BLACKSBURG – Ringing in the start of the new season, Virginia Tech men's basketball held its preseason press conference on Tuesday. Read below for what head coach Mike Young and three of his players had to say.
Head coach Mike Young
On the ups and downs of last year and how it changed his perspective as a head coach:
"I don't know if it necessarily changed anything, but I know there is always going to be peaks and valleys, especially over a 35-game season. You know, you hang in there and keep showing up. That team continued to show up and practice well. I can remember it like it was yesterday. We were 10-10, 2-7 ACC and the world was crumbling around me. But we strung a couple of games together and got some wind under our sails, and became the type of team that we all knew that we could become."
On his team this year and the cohesiveness he's seen so far:
"There seems to be a nice chemistry among the group. The new people have been brought along and into the unit. We're still figuring a number of things out. We got five new guys, but that core group is back. And it's really a strong core group with Justyn [Mutts] and Hunter [Cattoor]. Sean Pedulla is really coming into his own and I would argue that process really begun last year, and Darius Maddox continues to get better. So, we're excited in Blacksburg."
Forward Justyn Mutts
On being labeled a 'Mike Young guy' and what that means to him to be considered that by his head coach:
"It means the world to me just to be in an environment and a culture where there is that level of trust, and not just for me but for all of my teammates, as well. It just makes you want to keep working hard. When you step on the floor, when you're playing for that coach, you just know that he trusts you to make the best decision. And due to that, you end up trusting yourself more, too."
Guard Hunter Cattoor
On last year's success raising the standard of what the team wants to accomplish this season:
"I think we have always had that standard. I think coming into the year, we wanted to be the best team that we could possibly be and achieve the most that we could achieve. I think throughout the year, we hit ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we never wavered from what our goal was. So, once we won the ACC championship, obviously, it may have been a big shock for everyone else, but for us, it wasn't a shock of that we couldn't have won it. I felt like since Day 1 we felt like we could have won it. I think the standard is trying to win each day, and whatever happens past that happens."
Guard Sean Pedulla
On the difference of coming off the bench versus starting and how that was with teammate Darius Maddox:
"As far as Darius [Maddox] and I, we had a lot of conversations last year about our roles. I remember going into games with knowing we may have to score a little more in certain games. So, if I pass to you, don't hesitate to shoot it. And that's more of the same for this upcoming season even more so, because we will have bigger roles. But we realized that with these bigger roles, we'll have to defend for longer, play without fouling, get guys open, those type of things. So, we've both have had those conversations and look forward to the opportunities that will come this year."