University of Minnesota Athletics
Postgame Quotes
1/3/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Recap | Notes | Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2
Minnesota Head Coach Richard Pitino
Opening statement...
"Great win for us, we talked about setting the tone with our defense and our rebounding, and I thought we did that. I'm proud of our guys, that's a very tough team to battle with. I thought we did that. I thought Reggie Lynch was terrific, that was his toughest game, and obviously Jordan Murphy and Nate Mason. Even Dupree [McBrayer], I thought if he made a couple of those shots he played terrific, and Amir [Coffey] as well. We battled, we defended, rebounded certainty, did a lot of great things. I'm really happy with a nice home win, we needed it. Maybe it will get us off the bubble."
On the limiting Illinois to a low shooting percentage...
"I think that we really set the tone at the beginning. They started really offensive rebounding, and that's were a lot of their points came, but I thought that they ran tough stuff. He [Illinois Head Coach Brad Underwood] is obviously a terrific coach, and they're going to continue to get the pieces in that they need, they're going to be really hard to guard. I thought that we guarded a lot of their actions. It's a very unique offense, and I thought we guarded it really well. We adjusted, because they burnt us a couple of times, and I thought we got stronger later."
On playing with a big lead early in the game...
"It sounds weird, but sometimes you get that big lead and its hard. You know that they're going to come back at some point, and I thought that we really weathered the storm. They cut it to five and Nate [Mason] hit a huge shot in the corner at three and a half minutes. That's what seniors do. I though Nate was terrific. To play 37 minutes, and he hadn't really practiced a lot, hadn't gone up and down, that was shear heart and will."
On the Gopher big men's performance late in the game...
"[Jordan Murphy] had 17 and 17. I think that if we make free throws at the end, then we really pull away. We didn't do that obviously. I thought that was one of the toughest games Reggie Lynch played in a really long time."
Illinois Coach Brad Underwood
Opening statement...
"That first half was like being taken out to the woodshed and getting whooped. I have not had one of those in quite some time. Give Richard [Pitino] and their team a ton of credit. Their intensity level to start the game was at a place that ours was not even close to. That in itself was the ball game. You are not going to come back against a very good team. It becomes very challenging to do that. Yet we found a way to fight."
On the slow start...
"I am frustrated. We are not going to stick with the same group. That is why I changed at halftime. We have to continue to grow. I like what Da'Monte Williams did, I like what Trent Frazier did, I like what Greg Egoigbodin did. Greg and Trent give us some athleticism. We are not a very athletic team. They give us the ability to recover. Da'Monte is just so smart. He has a great knack for the ball. We are going to change it. You cannot play 20 down to a good team."
Senior Guard Nate Mason
On playing after injury...
"I just tried to do everything I needed to do. I just tried lead our guys to victory and I think I did a pretty good job of that."
On playing 37 minutes in his first game back...
"It was a test. Just getting back into the swing of things, one practice we had was full go and the other was holding me out a little bit. This is really my first test. Nothing is like game time. I know you guys can probably see me gasping for air during the timeouts. I just have to get back into shape.
Junior Forward Jordan Murphy
On the defensive start...
"We came out with a lot of energy and were very physical. We rebounded well. I think that is something the coaches prepared us for really well."
On his offensive outburst at the end...
"My teammates found me in open spots. I got more confidence down the stretch. They were not coming over and helping down the stretch."
