Colorado-Jackson State Quotes

Colorado Head Coach Tad Boyle

General

“I thought it was a great showing of our team. I am really proud of our guys. We have 23 assists on 28 baskets. It means you are playing together, you are sharing the ball. I thought out guys did a great job of that. Defensively, we held them under 40 percent field goal percentage, which is a good number, so it was a great team victory. We had seven guys in double figures, and I think we took a step forward today. But again, it is one game. We cannot get too full of ourselves. Some positive things to build on for sure.”

On Team Performance and Game Preparation

“As a coach, it is hard for me to understand how you can go from four assists to 23 assists, but again, I think inconsistency with a young team, that is going to be part of the process, part of the learning process. I thought the tone was set by Spencer [Dinwiddie] and Ski [Askia Booker]. Those guys together had 12 assists and four turnovers. I thought some of the turnovers probably could have been avoidable in the second half. They set the tone and we looked inside to our bigs. Josh [Scott] and Wesley [Gordon] were terrific. You look at the number of shots, and that does not jump out at you, but they got a lot of free throws between them. Our guys really played well together inside out, which is what we want.”

On Preparing for Jackson State Specifically

“When Jackson State goes on the road, which they do a lot in the preseason, and they beat a team like Air Force and a program like Air Force on the road, it says something about those kids. It says something about that coach. They have good players. I think anybody who was at the game tonight understands that Jackson State has good guards. They have good bigs too, but they got in foul trouble a little early. They could not get in a flow of the game. Again, I think a lot of that had to do with Wesley, Josh and our interior defense. I have a lot of respect for Jackson State in their players and their coach. They are going to win some games this year. The fact that they came in and beat Air Force at least our guys' eyes to the fact that these guys can play. Our guys took that on as a challenge.”

On Starting Lineup Decision

“[Xavier] Johnson got a little dinged up in practice yesterday, so I had to go with somebody. Xavier Talton was the next in line logically given his experience and how he has been playing. With Jaron [Hopkins], number one, he gave us a little more size in the perimeter that Johnson does not bring us. Secondly, when we make our first round of substitutions, I did not necessarily want four freshmen to be out there by themselves because you never know what is going to happen with foul trouble if Askia or Spencer pick up one or two quick ones. You want to be able to come in and bring some experience off the bench. I thought Talton responded terrifically to that challenge. I talked to him and Hopkins before the game just to give them a heads up, but I think our guys responded well.”

On G Jaron Hopkins' Performance

“I thought he was terrific. Defensively in the Wyoming game, he was [Tre'Shaun Fletcher] tonight. He got some quick fouls, touch fouls. He never quite got into a flow. But I think, not being a primary ball-handler, which he eventually he will be, he had two assists and no turnovers. He took care of the basketball. Jaron is going to be good. Our guys know how talented he is, and you have not seen the best of him. I can promise you that.”

University of Colorado Student Athletes

Jaron Hopkins, Fr., G

On First Start Of His Career And Alley-Oops In First Half
“It was a really good feeling for me getting the crowd involved, and just playing to win. I played as hard as I could, and I left it all out on the floor.”

On Mentality On Starting Versus Coming Off Bench
“I actually didn't know I was going to start until eight minutes before the game. Coach told me and I had to prepare for that, and be able to come out with a good start.”

On Having A Strong Offensive Flow
“It felt really good. I feel like we're becoming more unselfish as a team. We had a ton of assists today, and seven guys in double figures. I don't think I've ever been apart of a team that accomplished that, and that's a really good thing for us as a team.”

On Upper Classmen Showing Him The Ropes
“Both defensively and offensively and just as a leader in general I'm adapting to the game and being more mature as I learn from them.”

On Feeling More Comfortable In This Game
“Yeah, I felt really comfortable with this game. I was getting going early on with a few dunks, a few lay-ups, and a three. That really helped get me going, and it contributed to the defensive side as well.”

Askia Booker, Jr. G

On Coming Out Strong Today
“My switch is never off. I got going a little bit, and I thank Coach [Tad Boyle] for that. He tells me to be aggressive 24/7, and to take shots when I'm open. He wants me to take good shots, and I think I did that today. Other than that, my switch is always on.”

On Finishing With A Career High, Six Assists
“Number one that's accredited to my teammates for finishing plays. I can't do that without them. Then again coach [Tad Boyle] said Spencer [Dinwiddie] and I together had twelve assists and four turnovers together. I think that's great. Other than that the bench came in and they shared the ball with each other. They got Ben [Mills] a lay-up on the last play. Those are the kind of plays that we need to win. We can't have the ball sticking our hands too much because if we do that it's easy to guard. If we're moving we're hard to guard and we will win games like that.”

Jackson State Head Coach Wayne Brent

On the Team's Overall Goal Coming In, and What His Players Did Well

“Well we came into the game and we wanted to take them out of their transition. Just watching the film, we saw how they got the other team down the floor really well. No. 25 [CU guard Spencer Dinwiddie] did a good job of pushing the basketball down the floor. I didn't think we did a great job of getting back and transitioning, making them play five on five. Just looking at some of their film, they hadn't been shooting it well but they actually shot the ball well last year. They are really talented but they haven't really shot the ball well but I thought today, they shot it well.”

On What He Can Take Away From the Colorado Team

“They have been the most talented team we have played from every spot. You have two guards that had a chance to play in the NBA, you have a post guy who is really good. They have guys that are 6' 5”, 6' 6”, they are long and athletic looking. But, just a very talented team.”

On How The Altitude Affected His Team

“I think it does [have an impact]. You play here and are running. It feels like you're going in slow motion and the other team is going full speed, but a lot of that has to do with Colorado being extremely good. But it is a different atmosphere out here. When you're not used to that, it does play a factor, but it did not play a factor in us losing the game because they were really good.”

On What Made The Difference in the Second Half

“We were down 11 and they had the ball under their basket with five seconds and we got a five second call. We came back on our end and we didn't score. I think if we had scored right then we could have inched a little closer and put it under double figures. When we didn't score right there, they came down and hit a couple shots and got a couple easy baskets. I think that was the difference in the game.”

-COLORADO-