Postgame Quotes
2/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Graduate Forward Tyler Cavanaugh
On what the boost from Matt Hart was like
That was awesome. He sticks with it, he's a worker, and I was happy to see some shots fall for him today because he's had an up and down season, but he's stayed the course. He works everyday in practice. Those shots were huge. Coach called a play right for him in the second half and he made the top of the key three and then he put it behind his back and made another one. So that was awesome. We need those plays. They really gave us momentum for our run.
On what the deciding factor was today
Definitely the turnovers. We only had five turnovers, but they had 14. So they gave us extra possessions, we limited that. We didn't play very good defense, they still shot 55 percent from the field and they out-rebounded us by nine, partially because they didn't miss. Not turning the ball over gave us those extra possessions and we made eight three-pointers. So I think that was huge.
On never losing to George Mason in his career
They're very good. They're a good team, they're well coached, and we were fortunate enough to come out on top. They have a very good player in Marquise Moore and Jenkins played well today. That's a big win for us. They were ahead of us in the standings and now we're even.
Redshirt Junior Guard Jaren Sina
On getting a win like this before the A10 Tournament
I just like the groove [we're in]. I really think we are continuing to get better this season. Our chemistry is really clicking, and this is the time of the year that you really want to be trending upwards. We're just trying to get ready for the Atlantic 10 Tournament. So, I'm really excited.
On having a season-low on turnovers
It's huge. We're limiting their chances to have possessions. As long as we take care of the ball, it's important for us as guards to continue to try to do that, especially against a team like Fordham. We need to continue causing turnovers and getting the ball in transition. That will help us to continue getting better.
On how to get where they want to be for the tournament
The biggest thing is taking it one game at a time. Just following Coach Joseph's scouts and obviously the rest of our staff, sticking together, and just continuing to get better. I think every game we call is our Super Bowl. We have to take it one game at a time, and that's important. The Atlantic 10 Tournament is a great conference, with great teams, and great players, and great coaches. So we just have to continuing to get better and trending upward. That's key.
Interim Head Coach Maurice Joseph
On the timing of the 3-0 run heading into the A10 Tournament next week
The timing is great. We're playing well. Obviously, defensively, we weren't playing very well today. But like Jaren said, were trending upwards. We're sharp offensively, we're running our stuff to the T, we're sharing the ball. We got 17 assists on five turnovers. We took care of it today. March is about momentum. Whoever is playing well and growing at the right time and going on runs, we've seen it happen time and time again. I'm happy that our guys are really starting to gel these last three or four games. Jair's play has really elevated, Yuta has had some really great games â€" everyone is really trending in the right direction and it's huge. The momentum is huge in March.
On responding to each of Mason's runs
It's really encouraging. We made plays, not just on the offensive end, but trading baskets for most of the game. When it came down to it, with Mason's defensive plays, we have some big time rebounders blocking, I think it was Marquise Moore, and we had another play where Jair sprinted back to tip the ball out of bounds and all that type of stuff. We had some huge plays. It was encouraging to see guys make winning plays. Winning plays is something that I talk about on a daily basis. It's not about the three pointers, it's not about the step backs and the crossovers and all that kind of stuff, it's about winning plays. That's diving on a loose ball, or tipping a ball from behind, or getting a huge rebound. That's vital to winning a game more than nailing a shot at three seconds left. Those plays are winning plays. By making a fair amount of those, on the defensive end, helps. It's very encouraging to see us making those types of plays, especially this late in the season.
On Matt Hart's play
I'll tell you something about Matt Hart â€" Matt Hart is the most tireless worker I have ever met in my entire life. I prided myself on being a gym rat when I was a player. I wasn't the best athlete or the most talented player, but I worked at it. I played with a player named Drew Neitzel who was a tremendous player at Michigan State and he was in the gym at 7 a.m. and in the gym at midnight type of guy. Matt Hart trumps everybody I have ever seen in my entire life in terms of work ethic, which is why I have the utmost trust in him. Every time he's in the game, I call at least one play for him. That play out of the timeout, we hadn't run it in awhile, so even George Mason wouldn't be prepared for it, they probably hadn't seen it on film, and he nailed a top of the three key. I was fired up for him, but I wasn't surprised at all. He's a guy that, I bet if you guys come back, shut the cameras off, and come back at midnight and hear a ball bouncing it'll be Matt Hart, I promise you. And then when you come back at 6 a.m. tomorrow, it'll be Matt Hart, I promise you. I trust him, that lift that he had and gave us today, it won us the game.
On the play of Watanabe and Steeves
Steeves is playing well, we use him in different ways. Today he missed a bunch of bunnies, I think he was kind of short arming some of them, but Yuta came in and he picked it up. Yuta is assertive offensively. We knew that we had to either switch ball screens or go under him, and if we got him to the free throw line he could shoot over guys. I told him to be aggressive and make one or two. Luckily I think he made three or four of them. When a 6-9 guy is coming off ball screens, and Otis Livingston, he's a great player, but he's short, Yuta could line up jump shots. Getting three of those today right around the free throw line is huge. We hope to get those jump shots and we got them and knocking them down. So credit to him for being assertive and having the confidence to continue knocking the shots down. He's a selfless guy, and he guards the other team's player every game, he fatigues himself, so I like to see him scoring the ball, enjoying the fruits of his labor on the offensive end because lets be honest, guys enjoy that so much more.
On the Revolutionary Rivalry
I love it. I played in the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry, which was an hour down the road, and that was huge. It's fun playing against a team that's right down the road because coaches see each other on the recruiting trail, players see each other in the summer time at gyms working out and playing pickup or whatever it is. I want to have those bragging rights for the area. We don't have much opportunity to play teams that are close in proximity. It is fun to have their crowd come into our gym and battle our crowd and play in an atmosphere like this, go at it and bang in a close game environment. Fun for the players, fun for the coaches, it makes it a bit more interesting. Rivalry basketball, I always tell the guys, enjoy the beef. You have to learn to enjoy the beef, enjoy the toughness of these guys and having to close it out and that kind of stuff. It helps to build character as a team. Build some kind of fortitude and we're getting there.
