Porter Moser Pre-Texas Tech (1-26-24)
Porter Moser Pre-Texas Tech (1-26-24)
Transcript
00:00 >> Reporter, I know it's been a couple days since Tuesday,
00:02 since you got the day off on Wednesday.
00:04 Maybe just what the last couple of days have been like since that tough loss.
00:08 >> Well, we had a true session, film session, a get better session, and
00:13 we broke it up, we did it in the morning yesterday, cuz we did.
00:16 We had by rules and it was good for us, just take a day off.
00:19 They went nine straight days, three games.
00:21 So saw what we could have done better,
00:23 saw the disappointing things that happened in the game.
00:27 And I thought it was really, really healthy.
00:32 That game, we told them, that game doesn't have to define you.
00:35 In basketball, January, February, March, there's a lot of games,
00:38 a lot of opportunities.
00:40 Obviously, that one stings.
00:43 But for us, that game doesn't have to define us, but
00:46 it needs to change us and get us better.
00:49 Tougher in those situations and things we could have done better defensively.
00:54 And then I thought in the second half of the day, we came back and
00:57 introduced Texas Tech and practice, and I thought we had a great practice.
01:01 That shows me they care, because we told them a lot of truths in that film session.
01:06 And how they responded was everything you'd want them to how to respond.
01:10 Everybody took ownership, coaches, players, we all took ownership.
01:14 And we had a great practice, and that means they care.
01:21 >> Porter, you said after the game that players kinda got tired down the stretch
01:24 during the second half.
01:25 How much of it was, like you said, nine straight days or the Saturday,
01:28 Tuesday turnaround?
01:29 And how much of it was maybe just exerting a lot of energy to kinda get back in
01:33 the game in that first half?
01:35 >> I'm not making any excuses with fatigue, being tired.
01:40 It's what we're in right now.
01:42 What I will say is we had some mental fatigue as well as physical.
01:47 We lost, it was 52-52, and we lost Max on a little chase
01:52 action that we were gonna go over, we went under, he made you pay.
01:56 We lost DeSue, they ran a little horns action, we were supposed to be up in him.
02:01 We backed off five feet, he caught it and made a three.
02:03 Those are mental fatigue mistakes that just kinda happened.
02:08 That's where I think the fatigue was.
02:10 Everybody's tired.
02:11 They're in the same stretch we are.
02:16 So that's, but I thought it was mental fatigue.
02:18 We had some mental lapses when it was 52-52.
02:22 >> Ryan. >> When you got a guard like Pop,
02:24 kinda brings some of the same stuff he'll pull up from deep too.
02:27 Is that almost an exciting thing for those guys to be able to say,
02:30 you can immediately right those wrongs the exact next time out?
02:33 >> Absolutely, it's exactly what we talked about.
02:35 It's exactly what we said yesterday.
02:37 I said, Pop is the leading scorer in this league.
02:39 He works really hard for the ball, just like Max did.
02:43 Can shoot from anywhere, no range.
02:46 There's another one, the mental mistake.
02:48 We were officiating that play.
02:50 They traveled and we were officiating it, and then Max hit a 27-footer.
02:54 If you think you're far enough out on him, get farther out.
02:59 You're not far enough to guys like Pop and Max.
03:02 I think they're really good.
03:03 I mean, obviously, they're number one in our conference, but we did.
03:06 To guard a guy like Pop, he never stops working for the ball.
03:11 He can score a variety of ways.
03:13 He's really quick.
03:14 He can get to the rim.
03:16 But we absolutely, it's a chance to guard another elite scorer like that.
03:20 But we got a lot of respect for their guards.
03:22 I think Toussaint, we knew him at West Virginia.
03:25 He is really good.
03:26 We watched him on how he just, when they beat Texas at Texas,
03:30 how physical he was.
03:32 So, and Kerwin Walton's shooting the ball at a great clip.
03:35 So we got a lot of respect for them, their guards, and what they do.
03:38 >> Jeff.
03:40 >> Yeah, kind of piggybacking on Tom's question about fatigue.
03:43 Obviously, you know, Tech had the week off.
03:45 How does that change things, and what kind of challenge is that?
03:48 They had the extra days off.
03:50 >> That's a great, I just still don't know how this happens.
03:54 You think the bi-week, they play the bi-week teams.
03:56 You just think that's pretty logical.
03:58 Can't worry about it, can't control it.
04:01 We took a much needed day off, mentally and physically, to get away.
04:05 And we gotta do our prep for them, and it is what it is.
04:11 I mean, our focus is not even, actually, we're not even talking to our guys about that.
04:16 They'll probably listen to this press conference, but
04:19 not even really talking about that with our guys.
04:21 We're talking about, they know how there's quick turnarounds.
04:24 We had to really introduce Texas Tech yesterday.
04:26 We had to put in their scout, put in our game plan.
04:28 We gotta practice again here today.
04:30 And so that's been our focus, not about that then they've had their bi-week,
04:35 but it is what it is.
04:38 We're just looking forward to getting back and competing.
