Saint Louis Quotes
Coach John Giannini
Opening Statement:
“We won against a very good team today. They may not have a very good record, but if you watch them play against Dayton they were in position to beat one of the best teams in the country there. You would have been tremendously impressed with their defense in that game. Against Saint Joseph’s, they were right with them until the final three minutes. They have been playing some of the best teams in the country to the wire. For us to lead for almost 28 minutes against a team that is playing that well is very impressive. They are young; they are almost all freshmen and sophomores. From a coaching standpoint I can’t tell you how good they are defensively. They competed like crazy. They are a smart team, they share the ball. The thing we always believe in, we try to hold teams in the 30s (shooting percentage), play good defense, and not turn it over. We had a couple of turnovers when we forced some sets coming out of timeouts. But other than that our turnovers would have been low and we played good defense and that’s the formula to win.”
On giving O.J. Lewis a scholarship:
“If it is someone who is so stellar, like O.J., and its possible for us we like to reward them. We think they are that important and that valuable.”
On O.J. Lewis making the three at the beginning of the game:
“Brad Cohen did it against Fordham. Matt Sheehan, as he will be quick to tell you locked down Andrew Nicholson at the start of his game. Our former walk-ons have always played terrific. It’s a testament to their guts and their ability and that they are ready for that moment. There is a lot of pressure on them when they don’t usually get to start and all of a sudden they are out there in the starting lineup. That’s mental toughness. I’m not surprised but I am extremely pleased.”
On Amar Stukes:
“I always thought so highly of him. My first guard recruit was Rodney Green and he was a stellar player. We went right from Rodney to Tyreek Duren and he was a stellar player. I really thought and believed Amar was the next in line for the next Philly guard. If anything he is too self-critical and too unselfish to the point where it impeded some of his development. He is now more aggressive and more confident and this is how I always pictured him playing.”
Cleon Roberts
On what O.J. Lewis means to the team:
“He is a big part of the team. He may not play much during the games, but in practice he is helping us get better. Off the court he is like a brother to us and he really looks out for his teammates.”
On 6-for-9 from three-point range:
“I didn’t notice I hit that many. Coach told me not to hesitate and just shoot the ball. I shot with confidence.”
On being in the zone:
“It makes the game easier. I feel more relaxed. I don’t have to force anything and just keep playing.”
