Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Basketball Postgame Quotes
12/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dan D'Antoni, head coach
Opening Statement:
"I thought the team gave good effort. Defensively we were solid. We did a nice job on [D.J.] Newbill. Rebounding, they were a little bigger team than we were but I think it was pretty close. No edge there. We have to make some free throws, obviously. Before anyone asks me that question, yes, we do have to make free throws. We have to shoot the ball a little better. It's a comfort a team has about winning. Once you figure it out and there's a better rhythm toward winning, the shots go down. I just have to be patient. We have to work every day. I thought the team gave their very best, and it didn't bounce for them exactly right. I don't think mentally we have matured to the point with our system that we pull these out. I'm going to be patient with them. I like their effort. We're going to practice and get ready for WVU."
On starting to click as a team:
"This team hadn't pressured us like the other teams had. They're a different styled team. The next team we face is one of the best at getting into you. It's just a matter of growing as a team. If we get 10 losses in a row, we're still growing. It's just a maturing process. We have to start to learn to play well. None of these guys have ever been on a winning team at the NCAA level. Now you're asking these guys to lead, and be on a winning team. I think I would make a big mistake if I tried to hurry that process. If I got antsy, I think I would make it worse, but I'm not going to get antsy. I'm going to stay in there with them and coach as hard as they play. I've told them, I won't quit. To the last day, I won't quit. I think this team will follow."
On the fans:
"We had a better crowd. I do want to say that I want to get our students out. I look around across the country on TV and I see big crowds of students. I want to challenge our students to get together and come out and support this team. They're deserving of it. They're good kids that go to school here and I think it will be exciting. It will be especially exciting if they come in here and really support this team."
On playing with confidence:
"In my life, I don't see a lining in the clouds. I wake up in the morning with blue skies. I don't come in with a black cloud to practice. I never have and I never will. I'm not that type of person. It makes for a miserable life and I'm not going to be miserable doing this. I think that's just my disposition. I'm with these kids. Now, I have to sometimes jump onto them. I sometimes have to sit them. I don't like doing any of that stuff, but that's part of being a coach and it comes with the territory. I do it in the manner that I think is as strong and as understanding as possible. I want these kids to play and expand. I don't limit their games, I try to expand their games. We work every day, every one of our coaches work on expanding their offensive capabilities, to do everything they need to be successful on the floor. We're going to bring in kids and build them from the bottom up. It's going to take some time but I think in the end, you're going to get a great graduate and a good team. That's my goal and nothing is going to deter it. No matter what people say or do, I'm going to be that type of person."
Tamron Manning, junior guard
On Coach D'Antoni's halftime encouragement:
"When we got into halftime we realized how close we were to that team and realized that we could actually beat them. Our confidence was boosted up and I think we started playing harder in the second half."
On defense:
"Definitely our intensity on the defensive end. We forced them to have turnovers and we actually got to play our game tonight with fast breaks, get the ball up and down."
On practices:
"Right now we are going through a tough stretch and Coach D'Antoni has been good about sitting down with us and telling us how close we are to getting over that hump. Tonight was a good step forward so he is giving us a lot of confidence. Coach D'Antoni is a big reason that we have a lot of confidence because he instills so much confidence in you. He lets you do what he knows you can do out on the floor."
Jay Johnson, junior forward
On confidence:
"Coach [D'Antoni] has been on our butts since the South Carolina game. He basically said 'you all are a lot better than what you're showing right now. Give this community something to talk about again.'"
On a challenging schedule:
"West Virginia is a tough game that we have coming up. I think playing Penn State this hard and going through a week of practice is a good confidence boost going into the game on Sunday."
