The University of Akron Athletics
Akron-Toledo Postgame Quotes
January 31 | Men's Basketball
Opening Statement:
"Well the game is really hard when you can't make the open
shots. At the beginning of the second half, after shooting
miserably in the first half, we had five wide open shots that could
have busted the game open and we don't make any. At that point, we
knew we were in for a struggle. We just have to play better than we
did tonight, but that is basketball. When we play 31 regular-season
games, we are going to have some bad games and in those games we
just have to figure out a way to win."
On his team's shot selection and Toledo's game
management:
"When it is a slow game and Toledo uses the full shot clock we have
to use extreme discipline. If we shoot the ball too quick in the
possession and don't make it, we have to play 30 seconds of
defense. If they hold the ball for 30 seconds, shoot and rebound,
then they can hold the ball for another 30 seconds. If we come down
the court and shoot quickly again, we wind up playing defense the
whole game. We had a lot of chances to knock Toledo out of the
game, but we didn't."
On his team's play on the defensive end of the
floor:
"Other than Zeke (Marshall) at the basket, our big guys are giving
us nothing when they have to go one-on-one. So finally, we ran at
the ball to get it out of Toledo's hands. One thing I have always
believed as a coach is that a team needs to be able to play in
multiple ways. The thing that helped us the most tonight was our
ability to press, trap in the half court and run at the ball. There
are other times when we have to play zone and we can do that as
well."
On the success of full court pressure:
"(Playing full court pressure) is a dilemma because we don't want
to give up open looks and run around undisciplined. At the same
time when we are struggling, we need to do something different to
change the game."
