Colorado University Athletics
Colorado, Nebraska Quotes
January 28, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Colorado Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik
General- "We had great contributions from everyone in the Coors Arena tonight. Our fans and our student body were awesome. They energized Coors [Conference and Events Center] once again, and that means so much to us."
On Leading by 20 Points in a Big 12 Game- "Those are rare. Nebraska just put their heads down, and they kind of abandoned their style. They put their heads down and drove. They got to the rim just a little bit too often. Give Nebraska credit. They are a team, who, coming into this game, had a lead or were tied in each of their games with seven minutes to go. They played great against Kansas and on the road against Texas A&M. That is why you have to play all 40 minutes."
On the Team's Progress- "We're taking some baby steps forward. That's a good thing. We just need to keep getting better. We had some good defensive possessions, but we failed, once again, to finish those possessions by blocking off. Everything was a little bit better, and that is what is important. The most important thing is that we won."
On Protecting the Ball- "We just can't turn the ball over. We're a pretty good team offensively in terms of our efficiency. We're nationally ranked in a lot of categories in terms of shooting the ball. If you turn the ball over, you waste those possessions. Turning the ball over results in wasted possessions. That is really important."
On Exceeding Last Year's Conference Win Total-"We better not stop here. I know this is a process as we build this here, and I am very fortunate that the administration is very patient with me, and I am very fortunate that most fans and media are patient. I was honest when I took this job, saying that we were going to have to develop these young players and mold them into a team. As you saw today, we really moved the ball well. It was beautiful. It takes time for it all to come together. It's about winning now, and we still only have one senior. I feel great about the future, and I hope the fans do too. We have to keep heading north, and keep instructing them. My biggest struggle as a coach is that I am not very patient, and I have to be patient with that because I get on them very hard."
Nebraska Head Coach Doc Sadler
On the Game-"Where we struggled was effort. Colorado was the aggressor tonight. We turned the basketball over 13 times in the first half. That's being not ready to play. That is a responsibility that I have. It has nothing to do with shots. It was not being the aggressive basketball team. We are not good enough to show up and just play and take our chances. As I told the team, there is a line drawn and if you are on that side of the line then you have a chance. If they are on your side of the line, then you are going to be in trouble."
On Colorado's Aggressive Play Affecting Nebraska-"It shouldn't at all. Either we are going to be more aggressive or they are. Tonight they were."
On Losing their First Five Conference Games-"We have eleven more games. And I promise you this; they aren't going to get any easier than tonight. Tonight wasn't easy. Saturday won't be easy. The next night won't be easy. Colorado was the aggressive basketball team tonight, and they won the basketball game. I would think losing five games would motivate us. If you have to be motivated to go out there and look somebody in the eye and compete harder than they do, then you don't need to be playing. You are either going to compete or you are not. And tonight we didn't. I don't think we are sitting around thinking well we are 0-4 so we are not going to play hard. It's my responsibility to have this basketball team ready. Jeff (Bzdelik) has his team ready twice as much as I did. It falls back on my shoulders. I didn't have them ready to compete."
On the Second Half-"It was too late. We have to be a basketball team that from the get-go looks you in the eye and we either go a step forward or a step back. Tonight we stepped back and it was the first time all year we did that."
Colorado Players
Cory Higgins, Junior, Guard
ON TAKING MOMENTUM ON THE ROAD TO IOWA STATE- "It was a huge win for us. We gained some momentum and had everybody behind us. We got a big win here and hopefully we can carry that momentum to Saturday at Iowa State, which is a very winnable game for us."
ON GREAT DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE- "We stayed solid. No gambling and tried not to give them any second chance points. We played a lot of man, and everybody stayed in front of their man."
ON LATE PERFORMANCE- "I was trying to get it going the whole game, I like to come through down the stretch and it was big to give my team a little bit of a lift since I wasn't really doing much the rest of the game."
ON WINNING BIG 12 GAME EASILY- "It just shows our growth, from the last couple of years to this year. We are a much better team and it showed tonight."
ON CONFIDENCE COMING INTO THE GAME- "We felt coming into this game, that if we got them down we could keep them down. We just had to match their energy, because they are a high intensity team."
ON WINNING TONIGHT AFTER LOSING LAST THREE TO NEBRASKA- "It was really sweet for me, and getting that win was huge. Bragging rights come back to us."
ON ROAD WOES- "I can't get any more sick of hearing about it. We are knocking on the door, I guess we need to just stop knocking and just bust the door open."
Alec Burks, Freshman, Guard
ON PROGESS OF TEAM- "I think there is a lot of progress from the start of the season until now. I think we are moving in the right direction to get more wins in the Big 12."
ON FRESHMAN ADJUSTMENTS TO BIG 12 PLAY- "I am very young so I have great legs under me and they don't wear down on me too much."
