Colorado University Athletics
Colorado, Oklahoma State Quotes
January 15, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Colorado Head Coach Tad Boyle
General - "I'll start by saying that was a heck of a Big 12 game - two really good teams. My hat goes off to Oklahoma State. They came in here, had a great game plan and really took it to us. Obviously our guys didn't respond real well in the first half but we battled. To get out of here with a win is a testament to our players. When you shoot 37 percent from the field and win a basketball game in this league, you are doing some things right. The whole key was our rebounding and we got stops when we had to get stops. Our crowd was fantastic, all those things together allows us to win games."
On being down 12 in the second half - "What got us to that point was I think that we were getting out-hustled, getting out-toughed, they were getting all of the long rebounds and the loose balls. We talked in the huddle how that is not acceptable. If we lose a game because we can't make shots and they play better than us, that is one thing, but when you are getting out-toughed and out-hustled on your home floor, that is not acceptable. Our guys to their credit turned it around and got those hustle plays. We got those long rebounds, we got those box outs and rebounds when we needed to. Then we got some buckets in transition. Oklahoma State did a great job in the first half in taking away our transition baskets from us. That is what teams are going to do because we are so good in transition. With that, our half-court offense is going to have to be more efficient, because in league play it gets harder to score. Today was a perfect example of that."
On the team's grit and determination - "When we had to. What I want to see is that for 40 minutes and if we have that for 40, it might be a different outcome. When you're not scoring the basketball and you are not shooting them well, you have to find other ways. You have to rebound it, get stick backs and get to the free throw line. That is something that we have done well all year. When you look at it we shot 87 percent from the [free throw] line. We made shots when we had to make shots."
On Andre Roberson adjusting to Big 12 play - "I thought today was probably his weakest performance. In terms of the three games, Marshall Moses is a beast and we knew coming in that he would be the best low post player that we were going to face and he was. We held him to 14, but he was 6-for-8. I think the big thing for Andre is that he has to limit the opposing players low post touches. I am fine with him in Big 12 play because his athleticism, rebounding ability and his willingness to compete. Andre had eight rebounds and he had seven points. We will take that every night from him."
On Andre Roberson shooting long 3-point shots - "I would rather have him takes those shots late in the possession rather than earlier in the possession. I think today in the first half we took some quick shots and that allowed him to get a first pass, fast break and a jump shot. And we had some quick ones. The first possession of the game was a quick one. Andre's in the corner was a quick one. One thing that we talked about was getting the shot that we wanted as a team. We've had relatively not a lot of problems scoring this year. Sometimes we expect it to come too easy and too quick, and that is when we settle for quick jump shots and we have to change it up."
On double teaming Marshall Moses late - "That was the game plan from the get-go. I think it was our guys figuring out that the game plan was making sense. One thing that we tell our post players and I though Austin [Dufault] did a good job down the stretch is when their post players don't get touches, they don't score. So with a guy like that, you let him catch it deep then he is going to beast us. We didn't have anyone who could guard him one-on-one down there. It was a combination of our players guarding him and not letting him catch it. When he did catch it, we weren't necessarily doubling him, but we were very aware of where he was and digging and making it tough for him where ever he was on the floor. Midway through the second half when they had the lead, that was the difference."
On if the success is feeding off each win - "A little bit. I definitely think our guys were dialed in. One thing that I am figuring out about this team is that I can tell in practice, about a day or two before the game, if they are dialed in or not mentally. They are becoming a team that I can kind of sense that of, positive or negative, and they have been really dialed in. Yesterday's practice was really good and then before the game, they were almost too hyped because you are worried about your guys getting too excited. I do think that is a great term, that it is feeding on itself. Confidence is a very important and delicate factor in any sport. Especially in college basketball for these young guys it is pretty critical, and you know it when you have and you know it when you don't."
On getting more attention - "We talk about it. We talk about it every single day and what you have to have is great seniors who can keep them hungry, humbled, and focused. Here is the difference too; Oklahoma State came in here ready to play Colorado. We got their best shot. They had a great game plan. That was a complete team; they have inside and outside guys. They are good. It is different than in years past when people come in here and expect to win. Maybe Missouri was, I don't know if they were or if they weren't, but we are going to get people's best shot now because I think we've opened other people's eyes. That is different for our players because they have never been through that before. It is something that we have to talk about every single day. When I talk to them, it is about being hungry, humbled and what got you here."
On carrying the momentum with the crowd - "That is a great point and I thought about it before the game, I wanted to talk to my team about it but I didn't. I certainly thought about it myself. Our fans are starting to get behind this team now. It is our team's responsibility to reward them with our effort that they deserve. One thing about Colorado fans, if you put out maximum effort and play your tails off, they like winning and this state is hungry for college basketball. You can sense it. You guys in the media are hungry for it, being something that is relevant in this state. That is something that we have a responsibility to provide. I think being the head coach at the University of Colorado carries some responsibility to it. Our players have to understand that they have responsibility to their fans and that is why I was getting so upset when were getting out-hustled and out-rebounded and out-toughed."
