|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEMarch 1, 2015Lisa BluderMINNESOTA – 76 COACH BLUDER: First of all, it's a great win over a very good Minnesota team, a team that's been playing very well and obviously beat us at their place just a couple weeks ago. So first and foremost happy about the win. Want to thank the crowd that came out today. They were outstanding. You play at home and play in Carver and they just give you energy, and you want to win for them. It's so meaningful that when these four seniors are leaving here that so many people came out to just show how much they admire them. So I really appreciate that. I don't think you could ask for a better storybook ending to this game. I mean, we beat the team. We go 16‑0 at home here in Carver‑Hawkeye Arena, set a record for that. Able to have enough of a lead that we can take our seniors out one at a time and let them get the ovation that they deserve. They all have great games. Melissa goes 8 for 11 from three‑point range. I mean, that's just crazy.  Beth is one block away from a triple‑double. She has nine blocks tonight. She set a school record for blocked shots. Sam played her usual just unbelievable game, 13 assists out there tonight. That's outstanding. Kathryn hits a three, and I almost blew it for her. I'm sitting here calling a time out to get somebody else in, and I'm so glad the officials didn't hear me. One time I'm glad the officials didn't hear me, and it was on that play so she got credit for that three‑pointer, because she's an excellent three‑point shooter. Just really happy for these four women that sit up here with me today. Q. What did that mean, of all the points that these three have scored, for Kathryn to end the scoring with that field goal? COACH BLUDER: It's pretty cool. I don't think you could write a better story line than that. You have three 1,000‑point scorers and Kathryn comes up and nails the three. You know, Kathryn, it's so hard, because she came here obviously a very highly recruited athlete, and with the injuries that set her back and then obviously playing behind Sam is a tough deal all the way through. Kathryn has brought so much to our team. You know, leadership, what she says in the locker room is so meaningful. She's going to be a great lawyer because she really is so mart and analyzes situations so well. So I just never want to take for granted what Kathryn has done for our basketball team, even though her name isn't in the record books like the other three. Q. Coach, you often talk about the efficiency and number of assists on as many buckets. Kind of talk about this being a story book ending that's got to go with having 22 assists on 33? COACH BLUDER: We always like to say that's Iowa basketball. That's what we do. We share the ball well. We pass the ball well. We take care of it. Only had ten turnovers out there tonight. I just think it's a fun style, but these guys fit into that style so beautifully, and I think that's what made them have successful careers too is because they just fit that style of unselfishness. They've been such a great example for the younger‑‑ because when you come here as a star, it's hard. You don't understand how to pass the ball really because your coach has been telling you to shoot, shoot is shoot the last four or five years of your life. So to buy into that that I'm going to pass up my good shot to get you a great shot, that's the epitome of team. Q. Coach, what does this class mean to you? COACH BLUDER: It's hard to describe. Usually I go on and on and on about that, and I know you're in television so that really stinks for you. You can't describe it because they are just‑‑ they've been a class that's been so easy. No work. I mean, they really have been. They're not people that you've had to get up to play or get to practice, get excited to come to practice or get them focused or make sure they're in class. You don't have to worry about that stuff. These guys take care of it. You don't have to have rules. We have expectations for our program so they don't have to have rules. They're just a group that wanted to be the best they could be, and because of that they made our jobs so much easier. Q. How about locking up that double bye? You talk about the importance of that, can you comment on that, please? COACH BLUDER: It's very important. Now we have the opportunity if we keep playing well to play three games in three days. It's a lot better than last year when we had to play four games in four days for the championship game.  We know it's going to be hard. Right now I think we're going to be playing the winner of Illinois versus Nebraska. Illinois beat us early in the year, and we swept Nebraska. They've kind of within our nemesis in the Big Ten tournament, so this is our chance to turn that around. Q. Coach, what was the difference between the defense in this game between last game? It seemed the defense was in control when it needed to be. COACH BLUDER: Yeah, I thought we did a lot better job in our transition defense covering their threes. When they win, they shoot a much higher percentage. I think it's like 38% from three‑point range when they win. 25% from three‑point range when they lose. Tonight they shot 22%. So I do think even though those two are going to get their numbers. They're going to get their numbers, right? But if we take away the three‑point shooting, I thought that was really important. I also thought we didn't let her have a record night like she did last time, and I think that was important too. We talked to these guys during the week. They're going to get some. Don't worry about it. Shae Kelley, we're helping off of her. She's going to get some. Don't worry about it. The main goal is we win the game. Q. You have a five‑day layoff now which is not something that you've had in the season much. How do you go about handling that, especially not really knowing who you're going to play until Thursday? COACH BLUDER: Yeah, that's a little awkward because we're going to leave Carver from our last practice not knowing who we're going to play, and that is a little awkward. The thing is Nebraska and Illinois have completely opposite styles of play. So I think we have to be prepared for both of them during the week. But it does with the five‑day layoff, it gives them‑‑ not layoff, sorry. We'll still be practicing (laughing). But it gives them a chance to breathe. Really, we've gone from one game to the next, focused on the next opponent. This scouting report, this film. It just gives us a little time to maybe heal physically and mentally, which this time of year it's almost important to have an extra day off. It's important to have that mentally as well as physically. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|