Quotes
Opening statement …
“Well, we have to credit Rutgers and Coach Pikiell. They really stuck with it when we got up seven and then got up five again. They just stayed with it and ended up finding a way to get their first Big Ten win. I credit our guys for hanging in there after a poor first half to fight back and take the lead, but we just made a few errors down the stretch, a couple turnovers and a couple fouls and that was the difference in the game. I thought we did a good job defensively for a long time, but we couldn’t get [Corey] Sanders under control. That was probably the story of the game.”
On defensive set on final Rutgers possession …
“We wanted to keep him [Corey Sanders] on that side of the floor and he kind of went and tied to split it and when he picked the ball up it was low and there were guys coming at him so he just put the ball up and it goes off the backboard. It doesn’t hit the rim, and [Tai] Webster is engaged with C.J. Gettys and tips it and Corey’s momentum just takes him right there and it’s a point-blank layup. You kind of feel like it’s rebounding an air ball almost. That probably wasn’t what cost us the game. But he’s such a good athlete, he made so many other acrobatic plays that were well-contested. He really made a lot of plays tonight.”
On dropping another closely contested game …
“I think that’s my biggest concern is just keeping the spirts of our players up. As a coach, this is part of the business. I’ve been a head coach a long time. I don’t know this is like 21 or 22 years or whatever it is, and you go through seasons and times like this. But at the same time I know we can compete with anybody, and I know we can compete with anybody anywhere. We’ve just got to keep teaching, keep these guys believing, and come out on top because winning can really energize you. You can’t let this define you.”
On depth of the Big Ten …
“No doubt. Rutgers has been ahead of I think every team they’ve played. That’s what we told our guys – they will be ahead. They are a full-throttle team. They’ll pick it up, they’ll pick up their pressure, they’re going to be all over the glass. Coach [Pikiell] coaches to his personality and they are going to be full-throttle. Our job is to get them off that, and I thought we did when we were scoring the ball and I thought we did even when we were getting some stops. In the first half it felt like we should be down 20, because we hadn’t done anything. So we knew we can come back. But Sanders played really well and we did a good job on [Mike] Williams and [Deshawn] Freeman, but they still got us on the glass so you’re going to give up some of that any way. But on a day like today, Corey was really the story I think.”
On defending Sanders when he gets on a roll …
“I think his ability, his body control, his ability to hang in the air, take contact, and still get a shot up. From the time it leaves his hand to whatever angle he wants it looks like it’s going in. There were two or three of those plays where our kid comes back and goes ‘coach’ and I’m just like ‘that’s what he does, hang in there, stay in front of him.’ You have to credit Corey, he really was a playmaker today.”
On Rutgers this year compared to last season …
“Well we got them three times last year. I think they accounted for about 30 percent of our wins. Not 10, I mean 30. Here’s what you see: you see a team that plays very hard, is very well organized, that fits that Calhoun kind of mantra, big physical guys on the glass punishing. That’s Big Ten basketball, that’s what it looks like to me. That’s a Big Ten basketball team. And as they get more skill, they’re going to be even tougher.”
On Calhoun’s influence on the way Rutgers is coached …
“Oh yea, definitely. You see the big wings, just the way they’re on the glass and the way they’re going to put it inside. Steve did a good job assembling what he could for things, and he’s got a difference-maker. Williams is a tough player, but Sanders is a guy that can set you apart because he can go and get it against anybody. He got 17 against us at our place the first game last year in the first half, so it wasn’t like it was a big surprised, we knew he could go.”
Opening statement …
“Well, we have to credit Rutgers and Coach Pikiell. They really stuck with it when we got up seven and then got up five again. They just stayed with it and ended up finding a way to get their first Big Ten win. I credit our guys for hanging in there after a poor first half to fight back and take the lead, but we just made a few errors down the stretch, a couple turnovers and a couple fouls and that was the difference in the game. I thought we did a good job defensively for a long time, but we couldn’t get [Corey] Sanders under control. That was probably the story of the game.”
On defensive set on final Rutgers possession …
“We wanted to keep him [Corey Sanders] on that side of the floor and he kind of went and tied to split it and when he picked the ball up it was low and there were guys coming at him so he just put the ball up and it goes off the backboard. It doesn’t hit the rim, and [Tai] Webster is engaged with C.J. Gettys and tips it and Corey’s momentum just takes him right there and it’s a point-blank layup. You kind of feel like it’s rebounding an air ball almost. That probably wasn’t what cost us the game. But he’s such a good athlete, he made so many other acrobatic plays that were well-contested. He really made a lot of plays tonight.”
On dropping another closely contested game …
“I think that’s my biggest concern is just keeping the spirts of our players up. As a coach, this is part of the business. I’ve been a head coach a long time. I don’t know this is like 21 or 22 years or whatever it is, and you go through seasons and times like this. But at the same time I know we can compete with anybody, and I know we can compete with anybody anywhere. We’ve just got to keep teaching, keep these guys believing, and come out on top because winning can really energize you. You can’t let this define you.”
On depth of the Big Ten …
“No doubt. Rutgers has been ahead of I think every team they’ve played. That’s what we told our guys – they will be ahead. They are a full-throttle team. They’ll pick it up, they’ll pick up their pressure, they’re going to be all over the glass. Coach [Pikiell] coaches to his personality and they are going to be full-throttle. Our job is to get them off that, and I thought we did when we were scoring the ball and I thought we did even when we were getting some stops. In the first half it felt like we should be down 20, because we hadn’t done anything. So we knew we can come back. But Sanders played really well and we did a good job on [Mike] Williams and [Deshawn] Freeman, but they still got us on the glass so you’re going to give up some of that any way. But on a day like today, Corey was really the story I think.”
On defending Sanders when he gets on a roll …
“I think his ability, his body control, his ability to hang in the air, take contact, and still get a shot up. From the time it leaves his hand to whatever angle he wants it looks like it’s going in. There were two or three of those plays where our kid comes back and goes ‘coach’ and I’m just like ‘that’s what he does, hang in there, stay in front of him.’ You have to credit Corey, he really was a playmaker today.”
On Rutgers this year compared to last season …
“Well we got them three times last year. I think they accounted for about 30 percent of our wins. Not 10, I mean 30. Here’s what you see: you see a team that plays very hard, is very well organized, that fits that Calhoun kind of mantra, big physical guys on the glass punishing. That’s Big Ten basketball, that’s what it looks like to me. That’s a Big Ten basketball team. And as they get more skill, they’re going to be even tougher.”
On Calhoun’s influence on the way Rutgers is coached …
“Oh yea, definitely. You see the big wings, just the way they’re on the glass and the way they’re going to put it inside. Steve did a good job assembling what he could for things, and he’s got a difference-maker. Williams is a tough player, but Sanders is a guy that can set you apart because he can go and get it against anybody. He got 17 against us at our place the first game last year in the first half, so it wasn’t like it was a big surprised, we knew he could go.”
