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The University of Utah Athletics
Quotes from Lynne Roberts Weekly Press Conference
12/6/2017 11:48 AM | Women's Basketball
Opening Statement…
"We beat Saint Mary's at home, which was a good win against a quality team so I am happy about that. Then we beat Pepperdine last night at home, so we are sitting at 7-1. I think we are doing well. Obviously, lots to improve upon and focus on to get better, which we will continue to do, but I am pleased with where we sit. We play at BYU on Saturday."
On what she said to the team after the win over Pepperdine despite the fourth quarter performance…
"Well, I don't talk with the team after games. I have learned over the years that I say things that are a little bit emotive, so I have learned the hard way that it is best to let everyone cool down or be excited and be just a little more objective after a game. So, we don't talk after games, win or lose, and it gives us all a chance to watch the film. After a game whether you win or lose, the emotions are high and it is important that you say things that are true and objective and constructive, so I didn't talk to the team last night, which was probably good. I still am annoyed with how we finished that game. My message to the team tomorrow will be kind of what I said in the press conference after the game was for us to be as good as we want to be, we have to grow up a little bit as a team and learn how to be consistent. It doesn't matter who we are playing, what the score is, home or away, we have to operate the way that we are supposed to operate. I thought for three quarters last night we were really good. We were up 33 points with a minute to go in the third quarter with a chance to have that killer instinct and play well for four quarter, and we didn't. We lost focus and started doing things that we hadn't been doing all game in terms of trying to make great plays one-on-one or doing things defensively we hadn't done and then we started fouling, we just lost our focus. Rather than doing the things that got us the 33-point lead, we started to stray away from that and that is not what great teams do. We have to get better and that is going to be the message to the team, showing them the statistics from the first three quarters versus the fourth. Credit to Pepperdine, they kept competing and I respect that. Their kids didn't quit. Ours kind of did and that is not OK. I am pleased that we won, that is the ultimate goal, but it is also our goal to get better and that is what we talked about at practice, shoot around and we took it three quarters of the way and didn't finish. But we will get better, we will."
On what the biggest difference is between this year's team and last year's…
"I think we have more depth. I think that our bench production is significantly different. I also think this is a different group in terms of mentality. Every team, every season has its own personality. I enjoyed last year's group. With Paige Crozon, she is one of my all-time favorites and as a senior she was just awesome. So, it wasn't that I didn't enjoy last season. This team just feels different in terms of their collective buy-in. It isn't conditional, they really want to be good. That is why I think last night is going to be a good eye opener for us, because they don't want to play like that. I think there is going to be a desire to change and improve and I don't know if that is different from last year, but that is kind of what this year's personality is becoming."
On who the vocal leaders are this season…
"I think we have some collective desire in that aspect. What I love is that during timeouts all of the players are talking and I love that because it means they are engaged and they are listening. That can be anybody. I think the one voice that is most consistent like a coach's voice is Tanaeya BoClair. She just really understands what we are trying to do and even in practice, I will start to say something and she will finish it and I will just be quiet and let her say it because she is saying the right thing and a lot of times it is more impactful coming from a peer. Honestly though I don't think there is one loud and clear distinctive voice, what I do like about this team is that everyone is talking. It means that there is ownership and they are all invested."
On how they can improve from the three…
"We shot 30-percent last night, that isn't terrible but it isn't great. We only took 11 shots from the three when I think we took around 70 shots total. The way Pepperdine was defending our pick-and-rolls and the same thing with Saint Mary's, we could have shot the three every possession. They are kind of begging us to shoot the three because they don't want to defend our post play, which I don't blame them. I was actually pleased last night with our shot selection, we weren't just firing threes up even though as a guard it is tempting when you are open every time, but we kept working for better shots. We scored 64 points in the paint despite how they were defending, so I am not worried about the shooting percentage. We shoot a ton in practice and 3-for-11 it's not going to make Sports Center, but it's not awful. I am more concerned with our shot selection whether it is a three, a two or a free throw, I want to make sure we are taking good shots."
On if the team is excited to play in-state rival BYU on Saturday…
"We haven't talked about them once yet because we go one at a time. I am sure they are excited. We have today off and then we will game plan and start getting ready for them tomorrow. It is a fun game. They are a good program and they are very well coached. It is going to be a battle, it always is. Both teams are going to be amped up. It is a rivalry game for a reason and those are fun. They are fun to coach, fun to play in so I know we are going to be looking forward to that one."
On the atmosphere surrounding the BYU game each year…
"We played here last year and we had a great crowd and it was really fun. The community cares about this game and that is what makes it fun. We went down there my first year and there was a great crowd. Both teams want to beat each other really badly and both sets of fans want to beat each other really badly. I know we are taking a booster bus down and if people are interested they can call our marketing department. They are getting a ticket to the game and lunch and you have to wear red to get on our bus. We play on Saturday at 2 p.m. so if anyone wants to go, I think there are some seats left, we may be taking a few buses. It is fun. It is fun to go on the road and have a couple of busloads of fans sitting behind your bench. This is what college sports is all about."
