Amar Stukes
On making the start:
When we started preparing for UMass, coach told me he was going to put me in the starting lineup. I was excited but it’s just another step. We’ve been working hard, and everybody has been competing in practice.
Defensive approach:
We wanted to pressure but keep them out of the paint. We tried to pressure them but helped so much we actually gave them the three a little bit.
Steve Zack:
On late UMass run:
We just didn’t get our stops. We didn’t put the ball in the basket and didn’t get our stops.
On defensive struggles:
Our problem is we’re letting people shoot in the 50’s and 60’s (field goal percentage). At the start of the season we started 4-0, people were shooting in the 30’s against us. We were top 20 in defensive field goal percentage. Now that’s starting to slip, so we really have to buckle down and start focusing on getting our stops.
Head coach Dr. John Giannini:
Well we lost to a very good team, very talented, very tough. They came out with a lot of energy. We have great kids and we’re close to being a good team but we’re clearly not. Whether it’s not getting key stops and giving up over 50 percent from the field, whether it’s missing free throws, whether it’s mental breakdowns like we had in the first half against the press where we just had certain people not go to the right spots against the press that led to turnovers and easy baskets, whether it’s fouling when we didn’t need to foul late in the game. It’s disappointing. But it’s not a lack of attitude from our kids, they’re battling. I have to keep myself positive and them positive because they’re so much left, but we’re disappointed. We’ll lick our wounds tonight and get back at it.
Amar's start:
We looked at our best lineups in terms of plus/minus and that lineup was our best plus/minus combination.
On Jerrell's Wright:
He’s a great player and I’m so lucky to coach him but like every team you need your best players to produce. It’s hard when they struggle but it’s no lack of attitude. He’s doing his best and he’s fighting out there. I’ll never fault Jerrell for lack of effort or attitude.
On Steve Zack:
Steve’s a good player. Usually the key to a good team is to have your best players play well. Our complimentary guys were terrific today especially Amar and Cleon. But the reason we think we can beat the best teams in this league is because we have three of the best players in this league in Jerrell, Steve and Jordan. I think a lot of people would agree that they have that kind of potential. I need to help them be more confident and a little tougher and just reach their potential.
On UMass' shooting percentage: Great question. Frankly I really don’t have the answers for that. Against George Mason I thought they did a terrific job against us. You look tonight at Zach Coleman going 2-for-3 on threes which hasn’t happened. And you look at George mason, Vaughn Gray was 2-for-2 on threes. We’ve had some guys who haven’t been making big shots make big shots.
On team midway through season: I wouldn’t even begin to judge us but we’re certainly disappointed. I don’t think we’re far away because we’re in very close games. It’s the whole thing where I say ‘this league is so mental about not making mistakes and a few plays here and there’. We have good kids and I’ve never invested more into a team and I’ve never had a bunch of guys put more into it over the long haul. It just hasn’t translated to those competitive situations. We haven’t been tough enough or smart enough at crunch time. That’s frustrating because I know the time and effort we’ve put in since the end of last season and I know how these kids want to be successful. And I know what they’ve been taught both mentally and physically and we’re just coming up short. We’re extremely frustrated by that. But again I think it’s a few plays here and there. Free throw shooting has crushed us the last few games. We’re not winning and that’s obviously the point of everything, but we’re really not that far away.
