If you’ve read my game story in my previous post, here are more quotes on the win over URI:

Erick Green on the first half: “We played really fast in the first half. We came out strong. But then we always have this problem where we let them come back in the game. We’ve got to stop that.”

Green on the defense: “We rotated well. … We contested shots. … The bigs hedged well. We got underneath the screens and contested their 3-point shooting.”

Green on the offense: “Jarelle Eddie, Robert Brown, Cadarian Raines, these guys can really score. Marshall Wood, when he finally gets his feet underneath him … he’s going to be able to score too. Everybody’s worried about me, but I hope they keep worrying about me because these guys can light them up.”

Green on VMI being up next: “They’re fast-paced. They’re going to put up numbers. So we’ve got to … stop the 3-point shot because they’re going to shoot quick.”

Green on the fans: “People don’t think we’re going to be as I think we’re going to be.”

Robert Brown on how the team will improve as the season goes on: “Everyone, including the people on the team, are still wondering how good we can be.”

Brown on the offense: “We pushed the ball pretty well in transition. We were able to get some easy baskets. We were able to get the bigs some touches inside and they scored. Offensively we’re progressing. … This offense kind of fits me and my game and Erick’s game and Jarell’s game a little more, gives us a little more freedom to play. It kind of opens the floor up for the guards and that’s going to in turn open it up for the bigs to get more easy baskets.”

James Johnson onthe first two foes: “We’ve been tested. These are two pretty good teams that are going to be really good.”

Now let’s stop for a dose of reality. ETSU might be good in the Atlantic Sun, but URI is in for a long, long year and will NOT be good this year.

Now, back to Johnson: “We’ve got a lot to work on .. but I think we took a step forward from Saturday.”

Johnson on rebounding: “We still got room to improve but they were better. (Raines) in particular stepped it up. … Wood got in there and got some rebounds for us in the second half.”

Johnson on Green’s 3s at the end of the first half: “Coming out of the timeout we set the play up for him and he came throough and knocked the shot down. … He had the hot hand tonight but the next game it could be somebody else in that situation.”

Johnson on the VT defense: “It was a team effort .. It started from the first play of the game, we got a shot clock violation.”

Johnson on being the one who now gets to make in-game decisions and bark out plays in the huddle: “I’m having fun. I’m enjoying it just like the players. That’s been a thing we’ve talked about all year. We’re going to work hard as a staff and as a team, we’re going to play hard as a team and we’re going to have fun. I think the guys kind of feed off me. I can’t show a lot of emotions out there. … They’re going to kind of look at me and see how I respond to things.”

Johnson on Rankin being back with the team but not playing: “He’ll be ready to go the next game.”

Johnson on Green: “We’re trying to get up and down the floor a little bit more and that’s kind of getting him out in space. The defenses, of course they’re keying on him, he’s a focal part of their game plan, but if he’s out in transition they can’t do a whole lot. They’ve got to try to just contain him. … Erick is doing a great job of leading the team and he’s making great decisions withe basketball…. He’s having fun.”

Johnson on the URI defense: “They came up and guarded us fullcourt man to man and tried to slow us down a little bit. They did a really good job with that. That was a good game plan.”

Johnson on not turning it over too much: “That’s very important. … We value the basketball. If we want to play fast we’re going to turn it over a few times and I’ve got to live with that but I want them to be aggressive turnovers not mental mistakes. I want them to be aggressive turnovers, attacking the basket, playing fast in the fullcourt.”

Johnson on the team’s high-five victory lap around the court: “I want to make (the fans) feel a part of our program. They’re part of our family. Our guys really embrace them and I want them to embrace our guys.”

Johnson on VT’s 3-point defense: “We’re trying to keep guys in front of us and we’re contesting shots.”

URI coach Dan Hurley on the Tech offense: “The story of the game I thought was their perimeter guys, specifically Erick Green. … He’s just such a well-rounded guard, poised, shoots it, flawless, flawless guard. Although they don’t have a ton of scholarship players, the guys they do have are all very capable players.”

Hurley on his offense: “We have such a small margin for error. We obviously don’t have a post game and if we’re not making shots from the perimeter, and we haven’t to this point in the season, it’s hard to get consistent scoring,”

Hurley on Green’s 3-pointers at the end of the first half: “Those were back breakers for us.”