Postgame Quotes
1/5/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2011
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MIZZOU BASKETBALL POST GAME QUOTES
Head Coach Mike Anderson
On the importance of tonight's game...
"From a talent stand point, they were outmatched, but this is one of those games you worry about. Our guys have been so amped up in terms of playing teams and now you bring in a team that has nothing to lose and everything to gain. I thought we did better in the second half. When our guys came out, they sort of went through the motions, so it was a game you kind of worry about your guys - can they get up for North Alabama? We got some quality minutes for other guys and had two guys with double-doubles."
On concern for how Mizzou will come out in conference opener..."Everyone has someone scheduled to play. Everyone has been on Christmas break and now you're getting back into a rhythm, so it was good to play someone. We've flipped the page on that season. That part is over with. Everyone is 0-0. Hopefully all teams are aiming for the same thing as conference champions. We're opening up against a new Colorado team, very much improved, with a new coach. They're a team that we have to go to their house, so it's a big game, as all conference games are."
On how team did the first half of season..."When you look at what has taken place, I think we've learned from what has gone on. We weren't playing as much as a team, that's why we struggled to score early on. But lately we've been working on our defense. Even tonight, our defense was better. We mixed it up. We rebounded the ball better. We're sharing the basketball better. We're doing those types of things. We're an attacking team. I think as my job, it's important to get more people involved. These young guys are going to have to lean from the older guys, the veterans of war, for conference games."
On the competitive level of the league heading into Big 12 play.."It's as tough as it's ever been. I think our intensity just goes up a couple of notches and we have some guys that haven't experienced that. We've had some big games since they've been here-- the Georgetown game of course, the Vandy game, the Old Dominion game and Illinois game. So hopefully those games will help those guys as we get into Big 12 play because that's what you're going to see. That's why it's important because you have to be able to go on the road and steal some games and that's the objective as we get ready to go on the road to Boulder to play Colorado."
On the importance of tonight's game...
"Another win, another chance to get better and get young guys another chance to get out under the lights before Big 12 play starts. Every game is valuable for us. Any given night you can get beaten. Whether we're playing the best team in the nation or the worst team in the nation, we've just got to make sure we're doing everything that we can do to make ourselves better."
On what non-conference play means to the team...
"You want to play the non-conference games to get yourself ready for the Big 12, the family. Everyone is comfortable with each other, everyone knows each other, and those games are huge. In preseason, you have the games where you know you're going to be able to get the young guys in, but you also have the games where you know it will be a dogfight-- like Vanderbilt, Georgetown, and Illinois. Every game is a different stepping stone to fine-tune what we do so that when we do start league play we're firing on all cylinders. I think other than the turnovers we definitely took a step forward today."
"I think it's the best league in the nation. Everybody is looking good. Even the teams at the so-called bottom I think are really good teams. Those guys can play, and once we start conference play Saturday, everybody is in first place and everybody is in last place. We're all 0-0. Every game is a big game from here on out. The league is doing great this year."
"Just another day. Shots were falling, and I was in the flow a little bit. Shooting-wise, it was probably the best I've been this year, but I attribute it to my teammates. Guys were passing up shots because they knew I had it going. Ricky on one play had a wide-open little mid-range shot, but I said his name and he turned around and found me. That's just the makeup of our team-- unselfish basketball. That's what makes us so dangerous. Last year you knew that it was going to be James Anderson from Oklahoma State, Damien James from Texas, Sherron Collins from Kansas... but with this team, there's not one guy that you can just scout. The open man is the go-to guy every night. That's the luxury of our team and it's a blessing to play with such unselfish guys and a coach that's really the state of Missouri's coach-- he's a `Show-Me' coach. Whatever you earn, that's what you get. He doesn't just give you anything."
On comments that this is the best team in recent memory at Mizzou...
"It's a great compliment, but Coach always says to stay humble and hungry. It's always great to have recognition, but we know that going into the Big 12 every team is great and capable. We've just got to come out with our hard hats and play every game like it's our last."
"The strength of our team is that we have so many people that can carry the load on any given day. One night Kimmie might have 30, and one night Marcus might have 30, or myself, Justin, Ricardo, anyone. I think that's a big plus for us. Our guards are starting to rebound a lot more also. That's a big plus. As far as weaknesses, we can get better guarding the three-point shot. We're taking steps forward, but we can still get better defensively."
On the strength of the league...
"There are five teams in the Top 25 in the league. It's a tough conference. We're all familiar with everyone, and some guys like Kimmie even know guys on the other teams. Like he said, it's the family, and we keep track of scores and stuff like that during the season, but conference play is here now."