"We beat Saint Mary's at home, which was a good win against a quality team so I am happy about that. Then we beat Pepperdine last night at home, so we are sitting at 7-1. I think we are doing well. Obviously, lots to improve upon and focus on to get better, which we will continue to do, but I am pleased with where we sit. We play at BYU on Saturday."
On what she said to the team after the win over Pepperdine despite the fourth quarter performance…
"Well, I don't talk with the team after games. I have learned over the years that I say things that are a little bit emotive, so I have learned the hard way that it is best to let everyone cool down or be excited and be just a little more objective after a game. So, we don't talk after games, win or lose, and it gives us all a chance to watch the film. After a game whether you win or lose, the emotions are high and it is important that you say things that are true and objective and constructive, so I didn't talk to the team last night, which was probably good. I still am annoyed with how we finished that game. My message to the team tomorrow will be kind of what I said in the press conference after the game was for us to be as good as we want to be, we have to grow up a little bit as a team and learn how to be consistent. It doesn't matter who we are playing, what the score is, home or away, we have to operate the way that we are supposed to operate. I thought for three quarters last night we were really good. We were up 33 points with a minute to go in the third quarter with a chance to have that killer instinct and play well for four quarter, and we didn't. We lost focus and started doing things that we hadn't been doing all game in terms of trying to make great plays one-on-one or doing things defensively we hadn't done and then we started fouling, we just lost our focus. Rather than doing the things that got us the 33-point lead, we started to stray away from that and that is not what great teams do. We have to get better and that is going to be the message to the team, showing them the statistics from the first three quarters versus the fourth. Credit to Pepperdine, they kept competing and I respect that. Their kids didn't quit. Ours kind of did and that is not OK. I am pleased that we won, that is the ultimate goal, but it is also our goal to get better and that is what we talked about at practice, shoot around and we took it three quarters of the way and didn't finish. But we will get better, we will."
On what the biggest difference is between this year's team and last year's…
"I think we have more depth. I think that our bench production is significantly different. I also think this is a different group in terms of mentality. Every team, every season has its own personality. I enjoyed last year's group. With Paige Crozon, she is one of my all-time favorites and as a senior she was just awesome. So, it wasn't that I didn't enjoy last season. This team just feels different in terms of their collective buy-in. It isn't conditional, they really want to be good. That is why I think last night is going to be a good eye opener for us, because they don't want to play like that. I think there is going to be a desire to change and improve and I don't know if that is different from last year, but that is kind of what this year's personality is becoming."
On who the vocal leaders are this season…
"I think we have some collective desire in that aspect. What I love is that during timeouts all of the players are talking and I love that because it means they are engaged and they are listening. That can be anybody. I think the one voice that is most consistent like a coach's voice is Tanaeya BoClair. She just really understands what we are trying to do and even in practice, I will start to say something and she will finish it and I will just be quiet and let her say it because she is saying the right thing and a lot of times it is more impactful coming from a peer. Honestly though I don't think there is one loud and clear distinctive voice, what I do like about this team is that everyone is talking. It means that there is ownership and they are all invested."
On how they can improve from the three…
"We shot 30-percent last night, that isn't terrible but it isn't great. We only took 11 shots from the three when I think we took around 70 shots total. The way Pepperdine was defending our pick-and-rolls and the same thing with Saint Mary's, we could have shot the three every possession. They are kind of begging us to shoot the three because they don't want to defend our post play, which I don't blame them. I was actually pleased last night with our shot selection, we weren't just firing threes up even though as a guard it is tempting when you are open every time, but we kept working for better shots. We scored 64 points in the paint despite how they were defending, so I am not worried about the shooting percentage. We shoot a ton in practice and 3-for-11 it's not going to make Sports Center, but it's not awful. I am more concerned with our shot selection whether it is a three, a two or a free throw, I want to make sure we are taking good shots."
On if the team is excited to play in-state rival BYU on Saturday…
"We haven't talked about them once yet because we go one at a time. I am sure they are excited. We have today off and then we will game plan and start getting ready for them tomorrow. It is a fun game. They are a good program and they are very well coached. It is going to be a battle, it always is. Both teams are going to be amped up. It is a rivalry game for a reason and those are fun. They are fun to coach, fun to play in so I know we are going to be looking forward to that one."
On the atmosphere surrounding the BYU game each year…
"We played here last year and we had a great crowd and it was really fun. The community cares about this game and that is what makes it fun. We went down there my first year and there was a great crowd. Both teams want to beat each other really badly and both sets of fans want to beat each other really badly. I know we are taking a booster bus down and if people are interested they can call our marketing department. They are getting a ticket to the game and lunch and you have to wear red to get on our bus. We play on Saturday at 2 p.m. so if anyone wants to go, I think there are some seats left, we may be taking a few buses. It is fun. It is fun to go on the road and have a couple of busloads of fans sitting behind your bench. This is what college sports is all about."
Players Mentioned
W
/ Women's Basketball
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