Kansas 98, Washburn 79 Postgame Quotes
Nov. 4, 2008
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Kansas 98, Washburn 79
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008
Postgame Quotes
Kansas Head Coach Bill Self
On his first impression of the new look of the team:
“I thought that we played hard the first half, and I thought that we played well. We really got up and down the floor and played well. The second half was worse than the first half was good. We were absolutely not very good in the second half. I mean there were turnovers and carelessness. I thought that our young kids really played to their age in the second half. Tyrel (Reed) was the most important player in the game from my vantage point, because when the game was close he stepped up and made plays. He got us into kind of a comfort zone and we played well the last 15 minutes of the first half. I thought that Brady (Morningstar) and Sherron (Collins) played very well, but Cole (Aldrich) wasn’t a very big factor tonight. I was really disappointed on how we fouled and had no energy the second half. Our bench really didn’t play very well the second half either.”
On playing an athletic team:
“They are athletic, so it is hard to match up. But we are going to play against 6’9” athletes when we play Texas and Oklahoma.”
On the play on the defensive end of the court:
“We were really weak on the defensive end. This is the second most points that we have given up since I have been here. So we have a lot of work to do on the glass and on the defensive end.”
On the play of Sherron Collins:
“I thought that Sherron (Collins) played well offensively. But when you are up 25 you can’t relax on the defensive end. You can’t do that. That is when good teams put the foot on the throat. We did not do that tonight.”
Kansas Player Quotes
Sophomore guard Tyrel Reed
On factors that contributed to his good shooting game:
“I had open looks. Coach says if I’m open, I should knock it down, and I felt like I was open. Fortunately they fell. We just needed to bring some more energy to the game. I don’t think we had that fully in the first half. Once we got it turned on, we started pushing the ball like Coach Self wants us to do, and I thought we looked pretty good. In the second half we just didn’t bring that energy. We’ll get better and I give Washburn all of the credit.”
On starting:
“Just being from Kansas, being a small town kid, it was nice to get your name heard over the loudspeaker. But once that’s over with, you just have to play basketball. That’s what Coach Self emphasizes. It doesn’t matter whether you come off the bench or you are a starter. Last year we had Sasha (Kaun) come off the bench and he was one of our main guys. So starting doesn’t mean much, but it was nice to have that feeling.”
Freshman forward Quintrell Thomas
On feeling good with his performance tonight:
“I do, but then again, we didn’t rebound. I just need to learn where to be in certain spots.”
On newcomers playing poorly:
“It was freshman jitters. We’re freshmen, so everyone kind of expects us to come out here and play badly, but you would expect that for the first game. I assume that everyone is going to come out a little more confident in the next game.”
On his team role as a rebounder:
“That’s why I was recruited. I go get rebounds. Obviously I’m not going to be a star on the team right now because we have Sherron (Collins) and Cole (Aldrich), but wherever I fit in I’m going to play the role. My role right now is to get in, chase down every loose ball, and rebound.”
Washburn Head Coach Bob Chipman
On the game:
“We are athletic and I think that showed on the boards. I thought we fought pretty hard in there and I was pleased with that effort. Defensively you have to credit KU because we were jumping ball screens and they were just picking us apart. Tyrel Reed had a great night for them and he can really shoot the basketball. I thought Brady Morningstar shot it well and played at a great pace for them. They are just so smart at passing the ball and taking what the defense gives you. They just picked us apart in the first half, but I thought we re-grouped in the second half and played a little bit better. I thought in the second half we did a pretty job of running things and made them play a little more. I was really pleased with the second half and I think we played like we are capable of playing.”
On turning defense into offense:
“I think we are capable of getting steals and that always helps. Free-throw shooting really hurt us and it felt like we couldn’t make anything. Missing front ends of one-and-ones really hurt us. Free-throw shooting is a concern, but we are athletic and getting to the free-throw line, which is good.”
On Kansas:
“You’ve got to love how KU plays together. They are such a team. They don’t have names, they have Kansas on the front of their jerseys and their players play like they play for Kansas. They are just such a great group. I think some of those kids are better than we want to give them credit for. They were sitting behind some of the greatest players ever to play at KU. I thought Tyrel Reed looked like he could play anywhere to me. That is as pretty as a release as you will see and you just know that ball is going in. Of course Sherron (Collins) is Sherron. When you have a point guard like Sherron and a big guy like Cole and all the other guys that are going to play so hard and team-like, I still think they are going to be great.”
Washburn Player Quotes
Washburn Forward Lekheythan Malone
On Kansas:
“They ran the ball and they got a lot of transition points on us. That is what really killed us. Sherron Collins did a good job of keeping their guys together with such a young team.”
On what his team can take from this game:
“It is our first game. Even though it is an exhibition game you have to work the kinks out. The first games are always ugly. It will get better after this. Kansas State will be another challenge and so will UNLV. Hopefully we can do better, learn from our mistakes and do better next time.”
Washburn Guard Mario Scott
On what his team can take from this game:
“We know that we have a lot of things that we need to work on and sharpen up. I am very excited about the makeup of our team, for a Division II team.”
On Kansas:
“It is hard to compare them to last year’s team. KU is going to reload and restack every year. We didn’t expect to come in here and have things be any easier for us. They were very deep and that is the difference between Division I and Division II.”
On the talent of KU:
“Those big guys out there killed us. Even the guys who didn’t score had a presence. It puts a toll on your body at the end of the game.”
