We’ve got the highlights from the postgame melee, with quotes from Steph Gilling, Casper Ware, Dan Monson, and a few gems from John Calipari.
Stephan Gilling —
On the crowd: I think we responded well to it. There was actually more people than I thought. I think it was a good experience for us. It kind of hyped us up a little bit and made us go even a little bit harder on the court.
On Kentucky: This team they have a lot talent and they have a lot of athleticism and that’s how they win. Individually they are probably better scorers than us and we tried our best.
On his hot shooting of late: I’m just trying to maintain that. I’m there at practice in the beginning first one me and Greg Plater and we have to get up a lot of shots cause we know that’s what we have to do on the court.
On if the game helps them get ready for Big West play: Yes it really does. It just gets us started, gets us motivated and experience. Brings us together as a chain we always want a strong chain instead of individual links.
On what makes John Wall special: His versatility, quickness, athleticism – probably has it all.
On carrying over the effort to Duke: We just have to take this mentality, this-chain mentality and bring it with us to Duke. I’m not sure about the match-ups, I think that we match-up better with Duke but it’s all us coming together and being one. That’s all its about.
Casper Ware —
On limiting the turnovers: Basically I was just focused on controlling the ball and controlling my team…If I’m getting turnovers our team is going to be disconnected so I just wanted to keep my team together.
On Wall: Yea he’s good. Hits down the open shots can’t leave him he is a great player in the open court and everything.
On the confidence level: Of course we are going to feel better about ourselves after this game. We just got to focus for a whole 40 minutes instead of 30.
On playing Big West teams after this: The biggest part is play hard and play smart if we keep that it should be easy going into league.
Long Beach State coach Dan Monson —
Opening statement: I thought our effort was good I thought we battled. When your playing a team of that caliber your margin for error is so small. We got Wall and Cousins out the first half and it’s still only tied you know and we’re not obviously as deep as them or physically as big or strong that we squandered a little opportunity only being tied at half cause you know their going to come out and with Cousins being rested and Wall its going to be a whole different second half.
Like I told Coach Cal at the end it was kind of like a heavyweight fighter battling a weight class lower. They just pounded it inside the second half and we just didn’t have physically an answer inside we just couldn’t matchup. We were pretty even on the boards every timeout and then it ends up seven. I think it’s just indicative of the last 10 minutes of them just wearing us down. Their awful good by the way.
We got a good young team. We have four sophomores starting…TJ Robinson has been a load for Texas, West Virginia and a lot of good teams but today their length and size just bothered us more than anybody’s has in there. They blocked four or five of our first probably 10-12 shots. Our big players are 6’6″ 215-220 (pounds) and there’s are 6’10” 260…Like a fight you can stay with somebody for a while like that but eventually it just wears on you.
We’re trying to develop our bench but we’re only seven or eight deep right now that were comfortable with and they’re coming in waves.
On playing the tough schedule: For us the preseason is truly a preseason. It’s for us to get better. We are only gonna get one bid out of our league this year. We need to use the preseason to challenge and see.
It was the same recipe we used to get Gonzaga going. It’s to play these games early then hopefully know what you got to work on. Get in the league and get your confidence and get better and then if your fortunate enough to get in the NCAA tournament you’ve played some of these teams and you get them on a neutral court and hopefully you can have a different outcome.
We should have the #1 RPI, strength of schedule, when the preseason is over.
On Robinson: That was probably TJ Robinson’s worst offensive game he’s had. I give Kentucky credit. He was frustrated and he admitted that after the game.
On the timing of the game: I will say this: I’m glad we weren’t Drexel. I think they caught them at a bad time.
On Ware: For our level we got a dang good point guard too. He doesn’t back down to anybody. I thought he did a great job today leading us. Getting the ball through the pressure. When we don’t have him in there you can tell the difference.
Kentucky coach John Calipari —
On LBSU: I’ve watched their team a lot and I was scared to death of this game and I’m gonna tell you why. Cause their little point guard is a man. They got two as good of shooters as we’ll see. And they’ve got athletic big guys who shoot it and go get it that’s all they do. And if they miss, they miss. It doesn’t matter cause I’m gonna try and get the next one.
Dan is a terrific coach. We walked out and after the game and I said I knew you’d play this way. I knew you’d have them ready. How bout them? They play an overtime game last night [he means Monday] they get on a red-eye and get here. Can’t do anything and get up for the game today and play the way they played with that kind of energy. Now they died at the end, but they should have. Where’d they get the energy to even play in the second half!? I have no idea. So they were good and I told all those kids as I walked by I wished them luck and told them how well I thought they played.
On being worried about a let-down between win 2000 and Christmas: It was that and it was the opponent. It was everything. If it was a different opponent I would have been a little less anxious but this was a team that could make shots; that was athletically able to stay up with us. We weren’t going to press them into submission.