Saturday, December 16, 2017

Kevin Willard quote book: Rutgers

On final six minutes of game:
"I thought turnovers really hurt us. We had some tough turnovers that led to them getting some easy buckets and getting momentum. I thought we did a good job when the score got 54 -- somewhere in that range -- of running offense and not turning it over. I thought we turned it over in the last six minutes and it gave them some easy buckets, it gave them some momentum, and then (Corey) Sanders hit some tough shots."

On Rutgers' 34-11 disparity in free throw attempts:
"I don't know. I didn't have the whistle."

On whether going to his bench up 31-18 was a turning point:
"We were still up 10 at half on the road. We missed two free throws when were up 13 and I thought that was big, to be perfectly honest with you. We didn't get there a lot and we didn't shoot them good again, but you're up 10 at half -- I thought we came out and we were just a little bit -- we just didn't have the same intensity that we had to start the game."

On regretting going to bench:
"Not at all. I've got a lot of confidence in my bench and I'll keep going to them. You can't play five guys 40 minutes."

On a sellout crowd raising the profile of New Jersey college basketball:
"It's great that the interest is back in both programs, and it's great that -- I love the fact that -- it helps both programs, to be honest with you. It just does. It's a great atmosphere. I thought last year at home, our atmosphere was really good too, so the more interest that it gets, it just shows more and more people how good both these programs can be."

On Corey Sanders:
"Corey played fantastic. For the amount of minutes that he played, he really didn't do anything besides go one-on-one, to be honest with you. He just made some really tough shots. We were worried about him and (Geo) Baker just being up top going one-on-one, and give the kid credit, he made some really tough shots. Again, I thought us turning it over and giving him some easy buckets got him going."

On what lesson could be learned from today's loss:
"We've played -- this was the first time I thought our schedule was kind of -- I wouldn't say wear us down, but I knew all along this was the toughest game we were going to play probably all year. Coming off the games we've played, going into finals, playing at a tough place with a very good, well-coached team, I thought this would be our toughest test. I give Rutgers credit, they played well, they beat us. But we're 9-2, we're still a really good basketball team. I'm not going to the drawing board or doing anything crazy. We've played one of the toughest schedules in college basketball. We haven't been home forever, so I'm not worried about anything. To be honest with you, the biggest thing I'm looking forward to is a couple of days off for these guys. We haven't had it, and I'm looking forward to it."

"We've just gotta take care of the basketball on the road, and I think being just a little bit more ball secure on the road. You can get away with maybe turnovers for touchdowns at home, but on the road, where we were in control of the game -- I thought we were playing really good defensively when we got up nine -- we just had three turnovers that gave them momentum. You can't give teams at home who are struggling momentum. I thought that's what we did."

On whether playing faster was part of Seton Hall's game plan:
"I was happy with our pace in the first half, and obviously in the second half, the offensive rebounds stopped us from getting out. I've always been a big Deshawn Freeman fan, but I thought their guards got a couple of big ones. When you're giving up offensive rebounds, it slows you down. I've always said the best transition defense is offensive rebounding, because it just gets your guys going back towards the basket instead of out and running, and I thought their offensive rebounds in the second half -- I don't know how many they had -- it stopped us from getting out and going."

On Khadeen Carrington at point guard:
"I think Deeno's playing really well. Probably, 34 minutes at the point guard spot trying to guard Corey is tough, but I think he's been playing terrific. He just had a tough shooting night. He had some really good looks, he had some good looks on the break that; usually, he makes. Sometimes the ball just doesn't go in."

On Desi Rodriguez being benched due to foul trouble:
"Des picked up his third, they went small, then he picked up his fourth and so we shuffled in. And whenever I shuffle him in and out, he doesn't do good with that and I probably should keep him in there. But Myles Cale gave us a good lift. I think we went on a 9-0 run when we put Myles in there, so sometimes when you pull someone out, someone's in and you go on a good run, that has something to do with it too."

On whether today was a bad loss:
"Not at all. I look at it as a loss on the road."

On today enhancing the Seton Hall-Rutgers rivalry:
"I think it's great, I do. I think these games have always come down to this stuff. It's always been -- there's been headbutts, there's been guys in the stands and flagrant fouls and the intensity's great -- and again, I think Corey being here, I think Deshawn being here for as long as they have and then our guys being here for as long -- I think that really helps too, having guys that have been around and been through the game, I think that makes a difference."

1 comment:

  1. A loss to RU does nothing but pull down your RPI. Plus it helps them recruit in State. Don't help them improve .Let them only play their mid western schools which local kids have very little interest. SHU has enough local rivals and should not help RU develop their program at our expense.

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