Colorado-Dayton Quotes
Colorado Head Coach Tad Boyle
Opening Statement“That was a high-level basketball game. I told our guys that bad teams aren’t playing anymore, the only ones left playing in post-season tournaments are good basketball teams. And Dayton is probably the most efficient offensive team we've played against all year long. We knew that from watching film. They've got good players, that's a good program with a very good coach. It was a great team win. I thought Alex Strating’s minutes in the first half were key for us, Daylen Kountz and Lucas Siewert’s minutes in the second half were key for us, and we executed down the stretch both offensively and defensively.”
On Dayton’s efficiency
“They play inside-out and they do it consistently. They put pressure on the rim, their bigs are very good in ball screens, they’re a very good passing team and they’re unselfish. They’re balanced and have multiple guys who can make plays.”
On transition defense tonight
“We had too many guys tonight in no man's land offensively. When the shot goes up you either have to go to the glass and rebound, or get your tail back and stop the fast break. We always want at least one back against a team like Dayton, if two go back I’m fine with it.”
On Dayton’s defense
“Quite frankly I felt Dayton played really good defense tonight. We had to earn everything we got...Tonight’s the first time we’ve played against man-to-man in a long time and we knew coming out that we were going to have to make some plays offensively that we haven't had to in a long time.”
On Tyler Bey’s injury
“We’ll find out more tomorrow, he had some pain in his knee and obviously doctors felt it wasn't stable enough for him to go back in. He’ll get in the training room tonight and tomorrow. It’s about recovery tomorrow.”
On Alex Strating’s minutes
“That’s just who he is. He’s always in the right spot and he’s always going to give you everything he's got. Guys like that are invaluable to your team, and Alex puts the team first. A lot of people say they do, but when they don’t have a good game or if they don’t play a lot, then their heads go down and they feel sorry for themselves, but Alex doesn’t do that.”
On Daylen Kountz
“I love it when he drives the ball because he drives with aggressiveness, he drives with confidence, and he drives to put the ball in the basket. He puts pressure on defenses off the bounce, he’s so athletic. When he’s got room like that baseline drive he’ll go up and punch it.”
“I thought Daylen grew up defensively tonight, offensive plays are great but it’s really a shot in our arm for our confidence when Daylen can come in and give those kinds of minutes.”
Colorado Players
McKinley Wright IV, So., G
On Dayton’s Strong Execution“That’s really who they are. They’re a high executing team, they shoot the ball really well, they pass the ball really well and get their guys open looks. In the first half, our defensive effort was terrible and to start the second half as well. Coach really got on us and we got over the hump when he snapped on us in the huddle.”
On If He Was Looking For D’Shawn Schwartz In Crunch Time
“I feel like that about every game with D’Shawn. I always tell him he’s got to get up at least five threes in each game. I know how well he shoots the ball. He’s proven it, like he said, last year, this year, summer time. I see the work he puts in, so we just want him shooting the ball.”
On If He Made The Right Decision Choosing Colorado Over Dayton
“I think I made the best decision for me. Dayton’s a really good program, that’s the reason I committed there in the first place. A coaching change happened, and I felt less comfortable. I met with Coach Boyle and I felt like this would be the perfect spot for me so I have nothing against Dayton. I talked to those guys before the game, I talked to them after the game. We’re still cool. Social media, we still talk and catch-up with each other. It’s nothing personal, I just had to do what’s best for me.”
On Matching Up With Dayton Next Year In Chicago
“Oh definitely, it will be super fun. Dayton is close to Chicago, not too far from Chicago. I’m expecting a lot more Dayton fans there. Chicago’s close to where I’m from so I’ll have a lot of family and friends in town that’ll be there. It’s going to be a great matchup and I’m looking forward to it.”
