Mizzou Head Coach Kim Anderson

Opening statement…
"It was a heck of a game. Illinois shot well in the first half and we shot well in the second half. We played with great energy in the second half. I'm really proud of Wes (Clark) and Russ (Woods). Russ played with a lot of energy and made some big plays for us on both ends of the floor. Wes did the same thing. I thought Wes took the game over for a while and made plays, not only for himself, but for other people. We're looking forward to seeing him continue to do that when we get back from Christmas break."

On if the game was encouraging or discouraging…
"I was encouraged. Lately we've been going the other way, starting off fast and fading late. I was encouraged by the way we did come back. They shot the ball so well early, we knew they had that in their arsenal and could do that. Very rarely am I discouraged about these guys. This is a young bunch of guys, we made some mistakes, turned it over 15 times which they got 15 points off of. We just have to keep working."

On Wes Clark's game tonight…
"I've seen it in practice and parts of a game. To have a really good basketball team, one component you have to have is a guy who can handle the basketball and make some plays, maybe not just for himself but for others. Tonight is really encouraging to see that from Wes. We need that guy. He's worked hard to get back to where he is and I'm proud to see him have a great night. I'll be really happy if he can continue to do that."  

On the play of Russell Woods…
"Russ has some energy, I'd describe him as an energizer guy. The thing that I thought was really good tonight, for a segment we went to him offensively and he made some nice plays. He's gotten so much better lately. He's an active guy and that's the type of guy we need around the basket."

Junior Guard Wes Clark

On the takeaways from the game…
"I think we can take the good and bad from this game. Watch film and get better to see where we made mistakes and try to work on that. And take the good from it in that we know we have some fight."

On what sparked the second half comeback…
"Energy. The second half we played with more energy. We focused on getting stops, focused on rebounding and it paid off for us."

On if he has been encouraged to look for his shot more…
"Not necessarily hunting for shots like that, but being aggressive at all times. When I see an opening, play comfortable and play loose. The coaches are just giving me confidence and I made some shots today."

On what sparked his big night…
"For the most part, the coaches were giving me confidence before the game, telling me to stay aggressive and have confidence in myself. That's what I did, I went out there and played hard and made some shots."

Junior Foward Russell Woods

On the takeaways from the game…
"I think this is a good stepping stone for us. It's a loss, but I think it's going to make us better. It's just going to help us improve."

On if the team feeds off having someone take over…
"I feel everyone else does follow it. I talk to Wes all the time and I tell him he has to be our go-to guy, and tonight he brought it. I feel like everyone got an extra push because of how Wes played, and Wes was telling us to play hard, that we weren't just going to lay down. I think that was a big boost."

Illinois Head Coach John Groce

Opening Statement…

"After coaching in this game for four years, another tough game. I thought the intensity from both teams was terrific. We all knew it was going to be a heavyweight boxing match from the tip. We understand you have to fight and I thought both teams did that. I thought for the first 25 minutes, we played about as well as we have played all year on both ends of the floor. Then they went on a 15-nothing run, give them credit, because they have some young guys and they didn't flinch or back down. They made some big plays. I thought we had some really good shots during that stretch and they just didn't go in. The thing that I was most proud of with by far was our defense. We held them to shoot the low-40s in both halves, and I thought we defended better to our game plan then we have been doing in the past. I thought we were active, I thought we competed. I am proud that we didn't let our shooting wowes effect our play on the defensive end. Late game, it comes down to making plays here and there. (Michael) Finke shot one from the right corner that was a good shot and he drilled it. (Malcolm) Hill made one at the end of the shot clock that was big. I thought Ken (Nunn) played terrific throughout the game. Eleven rebounds, 19 points, and doing so on 50 percent shooting, with four steals, a lot of times he did it while guarding Clark, I was proud of him. I thought he played a really complete games on both sides of the court. I thought we made enough plays there at the end to finish it off. "

On Wes Clark…

"First of all, I have seen him play plenty of times, before he went to Missouri. He is a high-level competitor. I think he is a guy that loves big moments. He is fearless. We talked to our guys about that before the game. I have a great respect for their young guys, they will keep getting better. Their kids play hard. They compete, they are athletic. But (Clark) is the guy we talked about in terms of 'this guy, in a big game, he's dangerous.' So much for the scouting report tonight. He was terrific. I thought he made some big time shots. He made some tough shots off the dribble, Threes, and twos. He put his head down a couple times and made things happen for their team. I really respect the heck out of him. Not only as a player, but as a competitor. I like tough guys. He is a tough dude."

On what about his team impresses him…

"I thought the first 25 minutes, we were really good, on both ends of the floor. I thought we shared the ball, moved the ball. Then I thought the second half, our defense was really good. That was probably about as good second half defense we have played in quite some time. You are required to do so to win, because obviously, we weren't doing great offensively in the second half. Give Missouri a lot of credit, defensively they battled. We have multiple guys who can come in and hit some shots. For the first time in a while, everyone hit a skid at the same time shooting the ball, but I was proud of them for continuing to defend."

On Jakeenan Gant…

"I love his athleticism. He has great length, he is talented, has touch. Made a couple big shots during the run as well."

On where Hill and Nunn rank among players he has coached…

"They are in that realm of top talent for sure. I have high standards for both those guys. To defend, rebound, take care of the ball, score efficiently, lead out team. They have a lot on their plate, but they can handle it. I am trying to teach them to take care of the other guys first and themselves last. That's what leadership is. I think they are doing a great job of maturing and growing with that leadership and responsibility. Those guys are a big part of what we do. I am thrilled for their maturation and growth."

Illinois Guard Malcolm Hill

On more responsibility he and Kendrick Nunn have been given…

"We knew we had to step up, on the offensive and defensive end. When situations get tough, we are looked upon to get the team going and keeping the team going. I think Kendrick has done a great job of that. He helps us before tipoff and talks to us throughout the game and keeps us mentally locked in."

On a three-pointer that gave Illinois an eight point lead late…

"I heard the bench yell '3, 2, 1'. That shot I work on countless amount of times in the offseason and that is hard work paying off. You practice those tough shots so many times, it is easier to do."

On his mood and the team's mood…

"We are extremely happy. We are now on a five-game win-streak. We have had some ups and downs this year, we have lost some close games. I think we have taken a step forward. Now we just need to learn how to close games out. Even though some shots didn't fall, I thought we did a great job. We stuck with it. Excited to get some days off and to see my family. Happy we get to go into the first Big Ten game with a five game win-streak and some momentum, especially with Michigan."

Illinois Player Kendrick Nunn

On responsibility he and Malcolm Hill have been given…

"It is about being mentally focused, before the game and at halftime. I think we have both stepped up and helped out."

On the bigger role he has been given…

"I try every game to go out and defend and rebound. Tonight, I tried to get aggressive on the boards and I came out and did that."

On the two scoring droughts…

"I honestly don't think we were taking that bad of shots. I think we did a good job of getting looks, some of them just didn't fall. Give credit to Mizzou, they hit some tough shots, especially Wes Clark. He kept them in the game."

Illinois Player Michael Finke
On being more prepared than other freshman…

"I try not to think of myself as a freshman, honestly. I was here last year. I know it's a big game, but I try to treat it as another game. Nunn and Hill were great leaders out there for us and I just tried to piggyback off of them. "