CHARLOTTE – On Wednesday morning, Virginia Tech men's basketball's Mike Young, Hunter Cattoor and Justyn Mutts met with the media at this year's ACC Tipoff to discuss the upcoming season. Check out below the highlights from Wednesday's press conference.
Head Coach Mike Young
On winning last year's ACC championship:
"It comes up a lot, and I want it to come up more. But there comes a time when those wonderful experiences with a group of people that I admired so much, with some luck and good health, we'll get back together 10 years from now, 20 years from now, and it'll be a lot of fun. We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the '73 NIT Championship team next Friday. You think those guys are excited? 50 years from now, I'm not around, but those will be fun experiences. But it's time to move on. This team has a lot that they want to accomplish. This team has put a lot of work in through the summer months and through the fall, and I'm just excited about this team's potential and prospects as I've ever been. It's a team with great camaraderie and a nice core with Hunter and Justyn, [Sean] Pedulla, [Darius] Maddox, and others, and an infusion of some new pieces that we think can help us win games, so I'm looking forward to it."
On the personality and identity of this year's team:
"Just how this team is comprised. There are several new faces. It's such a luxury, and it's still new to me. Justyn wasn't with us first session of summer school, but 10 of them were. We had our entire team together, the '22-'23 team together in the second semester of summer school. We can do a lot with them on the floor. We don't overdo it because it's such a long year, but you get a real pulse for that team, for the next team during the summer months and then into September as you look ahead to the upcoming season. We're just starting way ahead of where we used to. There were a couple years where couldn't be any basketball-related activity, no conditioning, until I think November 1st. That didn't last very long. But it's just a different time and different era for how you interact with these guys and how much time you can spend with them on the floor. It's been great, I've thoroughly enjoyed that."
Guard Hunter Cattoor
On the culture of the backcourt:
"We should have an exciting backcourt this year. I'm excited for Sean [Pedulla] and Darius [Maddox] to take a bigger role this year than last year. They've got a lot to prove, and I'm excited for them. They've been doing good in workouts and practices this offseason, so it should be a fun year."
On the comradery between the men's basketball team and the women's basketball team:
"I'd say it's like a whole big family there. We play and practice in the same facility, so we see them every day, whether that's working out on our own time or during lift and practice. We see them all around. We're saying hey to them. I know Coach Brooks is doing a great job over there with that team. But I look at them as family. Seeing Liz [Kitley] and Georgia [Amoore] walking around, we're talking and messing around in the training room before practices. I think it's great for both programs to be together and support each other and want each other to do well."
Forward Justyn Mutts
On his mindset heading into the season:
"I think just forming my routine, being able to know exactly what I need to do, and then also working on the mental side of it, as well as just establishing confidence and then trying to maintain that. Coach Young, as well as all my teammates have been doing a great job of boosting me and helping me feel more confident, and I've been trying to put that back into the team. I feel like though my approach this season will continue to be the same gritty, tough person I've always been, but just continue to add on to the offensive side, as well."
On filling big shoes this season:
"I don't feel as though I have any other shoes to fill. I've just got to go out there and be me, be Justyn Mutts. That's what Coach Young tells me every day, so I don't try to live up to any expectations. I just try to play my game and win the game at the end of the day."
