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MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 11, 2010Dorian GreenTim MilesAdam NigonLAS VEGAS, NEVADA San Diego State – 72 THE MODERATOR: We have Colorado State head Coach Miles and student-athletes. We'll start with an opening comment about the game from Coach Miles. COACH MILES: Well, it was a hard-fought game. It simply came down to two plays we couldn't make in the last few seconds. San Diego State, you know, just took control. I thought once we got the lead, the last whatever eight minutes of the game, got the ball to Malcolm, who just kind of took over, Malcolm took over, then we answered. We found a way to answer. But we just didn't -- you know, the turnover we had with just 17 seconds left, then the very last play that we don't get a shot off, whatever we got off there, you know, those are the disappointing parts of the game. You have to make those plays. We didn't, and we will next time. THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions for the student-athletes. Q. Adam, what did it do to your team's energy, the whole bit, when Ogide got ejected? ADAM NIGON: I just told the rest of the team somebody has to step up, somebody else has to make the plays that Andy would make. Come in, give us a little spark, a little edge to the game. I think we got that from Dre, Bo, a couple other guys tonight. I don't think it would have mattered if he was playing tonight or not. That was a tough game. Q. Dorian, on the turnover with the 17 seconds left, who were you trying to get the ball to? Did you see somebody open down low? DORIAN GREEN: Yeah. I saw Travis Franklin. I thought he was going to cut. He kind of stopped because he thought I was going to shoot it. He started to box out. So I passed it kind of right when he stopped. Just a little miscommunication at the end. Q. Dorian, that play, that's not what you wanted to end your season on when you had a much better game than the past couple weeks. How much is that whole scenario and how close you got, how much does that carry over to off-season workouts, how you come back next year? DORIAN GREEN: Well, I think personally for me it's going to kind of kill me because I think I didn't want to turn the ball over, I probably should have shot it. That one's going to kind of eat at me for a while. But I should have shot it pretty much. I think I lost a little confidence in my midrange game. I just need to come back and work on my midrange and my pull-up a little more. THE MODERATOR: At this time we'll dismiss the student-athletes and open it up for questions for Coach Miles. Q. Not taking the timeout there at the end, is there a reason for that? What was your thought process? COACH MILES: Well, I think that transition is the best time to get an open shot. You got to trust your players. So they miss. We know now there's some separation. I would have preferred to have the ball in Dorian's hands. They get the ball to Travis. I kind of forget exactly what happened. But it's like somebody closed on him in a hurry, there was a little contact. As the play was developing, I was thinking Travis was going to get an open 15- to 17-foot shot. He can make those. I thought he was going to dribble into it. At the end of the day, I thought as soon as he missed it, I thought there was space, I thought we were okay. I felt like, Okay, this feels like we can get a good shot. You go with your gut. It happens quickly. I think you have to trust your players. Now, you could second-guess it all day, would have, could have, should have. At the same time if I feel that feeling again, we're going to let them play and see who can make a play. Q. What does it say about your team you were able to come back with Ogide out of the game early and make a game of it? COACH MILES: We made a game of it, all right. Well, I think -- it says a lot about our kids' resolve. This group will not back down. At halftime we said play hard, play intense, don't be dumb. We've already made a couple dumb mistakes here today. But don't ever back down from anybody. And I think we played that way. Q. What were your thoughts on the play that Andy was ejected for? What did you see? COACH MILES: Yeah, unfortunately I didn't see anything. I thought Andy got fouled. I thought if we called the first foul, we're okay. Those guys have a tough job. It happens in a hurry. It's physical. We're playing our way into the NCAA tournament, too, right? So is San Diego State. Why aren't we playing for the same thing they're playing for? Our kids are coming out with edge, working hard. Andy is the nicest kid you will ever meet. The fact he threw an elbow is out of character. At the same time those things are unfortunate. I'm sure he made the right call. I talked to Vern, he was right there, and Dan Butterly. They said it was the right call. It's unfortunate. I apologized to Steve, too. I felt bad about both those situations. Those things happen. I was just pleased with the resolve of the rest of the guys to keep fighting. Q. What did you think of your team, the way it responded as far as you had to change the game plan and kind of go with a different style after Ogide departed? COACH MILES: Well, we made some threes, which was fortunate for us. Adam Nigon stepped up, made some huge shots for us. Dorian Green got loose. We needed some offense. Those were big plays for us. That's what we had to do. Just go, look for those outside shots a little more. It's not something I love building us on, but at the same time in a one-game night, that's what San Diego State gives you, that's what you have to take. We knocked eight of 'em down. I thought that was good. Q. They got that little basket with one on the shot clock there. Is there anything you can do defensively? COACH MILES: Yeah, you know, we thought -- they called timeout. What is everybody in the country going to do in, they're going to throw them out to the front of the rim. In our wisdom, we put Bocar -- D.J. Gay is taking it out. We put our biggest, most athletic guy, switch all the screens. Travis, I think they didn't set any screens, he allowed himself to get buried a little. Body, body, body. Steve just threw it up to Billy. If we had to do it over again, we would have chested it up and tried to force him out toward the free-throw line. Travis just didn't do that. So they got us on that one, there's no question about it. But I thought we knew it was going to be a lob, it was just about how they were going to get to it. Q. With this game going the way it did, how do you think that affects any post-season things? COACH MILES: I have not talked to anybody. I like misery, so I'm going to stay miserable on this for a few days. I don't worry about those decisions. I hope we get a chance. I'd like to see us get a chance to play in the CBI or the CIT or something. We'll play. I mean, let's play. It was just a tough night. Q. How big has Dorian been all season, especially as a freshman? COACH MILES: Well, he played 39 minutes, right? We're in triangle-and-two most of second half. We ran about six possessions against Colorado. Maybe one other possession one other game, I can't remember who. He's out there denying and chasing. Plays 39 minutes and he's in full denial chasing D.J. Gay, who is really quick, all-conference type player. Then we still need him to score at the end. You know, Dorian should have shot. He should have shot that midrange shot. That's all he ever does is shoot. That's what he does. He's a heck of a player. I can't wait to add Jesse Carr and Wes Eikmier with those guys. Have three really nice guards. We lose some toughness out of Busch and Mame Bocar Ba. But, boy, we're going to have guys with a little more skill. We're going to be better I think next year. Q. The technical you got right before halftime, was that frustration at everything going on? COACH MILES: No, I didn't say the magic word. You know, those guys had to get control of the game. I mean, they have to do their thing. I suppose I was frustrated. I think we turned the ball over a little bit toward the end. I thought, you know, those subjective calls, goaltending, things like that, they're hotly contested sometimes. I guess I had one opinion and he had the opposite. He has the whistle, he wins. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much, coach. COACH MILES: Thanks. End of FastScripts |
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