VIDEO/Transcript: Ron Sanchez Talks UVA Basketball's Win Over Manhattan

Matt Newton | 3 Hours Ago

Aaron Snyder

Watch the video below (courtesy of Virginia Sports TV) to see the full postgame press conference with UVA basketball interim head coach Ron Sanchez following Virginia's 74-65 victory over Manhattan on Tuesday night and follow along with the transcript underneath the video to read everything Sanchez said after the game.

On what Virginia focused on after The Bahamas trip and whether Sanchez saw improvement in those areas against Manhattan:

RON SANCHEZ: When we got back from The Bahamas, I think we identified several things that we needed to address a little more. A lot of it was due to experience. We're not the most experienced age wise and experienced as far as having a large number of games together. So we are learning each other. There were some things that we addressed via video that was just schematic things. And there were things that we had to address that were, how can I say this, mental and physical. We wanted to do a much better job of rebounding, taking care of the basketball, and transition defense. Those were probably our three most direct areas of focus the last two days. We don't have a lot of time honestly. When you're traveling like that, you're exhausted. You still want fresh bodies out there so you can't overdo it. Those are the three areas that we wanted to address and I think we did a decent job of it. Not to our liking yet, but definitely took a step forward.

On his evaluation of how the defense is playing right now:

RON SANCHEZ: It's not a grade, it's an understanding. The guys that are on the floor, I do believe that they have a grasp of it. Now, understanding it and executing it at a really high level are two different things. But that's definitely the first step in wanting to be really good defensively. You can see it down the stretch, we had a couple of breakdowns that would've been costly against another opponent.

On Andrew Rohde's improvement this season:

RON SANCHEZ: Andrew's offseason was a lot on his shooting, ball-handling, and some physical development things. That floater is a part of his game. We want guys to be who they are and if it's a shot that he can make and it's a shot that he really works on, then we'll allow him to shoot it. Andrew's doing a really good job of communicating. He's got a lot of experience in an inexperienced group, so his leadership on the floor is also part of his development as a player as well.

On Virginia's advantage in the paint vs. Manhattan and taking less three-pointers:

RON SANCHEZ: That was the game plan for today. I give Coach Gallagher a lot of credit. That's a really good basketball team. They shoot the ball well. They open you up. They didn't have the physicality of a Tennessee or a St. John's, but their bigs could shoot it better or shoot it just as well. When you have guys that can screen and separate and put you in rotations, those things are a little harder to defend and I think that we didn't do a great job of it, but I think we did a decent job and we'll grow from here.

The Plus/Minus: Virginia Basketball Controls Manhattan

On Virginia not having an elite guard defender:

RON SANCHEZ: Virginia, as a whole, as a program, Virginia fans, this institution has been very fortunate over the last decade. Over 10 years, you had a lead guard with a lot of experience and a lot of ability. The last freshman point guard that we played here was London Perrantes when he came. And he wasn't a starter at first and he worked his way in there. I remember the day like it was yesterday. Since that point, we've always had a point guard in there who had multiple years of experience and had leadership skills and was really able to carry the load of being the tip of the sword defensively. Right now, we don't have that because Reece Beekman is not here. And he's not walking through the door. So, right now, it has to be an inexperienced guy and the only way you get there is by getting more games on your belt. So, I'll tell you this, coming off that weekend it's really hard to show on the court again and put up enough energy to get it done. So, I'm really proud of our guys for going through that, identifying things that we as coaches told them we need to work on, and diligently working at trying to be better at those specific areas. As long as we have that level of posture, we'll continue to journey forward and we'll improve every single game.

On the changes made to the starting lineup:

RON SANCHEZ: That was intentional. I'm big on stats and numbers, so I'm going to wait until I look at the game and see what the production was. What I did like is that we took care of the ball from the beginning. Some of the turnovers that we had were more individual than it was system type of turnovers. So, I did like the way we got started today.

On Isaac McKneely's aggressiveness and shot volume:

RON SANCHEZ: I think Isaac's trying to play the role that we need him to play, which is, I don't know that it's completely natural to him. But I do believe that he wants to play it. But he's also such a team guy. He doesn't want to be selfish. He doesn't want to take multiple shots in a row. However, our encouragement to him is that, when you're open, shoot it. I think that three-point shot that he took in front of our bench kind of bolstered us forward because we were in a little bit of a drought there. Those are the shots that he has to make and take. I like him coming off those ball screens and just shooting it. He did it against Villanova, did it again tonight. Those are the type of shots that we want him to take and we're gonna continue to encourage him to take them, whether he makes them or misses them isn't the point. It's, is it a good shot for him and I believe that they are.

On prepping for Friday's game against Holy Cross with Thanksgiving:

RON SANCHEZ: That's the best part about it. There's no school. So they can sleep in a little more. I gotta talk to Ronnie Wideman, who runs the show. He really is the boss behind the scenes here. And he'll let us know what the schedule will be. Mike Curtis is really important and Ethan Saliba, they do a great job of taking care of our guys. So, we'll work hard, maybe not as long. And we'll continue to address the things that I started with today. We gotta continue to eliminate losing and then we'll watch our film and see the situations where we made mistakes, unnecessary long outlet passes with a 10-point lead and three minutes on the clock. Things like that. I talk a lot about shared experiences and you have to go through these things in order to come out on the other side. You can't navigate this. You can't get better unless you travel the road. This tough rough is required.

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