04:40 Getting back and being who we are.
04:43 We weren't good, but we weren't who we were in a long stretch in that game the other day.
04:51 So we're excited to get, whether we have two days off, three days off,
04:54 four days off, we're excited to come back and compete and be who we are.
04:58 Back to Jesse.
05:00 >> I wanna ask you about Sam.
05:02 The last couple games, foul trouble's been a little bit of an issue for him.
05:04 I know he's an explosive, energetic kinda guy.
05:08 What's that balance for him maybe between being energetic, playing, hustle,
05:11 all that stuff, but not getting in early foul trouble?
05:14 >> I just got a good feeling about Sam right now.
05:16 I think he's gonna come out and have a great game Saturday.
05:18 I just do.
05:19 For me, he was putting so much pressure on him.
05:22 And I just think he's just taking a deep breath on his day off and
05:25 he just came back.
05:26 He had a great practice yesterday.
05:27 He was bouncing, he was dunking, he was all over.
05:30 He just, sometimes when you're in your head about foul trouble, you foul more.
05:35 And that's what happened.
05:36 He went after a rebound, he didn't get it, and
05:38 he just kinda shoved the guy out of bounds.
05:39 And it was like, Sam, he's like, I don't know why I did it.
05:43 And so I think sometimes when you're, I think now he's just gonna get back to
05:46 playing, just get that, and if you get in foul trouble, you get in foul trouble.
05:49 You just gotta be smarter with it, but I want him to be aggressive.
05:53 >> Mason.
05:53 >> Porter, you guys have been really competitive with everybody you've played
05:57 so far in the rebounding category, and
05:58 then really struggled on the offensive boards against Texas.
06:02 What goes into fixing that?
06:03 What were some of the difficulties you had with that, and
06:05 how do you get that right against Tech?
06:07 >> So I think I told you yesterday, a lot of times I'm always saying,
06:12 don't let your offense dictate your defense.
06:14 If you're not making shots, doesn't matter if you're the guard.
06:16 I thought our defense dictated our offense.
06:18 I thought we weren't playing very good defense, and then I would just kinda,
06:21 when your offense isn't going, you need those extra offensive rebounds.
06:26 We talked about it, we talked about it in our film session.
06:28 We gotta go get extra rebounds, extra possessions.
06:31 And those are guys like John Hughley, challenging him.
06:35 When you're in there, you gotta come up with one or two.
06:38 Rivalo Soros has been good at it, getting us extra possessions.
06:41 Ortega's gotta get us extra possessions.
06:42 But we have been good at rebounding the ball.
06:45 We're gonna have to be very good against this team, rebounding the ball.
06:48 The way they offensive rebound, and the size they have.
06:51 So rebounding's always one of those things that we're nonstop talking about,
06:55 addressing, it's a key to every single game.
06:58 >> Gracie.
07:00 >> Like you said, the season's long, you're gonna lose some games.
07:03 But how do you build a team and a program that's able to kinda bounce back and
07:06 get right back on track after a tough loss?
07:09 >> Yeah, it's what we've talked about,
07:13 like even when we lost that week, we lost those TCU in Kansas.
07:16 It's the same mentality of whoever your opponent, you lose.
07:19 First part of our process is why we lose.
07:24 Like what do we need to do better?
07:26 And that discussion was pretty lengthy from the last game.
07:32 And but then it's like, let's get right back at it.
07:35 Let's get right back at it.
07:36 You can't stay too down or too up in this league.
07:39 Every single game is a quad one game.
07:42 Every single game seems like you're playing a top 20, top 30 team.
07:45 So you can't be too high, you can't stay too low.
07:49 So those guys, but I will say that this after Tuesday's loss,
07:53 there was a little bit more energy.
07:56 I don't know the word.
08:00 Zest in the film session.
08:01 And that's why I love how the guys responded.
08:06 And that's how you gotta respond in a game like that.
08:09 >> Chris.
08:09 >> Yeah, Porter, what does the coaches versus cancer mean to you?
08:12 And how special is it to have the survivors joining you in the play?
08:15 >> It means a lot to me.
08:16 I lost both my parents to cancer.
08:20 So every year this is something I had my secondary parents,
08:25 were my college coach and his wife.
08:26 I played for him four years and I coached with him seven.
08:29 And they became, Tony and Kathy Barone became my second set of parents.
08:33 They both died of cancer.
08:35 So it affects everybody.
08:37 The American Cancer Society, the way they, and coaches versus cancer,
08:42 the way they fight for this is relentless.
08:47 And that's what we have to beat, cuz we're gonna beat it.
08:49 We are beating it.
08:50 I mean, look at how many lives have been saved with all the work that has been done.
08:55 And that's the special thing that it means to me and
08:59 to see survivors because of the work that's happened, that we can keep fighting.
09:05 And so it's a special place in my heart.
09:09 I think everybody, you raise everybody's hand in this room,
09:12 somebody's been affected by cancer.
09:14 And that's where coming together,
09:19 them leading the charge is we are gonna beat it.
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