Nov. 29, 2011

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Postgame quotes following Maryland's 71-62 loss to Illinois Tuesday night at Comcast Center.

Maryland coach Mark Turgeon

Opening statement:
"I thought we did a lot of great things tonight. Our improvement since Puerto Rico is tremendous. [In the] first half we executed better than we've executed all year. The whole difference in the first half was our inability to make free throws and the two that [Illinois] did miss in the game, they got offensive rebounds for baskets on in the first half. It should have been a 12-point game at halftime at least and then it might have been a different outcome.

"[In the] second half, give Illinois credit, they took us out of everything. Our point guard play wasn't good enough. Nick [Faust] is not a point guard and he's trying as hard as he can. Terrell is a point guard and he's got to do a little bit better job of getting us into our offense. I've got to do a little bit of a better job of figuring out ways to get into our offense besides a ball screen and I will. I told the guys it's a fine line between winning and losing. At this point right now we do not know how to win against a good team, but we will. We're making tremendous strides and that was a good team that was well coached."

On the strides the team has taken since the tournament in Puerto Rico:
"I don't want to make excuses. I think we were fresh tonight. I think it's just toughness - getting through it, don't let people take you out of what you're doing, run back on defense, box out - but we're getting there. I couldn't have been more proud sitting over there in that first half the way we were executing plays and doing things. We looked a lot different than we did in Puerto Rico. [Illinois] had a good game plan. They were deeper than we were. They pressed us. We've got to follow directions a little bit better, which we're doing a lot better. I've got a lot of faith in our team. I didn't have it a week ago when we came back from Puerto Rico. I felt a lot better about our team today, but we still lost and it's about winning."

On the play of James Padgett:
"Well [James Padgett] is practicing great. And so, I told the team we were going to throw the ball to James to start the game and we were going to go right after [Illinoi's] big guy. I thought that was big. James made his first two free throws and made some plays, but then [he] didn't keep doing it. You've got to do it for 40 minutes, so I'm proud of James, but I expect a lot out of James. James can give us more. He's got to defensive rebound. If you do it on one end, you've got to be able to do it on the other."

On the play of Terrell Stoglin:
"I thought [Terrell Stoglin's shot selection] was better in the first half, but in the second half him and Nick [Faust] kind of panicked a little bit. It was as bad as it could get there for a little while offensively. [Stoglin] has come a long way. The thing I was most disappointed in Terrell tonight was at the start of the second half he didn't run back on defense and help the team defensively at all. He's going to have to shoot a few bad shots. He took a few too many tonight, but he also makes bad shots and gives us a chance."

Sophomore Guard Terrell Stoglin

On what happened in the second half:
"In the second half we just stopped guarding. [Illinois] was coming off picks and we weren't exchanging or communicating. So, that's how they were getting their buckets at the end."

On getting Sean Mosley more involved in the offense:
"I agree with that 100 percent, Sean was saying that he felt he should have been more aggressive, that's what he was telling me. I feel if he stays aggressive, we can win those games."

On learning how to win:
"Well we're still in the learning process. We're a young team with a new coach, everything is new. We don't want to make any excuses for why we lost today, but we're learning."

On if Illinois did anything in the second half to take them out of their offense:
"They were just showing more on the picks with me and [Sean] Mosley. That was pretty much it."

Junior Forward James Padgett

On if he knew he would get as many touches as he did against Illinois:
"When Coach has confidence in me, I have confidence in myself and it gives my teammates confidence. So I knew that coming into the game."

On what changed in the second half:
"Illinois did a great job defending, and kind of got us out of our sets. We started rushing, we weren't executing and missed a lot of free throws. They got a couple of offensive rebounds on their free throws, so that was the difference."

On playing alongside senior forward Berend Weijs:
"Actually on the road, Berend and I are roommates, so we're getting along pretty well. I'm helping him out on defense, he's helping me out on defense and we have each other's back on the court."

On what they learned in Puerto Rico and how they've applied those lessons:
"We learned that we have to work hard, we can't underestimate anybody, and we have to come ready to practice every day and continue to get better."

Illinois Coach Bruce Weber

On Illinois' team play:
"I thought it was a good win for our kids. I don't think they had the right mental framework on how hard it is to win a road game. They watched Maryland in Puerto Rico and saw them get beat a couple of times, but they didn't realize when you play a team at home at such a high level its completely different.

"[Terrell] Stoglin is a very, very good player. We didn't do a very good job on him during the first half. They out-played us in the first half, but we hung in there. I tried to warn them that you need to go earn a victory; it's not going to just come with ease. I know Turgeon's teams and they played their butts off. I think their big guys really got at us in the first half and hurt us, and they also hurt us with second chance points. The second half, we were much more aggressive. Once [Sam] Maniscalco made the 3-pointer to take the lead, we were just grinding it out until the end. We made a lot of little plays, which you need to win a road game. I think we did our best in the second half. We've got a good win now."

On upcoming opponents:
"We've got a good top-25 Gonzaga early next week and a very good St. Bonaventure later in the week. It will be a big two-game home stretch for us against two quality opponents that have very good players."

On Maniscalco's play:
"Well, he has no assists and we thought he would be a little better passer. He's made big shots and he's made his three's. Once [Meyers] Leonard was inside, they started shading him. We kept trying to run plays to Leonard and he kept running out. Maniscalco got a couple wide open looks from some inside-outside action. If we can keep Leonard on the block then he can score. Maniscalco is smart, he made a big layup. He made a big drive with big three's and layups."

On the first high-profile game of the year:
"I thought [Tyler] Griffey made some big plays. He had the drive he had, the high-low pass, he hit the three's. It's pretty obvious we'll get some consistency from one of them. We had great energy off of the bench. All of those little things add up to a big win. I kept telling them to push the basketball and I think we did a much better job at that in the second half. For the first road game, in the first half, it is loud and we were hesitant. I just told them to push it like you need to."

On half-time adjustments:
"I just told them that if you're going to win, you have to compete. One of our coaches wrote on the board, "You've got to fight!". We're the Fighting Illini and if you want to hold true to that, you have got to fight. It may be a dirty way, by battling loose balls. We needed to be the aggressor and put the pressure on them."

Illinois Sophomore Center Meyers Leonard

On Sam Maniscalco:
"He's unbelievable. He's a great leader and not only that, he's obviously making big shots. I'm always looking to get him open, trying to set a screen for him. He's really been the guy for us this year."

Illinois Senior Guard Sam Maniscalco

On the team's effort:
"I thought we showed a lot of toughness, a lot of grit. We didn't back down. We didn't play that well in the first half and we were lucky to be up four at halftime against an ACC team on the road. I thought we came in the second half with a lot of energy that started on the defensive end. Guys made plays. We started feeling good about ourselves and just took off from there. When you're on the road at this level you need to just find a way to win. I thought we did that tonight"

On the team's upside:
"I think we have a lot of potential. Obviously, one of our strengths is our depth. Guys off the bench made a lot of positive contributions tonight. Also, keeping the pressure on for 40 minutes, wearing teams down as the game goes on and I think we did a good job of that tonight."

Illinois Junior Guard Brandon Paul

On winning the second half:
"The first five minutes are very important. We stressed the fact that the first five minutes of the game and the first five minutes of the second half are important. We weren't playing that well in the first half yet we were only down four points. We came out [in the second half] and I think we won the first five minutes and after that I think we controlled the game."