Northwestern University Athletics
Post-Game Quotes
3/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2008
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Northwestern Head Coach Bill Carmody
Opening Statement...
"They're a very physical team, and they were just too much for our guys I thought. It was 23-20 toward the end of the half and they got six quick points on us. I thought we were somewhat even on them for about 16 minutes of the first half and then they got that lead on us. In the first half they missed 13 shots but they got back eight of them. That's plagued us most of the year. Offensively I thought we were doing ok. They were playing Craig [Moore] and Kevin [Coble] pretty hard, but I still thought we got the ball inside and did some things. We just weren't able to stop the strength of their team, you know with [Joe] Krabbenhoft, [Brian] Butch and [Marcus] Landry they seemed too powerful for us inside. "
On the physical nature of the game...
"Like I said, they're a very physical team. I think that when cut and get bumped it's the same as when you're dribbling and get bumped. I just thought the game was called a little too rough for us to have a chance to beat that team."
On the inside power of Wisconsin...
"My guys have arms like me, which is not good. Their guys are just big, strong guys and we weren't able to keep them off the backboards. Off the block they were getting very good position and overpowered us, I thought. "
On the play of freshman Michael Thompson...
"Mike's a freshman; he's has some good games, he's had some in-between games, and some games where he wasn't really a factor. He had three or four turnovers out there tonight that surprised me a little bit. But he's a good player and he'll run the team for us. I think he has progressed, his shooting is much better now."
On the full-court defensive play of his team...
"I think I didn't call it off as soon as I should have. They were sneaking a guy behind and our drop guys didn't seems as though they were communicating as well. In the first half it did give us some more possessions. With that nine point lead I thought we might be able to continue that preferred gameplan very well in the second half."
Wisconsin Head Coach Bo Ryan
On the character of his team...
"Defensively is where we found out. On the defensive end they were willing to make that commitment to cover, help, pinch and sink, all the terms we use defensively. Some teams you can work with them, and show them, but they don't just quite catch on to the point where it's good enough to maybe cut a net down. But this group defensively gave themselves a chance to be champions in the Big Ten. That's the first hurdle."
On the defensive play of his squad...
"From the defensive, that's where I figured we had a chance. In order to play defense the way we have, you have to have a tough exterior, but more importantly one that is backed by the interior. You can't talk a big game defensively, you have to get results. That's not to say that a team in the Big Ten Tournament, the NCAA Tournament, wherever, can't get hot, can't drain a bunch of threes, can't do this, can't do that. To this point, this is what they have hung their hats on. "
On being the lone winner of the Big Ten regular season championship...
"To win it outright is nice because then it eliminates some of the conversation from this part of the season. You always talk about how now it goes into the second season, which is the postseason tournament. But the first season's over, and there's one team that stands alone and it's the team in that locker room. That feels pretty good."
