Jan. 12, 2012
SAN DIEGO -
COACH FISHER | STUDENT ATHLETES
San Diego State Head Coach Steve Fisher
On former SDSU assistant coach Justin Hutson coming to town:
"Our playing a team that has a coach that used to be on staff happens all over the country. It's San Diego State playing UNLV and when you get into league play everybody knows what everybody else is going to do, has done and will do. I'm concerned about the talent they have. They have terrific players on that team. They have a team that we went right to the wire with a year ago. Tre'von Willis is the only missing piece of significance and they've added Mike Moser. They come closer to resembling us from a year ago than anybody. They're good. They're really talented. So that's the concern and issue that I'm concerned about and our players are worried about."
On whether having Coach Hutson will give UNLV an advantage:
"No. If you do your job, you know every tendency a player has and you get that. These players know one another. Our players know their players and I told them, `I don't want you talking to them this week.' But they come in and contribute to our game plan. `He goes over his left shoulder all the time, he does this all the time...' This is contribution from our players about their players. Everybody has the book on conference teams. We don't have to say who is No. 10 like we did on Chicago State. We know who 23 is, we know who 0 (is), we know who 3 is."
On whether there is a team hungrier for a win than UNLV:
"Everybody that you play is hungry to get a win on you. I believe we've won a lot lately against them. Eight out of nine or something like that, I don't know if that's exactly it. Almost without fail, every game with two minutes to go could go either way and we've won all the close ones. Faces change, names change, but when you're playing you want to win. Doesn't matter who you play. We're playing arguably the best team in the league on Saturday. If it were a re-vote today, hands down Vegas would be voted No. 1 going into conference play; seven-game win streak and (they) have beaten the teams they've beaten. Everybody knows that. So there's incentive on our side, playing at home. You've got to find a way to protect home court."
Senior Forward Tim Shelton
On UNLV's desire to win:
"There is definitely quite a story line going on with this game coming up, and the history of the two teams. But it's also very different with UNLV's new coaching and leadership. We are also a very different team than we were last year. They actually have someone on their team from our team last year. It's just one of those things where there is a lot of familiarity so it should be interesting."
On slowing down the speed of the game:
"I wouldn't necessarily slow down the game. When you are at home naturally you want to run it to get your crowd going and excited. I feel like we run it well, so it is not one of those things we want to slow down. We are going to play our game, and we are going to mold to the changes that they make as well on defense.
On starting off the season against UNLV:
"I think it's going to be a good starter for us. Obviously a lot of people say we just got through the easiest part of our season. So this is a good test for us on Saturday. It is going to be a great atmosphere, and a great crowd. We will learn a lot about ourselves after Saturday.
Junior Guard James Rahon
On UNLV's desire to win:
"We have had a lot of tough battles in the past, so we are familiar with each other. Fortunately the last few games we have had the upper hand, but we know going in that it is going to be a battle from the start."
On starting league play:
"They are going to know all of our plays. That is why we have to practice different wrinkles on different types of plays, to make sure we can catch them off guard. It's definitely going to be a little tougher this game."
On starting off the season against UNLV
"It's nice that we have a tough opponent in the beginning. This way we can get all the kinks out of the way, and see where we are at."
Junior Guard Chase Tapley
On starting off the season against UNLV:
"It is exciting for our league to see two good teams playing in the first game. It is really going to show a lot of character for our team, and what we have been working on the last three games. It's going to be a test. I love that we are playing that caliber of a team for the first league game. It's good competition."
On transitioning from the easier to the harder part of the schedule:
"I wouldn't say it has been easy because the coaches have been preparing us all these last three weeks. We have been practicing really hard, and going into games like it is UNLV. So it's not going to be a hard transition, we are going to be ready."