Kansas Versus Fort Hays State Postgame Quotes

Nov. 6, 2007

Recap | Final Stats | Notes |

Postgame Quotes

Kansas 93, Fort Hays State 56

November 6, 2007

Kansas Head Coach Bill Self

On comparing this to the Pittsburg State game:

“I thought tonight we were better than Pittsburg State. I thought our effort was great. We rebounded better. I thought our big guys went after the ball hard, especially in the first half. Our big guys missed a lot of bunnies inside that they would normally make. I just can’t believe guys that checked in and gave up open looks. We’ve got to get better at that if we are going to be a complete team. It’s a short week and we have this one down, now we have to get ready for Louisiana-Monroe.”

On getting the ball to the big guys:

“It’s kind of misleading. Of the shots he took, he made two or three because he ran and he got a couple of lobs. To me you are not going to get those in a big game. We still have to do a better job of getting the ball inside. I thought Darnell (Jackson) was much more active. I thought he was playing like he’s been playing in practice. Sasha (Kaun) was fine, but he can take better care of the ball.”

On the guard play:

“Our guards, Russell (Robinson) had a good game from a decision stand point and an assist standpoint. Sherron (Collins) had three bad possessions in the first half and Mario (Chalmers) had bad possessions to start the second half. These are concentration things. We’ve got to do a better job of concentrating. We’ve got to focus when things are a little bit out of whack.”

On what to get better at before the season opener:

“I personally think our defense is getting better, but we need our reserve defense to get better. I feel like when we go to the bench, we shouldn’t lose anything defensively and that’s not the case yet. I think we can improve on that. Then there are wasted possessions. Then there is offensive patience. How many times did we even look to score in the last 15 seconds of the shot clock? Everything is so sped up because we can get what we want on the first or second side. Rarely do we ever get it to the third side. If you get it to the third side, that is when defenses start to break down more. We’ve got to be aggressive, but still exercise more patience offensively.”

Kansas Player Quotes

Sophomore Forward Darrell Arthur

On being aggressive on offense:

“I got most of my points off of ally oops and tip-ins and things like that. I was trying to attack the glass more. I think I am more aggressive because I am a year older and I am involved in the offense a little more. I think I am a little bit more comfortable than I was last year.”

On the team’s offensive strategy:

“Coach wants us (the bigs) to get the ball and then kick it out so we can run some ball screens and things like that. He said that last game we didn’t work hard enough to get the ball inside, so we worked a lot on that in practice this past week. We are going to have to keep working down low to make sure we do our job.”

Senior Guard Russell Robinson

On pushing the ball:

“You have to play to your advantages. We have got three little guards out there who can all handle the ball and push it. We also have bigs who can run. That is one of our advantages and we are going to play to it. Hustling and pressuring the ball and doing what we do, we just need to continue to do that.”

On the play of Darrell Arthur:

“In the last game we didn’t do a good job in the first half of getting him any touches, I don’t think he got shots. This game we definitely wanted to play through him and get him some looks early and get him going. When he is going everybody is going.”

Senior Forward Darnell Jackson

On rebounding:

“Crashing the boards is the job of the bigs, not the smalls. Last game we weren’t crashing the boards that much. We just have to keep that in mind, that whenever a shot goes up everyone goes to the glass.”

On his intensity:

“I just like to go out there and play, it doesn’t matter what game it is. If the team needs someone to bring energy to the court then that is what I will do. Russell (Robinson) told me I needed to bring some intensity to the court today, and I did. I just tried to push myself to get every rebound and tried to block some shots and get guys open.”

Fort Hays State Head Coach Mark Johnson

On focusing on executing when playing a team like Kansas:

“I mean, obviously that’s what we’re focusing on. Like I’ve said before we can execute and we may still not score. We can execute and we still may not stop them. But are we doing things right? And I thought for the most part we played better tonight than we did against Kansas State. We didn’t shoot the ball as well the first half, obviously Kansas’ defense has a lot to do with that, but I think nerves kind of got to us. And I think we were 3-of-18 from three and playing them that’s what we have to rely on is the perimeter jump shot. As you saw when we tried to throw it inside or drive it inside we’re not going to have a whole lot of luck with the size and athletic differential, but I thought for the most part we did a fairly better job. We’re a better team today than we were Saturday when we played Kansas State.”

On playing better in the second half than in the first half:

“I think we just relaxed and played. It’s kind of like at halftime you get the jitters out. You’re already down 43-17, there’s nothing to be afraid of, I think that was the big difference for us from the first half to the second half.”

On sense of awe players experience before playing in Allen Fieldhouse:

“Of course, I mean Kansas, is a great program, has great history, great players on the court that they’re getting ready to play. These kids watch them. We watch Kansas every game. We feel like we’re a part of their program and get to know them and watch them and I am sure they were awe struck to start the game.”

On a comparison between Kansas State and KU:

“They’re both great teams. I think they are going to be great match-ups this year. Great programs. It’s really nice to have two quality programs like KU and K-State in our state.”

On if Kansas relies more on a team mentality than individuals:

“They’ve got great individual players. I think what they can come at you with is quickness. I felt like them just getting down the floor wore us out as the game went on. Our transition defense started to really suffer, especially in the second half, and I think that’s what Kansas can do to people. Just really wear them down with their quickness level and being able to push the ball.”

On team’s health:

“We’ll see how it plays out. We had a few bumps and bruises and hopefully it plays out that we’re ok. That’s the big thing coming out of these games healthy, but we’ve got eleven days before our first regular season game so hopefully we can be healthy and ready to go