Players Mentioned
Colorado-Omaha Quotes
November 22, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Colorado Head Coach Tad Boyle
General
"Nebraska Omaha deserved to win this game. They outplayed us in a lot of different areas. We did what we had to do to win this thing – we really rebounded well – but without Josh Scott and Wesley Gordon tonight, I think we lose by 20 or 25 points. Our players need to understand where our 'bread is buttered' and what has made Colorado basketball successful in the past. I'm not talking about last year, because we weren't successful last year; we failed last year. The reason for our previous success in the first four years of this coaching staff is because we take pride in defense and rebounding. Tonight, our perimeter defense was an absolute joke. We gave up 17 layups…17 layups. We're getting beat off the drive. It wasn't very good, but we did what we had to do to win the game. We made free throws when we had to make free throws. We tried to trick it off at the end, because we can't execute press offense, we can't come meet passes, we can't pass and catch, and we turn the ball over. We did only have 12 for the game, which is a good number, but we got to handle our press offense a little better down the stretch. We snuck out of here with a win. I'm not sure we deserve it, but we're going to take it. We're going to get better. We're going to use the next three days before Thanksgiving; we all have got a lot to be thankful for. I'm thankful for the fact that they don't have to go to school this week and that we don't have NCAA time restrictions on practice and film-watching. We're going to put that to good use in the next three days before we eat turkey."
On How the Players Reacted to Their Performance
"I don't know, you'd have to ask them. I know that I gave them a piece of my mind in the locker room. I'm not talking about Josh Scott and Wesley Gordon. I want to make that really clear; I'm not calling those guys out, because I thought they were terrific defensively and rebounded their tails off. The rest of us have got some soul searching to do."
On Team Turning Around Their Defense Earlier in the Game Before Going Down By Double-Digits
"We talked about it every timeout. You feel as a coach that it didn't take Einstein to figure it out tonight what we weren't getting done. It's pretty simple. It's challenging your guys and them taking it to heart. You look around college basketball, there's good players all over college basketball; that's what makes this sport great. A team like Nebraska-Omaha comes in here and you find out how good Devin Patterson is and how good Tre'Shawn Thurman is. They're good players; those guys can play, and they got a little bit of chip on their shoulders playing against a Pac-12 team. Our guys walk out as if the world owes them something and these guys are going to bow down. That's not going to happen. That's why you see upsets in college basketball; that's why I love college basketball, especially this time of year. It gets you on edge when you're the coach of Colorado and you're playing Nebraska-Omaha, because this is a game you're supposed to win. Everybody says it. It's not a given. Nebraska-Omaha doesn't owe us anything. They played like it. They played hungry, tougher, and more together. How you can have 19 assists one night and nine the next is beyond me. Guys have to understand what makes us successful: the team is the strength of this team. We need each other. Our guys need to understand that Josh Scott and Wesley Gordon bailed us out tonight with their defense, rebounding and foul shooting. They weren't the ones getting beat off the dribble."
On Tre'Shaun Fletcher's Comments Regarding the Difference in the Start Time of the Game
"Did Nebraska-Omaha have to play at four? They played at noon; we played at noon."
On Positives From the Game
"We shot the ball well from the free throw line in the second half when we had to. We were not very good in the first half. Some guys obviously weren't ready to play or mentally into it. We rebounded our tails off in the second half, especially in the second half; we got put-backs. You've got to learn how to win when the ball's not going in. We shot 33 percent in the first half. Where I'm frustrated and what really bothers me as a coach is that our program is predicated on being able to win when you shoot 33 percent. The only way you do that is you defend and rebound. We rebounded when we needed to rebound, but we gave up 17 layups. That's a lack of pride, toughness and keeping the ball in front of you. The good thing is we're going to watch it on film and they're going to see it. You aren't going to be able to argue with it. 17 layups is 17 layups. The positives are we made free throws when we had to make free throws, we rebounded well in the second half and we started attacking the basket rather than falling in love with jump shots and thinking that we're too cool for school."
Colorado Players
Wesley Gordon, Jr., F
On Getting Into An Offensive Rhythm"It felt great to get into a rhythm offensively today."
Tre'Shaun Fletcher, Jr., G/F
On Slow Start
"I would say it's about adjusting to play at a new time. It was an early start compared to playing at night which we've been doing. I'm not using it as an excuse; it's just something we need to adjust to. We do have practice at 7 a.m. every morning, but getting up for a game this early puts a different factor in play. That's the way I looked at it, guys weren't ready to go from the jump point but we can change that."
On Overcoming Slow Start
"I knew we were going to overcome it because this team has faced a lot of adversity, in the scrimmages we've played and in practice. It was just a matter of when guys wanted to step up and play and as a group we worked and got the win."
On How the Team Felt Afterwards
"The feeling in the locker room was unsatisfied. We can get a lot better at a lot of things that coach Boyle mentioned to us. We just need to be ready to play from the jump."
On Getting Going Offensively
"I missed a couple of shots early, but my teammates kept faith in me and they found me, which allowed me to set my feet on a couple of shots that went in. It made me feel confident, and I started getting to the line making my shots there. It picked everyone up, especially on defense were it gets started. I was able to get a deflection and bring it down for a three. Just my teammates finding me and knocking down my shots."
On Positives of Playing Close Games
"It's good for us to get used to playing close games, it helps us find a way to win and to play with leads."
Josh Scott, Sr., F
On Mood After Falling Behind
"One thing I'll say about this group is, I don't think we really care how much we are down. We fight and we've come back before. There's going to be times we face some runs later this year and have to come from behind again. For us I never lost faith, and neither did any of my teammates. We're a good basketball team, which didn't have the best game but we fought through and got the win."
Things to Improve On
"We scored 87 points which is pretty good. But defensively we kind of looked like last year's team. I think it's important for us to guard the ball and man up on defense. I think we learned tonight that it's a necessity to do that in order for us to win."
On Improving Defense at the Rim
"Coach Boyle is upset about it. We didn't guard the ball, and I think this year's team has done a good job so far guarding the ball. We just need to avoid making it a pattern, and I don't think we will."
On Not Panicking When Down
"I think with the season we had last year, its adversity that brings you together. And this offseason it felt as though no one really believed in us. So all we have is each other, so there's no reason to panic since we all believe in each other. This game proved that we need to believe even if we aren't playing well. I'm more talking about the defensive side of the ball then the offensive side."