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UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEDecember 1, 2012Sean MillerARIZONA – 85 COACH MILLER: Well, we're very excited to leave Lubbock with a win. I thought that the crowd here was outstanding. I know it could have been maybe filled a little bit more, but the fans that were here, you could really feel it. It was a true road game for us. Any time you go on the road in that first time and in our case, three of our five starters weren't here a year ago. One of them, Mark Lyons, it's a little deceiving because he's so experienced. But Kaleb and Brandon are both true freshmen, so we played a lot of the new guys and you wonder how it's all going to work out on the road against a very frenetic, hard‑playing team. That style of play particularly is challenging because it tests your poise. It tests your character. They're going to make runs because of the way they're playing and how you handle those runs inevitably will lead you to victory or defeat. So with that being said, I thought we had a lost poise. Our older, experience players led us, and I'm proud of our young guys for coming here on the road. I thought each one of them, as the game wore on became more and more of who they are as players, which is obviously great to see. I also think that Chris Walker and the staff that he has is doing an excellent job. They play so hard. You know, there is a lot of fouling going on, and it's all part of their scheme. They push it and play fast. We were lucky tonight to get Tolbert in foul trouble. I thought that was a big, big key for us. With him out there for a longer duration, that gives him a physical presence to go along with their pace. Q. With Kaleb and Grant in the latter part of that first half really asserted themselves. Kaleb had nine rebounds, Grant had nine points. What are your thoughts of what they were able to do inside? COACH MILLER: We're a work in progress with Kaleb, because as a team, we have to learn to get him the ball better. I do think though that the way that Texas Tech in particular chose to play tonight is not easy. Your guards are being pressured so much. It lends to drives and maybe open shots more than it does post‑ups. But Kaleb on the glass, 13 rebounds, 3 offensive, 10 defensive, he was a real factor. His size gives us something. He anchors what we do. You're right. We have two guys that are freshmen, Brandon Ashley and Grant Jerrett, and they combine for 25. So those guys are great additions to what we have. We were a very small team a year ago. Until you go through that 35‑game season small, you don't realize how important size is, especially quality players, how that affects the game in so many ways. Right now, this year's team, we have that to our advantage. Q. Is that stuff to get Kaleb in that mindset in a game like that when he's not getting the ball much to do the rebounding? COACH MILLER: No, he's very unselfish. He is. He's hard on himself. He'd love to get the ball more. As his coach, I promise you that he'll be getting it more as we keep moving down. Part of November and early December is you have to get better. You have to work out the kinks. You have to learn who can do what. I certainly think he's established that the more we can get him the ball in the paint, it will only compliment the things he's doing well for us right now. Q. Did the first half of the three‑point shooting surprise the way you guys were getting those to take and hitting pretty well? COACH MILLER: We're a very good three‑point shooting team. That's been documented and proven. We do it because we have a number of guys that can shoot the three. When you make them like in the first half, there is a temptation to take ill‑advised threes, and we did. We took two or three in the first half that would be not very good shots. But we have to learn that it's not just I'm hot, I'm going to take the next one, as much as just truly try to get the best shot on each possession. Then it evened out. We were 2 for 9 in the second half. But we did a better job of driving and getting the ball inside in the second half. Q. You guys didn't have quite the assist‑to‑turnover ratio that you usually have. Is that a factor of them? COACH MILLER: To play with 15 turnovers on the road against that style I think is pretty good. I wish we had three or four less. But for the most part, they're going to turn you over because of how they choose to play. But I also think you can shoot a high percentage, get to the foul line more against them. Q. With Mark Lyons particularly, are you concerned about the turnovers obviously, offensively he's been a great factor for you? COACH MILLER: Yeah, I am concerned, and we're addressing it. But he also brings things to the table that are very evident. I mean, can he score. I thought his baskets in the first half in particular set the tone for the game. But he has to learn. He hasn't played point guard much. He's played guard. The one deceiving part of our team, when you look at Johnson play with Mark, Nick in a way has the role of a point guard out there. He's played so far now five games and has four turnovers and he's making some really good plays. So he complements Mark, and we want him to turn the ball over less. Q. Anything specifically you're telling Mark at this point or things that you're working on with him? COACH MILLER: Just trying to show him where to go, when not to. Decisions. Learning more about the system that we have. With each day, he's a willing learner. He wants to get better, and he'll turn the ball over less. Q. A sad note in the coaching community that Coach Majerus passed away. What's he mean to the basketball coaching fraternity? COACH MILLER: I had a chance to coach against him. We were in the Atlantic 10 together. I was the head coach at Xavier, and he was the head coach at Saint Louis. It became very apparent when you prepared for his team and watched him coach against your team that there are very few coaches that are more prepared or more detail‑oriented that knew the game comprehensively than Rick Majerus. With that, you could also sense that basketball, the game, the love of the game was really part of his life. So we've certainly lost a member of the coaching fraternity that all of us respect. His love for the game will be missed and all of the thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this point. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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