University of Minnesota Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Nebraska
3/2/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Recap | Notes | Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2
Minnesota Head Coach Richard Pitino
On the seniors…
"Akeem [Springs] and Darin [Haugh], to send them off with a win was great. Akeem was hurt unfortunately, with his back, so he wasn't 100 percent. Darin says to me after the game 'I never thought you would run a double-high ball screen for me in the course of a game.' I said neither did I. Those two guys have been just terrific. Darin, that was a highlight of my coaching career, to put him on scholarship to keep him. Then, Akeem was a terrific addition. He has changed our locker room."
The most satisfying thing about the winning streak…
"The wins have been really good…I will say [the players] chemistry is really evolving. They really do like being around each other. I think everybody can see it. They really like playing with each other and they're committed to getting better...Their mentality has really been a positive."
On people not believing in them in the beginning of the year…
"Those guys sat there and they took it and they owned up to it. They said we believe where we are going. We believe we that we can turn it around. I remember kind of talking about it earlier, I'm not a boastful guy about that stuff, but in the offseason it was mocked a little but we sat there and had a quiet confidence about where we are going…These guys deserve the credit for bringing this program back, getting these people excited about this team again."
Nebraska Head Coach Tim Miles
Opening Statement...
"I want to start off by saying, Richard Pitino has done a great job with his team. Last year they were at the depths of all depths and kept Nate (Mason), Jordan (Murphy), and Dupree (McBrayer), and all those guys going. It's a well put together team, which can make runs in any tournament because they got length, athleticism inside, which makes it very hard to score on. I thought we did good on the three point line. We switched to zone because they were killing us in the paint and then they made three 3's in six possession. With our team, we just gotta keep teaching the young guys. That is three in a row that we lost by double digits and we are little bit banged up, but at the end of the day, we have to get our young guys going. Tonight, we weren't able to get the stops that we needed."
On the three game losing streak…
"We have had troubles in both ends. Whether it be turnovers at times and tonight it was at the defensive end. Michigan State was another poor defensive performance, but tonight they just got us inside and we didn't have a great matchup with Murphy after Michael (Jacobson) and every time he went out, Jordan got us and we couldn't get Reggie (Lynch) off the baseline. I think at halftime, they were 11 for 18 at the rim and we were 6 for 18 at the rim and that was the difference in the game. You can't be that ineffective at 33 percent at the rim."
On the confidence of the team…
"It is one of those things you have to constantly manage and there is no doubt that one thing goes wrong that there is kind of a feeling and I didn't see a real strong voice out there trying to stay in the ship and that is something we have to get corrected. We have to have guys when things go wrong, to have tight huddles and take control. We need a quarterback."
On Tai (Webster) shooting performance…
"Tai is one of those guys that is really beat up and he has been trying to play through it and he had a tough night and I think when you are circled on the scouting report. He plays his game inside out and I thought they did a good job at defending him at the rim and he really couldn't get in rhythm. I think they did a good job in defending him as anyone else did."
Sophomore Jordan Murphy
On what changed after he and Coach Pitino talked...
"I just had to figure out what my identity was on the team and I think that came with rebounding, I'm a pretty good rebounder. That gets the whole game going for me, when I get a couple offensive or defensive, it just gets everything rolling."
On if it was tough to know his role up until the conversation with coach...
"I think I was fighting it a little bit, coach told me I was going to be a lot happier if I focus on things that I am good at. Once I did, he was right, I'm a lot happier."
On his dunk in the first half...
"It was just a big momentum thing, I wanted to get our guys going and get some energy flowing in the crowd. I know big dunks help us a little bit with energy."
Junior Nate Mason
On Akeem Springs leadership on this team...
"Akeem was a great addition, coming into the season he came in with the confidence and being talkative, so that was great to see. It helped me and Murph become better leaders in general. Seeing him and how hard he works and how hard he pushes the guys, it forced us to be talkative and get out of our comfort zones. He is one of the best leaders I have ever been around."
On the team's chemistry...
"We are just clicking right now, luckily we started clicking in February and March. That comes a lot from practice and repetition and learning how others play."
