March 11, 2010
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LAS VEGAS -
San Diego State Postgame Quotes
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by San Diego State head Coach Fisher and student athletes. We'll start with an opening comment about the game by Coach Fisher.
COACH FISHER: I told Tim Miles after the game, I said, We got lucky. Your team deserved to win. Our team did not deserve to lose, but your team played with a fervor that I know you liked to see.
I've been in this game long enough to know that things happen. We contested, of the eight threes they made, seven of them we could not have guarded it better. They made hard shots.
The one thing we did not do was rebound the basketball at the defensive end, and that was very evident also.
I thought at times we got a little too anxious, a couple times it looked like we took it away from one another and they wound up with the ball.
I think sometimes you have to play less than stellar basketball, and this is no disrespect to Colorado State. We played hard. We played hard. But they just stayed there, stayed there, stayed there, and would not go away.
To our credit, I thought our kids competed, made enough plays, made some plays when we went behind a little bit to get back ahead. That's what you have to do to win the game.
So we're moving forward playing New Mexico in the next round. This was a tough, hard fought game. We thought it would be that way and it was. We also thought we were going to get a win and we did.
THE MODERATOR: At this time we'll open it up to questions for the student athletes.
Q. D.J., it seemed like you preferred to play Colorado State. What was the difference today as opposed to the last two meetings you had with them?
D.J. Gay: Uhm, you know, Colorado State, they're a very good team. They came out and played us hard from the get go. Got off to a fast start, hit some shots. We had to come from behind in the beginning. I noticed Colorado State tried a new zone on us. It looked like a triangle and two. Every time I gave the ball up, they did a good job of denying. I couldn't get the ball back. To their credit, I felt like they did a pretty good job defensively on me.
So, you know, just their pressure they also pressed us from the beginning and slowed us down. We like to get up and down the court. They did a good job of slowing us down with the 2 2 1 press.
Q. Malcolm, how much did it change the game from your standpoint when Andy Ogide was no longer in there?
Malcolm Thomas: I think it changed the game a lot. He's their inside presence. Now he's shooting better. When he went out, it was a big time change.
But they continued to play hard, made it tough for us.
Q. D.J., on that possession where you drove and hit the two free throws toward the end, what did you see that made you go to the drive?
D.J. Gay: They gave me an angle on the ball screen. They forced me left on the last ball screen that I called for. As their big man took a step back, he opened up a lane towards the middle and I just attacked the lane to draw the foul or make a basket. I got the call and got to the free throw line. I was pretty confident. You can't go to the line, you know, second guessing yourself. I've been there before. So, you know, this time I knew I had to make those shots (smiling).
Q. Chase, how is the hand feeling?
Chase Tapley: I mean, it's throbbing right now. But get some treatment from Haines. It's going to be better by tomorrow. I just want to help my team win.
Q. D.J., can you give a quick comment on New Mexico.
D.J. Gay: This is a game that we've been asking for, been looking forward to. You know, we're 1 1 right now. This game is a tiebreaker on a neutral ground. Our team is excited to play them. They're a very good team. Had a great win today. Very good players. Hobson and Gary, they're leading the way for their team.
We're excited. We got a lot of work to do when we go back to the hotel room. Like I say, this is a game we've been looking forward to.
Q. Malcolm, at one point in the second half you seemed to take over the game. Did you tell yourself you needed to pick it up or be more aggressive? What was your mindset there?
Malcolm Thomas: Well, we all felt like our intensity wasn't there in the beginning, the beginning of the second half. As a team we talked about it. I got the ball and I felt like I could go to the basket and help my team. So that's what I did.
Q. D.J., what was it that finally got you back on track playing the way you normally play?
D.J. Gay: We just wanted to play tomorrow. We didn't come out here for one day. Like I said, we've been looking forward to New Mexico. You know, we know that we got off to a slow start, but we got off of it with the help of Chase Tapley, Malcolm Thomas and Billy White. Everybody contributed, but we couldn't have done it without them.
THE MODERATOR: At this time we'll dismiss the student athletes. We'll open it up now for questions for Coach Fisher.
Q. Coach, this was probably one of the more physical games we've seen you play this year. From a tournament perspective, how difficult is it to play in a game like this and come back the next day and get ready to go all over again?
COACH FISHER: Our kids are 18, 19, 20 years old. They'll be ready to play. They could go out and play New Mexico right now and probably play pretty effectively.
I'm not at all worried about that. I'm somewhat concerned about Chase's hand, but that's my only worry about our team. We'll be ready to play tomorrow.
We want to be playing on Saturday. To do that you got to win tomorrow. We know we're playing a great team in New Mexico.
