The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Quotes: Texas vs. Texas State
12.15.2012 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 15, 2012
TEXAS
Head Coach Rick Barnes
On Javan Felix's game and mindset: Going back to our two exhibitions, he was our leading scorer in both games and a lot of his buckets came off runners and getting to the rim. When he gets to the rim like that, so much of it depends on our bigs running and creating lanes for him. He tried tonight to really execute and do some good things. Actually before practice today Bruce Bowen went up and talked to him. He told Javan that for a guy his size he needs to get into the ball more and be more pesky. He has heard that from day one, but coming from someone like Bruce Bowen I guess carries some more weight. But he does have to be more of a factor on the defensive end. Offensively he has got to stop getting the ball tipped away from behind and feed the post better. He can shoot the ball though. He really can. He can shoot the three. It just takes time.
On transition defense: It's ok to lose the ball or to get it deflected, but you have got to go onto the next play. Some of our freshmen don't quite get that yet. Once they secure the ball we have got to run, and then at half court you better turn around and see the ball. And if our bigs don't get back then our guards get stuck underneath trying to defend the basket. The guards did a better job today, but our posts didn't do what we wanted from them.
On holding off Texas State down the stretch: I thought we did great. We didn't have a turnover the last seven and a half minutes of the game. We missed some shots that we wanted and we didn't execute perfectly the way we talked about, but overall I was pleased especially with not turning the ball over.
Freshman G Javan Felix
On playing more aggressively tonight: I just tried to take advantage of the opportunities that I was having. Most of them came from Sheldon McClellan and Julien Lewis working the baseline and spacing the floor for us. In the beginning those guys were doing a good job getting open, running off cuts and just spacing the floor for us. So Coach Barnes told us before the game we would have a lot of opportunities to drive the ball. Get into the lane and make plays. That's what I tried to do tonight.
On the adjustments Texas State made defensively: Yes they did make an adjustment to stop the cutters as the game went on. That opened up driving lanes for not only me, but Julien Lewis also did a good job getting to the goal. Got high post catches for Connor [Lammert] and Jonathan [Holmes]. It spaced the floor out a good amount.
On if his first semester of college basketball has been grueling: It is definitely. But it's a learning experience. You've just got to go into it with a mindset of getting better every day. Build on the positive. And that's what we've been trying to do as a young group.
On using more ball screens tonight: Before the game Coach Barnes told us we were going to do some ball screen action. And in the game he made the adjustment to go to it. It worked for us, so we'll probably do it a little more. It's just offense really.
Freshman F Connor Lammert
On increasing his presence as a defender on the court: The coaches they tell me that's one of the ways to get on the floor, is rebounding and defense. They tell me offense will come later on. They tell me just to go after every board. We worked a lot at it at practice. I just crash in every time.
On if they got nervous when Texas State narrowed the lead: I don't think so. We encountered that last weekend. We worked all week on trying to handle the situations the correct way. We just kept a level head. And I think it showed out there. We didn't get flustered too much. We handled the press fairly well. And just knocked down free throws towards the end of the stretch.
TEXAS STATE
Head coach Doug Davalos
Opening statement: We are actually more disappointed than we ever have been coming here because we felt there were opportunities to have a chance to win this game. We couldn't sustain. I thought we started the game a little tentative, but as we played especially from the 20-minute mark of the second half down to about the six-minute mark, we played really well. We limited our turnovers and we went to the basket with the goal of scoring and not worrying about getting fouled. It is amazing when you go to the basket with the goal of scoring and not getting fouled, you usually get fouled more often. You have an aggressive mindset. I thought our defensive play was pretty good. We tried to limit as much as we could of [Sheldon] McClellan and Julien Lewis off those curls, which are really tough. They really get in the paint and both can hit the mid-range shot and both of them can wear you down. I thought we did a good job plugging gaps where we didn't let them get there. I thought we followed our game plan really well until the highball screen. Felix was able to get to the rim too many times and we didn't do a very good job on that highball screen. When we did it the right way and attacked it aggressively, I thought we were a good defensive team.
On committing turnovers when the game was close: In the second half, the bright light factor doesn't hit you. We were trying to feed the post a couple of times and we didn't meet the passes at the post. They were post-entry passes trying to be unselfish and get the ball inside on about three of those turnovers. I would say they were somewhat unforced. UT did a good job. They got a denial hand up there and made it tougher to pass. I thought it was our failure to meet some passes. I thought we were in attack mode. From the 20-minute mark [of the second half], we weren't turning the ball over. We were getting good shots, we were getting stops and executing. Part of execution is feeding the posts the right way and playing ball screens the right way.
On junior F Joel Wright playing with four fouls for most of the second half: Joel has to learn how to play when he has some foul trouble, because he has been in that position before. The one I was really disappointed with was the couple of reach-in fouls. It was a close block/charge call when he came to a jump-stop and got a charge on him and I think that affected him a little bit. He got two fouls in a row and had to go to the bench. When he came back in he played pretty solid, but guys are this way. When you are playing with four fouls, you do everything in your power not to commit a fifth foul and I think it took some of his aggressiveness away on the defensive end. It's tough to play with one of your leading scorers with four fouls.
