Josh Eilert, Kobe Johnson, RaeQuan Battle Post Game
Transcript
00:00 >> Credit to Texas Tech coming in here and especially in the second half coming
00:05 out and with the fire and tenacity to grind out this game and
00:09 quite the turn of events from going us going up 16 that first half to
00:15 being down 13 there late.
00:18 So we kind of did the same thing to Kansas State at 29 point turnaround last week.
00:24 So credit to them, they made shots and they're a good basketball team.
00:29 But we got to do a better job, I told the guys in their locker room,
00:34 it's hard to beat anybody when they get 16 more shots than you do.
00:38 And off our turnovers at 16 points off our 14 turnovers.
00:42 So we got to do a better job taking care of the ball and getting something good on
00:47 each and every possession and figuring out ways to get stops to win games in this league.
00:52 >> What is this for the players first?
00:55 >> So Rayquan, after you guys had that hot start, they started hitting shots.
01:00 Something defensively you didn't do or were they just making shots?
01:05 >> Overall, they're hitting some tough shots and a few of them were wide open,
01:08 which is just a broken defensive play on our end.
01:11 I mean, yeah, it's just being awake the entire possession and
01:16 not letting them get open, but they hit them.
01:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]
01:22 >> Kobe, sort of the same for you, did you guys think you did things more
01:26 defensively at that point or as Ray said, they just hit shots?
01:30 >> Yeah, as Ray said, they were hitting shots, never open shots, but
01:33 I feel like we could have did a better job of defensively.
01:37 [BLANK_AUDIO]
01:41 >> Kobe, this was kind of a secondary story to the game, but
01:46 just getting a chance to, you guarded Joe a little bit during the game.
01:51 Got to know him a good bit last year probably,
01:54 just what was that like seeing him in a different uniform?
01:58 >> No, it was kind of fun just to go out there and compete, former teammates.
02:02 So tonight was a good night to go out there and compete against him.
02:05 >> Did he say anything, did you get a chance to say anything to him?
02:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:15 >> Ray, you took a bunch of threes the first half, they just forcing you that,
02:19 you hit your share, but you didn't get to the rim quite as often as some other times.
02:23 Giving you that, how did that work?
02:26 >> I definitely feel like I settled for about two or
02:28 three of those threes I had tonight.
02:31 I could have attacked the, there was a flare screen that I had on one of them
02:34 where the lane was wide open and I should have attacked it.
02:37 But I mean, I felt comfy, that was my,
02:40 I think that was the fourth shot after my third make, so I was feeling good.
02:45 >> When you hit off the padding, like an ankle or something, or were you?
02:51 >> I got like knee to my cab or something, and
02:53 then it like start tightening up real bad, and I just couldn't get rid of it.
02:58 It started early though, like going into halftime, and I don't know.
03:03 Been having that issue with the cramping stuff kind of all year,
03:06 been trying to fix and kill a lot of water and electrolytes as much as I can.
03:12 >> Do you have a history of cramping?
03:13 Cuz as you said, you seem to have had to fight that all year.
03:16 Is that something you've always had?
03:18 >> No, I mean, actually now I think about it, yeah, kind of.
03:21 I mean, it's just a lot of just jumping on my end, just jumping.
03:24 Like it'll start in warm ups, and I'm doing unnecessary 360 windmills and stuff.
03:28 It's just gonna learn from it, save my legs for the 40 minutes.
03:33 >> Rick, I mean, as Texas Tech started making their run,
03:38 making their comeback, from a player's standpoint,
03:44 did you feel like there was any sense of here it goes again,
03:49 it's gonna happen again, that kind of stuff?
03:53 Was there any sense of that from the players?
03:55 >> Like they're gonna come back and win or something?
03:58 I mean, no, not really.
03:59 I mean, the game's not over till it's over.
04:01 But I mean, I felt like we could have prevented it in a way.
04:05 And there's just a lot of factors that go into it.
04:08 Like I had 11 in the first half, and they held me to five or
04:11 four points in the second, which is unacceptable on my end.
04:15 You know what I mean?
04:16 And do the best I can on that part to try and make the shots that I get.
04:20 But it's a lot that plays into it.
04:23 >> Anything else for the players?
04:27 >> Thanks, guys.
04:29 >> You're good.
04:30 >> Yeah.
04:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]
04:38 >> Questions for Hirsh?
04:39 >> So Josh, sort of what we asked the players a little bit in terms of the
04:42 difference after your start and then what they started getting shots,
04:46 what was the difference there?
04:47 >> We made some really tough shots early.
04:53 And I wouldn't say they were good clean looks, but
04:56 sometimes it's a little bit fool's gold when you make tough shots early.
05:01 And so you kind of get a confidence that's kind of a false confidence,
05:06 so to speak.
05:07 So you worry about that as a coach when hard shots are falling early and
05:12 you get a lead and maybe you get a little bit comfortable.