Q. What were your thoughts, there was a bit of a delay there before the decision came down when they lost Ogide?
COACH FISHER: I didn't see what happened. I just saw the conniption Malcolm went into. We were worried he was going to get a technical. I called him over and asked him what happened. He said he got punched. I didn't see it. You probably didn't see it. But they saw it when they went and looked at it on the monitor.
I still haven't seen it.
Q. (No microphone.)
COACH FISHER: I have no idea what happened. Same scenario. You know, you hate to see that happen. You want to win, but you want to win with the other team having guys that they count on. Obviously, Ogide is a huge piece to what they do. He's an inside presence, a factor.
What happened when Ogide went out, and we all know this, they had a surge of energy. They were smaller and they were better equipped to attack us off the bounce. When we had Malcolm and Billy in there, especially when Carlwell came in with one of those two, we were at a distinct disadvantage guarding on the perimeter and they took advantage of that. They did a nice job of saying, Okay, here is what we can do. Maybe we can't throw it into the low post as much, but we can attack them off the bounce, when they help, throw it up there, then go get the ball. They did a great job of that.
Q. How much does it help or does it matter that at least New Mexico had to fight today?
COACH FISHER: Well, I think probably from a fatigue standpoint, I believe they played their starters almost the whole game, it wasn't quite the same pace, but they played them the whole game, and so did we.
So I don't think that that will be an issue or a factor. As I said before, we've got enough players, and they all, you know, are relatively healthy, with the one exception. If we don't win tomorrow, it won't be because we were beat up physically and mentally after this game today. And this was a hard fought game today, no question about it.
Q. Did you at any point during the game or at halftime or before the game bring up NCAA tournament with your team?
COACH FISHER: What we brought up was we want to win this tournament. This is our tournament, the only one we can be in, and we're in it. We came to win three games. We talked about that. We didn't talk about the NCAA tournament at all. They're well aware that we need to win to get to the NCAA tournament. We're well aware the winner of the tournament gets the automatic bid. We never mentioned, Boy, if you get this one, you're gonna get in, if you win the next one, you're gonna get in.
Q. Tim dressed. Is there a chance he can contribute in this tournament?
COACH FISHER: We just tried to scare them a little bit. Shelton said, Let me dress. He wanted me to put him in three seconds before the half. He said, I want to scare New Mexico to make them think I can play. Tim is a great, great kid. He asked if he could dress, so we said he could.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach.
COACH FISHER: Thank you.
Colorado State Postgame Quotes
THE MODERATOR: We have Colorado State head Coach Miles and student athletes. We'll start with an opening comment about the game from Coach Miles.
COACH MILES: Well, it was a hard fought game. It simply came down to two plays we couldn't make in the last few seconds. San Diego State, you know, just took control. I thought once we got the lead, the last whatever eight minutes of the game, got the ball to Malcolm, who just kind of took over, Malcolm took over, then we answered. We found a way to answer. But we just didn't you know, the turnover we had with just 17 seconds left, then the very last play that we don't get a shot off, whatever we got off there, you know, those are the disappointing parts of the game.
You have to make those plays. We didn't, and we will next time.
THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions for the student athletes.
Q. Adam, what did it do to your team's energy, the whole bit, when Ogide got ejected?
ADAM NIGON: I just told the rest of the team somebody has to step up, somebody else has to make the plays that Andy would make. Come in, give us a little spark, a little edge to the game. I think we got that from Dre, Bo, a couple other guys tonight. I don't think it would have mattered if he was playing tonight or not. That was a tough game.
Q. Dorian, on the turnover with the 17 seconds left, who were you trying to get the ball to? Did you see somebody open down low?
DORIAN GREEN: Yeah. I saw Travis Franklin. I thought he was going to cut. He kind of stopped because he thought I was going to shoot it. He started to box out. So I passed it kind of right when he stopped. Just a little miscommunication at the end.
Q. Dorian, that play, that's not what you wanted to end your season on when you had a much better game than the past couple weeks. How much is that whole scenario and how close you got, how much does that carry over to off season workouts, how you come back next year?
DORIAN GREEN: Well, I think personally for me it's going to kind of kill me because I think I didn't want to turn the ball over, I probably should have shot it. That one's going to kind of eat at me for a while.
But I should have shot it pretty much. I think I lost a little confidence in my midrange game. I just need to come back and work on my midrange and my pull up a little more.
THE MODERATOR: At this time we'll dismiss the student athletes and open it up for questions for Coach Miles.