Oklahoma State Head Coach Travis Ford
General-"Colorado has a lot of offensive weapons. They pass the ball very well. We want to rebound the ball and we just got annihilated on the glass. As far as what we wanted to do, we wanted to win-plain and simple. We wanted to play a lot better than we did last game. We did that for about 30 minutes and of course it would have been great if we could have ended it then. They go to Kansas State and their two best players don't hit their averages and still win; I thought that was really impressive. I wouldn't have thought that they could have done that. They are a great one-on-one team. When we wanted to go one-on-one with them it was a big thing for us to keep them in front of us and we did a good job of it most of the time but they got loose in the second half and we just kept fouling."
On Fouling-"You are not going to win a game when one team shots 39 free throws and the other team shots only 14-it is just like banging your head against the wall. We were playing well offensively, getting whatever we wanted offensively, executing; but, just fouling, fouling, fouling at the other end."
On Second Half Play-"Just challenging shots and keeping them in front of us a lot better. We didn't keep them in front of us the second half. Every time I turned around they were shooting free throws; we sure were fouling. The things we did in the first half as far as keeping them in front of us defensively, we just didn't do it second half."
On Colorado's Play-"We played better than we did last week but not as well as we need to on the road. We let this one get by. When you're up 12 in the second half I think any coach will say it is your game to win, but that's why you have to give Colorado credit. They have come a long way. They are not the team of the past; they are a very good basketball team. They have two pros on their team and I think you could see this coming even from last year. We talked a lot in the offseason I thought they were going to be a good team, they have really, really good players. Their coach has done a good job putting them in good places. They are an impressive basketball team."
On Loss-"It's early. We want to win them all but it's early."
Colorado Student-Athletes
Cory Higgins, Senior, Guard
On overcoming a second-half deficit to win-"We just had to get back to defending and try to get some easy buckets running."
On the magnitude of the win- "I don't know if it was the most impressive win or not, but we're really encouraged by it because we showed something else this team can do. It's the first time we've had to come back at home and we played with a lot of determination and grit out there. It was big for our team showing that we could do that too."
On the shot that started the comeback- "I think it was big to just keep the fans in it, because that was an issue when we weren't getting stops. That was big to just keep them close and for confidence but we just had to lock up on defense."
On fans jumping on the bandwagon-"That was a big thing why we needed to get this win too, is to get people to come back. I don't want anyone to think it's a fluke. We're here for the whole year so we're just building on this."
On CU's free throw shooting-"It's just easy buckets when we get to the foul line. It's easy buckets for our team and we get someone in foul trouble. We look to do that, we pride ourselves on that.
On keeping a level head with a 3-0 conference record-"Coaches are always talking to us, telling us 'don't get too high, don't get too low.' We just got to keep doing what we're doing and not let all the pats on the back get to us. He [Coach Boyle] also says, 'When you get criticized, don't let it get to you. You just have to stay even keel and keep doing what you're doing.'
On rebounding-"I think we just got it stuck into our heads that if we want to win, we've got to play defense and we have to rebound. I don't really know the answer why, but I just think it clicked with everybody across the board this time instead of just a couple people in the building. I think the whole team has made it a mind set when the ball goes up, to hit somebody and go get it."
On the team's perception throughout the Big 12-"Personally I don't really care. They haven't given us respect since we got here, so they can think what they want. I don't think Kansas State gave us respect after we beat them. I don't know if Oklahoma State will or not, but it doesn't matter to us. We all have each other's backs and we're all going to stick together.
On Coach Boyle-"He [Coach Boyle] lets his players make plays, which is a real plus, and he puts all of his confidence in his players. I think we just feed off him and try to make plays for the team."
Andre Roberson, Freshman, Guard
On confidence from playing in a clutch situation-"It gives me a lot of confidence knowing that coach [Tad Boyle] depends on me. We just have to go out there and do the best of our abilities."
Alec Burks, Sophomore, Guard
On CU's defense in the second half-"We just helped each other. We played team defense late, and it showed. He [Marshall Moses] took some tough shots, and he missed them, and we got the rebound. I'm playing in front of a sold out crowd."
On playing in front of a sold out crowd-"It's crazy. It brought me back to high school, and my games, so I just love it."
On what the team said in the locker room at halftime-"We said 'we didn't even play good and we're only down four.' The coaches told us to calm down and not rush things. Everybody was forcing it. I was forcing it a little, so they said 'calm down, it will come to everybody, and play together' so that's what we did. We have a great team, and we just persevered through it and got the win."
On CU's free throw shooting-"Like Cory said, when you get to the line, there's nobody there but you. You have to block everybody out, and we just make them. It's just easy points for our team."
On the team's perception in the Big 12-"I don't care what anybody says. I was brought up like that. If we just play hard and block out everyone else, we're fine. That's what we've been doing."
On what Coach Boyle brings to the team-"He challenges me, and I have never had that before, where somebody challenges me man-to-man. I respect that from him. He's going to call you out whether you like it or not, and he's real with you. I can respect anyone who's real with me. That's what I think is the difference. We're responding to his style of play and it's working for us."
