Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Men's Basketball Postgame Quotes
12/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MARSHALL
Dan D'Antoni, head coach
Opening statement:
"I think the fans got their money's worth, and the ones who didn't buy tickets, should've. I think you saw two teams fight extremely hard. It's good for the state. I've heard suggestions for a home-and-home. Here's what I think: Morgantown, Charleston, and the next year, Charleston, Huntington. It's good for the state. If they back out now, they're afraid of us. We're coming back. I thought our kids played hard and we had our chance. We've got to work to get better. These moral victories have to stop. We have to start putting W's in the column and I think this team will grow to that."
On what he learned from his team:
"I learned that we still don't know exactly how to win a game. I think we had some opportunities. We went up eight, but then put them at the foul line what felt like the next 15 trips. They weren't scoring anywhere else, but they went to the foul line a bunch of times. We've got to be better and make sure that we don't make those mistakes. They were having a hard time scoring on us, but we gave them a little reprieve and they caught up with us on free throws. We have to be better than that."
On WVU's press:
"We have to get better with the ball. We aren't strong and our players hesitate a little still. It's been a problem we've had all year. Sometimes, when you get in really tough situations, you revert back to the way you were. That's why it's a growing process with this team. We're getting them out of it, it just takes time. You can't come into a culture that for a few years has lost and expect to turn around and beat the 23rd ranked team in the nation. West Virginia, this year, is much better than they've been the last couple of years. These kids picked their boot straps up a little and got in there and had a chance to win, that I'm happy for. The thing is, we have to be better than that. I told them, we start tomorrow, we go to practice, and we move forward."
On where Marshall has improved:
"Overall, just about everything. We're getting our three's now and the ball is moving a little bit. But we had multiple shot opportunities that we didn't get the ball where it needed to be. That's just showing them film, coming back and showing them again and again. They're used to catching and holding because that's what they've done. But the game isn't played like that anymore. The things I used to teach in the 70's and 80's, you can't do anymore. We've got to learn to free ourselves of that, get the ball moving, and take shots that are available. We had plenty of opportunities where we had to move the ball. I think if we do that, we'll be in good shape."
On Justin Edmonds' performance:
"Justin gives you everything he's got. He doesn't let how big the game is affect him either. He's not 100 percent. I saw film of him before he came here, he's much more explosive. He's playing at about 80 percent. He did a real nice job, I think he was player of the game for us, which is pretty good playing 80 percent. We'll see how his knee comes along and the strength in his leg. He's a competitor and he's tough. He's got an iron will. As you guys know, that goes a long way, sometimes more so than talent."
On Edmonds' competitive spirit being contagious:
"I haven't seen a doctor's report, but I don't think it's contagious. I don't think you catch it, I think each person goes out there and finds it within themselves. You see all those clichés in movies. Each person has to look at himself and he goes out and he competes. W's are what catches on. You do start getting a swagger to you. If we could just get over the hump, I think we'll get a rhythm and that comes with W's. We coach them to be excited, and to be excited every play. To rely on someone else to get you excited or give you confidence is pretty shallow. I have a feeling my players can look at themselves and get it done."
On Brett Bowling:
"We lost [Austin] Loop, and they were pressing so hard up on us. [Bowling] is our best shooter in practice. If you come to practice, he kills us. You spread the floor and he's dropping threes like crazy. I know it's a tough situation to be put in, but life is tough. You've got to suck it up and go out there. He got a good look and if I would've had a little bit longer, I would've played him more. We just needed a little penetration. He's a great kid, works hard every day, and he'll find another spot down the road."
On not using the last timeout:
"We had already given them the play we wanted to run. That's where our point guard has to be a little stronger, because that ball should've been up the floor a lot quicker. We had it set and it would've worked had we gotten to it. But this is a team that is growing and not yet totally developed. You can't always give that other coach a chance to coach either. The way we play, we move the ball and we're going to get a shot. It just didn't work out, but we'll work on it next time."
