Post-game presser Writeup

[mu_hilltopper]

EXCUSE THE SPELLING MISTAKES.  typing quickly.

I'm listening to the post-game presser .. currently the MSU players are up.

Q:  When the team you are playing starts 14-15 posessions and doesn't score at all, do you start feeling sorry for them?

YEEOUCH!   I have no doubt that Izzo took his foot off the gas in the 2nd half.   It could have much, much worse. 

So here's to the emotion pity, without which, we would have lost by even more.


further:

Crean:  MSU did a great job, esp defensively.  They executed, we didn't.  Credit goes to them, but blame goes to us.  3 areas .. we struggle .. post-defense, pick and roll def, and talking.  3 guys feed off eachother, McNeal out .. wasn't our night .. lack of communication defensively .. gotta get better, off season to ponder it.  look forward to be back a year from now, talking about a victory.

DJ and Wes were questioned .. so far nothing noteworthy.  We lost,

Q: Is 14-0 embarrassing?
Wes: Of course it's embarrassing.  We hate being down, we're competitive.  We want to win, down 14 nothing is bad, we needed to show maturity, yadda yadda. Didn't execute.
DJ: I don't agree with embarrasing.  When we got into the huddle, we knew we would beat them.  Once we were down, we felt that sense of urgency (???????). 

Q: Ranked top 25 most of the year .. has it hit you you're out so early.
DJ: We realize we lost.  We take it hard.  TO end this way like last year, we felt we had the people, we belived n eachother .. didn't work out.
Wes: We fell short again.  It's kinda like last year, didn't come out like we should have.  Every possesion is important, and .. we missed Jerel.

Q: DJ was Travis a tough defender?
DJ: Yes.  But once I got on the side, it was easier for me, yadda yadda, pick and rolls things started opening up for me.

Q: DJ did you do a great job on Nietzel?
DJ: I knew I had Drew .. couple times we did help when there was no need to help, then they got layups.  I felt like I did a good job on Drew, but it's a team effort.

Wes: I see DJ every day .. he's underrated as a defender .. we should all play like DJ's energy .. he played tough and tired and cramps .. I could feel he was going thru a lot .. he's one of the best defenders I've gone against.  Team thing, we need to play like DJ's mentatlity.

... q's for Crean:

Q: Any real chance Jerel was going to play? 
A: We explored, but no way.  He wanted to, but docs said no.  He looked good with his left hand, but risk was too great.  Even if docs cleared him, I don't think I would have risked him.

Q: Because of izzo .. any wrinkles that surprised?
A: some, yadda yadda.  They executed, we didn't.  DJ did great job defending .. we got foul trouble .. down McNeal .. caught up with us tonight and in the BET .. Drew is one of the best in the country .. Our lack of communication and execution in post and pick and roll killed us.

Q: Tough to look ahead .. what expectations for next year?
A: Can't look ahead .. have a stomach that's been kicked in, haven't thought that far ahead.  (looked sick answering that)

Q: Foul trouble bad?
A: That was huge.  Two key guys out, short bench, mix and match with their front line and got outplayed badly.  Lott did an outstanding job, energy, defense, not a scorer, but tough guy and helped us get our breath back .. short bench, two starters with fouls, not easy.

Q: When MSU lost this year it was because of Drew not scoring much ..
A: They've got a full team that can click.  We covered him well, but he found the open guy for dunks, we were confident DJ and Cube could cover him. MSU did a great job exploiting our mistakes.  Didn't execute our defenisve game plan, and we looked silly.

Q: Wes/DJ talked about slow start with Alab last year .. same thing this year
A: Out youth showed up tonight, shows up iin communications .. we got beat on our own plays tonight .. youth of our team, when it gets down we gotta talk better, disappointed, after 14-0 run, we outscored them 49-47.  can't give them easy baskets, which we did and it hurt us.

That's it.