Mizzou Basketball Post Game Quotes
11/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2009
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| Full Game | Press Conference
Head Coach Mike Anderson
November 22, 2009
Missouri vs. Texas-Pan American
On starting off slow before going on a scoring run...
"We shook up our lineup a little bit and you could see a little nerves, a little tentativeness going on out there. I thought once we got the rhythm, we got the flow of the game and it was one of our more complete games up to this point."
On the guards combining for 18 assists and one turnover...
"Well you're talking about the brand of our basketball team. It's an unselfish basketball team and we had 28 assists tonight, and I don't think we've had 28 in the games we have had all together. It was good to see that. I thought the defense started it all. It triggered everything, it got everything into a rhythm, and of course now you're making shots, rebounding the basketball, defending, and it kind of all came together. Our bench came in and played well. We had some guys that were in the starting lineup that came off the bench. I thought Kimmie in particular, we kind of took the pressure away from him and he came out and just relaxed and played basketball and did things other than just shoot the basketball."
On shooting and defending well...
"If we can continue to hang our hats on defense, I think we're going to have a lot of nights where we're happy. But when you shoot it and you defend the way we defend, a lot of good things are going to take place. We forced 22 turnovers, but I thought we really controlled the tempo of this game."
On the younger players getting playing time...
"It was an opportunity for those guys to learn on the job, on the floor. You look at Tyler [Stone] how he came in, he had a great feel for what was going on on the floor. Anytime I get a chance to get those guys some quality minutes, I'm going to do that. I have to say, Mike Dixon, I'll tell you what, you talk about a guy that really pushes the tempo and really pushes the ball. He's got a motor. You talk abut J.T. having a motor, but he has a motor also. Tonight our team looked very athletic because of the tempo of the game."
Missouri Players Quotes
Freshman guard Michael Dixon:
On what kept the team motivated after half:
"At halftime the seniors came in and said we needed to stay focus. [UT-Pan American] scored 13 points in the first half, so we wanted to go out and hold them to 13 again."
On playing in games like this:
"It's the funnest part of playing basketball, when you go out there and you don't have to think."
Sophomore forward Lawrence Bowers:
On youth play:
"We look up to Zaire, JT, and Keith; they've stepped into the leadership roles, and they're great leaders. But coach needs us to step up. With Mike [Dixon], once you play in your first game, you're not a freshman anymore."
On playing in games like today's:
"Every game is a big game. But games like today help us build chemistry."
On playing without J.T. Tiller:
"J.T. is the heart and soul of the team. But if we can continue to play like we are now, rest for him could be beneficial."
On getting his shot going:
"It hadn't been bothering me, I think I'm always shooting well even if it's not going in. Today I just got lucky that my shots were going in. All week, my teammates were on me, feeding me the ball and keeping me shooting. This is an unselfish team."
On playing in games like today:
"In games like this, there's just a lot of natural instincts. It just becomes second nature, and you get in there and have fun."
"It doesn't matter who we play, we're going to do the same thing in practice. Whether we're playing Texas Pan American or Texas, we're going to do the same thing to prepare."
On team play:
"We don't have any starters. We have 13 guys that go out there and play. Coach always changes it up in practice, so we can all play with anyone."
Texas-Pan American Head Coach Ryan Marks Post-Game Quotes
Opening statement...
"Missouri is a good team. They got into a flow and they were really hard to stop. It was looking good when we were up 8-4 in the first half, but after that it got a little shaky. We did some good things. This is a good game to play and to learn from. The guys will grow from this game and we'll get back to practicing and finding a comfortable game for us."
On what Marks told his team after the game...
"Let me give you a little background on our team. When I came here we had six guys on our team. So we're really just looking to find a comfortable rhythm, we want to find a game that works for us and we're still looking for that. I was proud of the way they hung in there. I think we could have played a little better if we would have tried to do some special things, but again, we're trying to find what works well for us. Missouri is a really good program."