Justin Edmonds, junior guard (Most Valuable Player)
On the idea that this was Marshall's best performance to date:
"As a team, together, yes it is. Earlier in the season we had troubles with pressuring and in practice we've been busting our butts working on that. West Virginia is a great pressing team, and they play hard the whole 40 minutes, but I think we did pretty decent against them in that. I think today, we were the better team. "
On his range today:
"When I got recruited here, I was an all-around, attack type player before I was a 3-point shooter. I just try to play to whatever comes and whatever opens up; whatever my team needs me to do, whether it's pass, shoot, go to the hole, I want to do."
On his stellar shooting first half:
"In the first half, I just wanted to be aggressive. Coach [D'Antoni] stresses being aggressive. If you mess up, it's okay; making a mistake being aggressive. That's what I was trying to do, because I wanted to lead for my team, and that's all I was trying to do."
Austin Loop, redshirt sophomore guard
On the team's loss today:
"That was tough to stomach. We want every game, but this game - the WVU game - there's a little more to it. We're happy with the improvements we made, and every game we take steps and get closer and closer. We played pretty well; we just got beat down the stretch. We're getting better every game and every practice. It's going to take time, but we're making steps in the right direction. Eight games ago, we would not have been able to handle that press like that. Every game, we are taking steps in the right direction and we're getting better every game."
On his sequence of 3-pointers:
"I got in the rhythm, and then I got that fourth foul and it was so frustrating, because before that, I felt like I could have made every shot I took in that rhythm. But that's basketball, that's how it goes. In tight games, you make fouls."
WEST VIRGINIA
Bob Huggins, head coach
On playing time:
"I told them from Day 1 that everyone was going to get a chance. I have got to play the guys that I think are playing the best at that particular time, so I did. The honest to God's truth? I will tell you the honest to God's truth: Gary Browne was kind of in a slump. He has been in the gym. Jevon Carter, he has been in the gym. They were there early and they stay late. I just think the basketball Gods smile down on and care about people who care about the game. We have a lot of guys that generally are in there, that haven't been."
On the team's shooting performance:
"We have guys that have to put a bunch of time in to be consistent shooters. They are not pure shooters. They are guys who work really hard at it and when they don't work really hard at it, they don't go in. We are supposed to make 100 a day, but I have a whole bunch of guys who snuck out of there without making their 100."
On not fouling on the last possession:
"There are too many bad things that can happen if you foul there. What if you foul the guy and he puts his hands up like he was going to shoot it? Or what particularly happens with us, they make one and miss one and tip it out and make a three. I probably should rethink it because I don't have any confidence in our defense anymore. At one time, I had tremendous confidence in our defense, but we don't keep anyone in front of us now."
Jevon Carter, freshman guard (Most Valuable Player)
On the game being a battle:
"It was a dogfight to the end. We started out bad and came out really aggressive. We just had to answer them."
On shooting more in the second half:
"I just wanted to find my rhythm. I didn't want to come out shooting right away. We were already a bit slow so I didn't want to come out missing and make it even worse, so I just took my time and let the game come to me."
On the closing stages of the game:
"It's real intense. That shows that coach has a lot of confidence in me, to have me in the game being a freshman. I really like that."
Gary Browne, senior guard
On leadership:
"Whatever the team needs, that's what I'm going to do. I get in the gym every day and that's the payoff. You can't cheat the game."
On winning mentality:
"I love to win. Like I told the guys, like I was saying through the whole game, this is my last game here in the Civic Center and it was as special as it was when I was playing in Puerto Rico. I just wanted to win. I don't know for other people. I mean, we had a bad game, but for me it was just the last time I'll play here."
On stepping up in key moments:
"Like Coach [Huggins] said, I might not be a great shooter, I might not be a great passer, I might not be a great whatever, but like he says, I make winning plays. Since I've been here freshman year, I've been making big plays."
Jonathan Holton, junior forward
On what the team expected from Marshall:
"We kind of knew coming into this game that Marshall was going to play with high intensity and come out with like a hard-nosed fight."
On what coach Bob Huggins expects from team:
"Coach has a lot of intensity and he just wants what's best for us. All he really wants is for us is to play hard. If we play hard, everything else will come to itself."
