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MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONALNovember 23, 2016Kevin OllieJalen AdamsAmida BrimahLahaina, Maui, Hawaii Oregon - 79, UConn - 69 THE MODERATOR: Coach Ollie is joined by Jalen Adams and Amida Brimah. Coach, an opening statement. COACH OLLIE: We just got down by too much in the first half, and then came out in the second half and didn't play with the intensity we need to win a ballgame. So good credit to Oregon. They came out and played very, very well, and we need to play a little better defense. We can't give up 54 percent for the game. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the players? Q. Jalen, those first few minutes they came out hot, I think they hit 11 of their first 12. What happened there? Was it their ball movement? Was it the ball just going in? Or what happened defensively those first few minutes? JALEN ADAMS: I don't think we were just playing with the intensity we should have. We didn't match their intensity or their energy. And I think we have to work on that. We've got to build on that. We knew that coming into the game, and we've just got to execute the game plan a lot better. Q. Jalen, obviously I know you wanted better results this week, but do you think that individually you've taken maybe the next step as a player and as a leader for this team? JALEN ADAMS: I think I learned a lot about myself this tournament. But I'm not really concerned about that. I'm more concerned about UConn getting wins and gaining closer chemistry with my brothers. And I just want to win. So if we're winning, I don't care if I score zero points. As long as we're winning, that's what matters to me. Q. Amida, when Boucher can go inside and then step out for 3s, is that a tough matchup for you? AMIDA BRIMAH: Yeah, he's a versatile player and I give him credit for that, but we've got to do -- I've got to do a better job being a versatile player, too, and being able to guard whoever I have to match up with. Q. Jalen, you lost Terry for the season, you know that. What kind of discussions have you had with him since he heard the news? JALEN ADAMS: It's very unfortunate and we're sad that we lost him, but he's told us not to feel sorry for him and just be positive for him. And that's all he's going to bring to us is positive energy. We just all have him in our prayers and hope he has a speedy recovery. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach. Q. Boucher for them, he's a shot blocker inside, but when he can step outside and hit 3s. Does that present difficult matchups there? COACH OLLIE: Of course. They put him at the 4, put him at the 5 and he's stepping out and Amida is not used to guarding a guy that's very solid like that. So it's a difficult matchup. He knocked them down tonight -- today. Q. What do you have to do better to, these slow starts you're jumping off the teams, jumping off the gates better? What can you do better -- COACH OLLIE: You've got to play defense. Comes down to fundamentals -- play defense and execute on offense. I don't know what else to say. Energy and you've got to play defense. They made shots and we didn't make shots. Simple game. There's no secret to it. Q. A lot of hype and struggle a little bit. Do you think you saw them today as the team people thought they might be able to be? COACH OLLIE: That first five minutes I did. And we settled in the game and we played very well, but they just shot too many open shots. Got out in transition. They dominated from the rebounding, and you can't beat a top 15 team like that. Q. Can you just address Terry's injury and when you got the news, and again what your message was to him and his message to the team? COACH OLLIE: It's unfortunate, but -- unfortunate but it happens in basketball. I just told him to fight through it, get stronger after the surgery he's going to be working body parts he probably never worked in his life. So technology is great these days. He can come back from this. We don't want to rush him back too early. We want him healed and make sure he's 100 percent. It's a nine-month process but it's nine months he'll do work on parts of his body and get them stronger. He's going to be a great player for us next year. I believe he's going to be stronger, better, take the game and respect the game even more after the injury. But it's taken away from you now, but he's going to learn and grow from it and he's going to have faith that he's going to come back and really help our team next year. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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