Post Game Quotes
11/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 16, 2008
Northwestern Head Coach Bill Carmody
Opening Statement...
"After we played Robert Morris, we didn't defend at all. So that's all we've done, really work on our defense and I thought it showed today. We spent seven or eight practices just trying to get better at it, stop penetration, and going after the ball once it's shot, and I thought that was much better today. We didn't shoot well against Robert Morris, and I just think your defense helps your offense so much, when you defend, then you score maybe. You press, get some turnovers, get more possessions, things just seem to be in sync. The start of the second half we went down a little bit, but I just told Mike Thompson to start making a few plays and stop thinking about everybody else so much, and he came up with a couple nice drives."
On the defensive play of his team...
"I thought Sterling Williams was very good at the top, he stopped all the penetration. [Number] 22 (Marcus Pillow) freed himself up a little bit, but besides that, I thought we kept our bodies in front. I was pleased with that and pleased with the team."
On what the team has focused on defensively in practice...
"Keep your body in front of the man. razy, right? It's something simple, like making shots; it makes a difference. Don't allow guys to beat you off the dribble, and once [the ball] is up there you have to go get it. I thought we had a couple rebounds in there with some authority. We're bigger than Central Arkansas, but we've been out rebounded by smaller teams in the past. We have been trying to emphasize that
On the play of his freshman...
"They're still feeling their way around a little bit. Before the game I told our guys, 'Listen, veterans, don't worry about the freshman anymore. They're going to come along as they come along, and they're going to help when they're going to help. But you have to have the edge and be the aggressors and lead the way.' I thought Mike [Thompson] did that, and Kevin [Coble]."
On the play of his bench...
"Jeff [Ryan] did a real nice job. He and Sterling have played a lot of minutes, they're good basketball players. People are talking about this freshman class, but this year I look down the bench and feel good about guys that I'm putting in. That's a good feeling going into a game."
On how this win helps his team...
"Well you know, we're at home, we should beat Central Arkansas. But we did it in the way you like to beat a team. They're just coming on, it's a developing program, they were [NCAA] Division II about three or four years ago. But they have some good players. But I like the fact that the guys that went in [for us] didn't look like subs. Sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth man, they all looked like they could play."
