the shooting, things of that nature.

What's got to happen for this team is they've got to come together and talk on the floor. We've got to be able to execute basic switches with communication. We've got to be able to take away elements of a game plan, take away strengths, and especially the one thing we've really done is really short circuited how much we give them preparation-wise, because -- especially for the other team, based on the fact that we have so many new guys.
But the things we do focus on we got to do a better job with. So I don't have an answer of how long it's going to take, but we do have a great group of guys that work extremely hard. It's just a matter of building some to togetherness and toughness that eventually turns into some resolve and some unity.

Q. Your defensive numbers before today looked decent for the first three games. Was a lot of this just about what Georgia Tech does or a matchup, and how much do you think it's going to carry over against Virginia or Northwestern or Providence?
TOM CREAN: Well, I have no idea how it's going to carry over. I would hope that it wouldn't. That would be nothing that we want to carry over. We have defended better. We just didn't take away strengths of the opponent tonight, individual strengths as much as we should have.

Q. What was the chief problem with defending Devoe?
TOM CREAN: Getting on his left hand consistently. It's as simple as that. He can score with his right hand. He really doesn't dribble real well with his right hand, and we just let him get to his strength.

We never made him uncomfortable for extended periods of time, and we didn't make Usher uncomfortable. They're veterans, ACC champions. They've been through a lot. They're really good players. They've got a good team, really good team. We just never made them uncomfortable enough, and we got to get that corrected.

Q. Can you talk about Jabri's performance, scoring ten points, the confidence that he gained?
TOM CREAN: Yeah, we need that. We need Jabri to play well. I'm glad to see him shoot the ball. He made some good defensive plays, and we need him to be able to be an efficient contributor, and that's a very good start for him tonight.

Q. Aaron Cook kind of took it on himself today, I guess taking some of the blame for what happened on the court. You like to see that from him, to try to be a leader like he's trying to be right now?
TOM CREAN: Yeah, absolutely. And I want to see the resolve of changing, right? He's a tremendous leader. So I'm not privy before I come in here to see what was said by the players in the press conference, but it doesn't surprise me.

But we have a lot of -- there are things we do really well, but a lot of basic elements of basketball that we've got to get better at. You know, we just do.

Again, it's a daily process. We've got some guys that have been in Division I. Obviously the roles they have here they didn't have at their other places; but at the same time, there is a lot of basic things of basketball that they don't quite understand yet, but they're really working hard to get it.

So that becomes a factor. So it's never on just one person. It starts with me and it trickles down from there. But when we did, when we did guard the way we were supposed to guard we did a pretty good job. We do charges, we put them in tough, different situations.

We've got to be locked in longer. There is just no doubt about that.

Q. Hey Coach, in spite of the result tonight I think the guys did a pretty good job responding to the high stakes of an intense rivalry, especially considering the current state of their development as a team like you mentioned. I thought the energy and effort were definitely there. Aside from that, what was your biggest takeaway from tonight as game?
TOM CREAN: I'll have to go watch the film, and as soon as I'm done with this I will. I think I've covered it. I think when we made the game easy on offense and we cut and we didn't over-penetrate we did some really good things.

There is no question we are going to see a couple calls or noncalls in the game that would've turned the tide, in a sense of goal tending calls and things of that nature. That's going to be part of the game, and unfortunately some of those things happened at really crucial times.

I think we'll see that, but there is nothing we can do about it now. But bottom line is we've got to get ourselves ready over the weekend to go play some really good basketball teams in New Jersey in a short period of time.
Q. At one point in the second half I saw you throw your hands up to get the crowd going and get everyone riled in. I notice that gets the momentum going for the offense. How important do you think that was in an environment like tonight?
TOM CREAN: We had a great environment. Yeah, I was really excited to see that kind of crowd here. I'm just sorry we couldn't send them home with a win. But they had a lot to do with our energy. They were fantastic. Hopefully they go home and say you know what, this team works really hard, they've just got a lot to learn.

I think Mike said it best. We've got 10 new guys out there, and the returner that we had is not out there, PJ Horne. But we're learning. We're a way better team, night and day different team than where we were when we went to Charlotte for the exhibition.

It's four games in. There is a lot of learning to do. There is a lot of basketball to be played. Like I said earlier, too, we can't just play it, we got to think it.

Part of thinking it is talking. That's where we have got to make strides, consistently. Quickly, but consistently.

Q. Georgia Tech, in particular Devoe, had a very efficient game. They shot 60% from the field; 53% from three. Was it just a matter of them making shots, or it was something scheme-wise that was just freeing them up to make so many shots tonight?
TOM CREAN: That's really been the topic of the whole conversation here, is that we didn't do a good job of taking away strengths. In the case of Devoe, taking way his left hand, and in the case of Usher being alert to his cutting.

So those are basic basketball things. When you have a guy that you want to -- well, when we did put pressure on the ball in the entry pass to the high post we had some good fortune. When we didn't, they were able to play relaxed.

