After UNC's 80-70 win over Kansas State.
Opening statement
Needless to say it was a weird game. I thought for about 36 minutes that they totally out played us but we were still there, we were still around. I think at 3:28, I told the guys, we work a lot in practice being down 6 with 3 minutes to play, we hadn’t had many practice days, we’ve played 6 games in 11 days, is that right Steve, 3 games in the last 4 days. I think the last practice we had we gave the other team the ball, the blue team the ball in practice and a 6 point lead and 3 minutes to go and did alright; so we been there and tried to tell them we had a chance. I really felt like we did. We needed one stop each time down there and they could only get 1 bad shot. Five point game and there was a question about the shot clock, whether it hit the rim or not. It was 12 seconds on and I decided to run a play for Joel Berry. Cause in my own thinking, he had stunk it up so bad, I thought it was about time he’d make a play. And when they put the 30 back up, I said still run the same play. And he had 2 great screens and made a big 3 in the corner. And then after that, we got some good stops. I forget who made the 2nd basket, was is Brice or Justin, Justin tied it up and then Kennedy gets the big steal out there and then goes down and makes it. Theo makes a 3, we got a couple of stops on the other end and then we made some free throws at the end. Justin made 2 free throws, Joel Berry made 2 and Theo made 1 out of 2 so we made 5 out of 6 from the free throw line. It was a weird game, we did shoot 55% in the 2nd half; needless to say we were better offensively. But it was just a weird game and we were lucky. The Stokes kid, he was really something. If I’m not mistaken, he had made 4 three’s in all their games previous to this one and made 6 of em today, 6 out of 8. One time I think we fouled him and he still made it. We were very fortunate at the end and I thought Justin, both last night and tonight was huge for us. Bad think for him is I expect those kind of things a lot out of him. I think that’s good too because it gives him confidence.
On what he learned about his team in how they responded in the last 4 minutes
Well I told them at the 3:28 mark that I felt like we were in good shape, that our team could be made right now. A team is made during the season. It’s not made in pre-season practice; the whole chemistry of everybody; the toughness of everybody is made once you start playing the games. I thought in the 1st half we had, I think we’re averaging about 10 turnovers, we had 9, I think it was in the 1st half. We had 7 and I went down the line and all 7 of em were because we were soft. They were a little more aggressive than we were and so in the 2nd half I thought we got more aggressive. But yet, we’re still doing very well until that last 4 minutes. But, I’ve always had a tremendous belief in giving guys confidence, that telling them that we’re ok. I felt like we were ok. Joel Berry as I said had been terrible, but I called the play for him because I thought is was time for him to make one and I think he’s a tough little nut. I think that shot really gave us a big lift to say the least. After that, we sort of built on it.
On you always looking for teaching points. Can you build on the fact that you were down and got out played and fought back
I think so. I don’t want us to depend on that. I only so old, there’s only so many little hops I got left out there. I think that you can build on it. But what you need to build on it is to see it on tape and see the mistakes you made that put you in that spot and then change those. Then see the enthusiasm and the effort that you had there at the end and build on that. I thought when it was a 2 point game, I thought we had a steal and we were gonna go down and lay it up and tie it and they got a timeout at that point. Bruce, his club then came back out and they were very focused. Bruce Weber can coach his rear end off, I really believe that. I say that because I believe it, not because he’s a good friend. His club was really something. As I said, Stokes was just off the charts for what he was doing to us in the 2nd half.
On you coming back to Kansas City
It feels a heck of a lot better after the last 4 minutes. I don’t think there’s any question about that. I love this place. I love the town of Kansas City. I love Kansas. The way people feel about college basketball here is something I’ll never forget. It’s something I’ll always appreciate and feel very flattered that I was a very small part of it for a while. I had a lot of friends that were KU people that couldn’t quite make the trip to Maui to support the Jayhawks over there, so they were there watching our club tonight. Get to go to Gorogos Restaurant and have some of the best Italian Food I’ve ever had. I wished my knees were feeling better because I love walking around the town, but two knee surgeries this summer and 1 bad jump on the sideline late. I don’t think I’ll walk anywhere but the dadgum bus.
On the confidence of coming back without Marcus
It should, but it’s all conjecture but I think it would make the guys see that they don’t have to look and see where’s 5, where’s 5, he gotta do something for us. Now they realize we were able to make some plays today without him. Kennedy’s steal, 40 feet from the basket, was a big play for us. So everybody will have some confidence and when the little rascal gets back, I think it will help us.
On is there a significant difference in how the team was confidence wise late in this game than they were on Saturday
Oh yeah! There’s no question about it. It just takes some time. One big play and I think Joel Berry’s three from the corner was the biggest play of the game. We happened to get a stop and Justin made the floater and then all of a sudden, a 6'9" guy that weighed 309 pounds at one time, get the steal and goes down and I just wanted him to lay it up; I didn’t want him to hang himself. Everybody did some things to help us.
