Postgame Quotes vs. Northern Arizona
Nov. 21, 2007
Kansas 87, Northern Arizona 46
Nov. 21, 2007
Postgame Quotes
Kansas Head Coach Bill Self
On KU’s defense:
“It was good to see. We guarded them like we should be guarding them. We were more sound defensively (than in other games this season). We gave up ten points in the first half and six of those were on threes that were on bone-head plays. If we would have been sound on those two plays we would have really (shut them down). It was a good win. I was really pleased with our defense.”
On KU’s offensive balance:
“One great thing about our team is balance, but a negative thing about our team is balance. You can look at it and say `Shady (Darrell Arthur) only got five shots in the first half, he needs to get more shots than that’. With balance that is the way it plays out a lot of the time. I thought we were okay offensively in the first half. We didn’t run many plays but the three or four that we did run, I thought we executed well. We haven’t been in a game where we’ve needed to run anything yet. That will all change on Sunday.”
On this game compared to other games this year:
“Defensively we didn’t give up easy baskets in this game. In the second half we didn’t guard them as well, because our intensity wasn’t as good. They ended up getting 12 offensive rebounds tonight but I thought our block outs were better than in previous games. It was good to get guys into the game and have some depth. It was good to have the freshman play (as many minutes as they did). All three of them (Cole Aldrich, Tyrell Reed and Connor Teahan) had big games.”
On Sunday’s game with Arizona:
“They are a very athletic team. They’ve only lost one game this year, in overtime to Virginia, who tied for an ACC championship last year. They’re fast on the perimeter when they play small. We’re going to see a lot of Chase Budinger, and a potential lottery pick in Jerryd Bayless. They have guys with talent. We need to do a good job of guarding them. They’re going to do a better job of pressuring us than anybody else we’ve seen this year.”
Freshman Cole Aldrich<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
On practicing against Darrell Arthur and Sasha Kaun:
“It helps me a lot. Going against Shady (Darrell Arthur) and Sasha (Kaun) it helps me a lot. Going through high school I was used to going against big size and strength. They’re extraordinary basketball players too. They definitely helped me through the growing process of getting stronger and finishing through a play.”
Sophomore Darrell Arthur
On intensity level to start the game:
“I thought we came out with a lot of energy today. Coach has been getting on us about our defense and things we need to do out there. So we came out with more intensity. We were talking more. We were just helping each other out more and just doing what coach told us to do.”
On his personal progression as a player:
“It’s coming along pretty good. Offensively I am doing some things. I can get more rebounds though, so that’s kind of my focus. Just grab more boards and try to get a steal each possession.”
On impact of fans in Allen Fieldhouse:
“It’s probably the best thing. Watching those guys play on film they looked real confident, but when they came in here I don’t know what happened. We just got into them. Our fans just helped us out a lot, just giving us a bunch of energy. I think our fans are a big turn around point for our team.”
On what coach self wants the players to improve on:
“He just wants us to be more enthusiastic, get into them and try to make them turn the ball over. We forced 15 turnovers the first half, but in the seconds half we only got three steals. I think we do a lot better in the second half and first half, but I think we are coming along pretty good.”
On if it is tough to keep up intensity with a big lead at halftime:
“Kind of, because you come out a little lackadaisical, but if we come out hungrier and more intense I think then our defense will not allow anyone to score over 20 if we come out with the same mindset we had in the first half.”
On if this is the best the <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas big men have played as a unit:
“Yeah this season starting off. I think the bigs played pretty good today. Cole came in and gave us some great minutes. Darnell always giving us energy every game. I think we did pretty good. Sasha came in and produced a lot.”
On the team playing well together:
“I guess everybody is getting used to everybody. The team chemistry is getting pretty good. We’ve been working on a lot of things in practice to help us out. I think it has been helping us out a lot.”
Senior Darnell Jackson
On keeping intensity up after halftime:
“Yeah, well the second half when we got out there Mario (Chalmers) got a steal, so he kept that intensity up a little bit, but at the end it started dying down, they started getting buckets and so we should have just limited them in scoring baskets.”
On Arizona:
“We haven’t been worrying about them. When it’s time for us to play against them we’re just going to have to go out there, buckle down and play.”
On the role players this season:
“Everybody knows what their role is this season. If somebody doesn’t know what their role is, it’s like playing four on five. We just go out there and do it. Coach Self makes sure we know our roles. If I need to rebound I’m going to rebound, if Shady (Darrell Arthur) needs to score, he’s going to score. If Sasha (Kaun) needs to block shots, he’s going to block shots. Everybody knows what they need to do.”
NAU Senior Forward Kyle Landry
On the game:
“Kansas is a hell of a team. They were flying around out there and they were really athletic. We just didn’t execute our sets and defense like we could. They are a great defensive team. We didn’t execute our sets like we did against Arizona or any of the other teams (we have played). We didn’t take care of the ball. We had 15 turnovers in the first half, and nobody can win with 15 turnovers.”
On Northern Arizona’s second half performance:
“We came out and tried to focus ourselves out there and made sure we took care of the ball. We had way too many turnovers in the first half. I think we settled down a little bit, which really helped us out.”
On playing in Allen Fieldhouse:
“This is a completely different team than last year’s team. We lost a lot of guys. I think we have eight new guys on this year’s team. We are pretty much in the same boat as we were last year, except a lot younger and I think some of the guys were in awe of the atmosphere.”
On defending against Kansas:
“It is really tough to defend them. They have a really balanced attack. They can get out on the break and they have guys who can knock down three-pointers and guys who can post up. They have a really balanced team.”
Northern Arizona Head Coach Mike Adras
On the game:
“I thought tonight’s game would be different from last year’s game to be perfectly honest. Last year we played them on opening night, this year it was game five for us. The drawback is that we have now played five games in a 10-day period. Three of which have been on the road. I am not trying to make excuses for my team because we flat out got whooped tonight from the get-go. We didn’t come out like we thought we would and then we panicked. Then they capitalized on that. I give them credit because they could have just stopped and started laughing early on, but they kept coming and coming. I think that is a sign of a very good team.”
On Northern Arizona’s improved play in the second half:
“We had 15 turnovers and 10 points in the first half. We only had three turnovers in the second half. We did a little bit better job of taking care of the ball. We started getting and making shots in the second half. Then our confidence started to go up a little bit and that was probably the difference in the second half.”
On the atmosphere:
“I thought we definitely came out very nervous and it was one through five. It was everybody. I thought only two guys on our team settled down and said we’ve got to start playing. The rest of them acted like they didn’t want to be a part of it. That is why you saw what you saw in the first half. I am disappointed that we didn’t have a better showing, but you know what we are 3-2 and we probably lost two games we were supposed to lose. That is just the reality of the situation. I am not terribly disappointed with where my team is at, at this point. But we still need to go back and address some issues that were exposed.”
