University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota-Iowa Postgame Quotes
3/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Minnesota Coach Tubby Smith
Opening Statement: "I felt like our team came focused and ready to play today. I know Iowa has had a tough year, but they're a team that took Michigan to overtime and we knew we had to come ready to play. I think our kids, not just our seniors, but all of our players were focused and ready to send Damian (Johnson), Lawrence (Westbrook), and Devron (Bostick) out the right way. It's a lot of pressure sometimes to want to send your seniors out with a win and I thought we set the tone early on by sharing the basketball. Things always go a lot smoother for you when you hit a few shots and I think that led to our excellent defensive effort. Our second group came in and held them to zero field goals for about six or seven minutes (in the first half). It's a good time to be playing well."
How important is it in the Big Ten Tournament to start the game the way you did today? "I think anytime you can get control early, it makes things go a lot smoother. It's a 40 minute game and we have to have consistency and high effort. We didn't have any big letdowns on defense today or any droughts offensively. We took good shots and made plays for each other. I thought Devoe (Joseph) did a great job managing the game today. It's important to play with that kind of poise from start to finish."
Two years ago the team made a big run in the Big Ten Tournament. Do you feel like this team has a similar shot? "That was a pretty good team (two years ago). There was some great leadership on that team, but we had to have a miracle shot by Blake (Hoffarber) to get past Indiana. To compare that team to this team is tough, but we do have some experience and similar leadership from Lawrence (Westbrook) and Damian (Johnson). Those guys have really been through some wars and we expect to go in and play well."
Iowa head coach Todd Lickliter
Opening statement: "You have to hand it to them. That is exactly what you want to do. And Senior Day, I am sure that had something to do with the emotion and the ball movement. I think we are struggling emotionally. We have been through a lot of adversity and I think we have a tendency right now to get concerned when things take a little bit of a turn. We keep fighting. We keep playing but I think emotionally we are struggling."
"I thought tonight we defended fairly well early but they came up with second shots and it kind of deflated us. I think we deflated. Emotionally it's been hard on us. I think we got a little deflated when things seemed to bounce the other way. Minnesota got to loose balls and they got to rebounds."
Minnesota forward Damian Johnson
"I just thought guys played real hard. They were focused on getting a win."
On the similarities with other seasons: "We finished sixth a couple of years ago and we are sixth this year. Other than that, I don't see any similarities. We have a team that is capable of winning more games than we did this year and I think we could win a couple games at the Tournament and do a lot of damage. We just have to stay together and play the right way.
On facing Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament: "Most of the games they lost were real close. They lost this week to the top two teams in the conference by a combined six points. So they are a team you can't think of as an easy win. You can't go in playing lackadaisacal."
Minnesota guard Lawrence Westbrook
"It was exciting. Devron has been here for two years. Damian and I have been here four years. It felt a little bit different since it's our last home game but we ended on a good note."
"We are just playing free. We have nothing to lose. We will take one game at a time and play with energy. Whatever happens, happens."
Minnesota guard Devron Bostick
"I think people like us coming off the bench, we have to bring more intensity into the game. More energy and try to play as hard as we can."