Opening statement
Needless to say it was a weird game. I thought for about 36 minutes that they totally out played us but we were still there, we were still around. I think at 3:28, I told the guys, we work a lot in practice being down 6 with 3 minutes to play, we hadn’t had many practice days, we’ve played 6 games in 11 days, is that right Steve, 3 games in the last 4 days. I think the last practice we had we gave the other team the ball, the blue team the ball in practice and a 6 point lead and 3 minutes to go and did alright; so we been there and tried to tell them we had a chance. I really felt like we did. We needed one stop each time down there and they could only get 1 bad shot. Five point game and there was a question about the shot clock, whether it hit the rim or not. It was 12 seconds on and I decided to run a play for Joel Berry. Cause in my own thinking, he had stunk it up so bad, I thought it was about time he’d make a play. And when they put the 30 back up, I said still run the same play. And he had 2 great screens and made a big 3 in the corner. And then after that, we got some good stops. I forget who made the 2nd basket, was is Brice or Justin, Justin tied it up and then Kennedy gets the big steal out there and then goes down and makes it. Theo makes a 3, we got a couple of stops on the other end and then we made some free throws at the end. Justin made 2 free throws, Joel Berry made 2 and Theo made 1 out of 2 so we made 5 out of 6 from the free throw line. It was a weird game, we did shoot 55% in the 2nd half; needless to say we were better offensively. But it was just a weird game and we were lucky. The Stokes kid, he was really something. If I’m not mistaken, he had made 4 three’s in all their games previous to this one and made 6 of em today, 6 out of 8. One time I think we fouled him and he still made it. We were very fortunate at the end and I thought Justin, both last night and tonight was huge for us. Bad think for him is I expect those kind of things a lot out of him. I think that’s good too because it gives him confidence.
On what he learned about his team in how they responded in the last 4 minutes
Well I told them at the 3:28 mark that I felt like we were in good shape, that our team could be made right now. A team is made during the season. It’s not made in pre-season practice; the whole chemistry of everybody; the toughness of everybody is made once you start playing the games. I thought in the 1st half we had, I think we’re averaging about 10 turnovers, we had 9, I think it was in the 1st half. We had 7 and I went down the line and all 7 of em were because we were soft. They were a little more aggressive than we were and so in the 2nd half I thought we got more aggressive. But yet, we’re still doing very well until that last 4 minutes. But, I’ve always had a tremendous belief in giving guys confidence, that telling them that we’re ok. I felt like we were ok. Joel Berry as I said had been terrible, but I called the play for him because I thought is was time for him to make one and I think he’s a tough little nut. I think that shot really gave us a big lift to say the least. After that, we sort of built on it.
On you always looking for teaching points. Can you build on the fact that you were down and got out played and fought back
I think so. I don’t want us to depend on that. I only so old, there’s only so many little hops I got left out there. I think that you can build on it. But what you need to build on it is to see it on tape and see the mistakes you made that put you in that spot and then change those. Then see the enthusiasm and the effort that you had there at the end and build on that. I thought when it was a 2 point game, I thought we had a steal and we were gonna go down and lay it up and tie it and they got a timeout at that point. Bruce, his club then came back out and they were very focused. Bruce Weber can coach his rear end off, I really believe that. I say that because I believe it, not because he’s a good friend. His club was really something. As I said, Stokes was just off the charts for what he was doing to us in the 2nd half.
On you coming back to Kansas City
It feels a heck of a lot better after the last 4 minutes. I don’t think there’s any question about that. I love this place. I love the town of Kansas City. I love Kansas. The way people feel about college basketball here is something I’ll never forget. It’s something I’ll always appreciate and feel very flattered that I was a very small part of it for a while. I had a lot of friends that were KU people that couldn’t quite make the trip to Maui to support the Jayhawks over there, so they were there watching our club tonight. Get to go to Gorogos Restaurant and have some of the best Italian Food I’ve ever had. I wished my knees were feeling better because I love walking around the town, but two knee surgeries this summer and 1 bad jump on the sideline late. I don’t think I’ll walk anywhere but the dadgum bus.
On the confidence of coming back without Marcus
It should, but it’s all conjecture but I think it would make the guys see that they don’t have to look and see where’s 5, where’s 5, he gotta do something for us. Now they realize we were able to make some plays today without him. Kennedy’s steal, 40 feet from the basket, was a big play for us. So everybody will have some confidence and when the little rascal gets back, I think it will help us.
On is there a significant difference in how the team was confidence wise late in this game than they were on Saturday
Oh yeah! There’s no question about it. It just takes some time. One big play and I think Joel Berry’s three from the corner was the biggest play of the game. We happened to get a stop and Justin made the floater and then all of a sudden, a 6'9" guy that weighed 309 pounds at one time, get the steal and goes down and I just wanted him to lay it up; I didn’t want him to hang himself. Everybody did some things to help us.
