VUSports: This is your fourth one of these - how does this one feel different to you than the others?
Ryan Arcidiacono: The first year we were happy to get in and pretty unique to be able to play UNC in the first round and that was a great environment. The last two years we expected to get in but had earlier exits but I think it is always a great experience to be here at the Connelly Center with the whole team and to enjoy the moment and see our name up on the board and see who we have to play.
VUSports: In addition to getting Daniel healthy, what is the primary focus for the team this week?
Ryan Arcidiacono: Getting back to defending and rebounding. I think we grinded the game out last night and there were some little mistakes that we made that costs us the game but that was throughout the whole game not just at the end. We still had a chance to win at the end which was the crazy thing with not so much how poorly we played but how we weren’t playing Villanova basketball. But we got back to defending and rebounding and the offense will come as we defend and get out in transition.
VUSports: On that last play did you have two plays drawn up - one in the case where it was a made FT by Delgado and you were inbounding from the baseline and another for the case where you are starting the play off a rebound of a miss?
Ryan Arcidiacono: Yes, we had two different plays because we didn’t have any time outs left and had to play it either way.
VUSports: How much better was Seton Hall than when you played them previously?
Ryan Arcidiacono: They definitely got a lot better throughout the season. They played really well last night. I think we played really well in the second half but it was a little too late because we gave them so much confidence in the first half. We defended, we rebounded and we were up three with a minute left after being down the whole game. It was one of those things where once a team had that much confidence they were just on a roll at that point and we couldn’t do anything to stop them.
VUSports: Best of luck to you. It has been a privilege watching you over your four years.
Ryan Arcidiacono: Thank you.
Ryan Arcidiacono: The first year we were happy to get in and pretty unique to be able to play UNC in the first round and that was a great environment. The last two years we expected to get in but had earlier exits but I think it is always a great experience to be here at the Connelly Center with the whole team and to enjoy the moment and see our name up on the board and see who we have to play.
VUSports: In addition to getting Daniel healthy, what is the primary focus for the team this week?
Ryan Arcidiacono: Getting back to defending and rebounding. I think we grinded the game out last night and there were some little mistakes that we made that costs us the game but that was throughout the whole game not just at the end. We still had a chance to win at the end which was the crazy thing with not so much how poorly we played but how we weren’t playing Villanova basketball. But we got back to defending and rebounding and the offense will come as we defend and get out in transition.
VUSports: On that last play did you have two plays drawn up - one in the case where it was a made FT by Delgado and you were inbounding from the baseline and another for the case where you are starting the play off a rebound of a miss?
Ryan Arcidiacono: Yes, we had two different plays because we didn’t have any time outs left and had to play it either way.
VUSports: How much better was Seton Hall than when you played them previously?
Ryan Arcidiacono: They definitely got a lot better throughout the season. They played really well last night. I think we played really well in the second half but it was a little too late because we gave them so much confidence in the first half. We defended, we rebounded and we were up three with a minute left after being down the whole game. It was one of those things where once a team had that much confidence they were just on a roll at that point and we couldn’t do anything to stop them.
VUSports: Best of luck to you. It has been a privilege watching you over your four years.
Ryan Arcidiacono: Thank you.
