Nov. 22, 2010

Head Coach Gary Williams

Opening Statement:
"We are coming off two games where I think we learned a lot about our team. Starting with yesterday, we have to get some of the things we learned into the way we play and go from there. Today we are obviously getting ready for Delaware State in a game that we want to win, play well, and learn a lot about our team in terms of how we react to the games up in New York last week."

On the player's reactions to the losses:
"In the player's minds, they knew these teams were good. It wasn't like the coaches were trying to sell these games to them. Pittsburgh was No. 4 in the country and Illinois was No. 13, and the players knew that. To go out there and compete, even with Jordan [Williams] in foul trouble in the beginning of each game gives us some confidence that we do have good basketball players who can play. For the new guys, it was their first big game, and they handled it very well. By the time the last five minutes of each game came around, we felt we belonged on the court with them and could win those games. The next step is to win a game like that, and hopefully that is coming."

On Cliff Tucker:
"He has to be more consistent on both ends of the court. The things we miss from Eric Hayes, Landon Milbourne and Greivis Vasquez as a group is that they showed up every game and tried to win every game. They would play defense or try to rebound if that is what it took to win the game, and you have to have players out there that are willing to do that. College basketball is still a game where if you can get the team to play really well together, you can still win games against teams that may have more talent than you do. We need that constant effort from all of our players all the time, not just Cliff. We showed that effort up in the Garden in terms of trying to win those games. Cliff has a great deal of potential and athletic ability that allows him to play at a very high level. Very few guys have that and he needs to use that to help him play well. Obviously, he is one of our key players this year."

On the progression of freshman Terrell Stoglin:
"I thought he was good when we recruited him. Sometimes our recruits, for some reason, aren't [perceived to be] as good as other recruits. He won a state championship in Arizona, and that usually means something. He's a tough guy and he likes those situations where he isn't going to give in. The pressure of the situation does not change the way he plays. He is willing to take a big shot or make a big play, and he did a great job in New York for us. But his development has to continue. He is just starting out, and as a coach you worry that if a guy does too well too early, he may believe he has arrived instead of reaching their full potential. As a coach, you want everyone to keep working hard whether they have a good game or not, and as long as that takes place, you are pretty happy with your team. I think we have a group of guys who are working hard and trying to get better every day in practice, and that showed in New York. But we have to keep it going and take it to the next level."

On preparing for Delaware State:
"In the one game they have played, they like to settle things down. You have to be ready as a defense and you must be aggressive. If you go at their tempo, it may be a problem. This is another thing you go through when you have a young team. We were ready to go in New York. But now we are not in the Garden and we have a different opponent, so we have to look to see if we will be ready to play. There comes a time, especially in conference play, that if you are not ready, you lose. We want to develop that ability to be ready to play every single game."