On The Mindset Playing Without Tyler Bey In Second Half
“That’s the reason we play nine guys or 10 guys. We’re so deep. When a guy goes down we have another guy that can step up and play big in that role. When Tyler (Bey) went down, I think Alex (Strating) and Luke (Siewert) gave us great minutes at his spot. Coach always preaches next man up and how deep we are.”
On What They Have To Focus On Going Forward
“Same thing we’ve been doing all year. Just come together in practice and get back to who we are, which is defending and rebounding. When we do that, I think we’re good against anybody. No matter who we play, we’ll be ready.”
On If He’s Seen a Team Run the Transition As well As Dayton
“Outside of UCLA, they’re probably the best team in transition that we’ve played. They get the ball out fast, they look up and their bigs do a great job of running. Their wings get out and run and they have a good point guard over there who can see the floor very well. Outside of UCLA, I don’t think there’s another team that runs like that that we’ve played.”
D’Shawn Schwartz, So., G
On Mindset Knowing This Could Be Last Game“Yeah, I think I was just trying to come out swinging just because, I mean it could be the last game. I definitely wanted to fight hard for McKinley (Wright), I know this game meant a lot to him, so I think all our guys gave their best shot tonight.”
On His Jumper’s Consistency This Season
“Yeah, I mean it’s just something just staying in the gym, just trying to stay confident, trying to stay positive with myself. I knew the jumper would come back around at some point. I’ve already proven that I could do it from last year, so just waiting and being patient.”
On The Impact Of Kim English
“He’s been, I don’t even know the word, imperative, as he would say. I hope he watches that. In just my development, just always being there and helping me stay confident and always working on my game.”
On Alexander Strating
“Yeah, I love Alex. He’s always ready to play. He’s definitely gotten some sporadic minutes through the season, but he seems to always be ready no matter what. As soon as he gets in the game he just always does the right thing. He’s just a super smart player, he’s a super smart guy and he can help us in a lot of ways.
Dayton Head Coach Anthony Grant
On The Loss
“It was a really good game. Colorado has a good team. They have some really good, young talent. They made plays. From a defensive standpoint, the three point line hurt us tonight. They made some big ones. I have to go back and look at the film, but it was a well-played game. We had some guys out there who battled and played through foul trouble and a variety of different things that went on during the game. I thought it was a well-played game and give credit to Colorado. They made plays.”
On Foul Trouble
“(Obi Toppin) picked up his third, then Josh (Cunningham) picked up his third. My thought was maybe we could play those guys off of each other a little bit and try to buy some time. Obi picked his up with 17 or 18 minutes to go in the second half. That is part of the game.”
On Effort
“Our guys went out and competed. I am proud of their efforts and proud of the way these guys came out all year and gave us a chance. We didn’t reach the ultimate goals that we had, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort or lack of commitment. These guys have been fun to coach all year and I am proud of what we accomplished and hopefully we can build upon the improvements that we made this year and continue to improve as we move toward next year.”
On Moving Into Next Season
“I feel like we are moving in the right direction. Like what I told these guys, we have to make sure we have learned our lessons. I think we were really close this year to achieving the things we wanted to achieve in terms of championships, NCAA tournament bids and things along those lines. I think this team still has room for growth in terms of our individual players that played this year. I think there is still a lot of room for growth both mentally and physically, and skill wise. This group, with the experience they got, and then you add some other pieces, we can make some progress. We have to earn the right everyday with our habits, our discipline, and the choices that we make”
On Obi Toppin NBA Buzz
“That is not Obi. That is other people. That is par for the course nowadays. Everything plays itself out.”
On The Season
“I was proud of the effort all of our guys gave tonight. For Josh and Jack (Westerfield) it was their last chance to wear that uniform. My thing was for us to go out, have fun, and enjoy each other. Enjoy the chance to play together. I think they did that. This was a fun group to coach. They were fun to be around all year. We had highs and lows throughout the year and great memories together. They loved each other. As a coach, I appreciate that and appreciate the way they took care of each other and approached the opportunities that we had.”