Everything Bowling Green coach Fred Chmiel said after loss to South Carolina

Former South Carolina assistant coach and Bowling Green head coach Fred Chmiel spoke to the media following a 114-47 loss to the Gamecocks

Here’s everything he said.

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Opening Statement

“Yeah, it’s the number two team in the country for a reason. Not only do they have great players, they have great coaching. (The) environment is incredible. It’s a lot to handle, and it was a lot for us to handle. I thought the second half, we played with a little more composure, a little more fight. It was a little overwhelming for us in the first half. You try to warn these young people about what they’re about to walk into. But there’s nothing that duplicates Colonial Life Arena. Nowhere in the country duplicates that. So, you know, I’m proud of, I’m proud of my team for their fight in the second half. And I’m very impressed with Staley’s team. I think they’re a national championship-type team.”

Fred, welcome back. The transition USC had, especially in the first half, you’re probably expecting it, but what was it that threw you guys off there?

“Yeah, I think we just, you know, the shots came off the rim rather quickly. They were quicker to the ball, and they got out in front of us. And we got a freshman point guard, the recognition is a little bit slow, and then we got two other guards that were playing their hearts out and were a little exhausted. We gave up a lot of transition points that way, but no excuses. I mean, they’re a hard group to they’re a hard group to wrangle. Once they get going downhill, I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know many teams in the country that put up much fight with that.”

How are you in this experience? Were there a couple of days where it was a little odd thinking, “Hey, I’m back in this place where I enjoyed so much success and did so many great things.” ?

“It was, it was different for me. Rolling into town and seeing some of the areas that I used to frequent and some of the routes I used to take to work and the office that I spent so much time in, it’s a little out-of-body experience, I can say that, I guess.”

“But you know, I had great moments here, I had great times. And you know, I still love all the people here. They’re like my family. You truly spend more time with that staff than you do with your own family. So seeing them is great, you know, we took it on the chin, but I think it’ll be a learning experience.”

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Between their two exhibitions and two regular-season games, South Carolina has scored more than 90 points in all those games. What did you see from what the Gamecocks are doing offensively that’s allowing them to just pull on all these points?

“I think they’re extremely long and athletic. They’re quick off the floor. They’re quick in transition. They got a great floor leader in Raven (Johnson). Their guards fill those wings quickly, the post rim run fast. I mean, they’re hard to contain. It’s hard to contain. And then once they get up, they get that ball up on the glass. Even when they’re missing, they’re monsters on the glass. It’s a hard box out, you know, they just play above you.”

“I do think that defensively, we weren’t ready for that. We weren’t ready for that length. We weren’t ready, you know, they did a lot of switching on us, and we planned on attacking, their fives and getting downhill, but there just wasn’t enough room to get downhill. You know, we did a little bit better job in the second half, but they’re overwhelmed.”

What did you learn about your team from this game, and what takeaways do you want your players to take?

“I just think, you can’t be afraid. Can’t be afraid. They’re a great team. They’ve got players who are McDonald’s All-Americans. They got a Hall of Fame coach. But you still have to play the game. You still have to go out there and play possession for possession.”

“So, you know, it doesn’t do you any good to be afraid of the other people on the other side of the ball. You’ve got to fight and compete. You’ve got to fight and compete. I thought we did that in the second half. I didn’t think we did it rather well in the first half. But, you know, this is a group that’s kind of learning themselves as well. You know, we’ve got some young players. We’ve got some transfers. So we got a freshman point guard. So we’re trying to figure it out, too.”

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