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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah MBB vs. Washington State Postgame Quotes
Utah vs. Washington State Post Game Quotes
Utah 74, Washington State 70
Feb. 9, 2017
Salt Lake City | Huntsman Center
Utah Head Coach Larry Krystkowiak
On the contrast between the game in Pullman and this one…
I think it is kind of a combination of things. Number one, Washington State is a lot better. We might have been part of turning around their season a little bit. That, without a doubt, was their low point. That particular day we were in Pullman, absolute snow storm, closed school, little different vibe. We kind of punched them in the mouth each half and played really hard. I knew it wasn't going to be like that coming in here. Those guys hit 10 three’s tonight. They have been shooting the ball really well. Their back court combined with Clifford and Hawkinson piecing it together in the post … it’s a dynamic group that can score.
We started the game where we had two stretches where we had a hard time finding rhythm offensively. There were a number of turnovers, transition baskets. They had ten transition points probably in the first six minutes of the game off of our turnovers. Then we did a nice job keeping our composure and getting stops. Throughout the whole game, I thought we were playing the right way. The ball was moving like it hadn’t moved in a long time. I thought we did a little bit of disrespecting of the game in the second half. We have had two comfortable leads, ten or twelve points then it was ugly. We had guys who were all of a sudden going to drive in, take flip shots up. Everybody was trying to be the guy to get it to 14-16, completely against what we are talking about doing. You combine that stretch of selfishness, we probably got three shots that rolled in and out, You kind of get what you deserve when you disrespecting the basketball game. You combine that with these some of the behind the back turnovers. It’s the perfect storm. Then once again, they went on a run there they went on eight transition runs, based on our offense not being very good.
There were some good stretches and really ugly ones. I mention the ugly ones then nice long stretch in between. Parker hit a big three, made free throws down the stretch and gained our composure to manage to get a win. That is a much better team. I told Coach Kent, they are figuring it out. Those guys have been playing together for a while. I honestly they believe they are better on the road, sometimes at home, there is not a lot of energy; especially on the day we were there. They get into an environment like this and I know how our guys are when we going to the Arizona’s and Oregon’s. You are pretty fired up to play. We got a pretty good punch from them. We had a lot of respect for them.
On the team being quiet…
I think we made some improvements communication wise. Guys are starting to grow up. They are starting to figure out that it is important in the game. You can play your whole life, a lot of AAU, grade school, high school and if you're not a talker, it’s not like you just flip a switch and become a communicator. that is a process of becoming a college player, at least with this program. Some guys are opening up. But it wasn't a communication issue to start the game, it was some crappy basketball. Forcing some shots and turnovers. WE couldn't guard them in transition. We had a terrible time getting back on that. Turnovers and bad shots are hard to defend.
Junior Forward Kyle Kuzma
On why things were different tonight compared to the last time…
We just didn't defend really well. They got a lot of easy baskets. We didn't see shots go in. WE didn't really defend. That is just what it was.
On his performance tonight…
Probably didn't have the right mind set. I just didn't play well. That is just what it is. I can’t wait for Saturday.
On back to back losses and forcing things…
I don’t think I forced anything. I just had a bad game. Everybody has bad games. Everyone isn't superman.
On the slow start…
I feel like we always start slow. Majority of the season we have started slow then picked it up in the second half. We just have to be better and a little bit more focused.
On getting pumped up after beating them by 40…
No, not really. At this point we have to win. We came out flat in the first half and then picked up. We can’t have that mindset especially when we have to win.
On tightening up defense during the 25-4 run…
They got a little bit cold. Our defense wasn't really that good all night. I think they just got cold. We lucked up a little bit. We have some stops when we needed them We have to play better than that defensively. I thought that was one of our worst defensive showings of the year.
Junior Forward David Collette
On missing the first game against WSU and now playing…
Every game is motivating for me whether we have played them or not. Just going out there and doing my things.
On trying to get his points…
They put a lot of pressure on me to make some free throws. Luckily, I have been working on that a bunch the last couple of days. I shot better than 50%, that is good for me.
