Dec. 22, 2008
Recap | Final Stats | Notes | Game Action
SAN DIEGO -
San Diego State Head Coach Steve Fisher
On the win against Cal State Northridge: "I thought we did a good job of grinding out a victory. We talked about knowing when you've got a spurt and maximizing it. I think all of us know that this is what this game is all about. We had a nice spurt at the end of the half to give us some breathing room. I thought we defended and created turnovers; they (Cal State Northridge) had 12 first half turnovers and only 19 shots to our 31 which is pretty significant. A lot of those shots we got were off turnovers which were easy baskets. The full court pressure helped us. We did enough to get a little more separation in the second half. It was a nice victory for us."
On the team buying into sharing playing time:
"It will probably be harder when they go home for Christmas when everybody starts asking them why they're not playing more, why they're not shooting more. That's the way it is in every walk of life. It's the same everywhere. Our job is to make all of them feel like they are the most important guy on the team, in terms of what they bring to the table. We've got to treat them that way. We've got to treat them with respect. The nice thing about our team is if a person doesn't compete hard, we've got somebody that we can put in. I don't like them playing out of fear. I don't want them afraid to make a mistake. I want them on edge that if they don't play hard that will be a quicker reason for them to come out and play fewer minutes. I think most of them have bought into that. It's always easier when you win. I'm hopeful that we will win and continue to win.
On the defensive play so far this season:
"I think all of them have tried really hard defensively. Some are better than others. Like tonight, a couple of times we've got Kyle (Spain) on a guy that's a legitimate point guard. His job description is not to go out and make him dribble the ball, but to keep him in front of him, don't let him get a wide open three. I really appreciate how hard they're playing defensively. That wears you out, especially our big guys who are going 94 feet."
On D.J. Gay's game tonight:
"His stat line is pretty good. He's got a nice line. D.J. is a scorer and sometimes I think he thinks I think he should be a shooter, spot up and make open shots. He's got a knack for getting into cracks and spinning the ball up and not having it blocked with his small height. Tonight he made shots too. He made some open threes. I thoght he played well. Not only the stat line, but he knocked some balls loose, deflected some balls and covered for some guys at times; things that don't show up in the stat sheet. I'm sure he feels good about it too."
On whether or not Mehdi Cheriet is getting more comfortable:
"I think Mehdi is getting more comfortbal, I do. Mehdi is a guy that I've got to make sure that we don't make him jittery. He's played the least minutes probably of the nine guys playing. He needs to continue to do what he's doing and he will be a very valuable member of that rotation. He's got the ability to make shots; he's got a little knack for finding the creases and seams, kind of like Tim Shelton."
San Diego State Senior Forward Kyle Spain
On the sharing of playing time:
"It's more of a role thing. Everybody wants to be able to get their shots, their minutes. It's extremely easier said than done. Everybody wants to play, everyone wants to score points, everyone wants to feel good about themselves."
On getting the ball to the player with the hot hand:
"During the flow, it's more of a transition type thing; we don't really say it. Off the court we really do focus on getting the ball to the hot hand."
On whether or not he could tell it was D.J. Gay's night:
"Definately. We can all recognize runs, flows and who has the hot hand. We have to execute it."
San Diego State Sophomore Guard D.J. Gay
On the amount of whistles being blown during the game:
"There were a lot of whistles, but it gives us a chance to catch our breath. It was to our advantage. It does slow the game down, but it does let us catch our breath."
On whether or not he questioned the backcourt duo at the start of the season:
"We did that at the end of last season last year. I feel comfortbale with Richie (Williams) by my side. He feels comfortable at my side. After playing against each other in practice constantly we know what each other likes to do. It's to our advantage to play with each other."
On whether or not he is satisfied with his offensive production:
"I have to be becuase we're winning. Everybody has their roles and I have accepted the fact that my role is not what my role was in high school, as far as taking 15 or 20 shots a game. Coach Fisher says if I get my shot take itand that's exactly what I have to do. If I feel like I can do something then he has the confidence in me where he lets me go out there and just be a ball player. I feel like I am included in the offense and the coaching staff has great confidence that I'll make a great play."
On if he takes satisfation on the little things other than scoring:
"Everything counts; every deflection, every hustle play. That's the thing that wins games. It's not just taking the most shots or getting shots; on the defensive end, that's what matters."
On why the defense is working so well:
"Everybody is buying into it and everybody wants to play. To get on the court you have to defend becuase if you don't, you're coming out. Everybody is going to play their hardest to stay on the court."
Cal State Northridge Head Coach Bobby Braswell
On the game:
"We gave a great effort. We took a little step backwards, a little bit with the turnovers. We turned the ball over 20 times tonight, but you have to give San Diego State credit for that. That's what they do and they pressured us into some bad plays. I told our guys we're 3-7. We probably played one of the toughest schedules in the country with seven games on the road. It's been a very difficult trek for us, but tha's okay. I think it'll make us better."
On San Diego State:
"They are very talented. They can score a lot of different ways. They've got some big guys that really make it tough for you on the inside and seperate screens for those guards. Their wings can really score and fill it up, and they defend and pressure you."