Gaudio: Deacons Bask at Their Own Peril
Ish Smith just happened to be emerging from the locker room at Joel Coliseum when I was passing by the door on my way out to the court for today’s practice.
Being the wise acre that I am, I couldn’t help but try to get a rise. Thankfully, Ish knows me well enough to know how to take me.
“Well you beat Carolina. You made your season. Nothing else to accomplish.”
That’s when I found out that as fast as Ish Smith can dribble, he can shake his head even faster.
No, no, no, he told me. No time to bask in the victory with Virginia coming up Saturday. You have to work hard every day to get better.
As I was to learn 15 minutes later while talking with Coach Dino Gaudio, the possiblity that the Deacons might revel too long in their 82-69 victory over the Tar Heels was discussed last night in the victorious locker room at the Smith Center and again before today’s practice.
“It is a concern and I addressed that issue with the players when we met this morning,’’ Gaudio said. “As we always say in this league, you’d better not dwell on what just happened – negatively or positively. You’d better turn the page and get ready for the next one.
“I said to them after the game last night `We were fortunate that we were able to win against Carolina tonight. But we’ve got make sure that Carolina doesn’t beat us on Saturday,’’ – referencing we’re looking backwards.
“And I think a big challenge for these guys—and I told them today too—I got all the positive text messages, everybody patting us on the back. Those people all mean well, but right now those people are distracting us from what we need to do, and that’s worry about Virginia.’‘
Some teams are easier to get through to than others. A big key there, Gaudio said, is leadership, and the leaders of this team, seniors Smith and L.D. Williams, have been around the block enough times to know how the game of college baketball works.
“No question, when you have a more mature veteran team, they understand,’’ Gaudio said. “Having the right people being the leaders on your team, and having your two hardest workers, Ish Smith and L.D. Williams, be your leaders, that’s huge. When your better players are your hardest workers, that goes a long ways.’‘