TULSA POSTGAME QUOTES VS. MURRAY STATE: NIT
3/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TULSA HEAD COACH Frank Haith
Opening statement
"Obviously congratulations to Murray State, they were terrific tonight. Cameron Payne is as good of a point guard as we've seen all year. He's terrific. I thought he controlled the game. If he wasn't scoring, he was setting his teammates up. He played with such great poise. I thought in the first half, their offense was good and we just couldn't stop them. Anytime you play a team that makes 14 three's, it is going to make it hard for you. We needed to make shots. In the first half we missed eight layups alone and when you are playing a team that is executing as well as they were you have to make those bunnies. We missed so many bunnies and you add in the fact that we were 2-for-22 from the three, we needed to keep scoring. Defensively we've been good all year. I would say we weren't as sharp tonight, but I have to give them a lot of credit. Offensively, they were really good."
On not hitting shots and not defending happening on the same night
"We didn't defend as well as we have been defending. As I said earlier, I think they are really good offensively too. So I don't want to take anything away from Cameron Payne and their perimeter players in terms of the skills of their guys. I think what we have to do with our team moving forward is work on our skill. We need to work on our skill set. We need to be better shooters, we need to be better skill players. Those guys were decking the ball, pulling and kicking, so we just have to get better. The physicalness of the game [came into play]. When you go back to our first game of the year at Oral Roberts, I thought we got man-handled and then we ended the year with getting man-handled. I think their physical play, their post players were noticeable in the game. That's something that really hurt us, too. That's an area we need to get better at. Therefore we need to make those layups around the basket better. Next year we're going to add more physicality to ourselves. We missed way too many bunnies around the hoop to beat a team as good as Murray State, you cannot do that and try to beat them."
On if the physicalness lacking is a strength and conditioning issue or an effort issue
"I think our effort is there. These last six games, I think our effort was there, we played hard. We're in a differnet league than Conference USA now and we played a lot of length in this league. These guys were recruited to play in Conference USA, they didn't play some of the guys from Memphis to Cincinnati, the guys at SMU. I think that affected our guys a little bit, the length we played this year. Tonight there was just a physical nature and I think we just have to get stronger and be able to take on guys that are strong and physical and put their body on you to where we don't get effected."
On all of the offensive weapons they faced this year
"We've got to get better skills. They made it tough for you. They made some tough contested shots, too. They are really skilled players. TJ is a transfer, a kid from Clemson and Cameron is a sophomore, they have really skilled guys. Those three wing players are all very very skilled. They can drive it and they can shoot it."
On not letting the way the season ended take away from the success of the year
"We [can't let it] because these guys had a hell of a year. Starting the way we started and then finishing second in the American Conference, being 14-4 in league play. I'm proud of these guys. We understand we have work to do. It didn't end the way we wanted it to end, but there are only two teams that will say it ended the way they wanted it to end - the NIT Champion and the NCAA Champion. Everybody else's goal is to win a championship. So we're one of those teams that didn't have it end quite the way we wanted it to end, but there's no reason for us not to be proud of the kind of season we had."
On what improvements can be made offensively with the whole team coming back
"We got to get better, we have to work at it. We have to put in a lot of work to get better, we have to spend some hours and time on it. These guys will have to do a lot on their own, too. If you look at Rashad Ray's numbers, he has potential to be a better shooter, he grew as the year went on. Because he worked at it. Marquel is the same thing. We have to shoot the ball better, and I think Shaq can too. All of those things are things we have to get better at. And the physical nature. Tadoor will be working with our guys getting them stronger, mentality wise too. We're not going to get so much bigger. But we have to have a different mentality when you're playing teams like Murray State who has a junk-yard dog mentality. That's the way they play, with a chip. Or Cincinnati we need to match teams up a little with how we play."
On the first year experience at Tulsa
"All of the support staff has been outstanding, This has been a great experience for me, it's been a great experience for my family and for our staff. I want to thank the TU nation, our fan base for embracing our staff and our families. It's been a great experience for us and we look forward to being here for a long time and creating great memories."
TULSA GUARD Shaquille Harrison
On the mental impact of watching Murray State hit so many shots
"It was very tough. Sometimes you'd beat them to a shot, and like coach said Cameron Payne is a great player, and he's make a tough shot that usually some players would miss. So that's really tough mentally. You just have to bounce back. It's hard to see those shots keep falling for them."
On how good Cameron Payne was
"He was a really good player. One of the top point guards I played against all year. Credit to him, he was a great shooter, he had great pace and everything."
On his feelings between the difference of the end of last year and the end of this year
"I feel like, honestly, we played hard the last six games. Some games just didn't finish out the way we wanted them to. Our energy was there, our focus was there, teams just hit shots when we didn't. Overall it was a great season for us and we're going to continue to grow as a team."
On what the team will focus on between now and next September
"Right now we will focus on whatever coach wants us to focus on. We'll go in and talk with him. We'll work on whatever goals he has for us individually and as a team and we'll get started when coach wants us to get started."
MURRAY STATE HEAD COACH STEVE PROHM
Opening statement
"This was great. This was a terrific win. I felt good about coming up here and I felt good about our guys; our focus was good all week, since the UTEP win. We get a chance to move on and play Wednesday in New York. This was great for our program, our school, but most importantly, this was a great win for the Ohio Valley Conference today."
On the shooting
"We have guys that can shoot, all four can really make shots. People have said all along, when we make shots, we are a really good basketball team. People just haven't had a chance to really see us. In November we were shooting 20 percent from the field from three and we were playing six guys. We have a really good basketball team and this was a terrific win. We got some good looks, we made extra passes, our guys have been focused all week, and we are blessed. We are going to enjoy this for a minute, and then hopefully we will get that chartered flight. We are ready to go. We're excited! This is awesome for everybody involved."
On the 15-5 run to close the first half
"That was big. We weren't guarding very well early, against Tulsa you really have to keep it compact and keep it in front of you. We were giving up some lay-ups and the ball screen and dribble hand-off coverage was not very good. We were trading baskets and then we were able to finally start putting some stops together. They missed a couple easy opportunities that they probably wish they could have back, but we put it together. It kind of reminded me of when we were in my first year at Tennessee State and ended with an explosion and stopped even looking at the score. Here, we wanted to execute coming out, and it was reminiscent of the Belmont game where we missed the layup to start the half but we responded. We had to play the last eight minutes of that game without our point guard, so I'm proud of our guys. We are going to let them rest. We won't practice tomorrow; we will watch tape on Old Dominion tomorrow and walk through them Wednesday. It's a quick turn-around, but we have to be ready to go."
On the turn-around
"We will get some rest, and we will make the trip to Norfolk. We are excited about it. We were up there last year with a really, really young basketball team, but we are a different team now. The great thing about these games now is we are on ESPN. I think people are finally starting to understand, whether we win or lose Wednesday night, that not only is our league really good, but we are really good. I'm proud of our guys for that."
On going 56 percent from three
"When we have guys that can make shots, which all four of those guys can, and when we are shooting well and playing unselfish, we can score the basketball. We have averaged probably 80 points all year long. What I am more proud of is this is the second time we have had to play for extended minutes without Cam Payne. Those guys were able to will themselves to the finish line."
On player's confidence after the last two games
"We have won 27 out of 28, so these two games shouldn't change anything. That is the point I want to get across is we are the same basketball team that we have been since about January. Their confidence is high, they are just focused and playing the right way. We have been able to beat two good programs, which is terrific for everybody involved."
