Postgame Quotes

Jan. 27, 2007

Recap | Final Stats | Notes |

Postgame Quotes
Kansas 97, Colorado 74
January 27, 2007

Head Coach Bill Self
On Richard Roby:
“We knew Roby was capable. We told the team before the game, that he was capable of going for 25 points, but I underestimated him and he scored 30. He played very well.”

On the game:
“At times we looked good offensively, but I don’t think defensively we ever guarded well. I thought our four perimeter players played well. That’s about as well as they’ve played collectively all year long. I thought Chalmers and Rush got us off to a good start. Russel [Robinson] attacked and made shots. Sherron [Collins] has to play more than 19 minutes, because he’s playing as well as anybody. We did some good things, but it still wasn’t a great performance. Our defense was nonexistent for periods and certainly our big guys didn’t rebound.”

On the 26-7 run:
“They cut it to nine and Chalmers gets the steal and he was intentionally fouled. Brandon made a three, and next thing you know nine is 14 in a span of about 25 seconds. We had some big possessions like that where they were going to get into striking distance and we always had an answer. We did some good things. We shot the ball well. Which is a big bonus against a team that plays zone. You aren’t going to look good unless you have a balance of inside-outside. Today, we had no balance.”

Sophomore guard Mario Chalmers
On the game:

“Our defense was getting to them and we were causing them (Colorado) to force stuff. I think anytime a team gets out of their comfort zone they are going to make a lot of turnovers and I think we did a good job of getting them out of their comfort zone.”

On his performance:
“My confidence has come back and I stayed out of foul trouble; I think that was the biggest thing. I think everyone came ready to play today and I think that is why we got out to a good start.”

Junior guard Russell Robinson
On overcoming Kansas’ offensive struggle:

“I think we are getting through it. Today we hit a lot of shots. Next game it might be the big guys inside getting a lot of shots. We just have to figure out whatever is working for us on that day and get to it. As time goes on everyone is going to find their way and we will be fine.”

On playing on the road:
“Texas Tech was a big wake-up call for everyone, so I can assure you that our road games for the rest of the season will be a lot better. I think everyone is comfortable and more confident now. We know what it takes to win on the road and we also know what happens when you lose. We will just continue to focus every day and work hard.”

Sophomore forward Brandon Rush
On Kansas’ defense:

“We sped them (Colorado) up a little and made them force some things. We had 19 steals today; we were getting out in the passing lanes and got some easy steals.”

On guarding Richard Roby:
“We (Kansas) still got the upper-hand because we won. Other than that he still had 30 points. (I wasn’t trying to out-score him), I was just trying to not let him score. He just had a lot of fast-break points and he got to the free-throw line a lot. He had eight turnovers and I think I forced some of those.”

Colorado Head Coach Ricardo Patton:
On the game:

“We played good basketball for 28 minutes, and with 12 minutes to go it was a nine point ball game. Then we had two consecutive turnovers, 30 for the game. I don’t know if you can beat a bad team with 30 turnovers in a game, and you certainly can’t beat a good team.”

On the turnover by Richard Roby, leading to the intentional foul:
“One thing that was clear was that both guys were tired. When I got both of those guys out I told [Richard] Roby that his pass was a little soft. Also, Xavier [Silas] was right in front of me, and he tried to reach out with his hands and grab it, and the defender just stepped into the passing lane. He just didn’t have enough energy to go and meet his pass. Both guys were very tired at that point.”

On Colorado’s freshmen:
“We talked about our guys getting the opportunity to come and play in this historic building. We wanted them to come out and show that they belong in the Big 12. In time, with a few more pieces, this is going to be a very good basketball team.”

On the play of Richard Roby:
“Every team needs their best players to score. Kansas needs [Mario] Chalmers to knock down threes. Every team needs their best players in order to show up.”

On coaching in Allen Fieldhouse, and against the Jayhawks:
“It’s been great to be able to coach in this arena, and in this league. Certainly we would have liked to have beaten them more often, but they’ve been pretty good. There were as many NBA scouts here today as fans. And they were here for a reason.”

Junior Guard Richard Roby
On the game:

“I knew that my game was going to come. I’ve been working hard everyday and trying to stay positive. It has been tough mentally, but it is making me a much stronger person and basketball player. We would go on spurts in the game and then they would go on bigger spurts. When you are down, you cannot let other teams go on runs, you have to shut them down and get stops.”

On what makes Allen Fieldhouse a tough place to win:
“The whole atmosphere. When they score it seems like the crowd erupts. After you play here, everywhere else is easy.”

On the battle with Brandon Rush:
“He had a hot start, and really took the ball to the basket. It is one of the better games that I’ve seen him play. I heard that he said something in the paper about how he was going to stop me, but I challenged myself to go out there and compete every possession. We were just two competitors out there trying to win the ballgame.”

On playing for a lameduck head coach:
“It has been a tough season. Everyday there seems like there is something new, but we are going to continue to fight because we know that this group is going to be together for awhile. We are trying to gain comraderie and fight for one another out there.”

Freshman Guard Xavier Silas
On playing for a lameduck head coach:
“It’s been a big learning experience. We are all getting ready to be better players. We are playing for the school and we are all trying to get better for next year. We are not focused on next year, we are just trying to get better right now if we can.”

On the intentional foul:
“I do not think that was an intentional foul, I was going for the ball, but he got to it first. I do not regret that foul at all. That may or may not have been a turning point, but there were plenty of points in the game where we could have done a better job.”

On what makes Allen Fieldhouse a tough place to win:
“It is a nice atmosphere and there are a lot fans, we just could not pull the game out today.”