CU-ASU Post Game Quotes

Colorado Head Coach Tad Boyle

General

“Great win for our program, it came at very instrumental time in our season against a quality Arizona State team. Our guys really stepped up, our crowd was fantastic for a 9 p.m. tip off, I can't be more thankful and my hat goes off to them. It's time to move onto the next game, there's not much time to enjoy things this time of year you just have to put it in the bank and move on.”

On His Emotion

“I'm tired of losing to these guys number one, and number two: I knew what was at stake. They're a physical team, and you better buck up and be physical back otherwise they'll punk you. I wanted to make sure I was dialed in, I feel that way every game, I may not show it every game, but I wanted our fans to know and our players to know how important this game was and I think they really fed off of it.

On Josh Scott

“Josh [Scott] takes this matchup personal, with what went on here last year in this building, we didn't like it, we didn't appreciate it, and he hadn't forgotten about it, neither have I. I'm proud of Josh, he's a battler, and I'll take that guy any day of the week.”

On The Team's Emotions

“This team is believing in each other right now, a month ago when Spencer [Dinwiddie] and Tre'Shaun [Fletcher] went down there was some worry and some non-belief, but our guys have gotten it back and I'm awful proud.”

On The Win

“We didn't play our best, but we played good enough to win, it wasn't a pretty win but it was a gutsy win.”

On The Defense

“The defense was good, our ball screen defense was good. Again, you're not going to play perfect, the rebounding in the second half was the name of the game.”

On Josh Scott's Defense

“Josh is such an underrated post defender; it was a clinic on post defense in the first half.”

On Winning 20 Games Four Years In A Row

“It means that we've recruited good players, it means that we've coached good players. It takes good players to win games, and our staffs done a great job, our fans have really taken the home court advantage to heart, and they've shown up through thick and thin. It's a great feeling; we want that to be the standard. It's not about making Colorado basketball successful this year, we want to make it great every year, and build a national brand, a national program and it takes time to do that, but when you start putting 20 win seasons back to back, and hopefully postseason play, it helps in recruiting, it helps raise the bar expectation-wise, and we're in that process, there's a lot of work to be done.”

On Playing Without Spencer Dinwiddie

“We've got good players, even without Spencer Dinwiddie, and I won't let myself think about what might have been with Spencer. There's a lot of basketball to be played and there's a lot of games to be won down the stretch with this team and our fans are starting to understand that, and that's what building a program is all about, you have to be bigger than one player or one person.”

University of Colorado Student-Athletes

Askia Booker Jr., G

On Feeling The Importance Of This Game
“The first four minutes of the game, I think at the first media timeout, you could tell how intense coach [Tad Boyle] was in the huddle. This may be the most emotion I've seen out of him this year. You could tell he really wanted to win and I think that translated to the players.”

On Defensive Rebounding And Defense Turning The Game Around

“Those are our principles. We live by them and we die by them. Tonight I think we did a wonderful job, especially with me out in the first half. Xavier Talton took on the job of [guarding] Jahii Carson, and so did Eli Stalzer and Jaron Hopkins. Those guys did a wonderful job on him. Josh [Scott] did a great job on [ASU C Jordan] Bachynski. I think the only thing we have to do better is run those guys up the three point line and we will be just fine.”

On Boyle Saying Carson Is Fastest Guard In Nation

“I'm the fastest point guard in the country. He's very good and he's crafty with the ball, but going straight downhill I'm the fastest guard.”

On Redemption From 72-51 Loss Earlier This Season In Tempe

“It was very important. I don't want to give any excuses of why we didn't play well down there but we had just lost Spencer [Dinwiddie] and we were trying to find our mojo. We were just discombobulated, but now I think we're back on our feet. I think that we gave them a great game here and now they can respect us.”

On Importance Of Team Emotion And Energy

“Xavier Johnson and I are the two energy guys on this team. We are very emotional, we speak our mind, and when [Xavier Johnson] makes a free throw he screams. The team feeds off of little things like that. The energy at home is great because of our crowd, but if we're going to go on the road and win we're going to need energy from everyone on our team. That's very important.”

On Taking Over Spencer Dinwiddie's Internal Clock

“That's just the role I'm taking upon. When it's time to go, it's time to go. Honestly I don't think there's many people that can stay in front of me so coach [Tad Boyle] told me to attack the basket, come off ball screens, and be aggressive. Our motion is great right now. It spreads the floor for me [as a point guard] and for all of the guards who attack, and lets Josh [Scott] make his move once he gets the ball in the post. It's not just about me. It's about the whole team and how they're getting me the ball, when they're getting me the ball, or how I'm getting them the ball. It's not just me out there it's the team.”

On Being A Part Of A Rising Program

“It means a lot. Since I've been here we've won twenty games or more (each season). I think that's a statement to Coach Boyle; you have to give him his credit. He recruits the right guys and preaches the right things like defensive rebounding. It proves that it wins games. We won a championship my freshman year which is very impressive. We're competing for one and right now we're just trying to put ourselves in a great position. Arizona is Saturday, we're going to prepare for that and that's what's next.”

On Jaron Hopkins and Dustin Thomas Stepping Up

“Jaron [Hopkins] has taken a different role than he was probably accustomed to once Spencer [Dinwiddie] got hurt. He's coming off of the bench now and that's credit to [Xavier Talton] busting his butt in practice and showing that he can compete with the best. Dustin [Thomas] played great tonight. The first five minutes of the game was all him. We need that, and I don't think we would've won this game without him starting us off like that and keeping us in the game with those offensive rebounds and those easy layups. Those two players are going to be very critical down the stretch because we do need a bench. I can't play the whole game and [neither can any of the starters.] We're going to need those guys to come in and give great minutes and bust their tails.”

On College Game Day

“Coach [Tad Boyle] is going to prepare us the best he can. We're going to watch a lot of film and do scouting report. We're going to rest our legs tomorrow a little bit and make sure we're ready for Saturday. We lost there, so I know we can win here for a fact. This is one of the hardest places to play in the Pac-12 and they're going to be in for a rude awakening.”

Xavier Talton So., G

On What Made D

“Basically just like what [Askia Booker] said, just principles. We knew that we had to guard ball screens all night and I think we did a really good job on that. The “bigs” showed and our guards got over them and I think that really helped us out.”

On His Denfensive Approach Guarding Jahii Carson

“It's hard stopping good players. We knew that he liked to go right and he got there quite a bit, but we tried to cut that off and we tried to let him shoot contested jump shots. That's what our plan was to do.”

On Needed Win Based On RPI

“We don't really think about that too much as players honestly. We just come out and play the next game and that's what coach [Tad Boyle] wants us to do. Every once in a while we might talk about it but it's just coming down to handling our business on the court. This win is big. You have to win all home games and I think that we want to finish out our home stretch on a good note.”

Arizona State Head Coach Herb Sendek

General

“I thought we really settled for jump shots. We took a disproportionate number of three-point shots. We didn't play inside out basketball. Our offense never really seemed to get going. None of our big three played like they are capable of playing.”

On Arizona State's Offense

“I think our offense really struggled tonight. I certainly give Colorado a lot of credit. The biggest story line once again was our rebounding. You can't step over the fact that we got annihilated on the boards. Colorado just absolutely massacred us on the boards. The last two games, that's what we have circled and that's been our number one point of emphasis. You have to go get the ball. Colorado beat us to the ball and embarrassed us on the backboard.”

On Defending CU G Askia Booker
“He's a good player. A couple of times we over helped off of him. He took a number of shots.”

-COLORADO-