Northwestern University Athletics
Postgame Quotes
2/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 14, 2010
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Northwestern 77, Minnesota 74
Feb. 14, 2010
Postgame Quotes
Northwestern Head Coach Bill Carmody
Opening Statement...
"We played poorly against Iowa two nights back, our first half tonight seemed like a continuation of those 40 minutes out there. Then in the second half, more of a continuation a little bit. So you're down 12 or 13 under 10 min to go. I think Michael Thompson, someone said he said it was the defense that turned things around, and I don't doubt that, we had some steals for lay-ups, Luka [Mirkovic] got one, Jeremy [Nash] got one and I think Drew [Crawford], for easy baskets. But I think our offense changed as we started throwing some balls down there to Luka. In the first half, we were getting open looks and the guys knew it. It's not really in the flow of our offense and so it seemed a little hectic and a little frantic, the pace, more to their liking. Once we started throwing it down to Luka, and maybe we only made one basket, but the tempo was there. We're going inside and outside, and we got them in foul trouble then we're in the bonus early. I thought our offense got better. Michael Thompson wasn't having a particularly good game and when I told him to stop hanging his head. He said, 'I'm not hanging my, and he used an adjective there, head' and then he went out there and banged a three and made his foul shots. You can see at the end of a game the team always makes those shots; those threes then the time-out to shorten the game. It's tough to have a good game when you're not paying that well. I don't think you're playing poorly, but it's great to see that. And [John] Shurna, we were a little down coming into the overtime, and he had a nice inside move up and under on the guy. I just thought it was a good team effort. When you're down that way it's hard to come back considering the last three halves we've played including Iowa. I like that about my guys a lot."
On what keyed Northwestern's run...
"We made them guard us, throw the ball down a little more, because we're on the outside a little bit. I think we just kept moving and moving and they got a little tired of guarding us because we got some pretty nice looks. I think my assistants told me, let's try doing some things where we're driving, so Drew had a little clear out play and I think he scored or got fouled on it. We were trying to go a little more north and south then we had been. I think the credit goes to my assistants and the guys."
On Shurna's slow start and recovery...
"Well he missed some shots in the first half so he didn't want to keep shooting so he was taking some one bounces and running guys over and doing crazy stuff, so I said, 'shooters shoot, you're open, shoot the ball.' And he did."
On number of 3-pointers Northwestern attempted...
"I think last time [against Minnesota] we shot 29. We've had 47 this year. I wish in the first half they were more in the flow of the offense, then some reason they go in more. I don't know why, it's the same shot, but they do. They're off you and you're getting 20-foot jumpers."
On playing at home...
"It's fantastic. It makes all the difference in the world. When the students come out, it means everything, because they're actually in class with these guys, so it's a really good feeling. I know they helped propel us today."
On free-throw shooting...
"We've been pretty good this year; this has been one of our better years. I think we're shooting 72 percent so that's not bad. We had guys up there that I was very confident they would knock them down and they did. That's what you have to do in these kinds of games. That last minute, each team probably had four or five possessions and they shortened the game and we came through."
On how the team picked up the intensity on defense...
"It's a lethargic game. If that kept going you could say at the end we didn't bring the energy, and I don't really know. I'll look at the tape, but I don't know what spurred it. I think when we started picking it up a little bit, the three-quarter court pressure and then we extended our 1-3-1, which is already pretty far out, but we went even further with it. Made some adjustments for the shooter, but that got [Blake] Hoffarber going. He hadn't made any shots all night then made three in a row. He's brutal that guy, in a good way."
Minnesota Head Coach Tubby Smith
On how Northwestern fought their way back into the game...
"Well I think a lot had to do with Northwestern. They tightened up their defense, they clamped down on us, they trapped us harder, got their hands on balls, and became more active. We didn't really respond to their run, we responded by getting the ball and turning it over. We had 11 turnovers in the second half - you can't win like that."
On the difficulty in stopping John Shurna...
"Well, with that size - he makes everybody better - and he moves so well without the ball, and he's long, athletic, probably more than people give him credit for. I'm really impressed with the way - 6-13 on threes - we know we've got to take those things away from him, but he's so long, it's hard. A six-four, six-three guard is not going to be able to get up there to challenge his shot. The best thing to do is to try and keep it off him, and I thought we did a poor job of that tonight."
On calming down the team once Northwestern made its big run...
"Yeah we called timeout, you know, two or three times. We tried to calm them down, just relax, but once the momentum switches like that, and the crowd gets into it, it's tough. I thought there were some quick shots taken, and that all feeds into the problem."
On where this ranks in terms of Minnesota's tough losses...
"We've lost a lot, but this one - they're all tough - this one wasn't more tough than the rest of the losses we've had. We've had chances. We gave up too many easy baskets, we had defensive breakdowns; I don't know whether it's fatigue or what. We just need to be stronger down the stretch."
On the crowd...
"Absolutely, yes. They had a great crowd today. That's what you want the crowd to do is give your team that energy, and you could feel the surge, from the noise, the excitement."
