Good convo today…
Opening Statement: “Yeah, it's great, great to be back in the USA playing a really strong Arizona State team, and what I think had one of the best nonconference resumes of anybody will play, going back and looking at their schedule, beating St Mary's being one of New Mexico's only losses. two of their two other wins are on the road. Beat a great West Virginia team so we know what this Arizona State team is capable of and really excited about the opportunity to compete tomorrow night.”
Biggest concern on ASU?: “As individual talent goes, I mean, they've got as good a scorers as there is in our league, and they consistently can make shots, and they've played people close. Haven't quite got over the end of some of these late game situations to win them, but they're in these basketball games, and they've got the talent to score. And anytime you have guys that can score like they can, I mean, you're always on edge in the way that you got to prepare to play. And then if you can get stops, then that gives you an opportunity to play the way you want to. But getting stops is going to be extremely difficult.”
How did Arizona’s length & physically challenge you offensively?: “Looking back at the game against Arizona, how physical they were on the ball, I just thought their activity level, like back tapping us and like we would get by them, and they were still being physical in their size, and then our ability to get it close to the basket and keep going to the rim. I mean, I thought just their first attack on the defensive end pushed us out of a comfort level where those shots were just contested in a way that it made it difficult. And I thought their effort, honestly, was the most important part. I mean, they've got good size, and most teams in our league do have good size and length, but I thought their effort was just tremendous, and I thought that was the difference. I mean, yes, size and length did impact it, but I thought the way they played, how hard they played, was really the reason.”
When a team is able to take away Chance McMillian, how does that change the offense for this team?: “Yeah. I mean, we've talked about that as a staff, just you know, we had Chance in some actions that we were good going into the game, and they defended it well, and they were prepared for it. And so then what's the counter action to it that we need? We just need to constantly find ways to involve them in what we're doing. And the more you can put him in plays, and the more you can give him opportunities offensively, he's proven that’s the better he plays. So we just got to keep him going in different ways, and didn't spread it out enough in that one.”
Has it been nice to have a couple days off in between games?: “I mean, it's funny, because these days, if you have four days between games, it's a pause. There’s no breaks. I do think that you still have to practice and be engaged. But there also has to be a refreshing in the way you approach this and knowing that you are in one game seasons. I mean, the more you make it about where you are in the league and how far you have to go, and what's you know, just literally, is like, how do you approach this day today, and how do you figure out a way to get a little bit better? And that's honestly been our approach, but we needed a couple days to get back home and to recover honestly from the physical play that we experienced on Saturday in Tucson.”
How does the loss in Tucson impact your team moving forward?: “Well, our team has always responded, Well, when adverse times come, and so I think it's such a reminder of, how do you stick to the processes that put you in position to win the games that you win? Don't get distracted by results. I mean, everybody wants to talk about the result, but really, I think the way we've approached it, how do you look at each play in every game that we played, it didn't work out in our favor. What was the reason why that we didn't complete what we needed to as a team, and then what's our resilience to keep fighting through it and make it work? Right? I mean, there's a ton of resistance in this league, and we're gonna experience it tomorrow night against Arizona State. My message to the team is like, let's not get consumed with the things that everybody wants to talk about publicly, which is the win or the loss, and let's get consumed with how do we get better as people and as basketball players? And I hate making that simple. Honestly, that's been the approach that I think will give us the best result at the end, which is when we want to do our best.”
Is this team close to where you want it to be?: “No, we're not even close to what we can be. I mean, you can look up and down on roster and look at the effectiveness of some of the guys in these games, and you can see that we haven't reached our potential. I mean, that's obvious. One area that I think is really got to be better is our presence and physical play around the basket. I thought that that was a difference in this game against Arizona. And when we play against teams like we're going to play against Arizona State, it does come down to your ability to control the paint. We've got some of the best shooters in the world, not just college basketball. So how do we control the paint, physically, defensively and offensively? And that kind of is what separates this team. So that's kind of been where I think our growth can be most improved over the course of the season.”
How important is it not to let the foot off the gas over this next two week stretch?: “I watched enough of Arizona State over the course of the season, and I've watched, I mean, obviously we had a couple of transfers from Arizona State. So a few years ago, I watched just about every game that they played. With Devan Cambridge and Warren Washington, evaluating the team. And man, they always find a way to win games and league play in February that may surprise people. And Coach Hurley is as good as anybody hanging in there with his team and getting them to believe that they can win the game. And so just a tremendous amount of respect for how they're able to keep getting better. And they go on runs in February. Go back and look at the teams you've coached. They figured out ways to go on runs. And we've got to be at our absolute best tomorrow night to beat them.”