You can't get let a good team not feel you consistently. They were times they did, but at the end of the day, we make those free throws at crucial situations, I think we're talking a different story, too.

We just missed free throws. The 12 of 24 is not nearly as important as the time of the 12 and 24; that set us back a little bit.

# 10 Aaron Cook || Senior
On the last five minutes of the game….
"Yeah, we pretty much got some momentum going – felt that was enough to pull it out. We kind of drifted away from our game plan so I think that came back to bite us later on in the game."

On Georgia Tech's Michael Devoe…
"He was just too comfortable the whole game. We were supposed to focus on him in the game plan. We just didn't focus on him enough. Let him get to his left hand and he was just comfortable the whole night."

On Stegeman's atmosphere….
"It was definitely one to remember. I'm glad it was a home game. Once we made a couple of plays we had the crowd behind us and the momentum definitely helped us to come back once we went down by a few. Just being in this atmosphere is unbelievable and it was an experience for me that I'll never forget."

On Jabri Abdur-Rahim…
"Every night we have to be ready when your number is called, he did that tonight. Jabri works day in and out on his shot. He's in the gym with me every day so he was just ready when his number was called. His points and contributions definitely helped us."

On his individual performance…
"I definitely felt the need to step up as a veteran in a big rivalry game. I just did what we did all week. I tried to pick the weaknesses in their zone and just try to get to those spots. I was able to finish those plays."

On Georgia Tech's offense…
"It was the split-action that they kept running. I feel like we were getting confused as a team on when to switch or when to stay up. They had us a step-behind every time they got the ball, so they were able to be comfortable the whole game to get to their spots and make shots."

On the free throw shooting…
"Free throws definitely help. We know that we can make free throws, but we just have to come in a focus and take a different approach to it. Just knock them down and concentrate every time we go up. That's for everyone on the team when we get to the free throws. We have to concentrate and knock them down."

No. 0 Jailyn Ingram || Senior
On losing to a rival...
"I think we just made some costly mistakes. Like Jailyn (Ingram) said, we got away from our gameplan a little bit. I feel like a lot of it had to do with what I was doing on the court. I had a costly turnover and a couple of bad shots. As a leader on this team, I take full responsibility for the loss that we had tonight."

On what he has learned following the game...
"It has definitely helped. I think they really showed us that we have to improve on our defense. Offensively, we got some shots that we wanted. The zone kind of messed with us, but those are things that we have to figure out going forward. I think on Monday and Tuesday we will be ready for that."

On the team's mistakes...
"Whenever a team shoots 60% from the field, and we miss 10 or 11 free throws, and you let one guy go for 37 points, it's almost impossible to win. The team goal is to keep the opposing team to 39.9% field goal percentage. Tonight, we just didn't get it done. Our defensive intensity wasn't nearly as high as it should have been. Myself, I should have taken care of the ball a lot more. I am still learning, trying to figure out this offense and how I can be effective and more efficient with the handle. Like I said, it's something that we have to work on going forward, and we definitely will."

On slowing down Micheal DeVoe on defense…
"He is definitely a really good player. He was really smart about how he was getting into people's bodies and bouncing out to get to his spot and get his shot off. That's no excuse to why he scored so many points. Like Jailyn (Ingram) said, with the split action, we have to figure that out, how to guard that without getting confused. I think that in itself would have stopped a lot of their offense because they rely on that heavily. Devoe, like I said, is a really good player, but it's unacceptable to ever let somebody score 37 points in a college basketball game."

On the bright spots of the game…
"The biggest thing about this team that I'm inspired about is that we fight until the very end. That's a thing that not many teams have, especially teams with 10 new guys who are still trying to figure out how to play with each other for the first time ever. I think we're starting to figure it out as a team how to score offensively, who's good at what. Like I said, we just fight to the very end. I'm very proud of this team, but tonight just didn't fall our way."

On the scoring efficiency during the game…
"The biggest thing when it comes to scoring is moving the ball, making the defense move. When you get the ball movement like that, it's easy to score. It's one or two dribbles to the basket and then lay it up, or you get an open shot from three. That's what we really need to focus on. That's something that I need to do a better job of, getting us in offense and move the ball myself. I feel like I over dibble way too much when I'm on the floor. Watching film, that's what I see and something I need to work on. Like I said, I take full responsibility for what happened tonight. That's what gets us going offensively is moving that ball."

Georgia Tech Head Coach Josh Pastner
Opening statement…
"First off, I want to give a lot of credit, I think Georgia is really good. Obviously, Coach (Tom) Crean does an incredible job, one of the best coaches in the game. I said this the other day, you don't have the success that he had at Indiana and Marquette, and also what he has done at Georgia without being one of the elite coaches in the game. So, I think Georgia is really good, I think they have a lot of good players, they run really well, they defend. That's a great win for us to beat a really good basketball team like that, on the road and really in our first true road game environment in about two years. I will tell you what, coaching is overrated. Coaches probably get too much credit and too much blame. It is a player's game; it is not about the X's and O's; it is about the Jimmys and Joes. Tonight, our players made plays, made big shots, and made big plays, all across the board. All of our guys just made big plays, so credit goes to our young men, our staff did a great job with preparation, but all credit goes to the players. You don't win games like this without guys stepping up and making big time plays on both sides of the ball. So, all credit goes to the players. It is a player's game it is not a coach's game; it is not about the X's and O's; it is all about the Jimmys and Joes. Tonight, our Jimmys and Joes, our young men, our student athletes, made some big plays, especially down the stretch."