On getting going in the 25-4 run…
I think just trying to play hard. Coach talked to me about playing a little bit harder and posting up a little bit harder. I really tried to work on that. It seemed to work for me. Worked a little bit harder to get into position, it worked out.
- - -
Washington State Head Coach Ernie Kent
On the team improving each game…
We have improved but that’s not why I am here. I’ll say it again, to break that losing mentality you have got to get mentally and physically tough at home and on the road. You have got to just keep pushing. Malachi [Flynn] missed a free throw. Ike [Iroegbu] missed a weak side help that led to a bucket. Here it is again with a big guy scoring 22 points on us right at the rim uncontested because we won’t front the post. That just shouldn’t happen. Our guards did an excellent job again defensively but we gave up too much easy stuff. It is little things mentally that cost you. Yes, I am proud of them that they improved greatly. Yes we battled. I knew we weren’t 41 points worse than this team. I knew we were a good team. We didn’t play well at home and I was proud of them to come out here and play in this environment. We had a chance to close out the game and I think if we make a free throw it will put a lot of pressure on them to score a bucket but we took the pressure off of them. We were right there to get it done but we couldn’t get it done.
On final shot and who takes it…
It just depends. We had a play designed for Ike [Iroegbu] but he didn’t get it done and so then we went back to Malachi [Flynn]and we wish he would have come up more offensively one more time and if the three-point shot is not so deep then maybe. The play was for him to come off the three, three times and I wanted Iroegbu in the ball screen because they couldn’t switch his guy. They could switch with Kuzma who was guarding Hutchinson so that part got lost in translation with him and I as I talked to him about that before we went out on the floor.
On playing in road environments…
They respond to energy. It isn’t road crowds that it is energy in the building that allows you to rise up and guys play hard to get locked in. Colorado is going to be the same way. Responding and winning are different things because now when you come down the stretch of these games with that crowd and energy, you really have to keep your poise, make your free throws, block out, get your rotations right, and understand. They are going to be sick when they look at the tape because I felt like we lost two or three rebounds late in the game that could have won the game for us and a defensive rotation that could have won the game for us.
Utah 74, Washington State 70
Feb. 9, 2017
Salt Lake City | Huntsman Center
Utah Head Coach Larry Krystkowiak
On the contrast between the game in Pullman and this one…
I think it is kind of a combination of things. Number one, Washington State is a lot better. We might have been part of turning around their season a little bit. That, without a doubt, was their low point. That particular day we were in Pullman, absolute snow storm, closed school, little different vibe. We kind of punched them in the mouth each half and played really hard. I knew it wasn't going to be like that coming in here. Those guys hit 10 three’s tonight. They have been shooting the ball really well. Their back court combined with Clifford and Hawkinson piecing it together in the post … it’s a dynamic group that can score.
We started the game where we had two stretches where we had a hard time finding rhythm offensively. There were a number of turnovers, transition baskets. They had ten transition points probably in the first six minutes of the game off of our turnovers. Then we did a nice job keeping our composure and getting stops. Throughout the whole game, I thought we were playing the right way. The ball was moving like it hadn’t moved in a long time. I thought we did a little bit of disrespecting of the game in the second half. We have had two comfortable leads, ten or twelve points then it was ugly. We had guys who were all of a sudden going to drive in, take flip shots up. Everybody was trying to be the guy to get it to 14-16, completely against what we are talking about doing. You combine that stretch of selfishness, we probably got three shots that rolled in and out, You kind of get what you deserve when you disrespecting the basketball game. You combine that with these some of the behind the back turnovers. It’s the perfect storm. Then once again, they went on a run there they went on eight transition runs, based on our offense not being very good.
There were some good stretches and really ugly ones. I mention the ugly ones then nice long stretch in between. Parker hit a big three, made free throws down the stretch and gained our composure to manage to get a win. That is a much better team. I told Coach Kent, they are figuring it out. Those guys have been playing together for a while. I honestly they believe they are better on the road, sometimes at home, there is not a lot of energy; especially on the day we were there. They get into an environment like this and I know how our guys are when we going to the Arizona’s and Oregon’s. You are pretty fired up to play. We got a pretty good punch from them. We had a lot of respect for them.
