Colorado University Athletics
Colorado, Miami (Ohio) Quotes
January 06, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Colorado Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik
ON IF THIS WIN PREPARES THEM FOR BIG 12 PLAY - "To win a close game against a quality opponent . . . and when I say a quality opponent, people may say, 'well they're 3-10.' When you play at Kentucky and at Cincinnati and Dayton and at New Mexico and Temple . . . they could have easily beaten Kentucky, Cincinnati, and Xavier. To beat a quality team that historically has a great basketball tradition is a real confidence boost to our young basketball team."
ON MARCUS RELPHORDE'S PERFORMANCE - "Well, we need everybody at their very best every night. I was pleased with the effort tonight. We need to just keep scrapping and stay positive and keep fighting on every possession. I thought that we did that tonight."
ON CORY HIGGINS' FIRST HALF - "I think we expect so much out of him, but to his credit, a lot of players, if their game is not going good, it diffuses their energy and their concentration. Cory did the opposite; he responded and came up with some key steals and some key buckets in the second half. That's the sign of great leadership. He's a player just heading into his junior year here, and I was very impressed with the way he responded in the second half."
ON BALANCED SCORING - "We had four players in double digits and shot 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc. That's the kind of balance we need. When we play well, we have that kind of balance."
ON IF ALEC BURKS IS READY FOR BIG 12 PLAY - "We'll see; I would bet he is. He's a very talented young man."
ON MISSED FREE THROWS DOWN THE STRETCH - "It was the kiss of death that we were number one in the nation in free throw percentage going into tonight. I don't think we'll be anymore."
ON WHAT THE TEAM HAS IMPROVED ON IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY - "Gaining experience, understanding . . . you can watch film and you can teach and practice, but you have to go out and experience those things we're working on to understand their importance. I'm starting to see that. We had a not so good performance against Tulsa, but I'm very pleased with how they responded. They learned from that. As long as they continue to learn and develop and get better, that's a positive thing. I don't know if there is anything more specific I can say than all these little things and understanding . . . we took a couple charges today, so that's growth. The defense has gotten a little bit better. The understanding of the offense has gotten a little bit better."
ON GOING INTO BIG 12 PLAY THIS SEASON OPPOSED TO PREVIOUS SEASONS - "I think they know what to expect. I know we have some young players out there. Last year we had Austin (Dufault), Nate (Tomlinson) and those kinds of players that didn't know what to expect. Marcus (Relphorde) has been around long enough to know having played at Saint Louis and at a very high level junior college playing against guys in the Big East and the Big 12 and the Southeastern Conference; so he understands that. I think there is a little bit better understanding. To be honest, I know what we are up against. Like we said before this all started, it's like the 'Big Nasty', not the Big 12."
Miami Head Coach Charlie Coles
GENERAL - "I thought it was a good game. We knew coming in that it was going to be tough and we were really going to have to play. We made mistakes and some plays cost us. At the end, we couldn't catch up. I thought we would be able do, but we weren't. On offense, we missed easy shots. On defense, they drove us and just kept driving us. You hate to be negative but you can't win games if you don't hit free throws and they made more than we did. It is painful when you know you can play and you are ready to play and you don't win those games."
Colorado Players
Cory Higgins, Junior, Guard
GENERAL- "Yeah this definitely helps. I don't think we will have any blowout games in the Big 12 so, this was one of those tests we needed so we could learn how to win close games."
ON SLOW START - "I was feeling fine. I don't have explanation for it; it was just a slow start. I feel as though I am one of the leaders on this team and it was disappointing playing that way tonight."
ON NON-CONFERENCE PLAY - "There were a lot of positives, but like I said I wish we could have won a few of those close games but we have to take away what we can and look forward. One of our positives is we are a really balanced team, meaning we have a lot of weapons on the offensive end and it's not just one or two people, it's a group effort. Last year, we probably would have lost the game if I had played the way I did tonight but this year we are a much better team and we showed it today."
ON EXPECTATIONS - "We should win more games than we lose. We should put ourselves in a position for postseason play and I don't see any reason that can't happen."
Alec Burks, Freshman, Guard
ON BEING READY FOR BIG 12 PLAY - "Yeah, I think I am ready. I think this non-conference schedule really helped me out and I just can't wait to play Texas on Saturday."
"I just try and play aggressive every game. I do whatever I have to do to help the team get the win. I have grown up and matured a lot already this season. It feels good knowing we are more balanced this year and knowing that everybody can be a weapon on the offensive side."
"It's not for kids; it's for grown men out there. It's going to be a hard fight every game because every team in the Big 12 is good."
Marcus Relphorde, Junior, Guard
ON BEING READY FOR BIG 12 PLAY - "I feel the same way. I am excited for it and I am ready for it. Hopefully, we can do some big things."
ON IF HE'S SEEN TEXAS PLAY - "Yeah, I have seen them play a couple of times. They are very deep and they rebound really well. We will have to get on that glass, which will probably be one of the most important parts of the game. We are ready for Texas, I know in the past we have played a few close games against them that we could have pulled out; so with us getting better this year and more weapons, I think we are ready for it."
