Post Game Quotes
11/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 13, 2009
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Columbia, Mo. -
Missouri Head Coach Mike Anderson Post-Game Quotes
Northwest Missouri at Missouri
Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Mo
Friday, November 13, 2009
Opening statement…
“Northwest came out and they made some shots early on. We weren't making shots, they made shots. I thought they came out with a lot more energy. When you make shots you're going to have energy. The strength of our team is going to be our bench. I thought our bench came in and they got us going. Marcus Denmon… Laurence Bowers continues to do the things off the bench that catch the coaching staff's eye. But I thought it was a game we got a lot out off. Now, that season is over with and we look forward to Tuesday as we get started with the regular season. Hats off to Northwest. They played hard.”
On waiting til the second half to play Michael Dixon…
“Yeah, we just had a team rule, it was a coach's decision. I thought he came in and he did the things he's supposed to do. I thought he came out with a lot of energy and started making shots. I thought his energy was contagious out there.”
On J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor's guard play…
“I think that's their job. The strength of our basketball team is our guards. You've got to have a head out there on the floor, if not the body just goes anywhere. Those guys are our head. I thought they provided the stability that you've got to have.”
On Missouri's bench…
“I thought Bowers continues to do great things. He makes guy's passes look good. It's hard to do that. He caught one tonight that was behind him, he touched it and laid it up. And he comes up with a lot of loose balls. He attacks the ball. I thought Marcus played better tonight than he did the other night. He got into a rhythm, moreso tonight. I thought Steve Moore gave us some quality minutes. He gave us a guy with some size, and he did some good things.”
On Marcus Denmon coming off of knee surgery…
“He needs to get out there and play. He's got to get through that period of understanding that knee is OK. Just go play basketball the way you're capable of playing and confident. Do the things that he does best.”
Missouri Player Quotes
On Mike Dixon's play in the second half:
“I think the bench really sparked this game. Mike Dixon came in and hit a few easy buckets back-to-back. Our offense got our defense going. I feel he can do that for us in the future”
On His Own Strong Play in the game:
“In the first half I saw [the lane] was open, in the second half I figured it was something I could start off with and attack and be aggressive”.
On making plays to help the team:
“I feel like that's one of my roles on the team, to make plays. Tonight I was fortunate enough to make the right play at times.”
On the play of Mike Dixon:
“He's going to have a key role on the team. Our bench production is essential. It's going to be a strong part of our team this year. It's part of our identity.”
On Northwest Missouri State's play:
“That team came out to play. They were a good team and they played some good basketball, but our bench gave us a little more depth and that started to wear them down. That helped us in the end.”
On the regular season starting Tuesday:
“Coach said this is the end of the free ones. We're going to get in here tomorrow and get after it. The regular season starts Tuesday, and whatever happens in that game we keep. We've got to work hard and get ready.”
Northwest Missouri State Head Coach
Head Coach Ben McCollum
On the overall game:
“I thought we competed and matched their energy and effort. We need to take care of the ball a little more, and if we had done that we might have had a better game. That was a very good Missouri team. To match their energy and effort was what I was looking for, and we were able to do both of those things.”
On handling the Missouri press:
“We handled the press fine. Once you get the ball across, you're so out of whack that you make silly mistakes afterwards. It's difficult when they speed you up that much. Our guys competed and got after it and maintained their toughness, though. I'm proud of our guys, because at the end of the day we have a whole season ahead of us—and this game doesn't count.”
On Elijah Allen and Girod Adams:
“Adams is as tough a kid as they come, he and Girod. All my kids are pretty tough, but Elijah especially. In one respect, he's the last guy I want to have injured, but in another respect I know that he's going to come back from his injury quickly because he's a tough kid.”
On his first game as a head coach:
“It was a blast. It was the most fun I've had in my life, except for the fouls. Holy cow, that was a lot of fouls.”
On moving forward:
“It'll be key to see how we respond and mature. This is part of the process, we still lost and we still have a long way to go."