05:17 But they battled back and burned through every time out early,
05:22 trying to shut those runs down, those many runs.
05:27 And we just couldn't get into a groove defensively.
05:32 We certainly struggled with that Ram ball screen and
05:35 trying to weak that at the top.
05:36 So they were getting a lot of really good looks out of it.
05:38 But yeah, credit to them.
05:42 I mean, they knocked them down, but
05:44 we gotta be able to understand, we gotta value possessions better.
05:49 We gotta do a much better job.
05:50 And I was really pleasantly surprised with how we handled Kansas State.
05:56 With that comeback, we only had six turnovers the entire game.
06:00 And then tonight, you turn it over 14 times,
06:03 which that's not as bad as the number when they score 16 off those 14.
06:10 And so they're a slower paced team, but they saw opportunity second and
06:15 second half to really push the pace and get downhill and
06:19 take advantage of the open floor.
06:21 And they converted and
06:23 they got some extra shots there that really helped them on their run.
06:26 But like I said, anytime somebody comes in, makes 13 threes and
06:31 gets 16 more shots, good luck.
06:33 I mean, it's gonna be a struggle to win that one.
06:36 >> Coach, in Texas Tech's run, specifically in the second half,
06:41 do you think they got too many open looks?
06:45 >> Yeah, there's four or five of them that are just crazy open.
06:48 It was demoralizing how open they were.
06:52 And some of that's over help.
06:53 I was really worried about Kerwin Walton, he was only one for four.
07:00 And I knew Chance McMillan was capable of going off like that.
07:04 But he seemed like every time he let it go, I felt like it was going in.
07:09 So it was coming clean off his hands.
07:11 So they spread it around, one, two, three, four, five guys,
07:16 making threes out there.
07:18 So it's kind of like whack a mole sometimes with Texas Tech,
07:23 when they're so balanced, you knock one down.
07:27 And you plug that hole and somebody else pops up and
07:32 competes and gets an easy bucket.
07:36 So yeah, they're a really balanced team.
07:38 They compete.
07:40 And Joe came in here and did his thing.
07:44 And they're a better team tonight.
07:47 >> So I'm gonna ask you, did you get a moment to talk with-
07:50 >> I didn't get much time.
07:51 I've always respected Joe and great kid from a great family.
07:56 And it's wishy still here playing with the old Golden Blue.
08:01 >> What's it like preparing for
08:04 a player that you've coached before to play against them now?
08:08 >> It can go a lot of different ways, especially the emotions of coming back
08:11 here, and we know his game.
08:14 And we're trying to do everything we could to keep him out of the paint.
08:17 And we mix and matched our ball screen coverage with certain guys,
08:22 which we haven't done a lot this year.
08:24 So it affects the backside of the defense in terms of your help side,
08:29 and when you do that.
08:31 So, but that middle ball screen,
08:34 that flat ball screen was giving us problems all night long.
08:36 >> It looked like Jesse was more under control, more balanced,
08:41 like you wanted him to be, than he was at Kansas State.
08:43 Did you feel like he adjusted to get what you wanted?
08:46 >> Yeah, yeah, and they tried, to their credit,
08:49 the guys were trying to get him a ball late.
08:51 But when you really think through these things, you play the numbers game.
08:57 If he touches the ball, they're late, they're gonna foul.
09:01 They're gonna foul, and the guys don't really,
09:03 we kinda explained that the next time out.
09:05 It's like we started doing that to nine minute mark at Kansas State.
09:09 There's a couple guys on the floor that are minus 50%,
09:14 under 50% from the free throw line.
09:17 And so when they come up empty, and it's almost a go for
09:21 two from the line, it's just like a turnover.
09:23 So yeah, it hurts that he's struggling with that wrist and that tape,
09:29 and not being able to knock things down.
09:31 Because I'd love to go to him more,
09:33 especially when you're trying to stop the bleeding on some of these runs.
09:36 [BLANK_AUDIO]
09:40 >> Anything else for Coach?
09:41 >> Kobe had eight points tonight, and hit a three early.
09:44 Whenever you all jumped out to that, what does it do for you all whenever he
09:48 is more efficient scoring, especially from beyond the arc?
09:51 >> Yeah, that's very helpful.
09:53 I mean, when you got another guard out there making shots, two for three,
09:57 that's great.
09:58 And I even tried to go to him two or three times in the post, and
10:01 he's usually really effective down there.
10:03 And he kinda forced the issue a couple times when he just could have used
10:06 the backboard.
10:07 So he left several on the table, and he'll admit that too.
10:10 So he probably should have had 14 points at minimum.
10:14 And we had an advantage down there low as well, but he was good for us.
10:19 And that's what we need to be, we need to be a balanced scoring team.
10:22 [BLANK_AUDIO]
10:25 >> Coach, thank you.