Dec. 26, 2002
Quotes from the San Diego State men's basketball press conference on Thursday, December 26. The Aztecs (5-3) will play host to 2002 Atlantic Sun tournament champion Florida Atlantic on Saturday night at Cox Arena. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m.
SDSU Head Coach Steve Fisher
On having Evan Burns, Travis Hanour and Chris Manker available to play:
"We finally have all the guys we hoped to have eligible on the court. We are still searching because we did not have the luxury during October and November to put all the ingredients together. We need another two, three weeks and maybe a month and hopefully by then we will have more order to what we are doing. I like what we have done lately. We have played hard despite not always having a consistent substitution pattern. We have made progress. That is reflected in part in our record winning five of our last six. More importantly I think it has been reflected in stretches where we have had pretty good play.
"We have some guys that are neophytes on the court at the Division I basketball. Then you have a couple of guys that until a couple of games ago had not played in 18 months at this level. I think getting their feet wet seven or eight games into the season. I have to get a comfort level of who should be in when and who can do what with whom."
On playing the next five games at home:
"We are in a positive position. We have been off since 5 p.m. on December 21st and this is the longest I have ever given a team off. I think it is good for all of us. I don't view it as anything other than a refresher for all of us. We went long and hard today just to get conditioning and technique in. We are excited about the stretch we have at home and we need to take care of business. Florida Atlantic made the (NCAA) tournament last year. We need to make sure we are taking care of our business."
On Deandre Moore:
"Deandre's play has been directly related to our win streak. He has the ball more than any other player on the team and he needs to make sure he makes sound decisions and make sure he does not do things out of fatigue. He has done a really good job and at this point he is playing with a heightened degree of confidence that he really hasn't had since he has been here. He is going to be a key for us."
On Travis Hanour:
"Travis is still bothered by his knees and that effects his ability to cut and move with the sharpness of an athlete of his caliber should be able to do. We need to make sure he gets healthy. He needs to try, like Tony, to try and not go to fast. Travis early on in practice was real good and I think now he has hit a little rut where he has tried too hard. I have great confidence ion him and he needs a game where he breaks out a little bit and he can relax."
On Chris Manker:
"Chris is a guy who should give us versatility. He is a very good three-point shooter. He runs from block-to-block as fast as many big man in our league and he is has played intelligently. We need to allow him to grow in his own confidence. I think more than anyone he has been slighted in minutes. I went back and looked at tape from the last two games and thought I wish I had played him a little bit more. I like him."
On Evan Burns:
"Evan has had flashes. He made a couple of really good plays in the Houston game on a tip-in and on a great post feed to Mackell. I like what he has done. He has not been impatient. He has done what we have asked him to do. Any and all of those three have been a luxury to have come in."
Senior guard Tony Bland
On playing the next five games at home:
"We can't afford to look ahead. We as a team know that we have to take it one game at a time. It is my job, it is Deandre's (Moore) job and it is Mike's (Mackell) job to make sure that we take it one game at a time. That is how good teams do it. Florida Atlantic is a team that beat Miami. On any given night any team can beat any other."
On the improvement of Deandre Moore from the first couple of games:
"Deandre is one of the best point guards I have ever played with. He came to Mike and me and said we have to start playing better. Deandre works harder than any other player on the team during the season. While in season, Deandre works very hard on his ball skills even though he is the best ball handler on the team. I feel real confident with him on the floor handling the ball."
On how you have improved this season:
"I think that is a tough question because I don't feel like I have played well yet. I have to go there with confidence like I am the best player on the court because that is what my team expects me to do."
Comparing this team's chemistry with that of last season's:
"I think there is a different team chemistry this year. Last season we had so many dominant personalities in Randy Holcomb, Al Faux and myself. This year we have guys that are willing to share the ball and make the extra pass. I think we have a great team chemistry led by Deandre at the point. He dominates the ball and he gives the ball up and gets the team into a rhythm."
Senior guard Deandre Moore
On playing better since the first two games of the season:
"The first two games scared me. To come out the first two games and have 15 turnovers and just a couple of assists really bothered me. I had to go back and look at the tape and make adjustments. I have been trying to work and get better. I figure by the end of the season we will be one and two in assist-to-turnover ratio (in the Mountain West Conference)."
On shooting 50 percent from three-point range:
"It is mainly confidence. I spent a lot of time in the gym working on shooting and ball handling. This year I am just taking those shots where as last season I wasn't."
On the early season turnovers:
"The fact that none of them were pressured, really bothered me. I pride myself on taking care of the ball and making the right decisions with the ball. It was just getting focused."