Colorado, Arkansas-Pine Bluff Quotes

Colorado Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik

GENERAL ? “It was what I hoped would happen. This team is unselfish; you just have to look at the box score and see that four players were in double digits. They are not afraid to pass the ball to one another; we had 18 assists on 27 baskets. They care, they are passionate and they are coachable. They are extremely young and we are going to be all over the map this year. I think that we need to rebound better and make more free throws, but those things are all correctable and we will continue to work on them."

ON NATE TOMLINSON ? “He did not turn the ball over. He also pushes the ball and gets rebounds. He is all over the court. When you have players that are willing passers, it makes the rest of the team cut harder and move faster because they can get the ball. Everyone is like that on our team, and it's contagious, which is a great thing.”

ON CASEY CRAWFORD ? “He can really shoot the ball. We have a lot of guys that can shoot the ball, but we have to remember that the offense is a variable, and the defense is a constant. I think that we got a little soft on the defensive end in the second half.”

ON SCORING ? “We score through balance. But it is just one game. If we make more free throws we're scoring in the 80's. We have an extremely young team, and it is going to be a challenging year. But look at the potential for the next few years coupled with the guys we have coming in. This team is going to be good.”

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Head Coach George Ivory

GENERAL ? “The biggest part was the traveling. We just didn't execute on defense. We played a lot better in the second half than we did in the first half. I think a little bit more focus on executing our offense and executing our defense.

ON COLORADO ? “Colorado is a good team, they executed very well. I am very impressed with the way they shot the basketball. Practice is one thing, but then you get against different competition. We are going to do well if we trust each other. Colorado did a great job and played real well.”

Colorado Players

Cory Higgins

ON THE WIN ? “It was good to get the first win. We definitely played better in the first half than in the second. We came out a little laxed. We are an unselfish team, so it is definitely going to be a team effort this season.”

ON OPPOSING TEAMS' ADJUSTMEN'S TO OFFENSE? “Every time we line up we will have four to five shooters, so they can't sit in the paint.”

ON CU'S DEFENSE? “I think our defense is a lot better than last year.”

ON BUILDING CONFIDENCE? “I think that's everything with a young team- gaining confidence and having a fan base.”

Dwight Thorne II

ON THE WIN ? “We had four double digit scorers, which shows how unselfish we are. We wanted to get a win tonight and get better in a game situation, not practice.”

ON NATE TOMLINSON? “Nate had a good game today, he played really well.”

ON HAVING SO MANY SHOOTERS?“With the balance we have, guys are going to say, ?If you're open, shoot the

ball.' If you're open, we'll get you the ball.”

ON CASEY CRAWFORD? “Casey was nervous. I mean, it was his first game in two years. He's my roommate, so I talked to him at the house earlier in the day, and I could tell he was nervous. So, it's good to see him do well.”

Nate Tomlinson

ON HIS PERFORMANCE? “If we [the team] play well, I play well. I felt good in the warm-ups, and in the game I put a few up and they went in.”

ON TEAMWORK? “We had four guys in double digits. Coach talks about it, that we're an unselfish team.”

ON THE OPPONENTS? “The team was very athletic and quick, but we were prepared for it.”

ON NERVES DURING THE GAME? “I've played in bigger games than this. It's not that this wasn't a big game, but I've played in front of bigger crowds, so I wasn't really nervous.”

ON WHAT TO TAKE FROM THE GAME? “Just getting a win. Everybody is about getting a win. Individual highlights are nothing.”

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