Feb. 12, 2007
SAN DIEGO - SDSU Men's Basketball
Weekly Press Conference Quotes
Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl
San Diego State head coach Steve Fisher
Opening Comments:
"We now approach another most important game. We've had several in a row and been able to manage and move on. It's a huge game for both teams. (UNLV) is a team that beat us in Las Vegas not too long ago. They were without arguably their two best players (Kevin Kruger and Wendell White). We were without Mohamed (Abukar). We're one game behind them, and we need to find a way to win if we want to stay in the race. I've said before that I think they're the best defending team in our league. They really guard you hard at every position and make you do things you're uncomfortable with, which is why they force so many turnovers. We've got work to do. But we're playing better, and we're playing them at home. We're excited for the opportunity to play against a really good team tomorrow night."
On the team's four-game winning streak:
"We're playing with a lot of confidence because we've won four in a row. Winning has way of doing that. Hopefully we will play with that same type of comfort level and confidence against a very good team."
On the role of transition defense against UNLV:
"They really run; they really do. You can't get into posturing or strutting when you score (against them) or they'll be laying it in at the other end. They do that against everybody. They run on makes as well as any team in the country. And everybody runs on misses. So we have to take away transition baskets. They get two to four a game off of blocked shots, which is like a turnover really. (Joel) Anthony will block a shot, and they'll lay it in at the other end. You think you're going to get a layup, and they get a layup. So we've got to do a good job with that."
On his team's defensive success lately:
"We have been it making hard for people to get easy baskets on us. That will be very important for us tomorrow night. We need to make sure convert; we need to make sure we protect the ball and not give them a lot of opportunities off turnovers or blocked shots. But we have guarded as well as most the last three or four games. The winning is there, but also the shooting percentage or lack thereof for our opponent is also there. We have something to do with part of that I think."
On the team's remaining six games:
"You have to think of every game as single elimination, and we've got to win. We put ourselves between a rock and hard place out of the gate. With six games to go, we're realistically saying we've got a chance. We're two games behind (BYU) and one game behind two others (Air Force and UNLV). If we win tomorrow, we'll be even with (UNLV), so we'll be able to realistically say we've got a shot. If we don't, we can say we're playing the spoiler and getting ready for the (conference) tournament. That's what a lot of teams are already doing. That's what we would like to defer as long as possible, and get better in the process. And we've gotten better as we've moved through the last four or five games."
On his team's performance coming out of halftime the last few games:
"In terms of how we approach going from first half to second half, we haven't changed all year long. We have found ways to come out and get a little spurt here and there. This game is also about spurts. You can play even with a team for 35 minutes and have an 8-0 spurt here, a 12-2 spurt there and that's the difference in the game. And we've had that. Usually that's created by being able to guard and get some easy baskets. I think it's all intertwined with being able to guard a little bit better and sustain your defensive effort."
San Diego State forward Mohamed Abukar
On what he could take away from the game at UNLV earlier this season:
"I can't speak as far as experience wise, but from watching I could see a few things from the sidelines. They're a fast team. They get up and down. They pressure the ball. I didn't get to play them the first time, but I am looking forward to playing against them tomorrow."
On staying focused:
"We try to take it one game at a time. (UNLV) is on our minds right now. We know this is going to be the most important game of the season for us because it's the next one. Coach (Fisher) tells us that all the time as well, but it's true. We're excited for the game tomorrow. It's going to be a great atmosphere, a lot of people are going to come out and support us and it's going to be a big-time game for us. We have to get it done. We look at it as a must win and we're excited for it."
San Diego State guard Brandon Heath
On the difference between the team after the UNLV game compared to now:
"There's been a drastic change. We're playing defense, we're playing together, we're taking care of the ball a little bit better. Anytime you take care of the ball and play defense, you have a chance to win ballgames."
On whether there has been a difference in practice:
"I would say so. We're going at each other, competing hard, competing hard against one another and making the game real. Ryan Amoroso, he's a guy that can't play right now, but he's doing everything in his power to make the game real. I think that is helping us a lot."
San Diego State forward Lorrenzo Wade
On the first half of conference play:
"The first half of conference play we lost some really close games. Those could have went either way. I just feel right now the ball is bouncing in the right places, and we're able to get rebounds and our runs going."
On SDSU's big second-half runs:
"At halftime, Coach (Fisher) tells us what we need to do. He focuses in and puts a big emphasis on us coming out and playing defense in the second half. We've come out and applied pressure on the wings and we've been doing an excellent job in the post with the big guys lately and that's why we've been getting these wins."