Opening Statement:
“We’re very pleased to get the win. On the inside game we wanted to get the ball in the lane area by dribble or pass, and we scored 42 points in the paint. We wanted to try to do a better job of guarding them at the three-point line than we did at our place. They had 13 threes there, and today they only had seven. Seven out of 24. One of the other goals that we set was to try to play defense without fouling. We didn’t do that very well. They shot 30 free throws to our 15, but Michael Young and Jamel [Artis] are hard to guard. They shoot the ball so well from the perimeter, and they start taking it to the basket like they did in the second half. Michael Young especially, was a load getting to the free throw line. The other thing I think if you look, it’s 48 to 28 on the backboards. We got off to a great start getting some offensive rebounds and scoring. Then we made a couple of shots. Joel [Berry II] made two threes early, and Justin [Jackson] made one, so at halftime we had a little bit of a working margin. The first four minutes of the second half we were awful, throwing the doggone ball anywhere and everywhere, and they’re dunking it on the other end. We got a little refocused again, and we started getting the ball back into the lane area, and finally playing a little bit better defense. Still, I look down here and I like to see below 40 percent, but they had some good shots that they missed too. That’s the best defensive field goal percentage that we’ve had in quite a while. I’d say the backboards, scoring in the paint, and not giving up as many open threes.”
On the 29-11 run to close out the first half:
“I think we started getting the ball inside a little bit more then. I think Kennedy [Meeks] made some baskets, Tony [Bradley] made some baskets inside, Justin [Jackson] made a couple of baskets inside as well. I thought that Tony and Luke [Maye] gave us good minutes off the bench, and kept it going when Isaiah [Hicks] and Kennedy needed to take a blow. I don’t remember who all made the shots then, but I think we just got the ball where we wanted to a little bit more and got more shots than they did.”
On his confidence in Justin Jackson’s shot:
“Late in the game when he came down and Joel [Berry II] found him over there, and he stepped right into his shot, I felt like that one was going in, and I liked that little jump hook he shot on the baseline. He should have run some more clock. I didn’t think he was going in and he did, but five for 11 from three. That’s pretty doggone good. We’ll take that most times. I think Isaiah’s [Hicks] passing today [was good]. He couldn’t find the basket for the longest time, but he did make some assists. He and Theo [Pinson] both had good assist to turnover ratios.”
On Isaiah Hicks finally getting a bucket:
“Finally is right. That’s what I was thinking. In the first half he had a couple of them that were right there at the rim, and he didn’t finish one and got fouled. He only made one of the two free throws, but at half time he had four assists, one turnover, and only one point, but at least he was getting some other things done. We had the team turnover on the shot clock violation, but the only other turnover we had was his pass to Cameron Johnson instead of Justin [Jackson], but I thought he better today, to say the least.”
On what has allowed them to play better defense as of late:
“We sure emphasize it in practice every day, but a couple of games the other team has missed some shots that we shouldn’t have let them have too. I do think we’re getting a little better, but I still want us to make big time strides, and we really need to make big time strides defensively. I really think we’ve got a long way to go there.”
On the defense of Theo Pinson:
“When he plays defense, it really is good. I got a little mad at him today and the whole bit because of running alongside [Mike] Young and fouling him, and then going to the referee. I mean, you fouled him. I don’t know of one or two calls that they called fouls that we didn’t foul them, so don’t try to make the referee look bad. When he plays defense and when he does it the right way, it really helps us, but he helps us so much more by the passing and finding guys inside. The start of the second half was not his best moment. You throw the ball and pick it up. You shouldn’t throw it away. Just put it under your shirt and hide it. It’s a five-second call, and the team’s got to take the ball out of bounds. If you throw it in the backcourt, they usually dunk it on the other end.
“We’re very pleased to get the win. On the inside game we wanted to get the ball in the lane area by dribble or pass, and we scored 42 points in the paint. We wanted to try to do a better job of guarding them at the three-point line than we did at our place. They had 13 threes there, and today they only had seven. Seven out of 24. One of the other goals that we set was to try to play defense without fouling. We didn’t do that very well. They shot 30 free throws to our 15, but Michael Young and Jamel [Artis] are hard to guard. They shoot the ball so well from the perimeter, and they start taking it to the basket like they did in the second half. Michael Young especially, was a load getting to the free throw line. The other thing I think if you look, it’s 48 to 28 on the backboards. We got off to a great start getting some offensive rebounds and scoring. Then we made a couple of shots. Joel [Berry II] made two threes early, and Justin [Jackson] made one, so at halftime we had a little bit of a working margin. The first four minutes of the second half we were awful, throwing the doggone ball anywhere and everywhere, and they’re dunking it on the other end. We got a little refocused again, and we started getting the ball back into the lane area, and finally playing a little bit better defense. Still, I look down here and I like to see below 40 percent, but they had some good shots that they missed too. That’s the best defensive field goal percentage that we’ve had in quite a while. I’d say the backboards, scoring in the paint, and not giving up as many open threes.”
On the 29-11 run to close out the first half:
“I think we started getting the ball inside a little bit more then. I think Kennedy [Meeks] made some baskets, Tony [Bradley] made some baskets inside, Justin [Jackson] made a couple of baskets inside as well. I thought that Tony and Luke [Maye] gave us good minutes off the bench, and kept it going when Isaiah [Hicks] and Kennedy needed to take a blow. I don’t remember who all made the shots then, but I think we just got the ball where we wanted to a little bit more and got more shots than they did.”
On his confidence in Justin Jackson’s shot:
“Late in the game when he came down and Joel [Berry II] found him over there, and he stepped right into his shot, I felt like that one was going in, and I liked that little jump hook he shot on the baseline. He should have run some more clock. I didn’t think he was going in and he did, but five for 11 from three. That’s pretty doggone good. We’ll take that most times. I think Isaiah’s [Hicks] passing today [was good]. He couldn’t find the basket for the longest time, but he did make some assists. He and Theo [Pinson] both had good assist to turnover ratios.”
On Isaiah Hicks finally getting a bucket:
“Finally is right. That’s what I was thinking. In the first half he had a couple of them that were right there at the rim, and he didn’t finish one and got fouled. He only made one of the two free throws, but at half time he had four assists, one turnover, and only one point, but at least he was getting some other things done. We had the team turnover on the shot clock violation, but the only other turnover we had was his pass to Cameron Johnson instead of Justin [Jackson], but I thought he better today, to say the least.”
On what has allowed them to play better defense as of late:
“We sure emphasize it in practice every day, but a couple of games the other team has missed some shots that we shouldn’t have let them have too. I do think we’re getting a little better, but I still want us to make big time strides, and we really need to make big time strides defensively. I really think we’ve got a long way to go there.”
On the defense of Theo Pinson:
“When he plays defense, it really is good. I got a little mad at him today and the whole bit because of running alongside [Mike] Young and fouling him, and then going to the referee. I mean, you fouled him. I don’t know of one or two calls that they called fouls that we didn’t foul them, so don’t try to make the referee look bad. When he plays defense and when he does it the right way, it really helps us, but he helps us so much more by the passing and finding guys inside. The start of the second half was not his best moment. You throw the ball and pick it up. You shouldn’t throw it away. Just put it under your shirt and hide it. It’s a five-second call, and the team’s got to take the ball out of bounds. If you throw it in the backcourt, they usually dunk it on the other end.