On the team being quiet…
I think we made some improvements communication wise. Guys are starting to grow up. They are starting to figure out that it is important in the game. You can play your whole life, a lot of AAU, grade school, high school and if you're not a talker, it’s not like you just flip a switch and become a communicator. that is a process of becoming a college player, at least with this program. Some guys are opening up. But it wasn't a communication issue to start the game, it was some crappy basketball. Forcing some shots and turnovers. WE couldn't guard them in transition. We had a terrible time getting back on that. Turnovers and bad shots are hard to defend.
Junior Forward Kyle Kuzma
On why things were different tonight compared to the last time…
We just didn't defend really well. They got a lot of easy baskets. We didn't see shots go in. WE didn't really defend. That is just what it was.
On his performance tonight…
Probably didn't have the right mind set. I just didn't play well. That is just what it is. I can’t wait for Saturday.
On back to back losses and forcing things…
I don’t think I forced anything. I just had a bad game. Everybody has bad games. Everyone isn't superman.
On the slow start…
I feel like we always start slow. Majority of the season we have started slow then picked it up in the second half. We just have to be better and a little bit more focused.
On getting pumped up after beating them by 40…
No, not really. At this point we have to win. We came out flat in the first half and then picked up. We can’t have that mindset especially when we have to win.
On tightening up defense during the 25-4 run…
They got a little bit cold. Our defense wasn't really that good all night. I think they just got cold. We lucked up a little bit. We have some stops when we needed them We have to play better than that defensively. I thought that was one of our worst defensive showings of the year.
Junior Forward David Collette
On missing the first game against WSU and now playing…
Every game is motivating for me whether we have played them or not. Just going out there and doing my things.
On trying to get his points…
They put a lot of pressure on me to make some free throws. Luckily, I have been working on that a bunch the last couple of days. I shot better than 50%, that is good for me.
On getting going in the 25-4 run…
I think just trying to play hard. Coach talked to me about playing a little bit harder and posting up a little bit harder. I really tried to work on that. It seemed to work for me. Worked a little bit harder to get into position, it worked out.
- - -
Washington State Head Coach Ernie Kent
On the team improving each game…
We have improved but that’s not why I am here. I’ll say it again, to break that losing mentality you have got to get mentally and physically tough at home and on the road. You have got to just keep pushing. Malachi [Flynn] missed a free throw. Ike [Iroegbu] missed a weak side help that led to a bucket. Here it is again with a big guy scoring 22 points on us right at the rim uncontested because we won’t front the post. That just shouldn’t happen. Our guards did an excellent job again defensively but we gave up too much easy stuff. It is little things mentally that cost you. Yes, I am proud of them that they improved greatly. Yes we battled. I knew we weren’t 41 points worse than this team. I knew we were a good team. We didn’t play well at home and I was proud of them to come out here and play in this environment. We had a chance to close out the game and I think if we make a free throw it will put a lot of pressure on them to score a bucket but we took the pressure off of them. We were right there to get it done but we couldn’t get it done.
On final shot and who takes it…
It just depends. We had a play designed for Ike [Iroegbu] but he didn’t get it done and so then we went back to Malachi [Flynn]and we wish he would have come up more offensively one more time and if the three-point shot is not so deep then maybe. The play was for him to come off the three, three times and I wanted Iroegbu in the ball screen because they couldn’t switch his guy. They could switch with Kuzma who was guarding Hutchinson so that part got lost in translation with him and I as I talked to him about that before we went out on the floor.
On playing in road environments…
They respond to energy. It isn’t road crowds that it is energy in the building that allows you to rise up and guys play hard to get locked in. Colorado is going to be the same way. Responding and winning are different things because now when you come down the stretch of these games with that crowd and energy, you really have to keep your poise, make your free throws, block out, get your rotations right, and understand. They are going to be sick when they look at the tape because I felt like we lost two or three rebounds late in the game that could have won the game for us and a defensive rotation that could have won the game for us.