University of Minnesota Athletics
Postgame Quotes
12/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2011
Postgame Quotes
Minnesota (9-1, 0-0 Big Ten) 70, Appalachian State (4-4, 1-1 SoCon) 56
Williams Arena - Minneapolis, Minn.
December 6, 2011
Minnesota Head Coach Tubby Smith
Opening statement:
"Good evening. We were happy with the win tonight. We thought out kids really made some adjustments at halftime to defend our threes better. I was really impressed with Rodney Milum. He was really feeling it. I think he was 4-for-5 the first half and only had one the second half. ...We needed...all of (Williams's) 36 minutes, five blocks, six rebounds. He really played an outstanding game. Good to have Ralph (Sampson) back. He looked like he's feeling better. His ankles have healed. I really like the way both Elliott (Eliason) and Ralph were playing. The big fella - they really gave him a good test inside. Isaac Butts is a pretty strong guy - I thought we wore him down with Elliott and Ralph. We did a good job trapping inside at the correct time most of the night. And Joe (Coleman) stepped up. It's good to have a player like that who wants the ball in his hands at the end of the game and can deliver and make the free throws. Maverick (Ahanmisi) stepped in. Andre Hollins was struggling with an ankle sprain, so he wasn't at his full tilt. We had a lot of things we had to overcome, but I'm really proud of these kids and how they respond every time there's adversity or a hurdle put in their way. They find a way to get over it."
On starting Sampson:
"We might as well ease him back in and see how he's doing."
On Williams's big shots at the end of the game:
"Huge. That three - those were huge shots. We needed every bucket, every rebound, every minute that he had out there, because he delivered. Whenever the bell rang, he answered it all the way around. I'm really impressed with how he's matured, and he's looking forward to taking charge."
On the changes Williams has seen this season:
"I think relocating him to the basket, making him use his quickness and his athleticism. He blocked six shots out on the perimeter. I think he's starting to understand and steady the game. He's not having to guard guys out on the perimeter like he did before. That's always a challenge when you're his size. The guys are a little bit quicker and maybe good ballhandlers out there. Those are the things that have helped him play better."
On Sampson's play on his ankle today:
"You know, that was the first time I've seen him dunk a ball since he got hurt, so he's getting his spring back, getting his strength back. He made some wise decisions out there with the ball with two assists. He did a fantastic job with five rebounds in 19 minutes. I thought everybody stepped up and did a good job."
Minnesota Players
Rodney Williams
On having Ralph Sampson III back:
"He's been in and out of practice and he's been here with me for the past three years, so it didn't take much getting used to for him being back out there. He played pretty well tonight, too. He got some key rebounds for us and he got some dunks on that bad wheel. He did a good job out there tonight. He's making progress slowly and surely. It's about him getting his wind back. ...In order for us to make a big push in the Big Ten, we're going to need Ralph."
On playing the 4-spot:
"I had a pretty good feel for what I had to do to be successful from practice, but getting these experiences in the game has been good for me."
On Joe Coleman's performance:
"Coach has been playing the same guys in the second half, so when he put Joe out there and let him go, he shined tonight."
Julian Welch
On having Sampson back:
"It means a lot to have our team captain back. He is a really good player and we have been looking forward to having him back. Hopefully he will be 100 percent before Big Ten."
On the focus in the last five minutes:
"Getting defensive stops. We were worried about the defensive end and no easy threes."
On whether he has always been "automatic" at the free throw line:
"I like to think so, but not always. I was a pretty bad free throw shooter when I was little but kept practicing."
Appalachian State Head Coach Jason Capel
General thoughts:
"It was a hard fought game. I am proud of my guys and the way they competed and executed. We did what we wanted to do for roughly 37 minutes. We had some breakdowns, but playing hard makes up for some of that. You have to give it up to (Minnesota). They are very well coached."
On Isaac Butts's play:
"He really controlled the paint and was able to dominate the paint when we were able to get it to them. He is as big and strong as anyone we are going to play against. He is doing a good job as a senior leader. He directed traffic out there and really helped our ball club. We would like to get him more touches."
On Rodney Milum's three-point shooting:
"He is a shooter. He brings that instant offense off the bench. We like to get him the ball and it is his job to stick them."
On the team's fight and what can be taken away from this game:
"We have seven new players who are putting on a jersey for the first time. To play in this type of environment against a quality team and preform like this was good. We trusted our gameplan and played hard in a tough environment. We had these guys on the ropes for 37 minutes."