On keeping positive team vibes…
"I have said it since I have gotten the job here, what I believe for Georgia Tech to be successful in this time period in the ACC, I have said this, I believe you have got to get old and stay old. That is the best way for Georgia Tech to be successful. Tonight, some of our older guys just did a really great job, but our young guys gave us some really good minutes too, and some key stretches. So really proud of our young guys as well, just a great team win. And when you win a game like this on the road, you know where we are going, we are going to the gas station. Any road win, we go to the gas station. I think this gives us good vibes to the Georgia Tech football team tomorrow to beat Notre Dame. Life is about energy, it is just infections, and it can just spread. I am telling you; we are spreading that energy to the Georgia Tech football team to beat Notre Dame tomorrow. Go Jackets."

On key players…
"It was a little bit of a risk to play Rodney (Howard) with four fouls, but you guys know me I play guys with two fouls, three fouls, four fouls. Rodney, to his credit, was able to play really well, stayed in the game. Tonight, he had eight points, seven rebounds, and four assists, only one turnover, had a big block shot. Just really proud of his desire, determination, and really stayed sound. He has just gotten better, and better, and better, really proud of Rodney. Deivon (Smith) made some big plays; Deivon made some really big plays in the second half. He had a big three, had a big steal, big deflection and he is getting better. I though Kyle Sturdivant gave us some really good minutes early in that first half too. Miles Kelly and Deebo (Dallan Coleman), great for them to be able to play in this environment, to continue to get better. Saba (Gigiberia) gave us good minutes early. Everybody that played really contributed and gave us great minutes. Khalid Moore was solid. It was a really good team win. Really proud of our guys, I think we ended up with plus nine on the glass, again we shot the ball well from three. Hey guys, it is a player's game. I don't know if I ever said this, but it is not about the X's and O's; it is all about the Jimmys and Joes. Our Jimmys and Joes which are the student athletes, which are the players, it is the players. And the players made plays and we had a great win, great for Georgia Tech. I am so enthused for our young men; I am so enthused for Yellow Jacket nation. How about my man Todd Stansbury, the greatest A.D in the world. I am so happy for Todd Stansbury, and President (Ángel) Cabrera. Please tweet that out, that on my press conference, that I wanted to give a shout out to those two guys, because those are my bosses and I know how important these wins are to them. So, I wanted to give a great shout out to Mr. Stansbury, and President Cabrera. Great win for the jackets, but how about a great win for our students, it was great for Yellow Jacket nation, and just great for everybody. Go Jackets."

On winning on the road after Georgia's 2-point lead...
"I'll tell you, they made some plays. Georgia's good. I know where they're picked in the SEC, but the people that picked them in the SEC are wrong. Georgia's going to be really good in the SEC. They're going to be a team that's reckoned with I'm just telling you, this is going to end up being a great win for us down the road. They're a good basketball team, they've got good players, they're very well coached. They're going to be a team that makes noise in, they're going to beat a lot teams in the SEC. Yes, they took the lead and it was really good for our guys, but I've got to say this, we responded. You know in life everything's about how its deeper than it looks on the surface. We lose the game to Miami Ohio, and I was sick to my stomach, I couldn't believe it. Losing stinks and I tell you what because we lost that game, things are always deeper than you see on the surface. It looked like that loss was a little bit deeper you see. That actually was the best thing for us because we were able to be exposed to some things we needed to correct to get better on, we did that and that helped us win tonight. That's why life at the time it might get a little down in the dumps, but things are always deeper than they look on the surface and that's exactly what happened in the Miami Ohio game. That loss, we were able to correct some things and it helped us win tonight. Go Jackets."

Georgia Tech Senior Michael Devoe
On the game from two years ago and if it came into his mind…
"The biggest thing was getting the win. It was on my mind the whole time, and the game from two years ago when we lost. Like Jordan (Usher) said, this rivalry has been going on for hundreds of years. For us to get this win tonight is huge. All of the attributes and stats, none of that means anything. It's about the wins and losses. For me, I'm glad we got the win tonight. Everybody, from who didn't play to those playing the most minutes on our roster, they all made a huge contribution tonight."

On his shooting…
"When I see my first one go in, I just feel like the rim gets bigger. For me, I feel like I'm one of the best shooters in the country, so I've got to stay consistent in my shooting and in working."

On Rodney Howard…
"He played tremendous towards the end of the game. The huge block at the end was a great possession, it was a big possession for us. When he's playing like that, we're a hard team to beat. I want to give my hats off to Rodney Howard, he played tremendous towards the end. I'm really proud of him."