Q. Not taking the timeout there at the end, is there a reason for that? What was your thought process?
COACH MILES: Well, I think that transition is the best time to get an open shot. You got to trust your players. So they miss. We know now there's some separation. I would have preferred to have the ball in Dorian's hands. They get the ball to Travis. I kind of forget exactly what happened. But it's like somebody closed on him in a hurry, there was a little contact.
As the play was developing, I was thinking Travis was going to get an open 15 to 17 foot shot. He can make those. I thought he was going to dribble into it.
At the end of the day, I thought as soon as he missed it, I thought there was space, I thought we were okay. I felt like, Okay, this feels like we can get a good shot. You go with your gut. It happens quickly.
I think you have to trust your players. Now, you could second guess it all day, would have, could have, should have. At the same time if I feel that feeling again, we're going to let them play and see who can make a play.
Q. What does it say about your team you were able to come back with Ogide out of the game early and make a game of it?
COACH MILES: We made a game of it, all right. Well, I think it says a lot about our kids' resolve. This group will not back down. At halftime we said play hard, play intense, don't be dumb. We've already made a couple dumb mistakes here today. But don't ever back down from anybody.
And I think we played that way.
Q. What were your thoughts on the play that Andy was ejected for? What did you see?
COACH MILES: Yeah, unfortunately I didn't see anything. I thought Andy got fouled. I thought if we called the first foul, we're okay. Those guys have a tough job. It happens in a hurry. It's physical. We're playing our way into the NCAA tournament, too, right? So is San Diego State. Why aren't we playing for the same thing they're playing for? Our kids are coming out with edge, working hard.
Andy is the nicest kid you will ever meet. The fact he threw an elbow is out of character. At the same time those things are unfortunate. I'm sure he made the right call. I talked to Vern, he was right there, and Dan Butterly. They said it was the right call. It's unfortunate. I apologized to Steve, too. I felt bad about both those situations.
Those things happen. I was just pleased with the resolve of the rest of the guys to keep fighting.
Q. What did you think of your team, the way it responded as far as you had to change the game plan and kind of go with a different style after Ogide departed?
COACH MILES: Well, we made some threes, which was fortunate for us. Adam Nigon stepped up, made some huge shots for us. Dorian Green got loose. We needed some offense. Those were big plays for us. That's what we had to do. Just go, look for those outside shots a little more. It's not something I love building us on, but at the same time in a one game night, that's what San Diego State gives you, that's what you have to take. We knocked eight of 'em down. I thought that was good.
Q. They got that little basket with one on the shot clock there. Is there anything you can do defensively?
COACH MILES: Yeah, you know, we thought they called timeout. What is everybody in the country going to do in, they're going to throw them out to the front of the rim. In our wisdom, we put Bocar D.J. Gay is taking it out. We put our biggest, most athletic guy, switch all the screens. Travis, I think they didn't set any screens, he allowed himself to get buried a little. Body, body, body. Steve just threw it up to Billy. If we had to do it over again, we would have chested it up and tried to force him out toward the free throw line.
Travis just didn't do that. So they got us on that one, there's no question about it. But I thought we knew it was going to be a lob, it was just about how they were going to get to it.
Q. With this game going the way it did, how do you think that affects any post season things?
COACH MILES: I have not talked to anybody. I like misery, so I'm going to stay miserable on this for a few days. I don't worry about those decisions. I hope we get a chance. I'd like to see us get a chance to play in the CBI or the CIT or something. We'll play. I mean, let's play.
It was just a tough night.
Q. How big has Dorian been all season, especially as a freshman?
COACH MILES: Well, he played 39 minutes, right? We're in triangle and two most of second half. We ran about six possessions against Colorado. Maybe one other possession one other game, I can't remember who. He's out there denying and chasing. Plays 39 minutes and he's in full denial chasing D.J. Gay, who is really quick, all conference type player. Then we still need him to score at the end.
You know, Dorian should have shot. He should have shot that midrange shot. That's all he ever does is shoot. That's what he does. He's a heck of a player. I can't wait to add Jesse Carr and Wes Eikmier with those guys. Have three really nice guards. We lose some toughness out of Busch and Mame Bocar Ba. But, boy, we're going to have guys with a little more skill. We're going to be better I think next year.
Q. The technical you got right before halftime, was that frustration at everything going on?
COACH MILES: No, I didn't say the magic word. You know, those guys had to get control of the game. I mean, they have to do their thing. I suppose I was frustrated. I think we turned the ball over a little bit toward the end. I thought, you know, those subjective calls, goaltending, things like that, they're hotly contested sometimes. I guess I had one opinion and he had the opposite. He has the whistle, he wins.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much, coach.
COACH MILES: Thanks.