Carrington and Diaz on the win, the triple-double, defense and more

Bub Carrington and Jorge Diaz Graham met the media after Pitt's 100-52 win over North Carolina A&T on Monday night. Here's the full rundown of what they said.

Bub, you checked out of the game at 4:51. You sat on the bench for about three seconds and checked right back in there. What went on in the bench there for you to go back in and what did it mean to you to go back in and finish off?
Carrington: I will answer your question, but first, I do want to thank the Zoo, like Coach mentioned earlier. They were incredible today. First time playing in front of an actual Zoo, you know, first actual game. It was definitely an incredible experience.

On the bench, it was like, Coach came up to me and he was just like, ‘You’re going back in.’ That’s all he said. He was like, ‘You’re going back in. You have to get what you have to get.’ I trusted my teammates and they got it for me.

Did you know you were that close?
Carrington: I didn’t. I didn’t know I had that many rebounds until someone told me. They were like, ‘You just need some assists to get it.’ I was like, ‘What?’ And I looked up and was like, ‘Alright, good, I have to get that.’

What’s behind your quick start? Why have you been able to gel so well with this group?
Carrington: I feel like it was mainly the fact that the coaches trusted me enough to make the right plays and confident in myself. No one just walks into a starting job, you know? So I feel like I proved myself in practice, just working hard, listening to the coaches, doing what they tell me, and the fact that they trust me to make the right plays and I feel like I trust myself to make the right plays as well, and I feel like that will get anyone a starting spot.

Jorge, have you ever seen a freshman play like that?
Diaz Graham: No, man. I was a freshman last year, and I’m telling you, what he’s doing is impressive to me. The way he stepped up, coming in freshman year, you have to be the starter and be the point guard, it’s hard. It’s like the quarterback. You have to know everything and, man, he’s doing a great job. I’m so proud of him.

Bub, what were you thinking when Guillermo’s shot didn’t go in right away?
Carrington: I was at half court and I was like, ‘No.’ Then I was like, ‘Yes!’ You know, and the whole team got hyped with me. It was definitely a great moment.

Have you ever had one before?
Carrington: I had, I think, a few. Maybe. In high school. Nothing important.

Has it hit you that, in your first college game, you had a triple-double?
Carrington: No. It probably will hit me tonight before I go to sleep. Maybe.

Bub, guys like Jorge, Guillermo, Blake Fede, these are guys that have experience and went to the NCAA Tournament. How do these guys enable you to play your game and how do they enhance your game?
Carrington: It’s really just communication and trust. I’m telling you, it really goes a long way. Like, these guys - first of all, I trust these guys, because I’ve seen them do it. I watched them all last year and I’ve seen what they can do. I’ve seen the camaraderie they had as a team. And then I step in and they share that same momentum with me. They trust me to get them the ball or whatever the case may be, and I trust them to finish the play. It was kind of like we meshed together, just a team built off communication and trust.

Pitt’s last triple-double was in 1998. You weren’t alive then, right?
Carrington: Of course not.

What year were you born?
Carrington: 2005.

Jorge, obviously Blake is going to be a big weapon for you guys shooting outside. Tonight he made just two three’s but Bub made four, you made three - do you feel like you guys showed that you can get that scoring from other places?
Diaz Graham: Yeah, I mean, Blake definitely gets us open because he brings so much attention that our guys are helping on him, so that makes us open. Then we just need to finish all the plays and that’s what we did.

You had 12 points in 10 minutes in the first half. What were you feeling during that streak?
Diaz Graham: I was just finishing plays. The guys were hitting me. I think Ish got two assists and Bub made the first one and then Zack with the alley-oop - I was just finishing. It was all their work.

Bub, how comfortable do you feel when you and Jaland are on the court together. I saw some times they were trying to bring full-court on you guys and you guys kept working out of it very consistently.
Carrington: Very comfortable. I’ve known Jaland for quite a while, actually, and I’ve always been familiar with how good of a guard he is, so the fact that I can just - if they’re trying to bring attention, I’m like, ‘Jaland, go ahead. Handle that.’ And he will. He’s a really good guard, so I’m definitely really comfortable with him on the court.

Jorge, what went into the defensive performance tonight?
Diaz Graham: We’re hungry for it. We went through it in practice and then we just executed and it went great.

Did having so many guys healthy really help because it allowed you to play more five-on-five and test each other out more?
Diaz Graham: Yeah, I think it’s that. And then we’re younger than last year, so that definitely helps, too.

I know you’ll say that winning is the most important, but how does it feel after the offseason with all the questions about turnover and the back court - how does it feel to have a game like this?
Carrington: It definitely feels good to kind of just get your feet wet, but it’s the first game. The job’s far from over.

Jorge, how do you think Zack Austin helped you, Guillermo and Fede tonight?
Diaz Graham: Zack is a guy who brings a lot of energy for us as a team. He was just looking for passes. He wasn’t getting upset with his scoring and he definitely helped creating space when he dribbles to the basket.

Bub, how do you top today’s performance? What do you have to do Friday to one-up yourself?
Carrington: That’s not even really something I’m thinking about. Like you said earlier, the win is the most important thing. The stuff that comes after, that’s great. But at the end of the day, we’re trying to be champions. That’s what I’m really worried about.