Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Basketball Postgame Quotes
12/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Coach Dan D'Antoni
Opening Statement
"You can fact check me on this, but I was told this is the first time they've won a game after WVU for ten years. To come out and have to play a team that shoots the long ball and runs so quickly, and able to shoot it, I'll give us a little bit, we did win the game. From that, I didn't think we were ready. When we warmed up, I don't think there focus was like it should have been. Coach Duhon, who warms them up, came back and said they weren't focused. We have to do a better job as coaches and they have to do a better job as players to make sure that occurs. Prior to the game, I felt like it wasn't a winning atmosphere. We had a discussion about that. That's an area we need to grow in, and I think we can. We made some good plays and did some good things. We got a win against a team that is 6-2, even though they are Division 2, they're still 6-2. The only games they've lost were very close. I'm happy with the win. We have two weeks we can work individually with them and get some improvement."
On the number of attempted three's
"You have to give them credit. They came out and shot the ball. They [King] usually win a lot of their games with three's and turning turnovers into layups. They weren't able to do that. That's one good thing about playing WVU and Louisville and these teams that jump out at you. We got the ball deep on them and got some easy baskets that we haven't done earlier in the year. I think we did a little better job, but we still have to get better at it. [Brett] Bowling came in, who kills us in practice every day, but the crowd really hasn't seen him shoot yet. He got in there, contributed, and worked hard. Milan [Mijovic] contributed. He got in there, played hard, and ran up and down the floor. They're young freshman, but sometimes you'd rather have that guy that gives whatever's he's got. Those two will give it all they've got and I think they contributed a lot for us."
On Aleksa Nikolic and the young lineup
"He's going to grow into a player. I think you're seeing glimpses of what he can be. He's obviously got to get stronger, but if he works hard, that's an easy fix. That group was very young. We expanded the lead with that group in there. It's a one-game thing. I don't know that it will be the lineup moving forward. But this game, it put a W on the board."
On going on the road
"The first one is Arkansas State. It's a winnable game, but with this team, every game is an adventure. It will be all the way through the year. Anytime you have a developing team, it's like that. I've tried to tell them, every game is a package. When that package is closed, the next game delivers a whole new set of problems. We have to come with all of our goods every game, because we haven't gotten that swagger and fuel where you push teams away from you because of tradition or the rhythm you create. We aren't there yet. Some of our other coaches have said we have a good chance to win this next game, but we will have no chance if we don't prepare and get ready. Every game will be a roller coaster with us."
On taking care of the ball
"At practice the other day, we were trying to reinforce how tough you have to play. It all comes down from me. It's a lack of focus and a lack of ability to stay connected to the game mentally, emotionally, and physically. For whatever reason, the demons we're fighting are that they have a tendency to want to relax when they aren't in the middle of the action. They have to understand you have to stay focused and alert for everything. There are just some bad habits they have collected that we have to try and bust through."
Ryan Taylor, RS-Sophomore, Forward
On high-volume shooting
"Coach told us coming into the game that they shot the ball very well as a team, not just one player, so we knew that they were going to get shots up and that's the only way to beat them is get them up too."
On opposition
"I know how the hype is to come in and play a D1 team and when you've got shooters you can really stay with anyone like that. I knew it would be a tough, grind-it-out type of game."
On practicing hard following Sunday's loss to WVU
"After today's game, we really don't have legs left, but we've just got to get treatment and rehab and just get ready for the next game. The coaches didn't want us to lose our competitive edge, since we're a young team and they didn't want us to get down on ourselves. So, I think yesterday's practice prepared us for today's game, which was a dog fight. I think yesterday's practice made us grow up faster than normal. We needed that yesterday."
Austin Loop, RS-Sophomore, Guard
On the late comeback by King
"I was getting open looks early and they were finding me, but they started to shade me a little bit and I know they kept a guy pretty close. Then, I got in foul trouble, same as in the West Virginia game and that kind of hurt me. They missed their first few shots and then they started to fall and that's when they started to get back in it. I hit those shots early and we got up quick, but then they fired right back."
Tamron Manning, Junior, Guard
On winning before the upcoming roadtrip
"I think it's a big thing mentally, because when you lose so many in the row, you kind of forget what winning feels like. Just to get a win is an uplifting thing for us and I think it makes us feel a lot better."
