|
| Tim Buckley |
| On Terrance Chapman's injury: |
| "We'll have to see how things go
(Monday) and how things go in the run through (Tuesday) and then we'll make
that determination at (game time)."
"We've always taken the approach
that we are going to do what's best for the student-athlete. We're not going
to put them at risk or in any danger, and if the training staff, the doctors
feel like he's capable of going, and if he feels like he's capable of going,
then that's the decision we'll make and that's what we'll base it on." |
| |
| On McCollom maybe starting if Chapman
couldn't go: |
| "Possibly - either Matt or Michael,
Anthony Kent. It all depends on what we feel like we can do match up-wise
and what we feel is going to give us the best chance without Terrance."
"Obviously when you have a smaller lineup you're going to play more drive
and kick basketball than maybe just having a low post presence in terms of
trying to play the game inside-out. We'll take a look at some things. We've
been working on some things anyway (since) before we came into the MAC
season in playing smaller and looking at that approach." |
| |
| On the four guard lineup: |
| "I thought not only on the offensive
side of the ball, but also on the defensive side in particular, because we
had a smaller guy on Levi Rost and obviously him not being able to score in
the second half - we felt like we forced them to play defense. They had to
guard for periods of time, which may have fatigued them on the offensive end
of the floor." |
| |
| On Matt McCollom struggling this
season but coming up big Saturday: |
| "I think he's a great example for
any young student-athlete in that he's not happy that he hasn't played as
much, and he shouldn't be, but he's not going to let that affect how he
approaches the game. I think he trusts the coaching staff implicitly and he
feels like we're always going to try to put our team in the best position to
be successful. He wants to be a part of that, so he's going to keep working
to be a part of that. " |
| |
| On Dennis Trammell being more happy
with the wins than the MAC Player of the Week Award: |
| "Yeah, that's not just him 'clicheing'
you there. That's the way Dennis is. We've always believed this - MAC Player
of the Week is a team award. You've got to have success as a team and you've
got to be able to help put your team in position to win. I thought Dennis
did that not only in the scoring column, but on the backboards in
particularly in the Bowling Green game." |
| |
| On the Western Michigan win: |
| "There's a lot of basketball to be
played yet. We have to make the decision that that isn't going to be the
epitome of what we do. We've got to make the decision that we want more.
We've got to continue to play good basketball. I would not sell Akron
short. I think they're a very good basketball team. I thought
they were last year, and they didn't have Daryl Peterson. Now they've added
Daryl Peterson, who is a very good scorer and a good basketball player."
|
| |
| On Akron being another big road
challenge: |
| "They're playing really well at
home. We've been in three road games, and they've all been pretty similar as
far as the toughness required, the intensity level, taking care of the
basketball, getting good shots. Those are the things that determine your
success, and you've got to play even better defense than you do at home,
because it's in somebody's own facility." |
| |
| On a possible letdown: |
| "I think it's like anything else.
You look at it when you're winning. You look at it when you're not winning.
You're never as good as you think you are and you're never as bad as you
think you are. There's somewhere in between. I think that's what you have to
realize, and then what you have to realize, 'are we doing things at a level
that we can have success or are we relying on our previous successes?'
That's what we have to do, is get to the next game. Whether you win the game
or lose the game, you've got to get to the next one. That's the most
important thing." "I would be very disappointed if there was a
letdown, because that would mean that we made a conscious decision that we
were going to letdown. We talk about all the time making the decision that
you want to have success and that you want to play at a level that's a
championship level. Our guys know that and they understand that." |
| |
| Dennis Trammell |
| On being MAC Player of the Week,
shutting down Ben Reed, and getting two wins: |
| "That's good too, but what I'm
mostly proud about is the wins. We got two wins - two wins that we felt like
we really needed. So that's what I'm really happy about." |
| |
| On avoiding a letdown: |
| "We've just got to remain focused.
We got two wins, but that's really nothing right now. We've got to keep it
going. We've got to continue to play good basketball and continue to win.
That's our focus right now." |
| |
| On Akron being a defensive test for
the team: |
| "Yeah, I think it is. Mostly
everybody in the conference is good at home - we know how teams are at home
- so we've got to go in with the mindset of shutting them down." |
| |
| On the Western Michigan game being a
defining moment for the team: |
| "It could be, but we won't know that
until the end of the year, though." |
| |
| On the keys to winning in a tough
environment like Western Michigan: |
| "Just staying together. First of
all, we've got to stay together in an environment like that. And just
playing D - those two things." |
| |
| On Western being known as a team that
tries to intimidate you: |
| "Yeah, kind of. They did a lot of
pushing and things like that. Some things the refs didn't see that they did.
They did a lot of that. Yeah, they try to do that, but I don't think they
really bothered us that much." |
| |
| Tom Howland |
| On having his confidence back: |
| "I think I'm either there or really
close to it. I'm not thinking about coming down wrong or landing wrong. I'm
starting to have more confidence in my jump shot. It's been starting to fall
more for me. I think I'm back to where I need to be." |
| |
| On starting the last two games: |
| "I don't think that matters much. I
think it's all about if I feel confident and healthy everything is going to
fall for me and everything is going to work. Whether I'm starting or not is
really trivial." |
| |
| On playing against smaller, more
athletic player: |
| "Yeah, I've been working on that.
The last two big men that we've played against have been more physical
bangers and they haven't been running off screens and going through picks
and stuff. I can get down and bang with people. It's the chasing people off
screens that I have a problem with." |
| |
| On the next step for him as a player: |
| "Right now I just want to work on my
stamina and my endurance, because that's the biggest problem I've had. I've
played my most minutes in the last games since I have my freshman year. I
think if I can get that going I'll be a lot better - being able to stay out
there longer instead of having to come out." |
| |
| On a potential letdown: |
| "I think it's a possibility, but I
think coach will do a good job of making sure it doesn't happen. He does a
good job of pointing out to us, 'don't listen to everybody outside - we're
never as good as they say we are, but we're never as bad as they say we
are.' I think he'll let us realize that so we don't have a letdown.."
|
