Colorado University Athletics
Colorado vs. Texas Tech, Quotes
February 18, 2004 | Men's Basketball
GENERAL: “It was a great team win. I thought our kids came out and played focused basketball. I thought we came unraveled at some points, played carelessly, and maybe lost our temper, but that is what happens in the heat of the battle. I think that shows how much our guys wanted to win.
“We had something about us tonight, it was a good team win. In the first half we were giving up too many second shot opportunities. Once we gave them only one crack at the basket in the second (half) I thought we started to ply well and improve.
ON NCAA TOURNAMENT HOPES: “I think what is important is for us to continue to play well. We have to win on the road now and finish up strong here. If you win this one and not any more, it doesn't help at all. We have to keep winning.”
ON TEAM FOCUS: “I thought the whole team did (come out focused). (Former CU football coach) Bill McCartney spoke to the team before the game. He brought some fire to our locker room. He told us success hurts. But if you want to be successful you have to pay the prices and I thought they (players) did that. He has spoken to me before, but I thought it would be good for them to hear his fire.
“As coaches, we have said that we probably could have played football for him at least for the first week. He has been very good to me and I wanted to share the fire he brings with our team tonight.”
ON ANDRE EMMETT'S PLAY: “I think our guys were determined to not let him get the (Big 12 scoring) record at
Texas Tech Head Coach Bobby Knight
GENERAL: “This was not a game we deserved to win. We gave up 48 points in the first half, but free throws were not the difference. I think the biggest play, from our standpoint, was when we got a bucket and (
ON DAVID HARRISON: “He hurt us, this was as good as I have seen him play.”
ON HIS PLAY: “I was just shooting shots and they were going in. (Robert) Tomaszek was playing really hard in there. He was forcing me out of the low block and making me shoot turn around jumpers instead of my jump hook.”
ON END OF FIRST HALF DUNK: “That was nasty.”
ON HIS INJURY: “I knew it wasn't bad. I was having cramps most of the night and when I came down I just cramped up. I knew I had to be back in there and do whatever I could do, even if that meant just a big body in the middle.”
ON THE CROWD: “There was a lot of energy in the gym. When you look up and see all the yellow screaming fans it pumps you up. It's the same on the road, though and that is why it is tough to win on the road.”
F Michel Morandais
ON HIS INJURY: “I didn't hear anything pop so I was hopeful that it wasn't serious and I could return. The trainers said that I hyper-extended it. When I got back to the training room, I just took some deep breaths and somehow it just got better.”
ON KEEPING THE LEAD LATE: “Coach (Patton) didn't want us to hold the ball too much just because we had the lead. If we tried to hold the ball too much it was going to take us out of our offense and that could give them momentum. Coach told us to keep attacking and to look for our shots and we were able to hold them off.”
ON GUARDING ANDRE EMMETT: “He is pretty tough. The team revolves around him and when he gets in a rhythm it is hard to stop. I am just glad he didn't get the Big 12 scoring record.”
ON BLAIR WILSON'S THREE POINT PLAY AT END OF GAME: “That was huge for us. They had just hit a three, and for Blair to come down and make that shot and get fouled really helped seal the victory.”
ON BENCH PLAY: “Guys like Glean (Eddy) Chris (Copeland) and Marcus (Hall) stepped up their play tonight. It is really important to get help from those guys off the bench. That was our problem against
GENERAL: “This win was huge. It puts us in fourth place in the Big 12 and that is big. We are fighting for that first round bye in the Big 12 Tournament. We still have some home and some road games that we need to win. This was definitely our biggest (win) of the season. After a win like this we have to be confident. Coach “P” always says that we can play like this on the road and I think that we all believe that now.”
ON DAVID HARRISON'S PLAY: “He was warming up really hard so we knew he was ready to play. He was dominating in there because there was nobody his size. We just kept giving him the ball and he was able to overpower those guys at the post and make those shots when he stepped out.”
ON MICHEL MORANDAIS AND HARRISON'S INJURY: “I was just hoping that I wasn't me next. I knew David's wasn't very serious because he was able to walk and I was hopeful Michel was able to come back.”