@ALL HANDS
Opening Statement: “Yeah, it's great, great to be back in the USA playing a really strong Arizona State team, and what I think had one of the best nonconference resumes of anybody will play, going back and looking at their schedule, beating St Mary's being one of New Mexico's only losses. two of their two other wins are on the road. Beat a great West Virginia team so we know what this Arizona State team is capable of and really excited about the opportunity to compete tomorrow night.”
Biggest concern on ASU?: “As individual talent goes, I mean, they've got as good a scorers as there is in our league, and they consistently can make shots, and they've played people close. Haven't quite got over the end of some of these late game situations to win them, but they're in these basketball games, and they've got the talent to score. And anytime you have guys that can score like they can, I mean, you're always on edge in the way that you got to prepare to play. And then if you can get stops, then that gives you an opportunity to play the way you want to. But getting stops is going to be extremely difficult.”
How did Arizona’s length & physically challenge you offensively?: “Looking back at the game against Arizona, how physical they were on the ball, I just thought their activity level, like back tapping us and like we would get by them, and they were still being physical in their size, and then our ability to get it close to the basket and keep going to the rim. I mean, I thought just their first attack on the defensive end pushed us out of a comfort level where those shots were just contested in a way that it made it difficult. And I thought their effort, honestly, was the most important part. I mean, they've got good size, and most teams in our league do have good size and length, but I thought their effort was just tremendous, and I thought that was the difference. I mean, yes, size and length did impact it, but I thought the way they played, how hard they played, was really the reason.”
When a team is able to take away Chance McMillian, how does that change the offense for this team?: “Yeah. I mean, we've talked about that as a staff, just you know, we had Chance in some actions that we were good going into the game, and they defended it well, and they were prepared for it. And so then what's the counter action to it that we need? We just need to constantly find ways to involve them in what we're doing. And the more you can put him in plays, and the more you can give him opportunities offensively, he's proven that’s the better he plays. So we just got to keep him going in different ways, and didn't spread it out enough in that one.”
Has it been nice to have a couple days off in between games?: “I mean, it's funny, because these days, if you have four days between games, it's a pause. There’s no breaks. I do think that you still have to practice and be engaged. But there also has to be a refreshing in the way you approach this and knowing that you are in one game seasons. I mean, the more you make it about where you are in the league and how far you have to go, and what's you know, just literally, is like, how do you approach this day today, and how do you figure out a way to get a little bit better? And that's honestly been our approach, but we needed a couple days to get back home and to recover honestly from the physical play that we experienced on Saturday in Tucson.”
How does the loss in Tucson impact your team moving forward?: “Well, our team has always responded, Well, when adverse times come, and so I think it's such a reminder of, how do you stick to the processes that put you in position to win the games that you win? Don't get distracted by results. I mean, everybody wants to talk about the result, but really, I think the way we've approached it, how do you look at each play in every game that we played, it didn't work out in our favor. What was the reason why that we didn't complete what we needed to as a team, and then what's our resilience to keep fighting through it and make it work? Right? I mean, there's a ton of resistance in this league, and we're gonna experience it tomorrow night against Arizona State. My message to the team is like, let's not get consumed with the things that everybody wants to talk about publicly, which is the win or the loss, and let's get consumed with how do we get better as people and as basketball players? And I hate making that simple. Honestly, that's been the approach that I think will give us the best result at the end, which is when we want to do our best.”
Is this team close to where you want it to be?: “No, we're not even close to what we can be. I mean, you can look up and down on roster and look at the effectiveness of some of the guys in these games, and you can see that we haven't reached our potential. I mean, that's obvious. One area that I think is really got to be better is our presence and physical play around the basket. I thought that that was a difference in this game against Arizona. And when we play against teams like we're going to play against Arizona State, it does come down to your ability to control the paint. We've got some of the best shooters in the world, not just college basketball. So how do we control the paint, physically, defensively and offensively? And that kind of is what separates this team. So that's kind of been where I think our growth can be most improved over the course of the season.”
How important is it not to let the foot off the gas over this next two week stretch?: “I watched enough of Arizona State over the course of the season, and I've watched, I mean, obviously we had a couple of transfers from Arizona State. So a few years ago, I watched just about every game that they played. With Devan Cambridge and Warren Washington, evaluating the team. And man, they always find a way to win games and league play in February that may surprise people. And Coach Hurley is as good as anybody hanging in there with his team and getting them to believe that they can win the game. And so just a tremendous amount of respect for how they're able to keep getting better. And they go on runs in February. Go back and look at the teams you've coached. They figured out ways to go on runs. And we've got to be at our absolute best tomorrow night to beat them.”
@ALL HANDS
