Holloman, Lubin & Williams Postgame Press Conference After #25 NC State’s Win Over VCU

Darrion Williams, Ven-Allen Lubin and Tre Holloman met with the media for their postgame press conference after NC State’s 85-79 win over VCU tonight. You can listen to the audio above, and read the transcript below.

Box Score
Quick Hits
ACCDN Highlight Reel & Condensed Game
Will Wade’s Press Conference

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Darrion, talk about how you put on a great performance, 28 points. How was that? Was that the game plan? Were you ready? How did you put your team on the back today?

Williams: I think it was more of a collective effort than me putting the team on the back. I had some bad turnovers down the stretch that could have cost us the game, but my teammates had my back, and we came out with it. But the points, I mean, it’s just within the flow of the offense, and Tre (Holloman), Q (Quadir Copeland), and the whole team did a good job finding me.

Tre, you set a career high with 25 points tonight. What was working for you?

Holloman: You know, just my teammates. You know, they trusted me. My coaches trusted me. You know, I just put in the work, and the results showed. But, you know, I had five turnovers, and coach always talks about the six-minute game. So we got to be better there. You know, as the point guard, as the leader, you know, I’ve got to value the ball.

You won a close game. How do you keep your composure?

Holloman: You know, we’ve got seniors. So you know, we have been through the wars, been through the battles. So you know, we’ve just got to stay calm, you know, breathe, and we just pulled out with the win.

Ven, obviously, you’ve been in the middle, you know, for the start of this season. How important was Musa (Sagnia) in getting that win and assisting y’all in the front court?

Lubin: He was big, you know, just being able to come out and just bring the energy on both ends of the floor, you know, grabbing offensive, defensive rebounds, getting some stops on defense.

Like, he’s just an incredible player that can really, really help us. And you know, we really value him. So we just wanted to encourage him to continue going and keep being him, because it shows he puts in the work, and we believe that he can do all things to help this team out.

Guys, as you prepare to start your December schedule, what does a statement win like this over VCU say about this team?

Williams: I think it’s good that we had a close game before, like you said, we start this stretch and before we get into conference and everything, because most conference games are going to be close. And winning that six-minute game with a close contest is a big deal for us.

You guys both mentioned the turnovers in that game. What was it about VCU’s defense that created a problem for you?

Holloman: You know, they’re a great team. They’re scrappy. They pressure the ball. But I think that was just on us, you know, not like being impatient, but like rushing and trying to, like, I don’t know, press.

But, you know, we got them back on defense, so.

Williams: Yeah, I think it was mainly on us trying to make the hero play or, like you said, not being on balance or just not being patient with everything.

The Rams held the edge on the offensive glass at halftime. How much was attacking the glass sort of a point of emphasis during halftime?

Lubin: Well, that was one of our game goals, you know, coming into the game, was to win the rebound battle. We know that we’re a little undersized as a team, but we know we got the heart and the guys who can, you know, compete, who can block out and, you know, get the rebound both ends of the floor.

So it was important for me to know that rebounding is something they see value in me once I come out every game. So I want to make sure that I do that and help the team the best I can. And if that’s dominating the glass, then I’ll do it.

There were times where y’all kind of struggled to slow down their ball movement and they finished with, like, 17 assists. You know, what is something you can take from this matchup to slow down their offense?

Williams: Oh, follow the game plan better. Some things we didn’t do that we were supposed to do in those moments when they kind of got to the basket, or hit the 45, cut a lot. So, yeah, just got to play to our potential better.

I did have a question just for hearing the first half of the technical. Do you know what happened right there? What was the reason for that?

I don’t know, me and #2, we were just talking. Just talking hoops, and I guess the ref thought we were being too serious. So he gave me a tech.

How do you clean up the turnovers from tonight?

Williams: Be better, make the right play.

Holloman: Yeah, just be smarter. You know, make the simple play. Coach Howard always, always talks about making the simple play. So probably that.

Lubin: It’s coming in the next day, just to learn from it and watch film together and continue to work on it. That’s something that coach has always emphasized. Take care of the ball, especially in critical moments like this. So it’s just that great preparation that we need in order to take care of the ball and not put ourselves in this position.

Paul got a help to zero points tonight. What was the message to him?

Holloman: Keep shooting.

Williams: Yeah, Paul will be fine.

Holloman: 1,000%.

Lubin: Don’t let this game affect you.

Williams: He’s the best. I think Paul is the best shooter in the country, man. Team held him down, but shoot, if he was four for four, he would have made the four. Probably would have shot eight or nine of them.

But stay confident. He puts more work in than anybody, and he’ll be fine.