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PACIFIC-12 CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 8, 2012Johnny DawkinsChasson RandleAndrew ZimmermannLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA California – 77 THE MODERATOR: Coach, a few opening remarks, please? COACH DAWKINS: I think it just was a hard‑fought game in which Cal had a terrific second half and played very well. They hit us early in the second half. I thought they got some momentum during that period of time, and from that point on, it was just a battle for the remainder of the game, and we just came up short tonight. Q. Tied at 62 with less than 5:00 to go, can you take us through the remainder of that? How it played out in your mind at that point? COACH DAWKINS: Well, I mean, we were right there. I thought they made plays at the end. They were able to score. They shot a very high percentage for the game and in the second half especially. They were able to convert some plays on the offensive end. I thought their seniors, especially Harper Kamp and Gutierrez kind of just really willed down the stretch of the ballgame and made plays. I thought Crabbe stepped up and made plays as well. But I thought we were right there though. I thought we had our chances. Couple balls didn't bounce our way, but that's how the ballgame goes. Q. The Cal Bears were 0 for 4 from the free‑throw line in the first half, and 21 for 27 in the second. Were they just more aggressive in driving to the hoop in the second half? COACH DAWKINS: I thought they were aggressive throughout the game. I thought we did a better job in the first half of defending them. But the second half I thought their experience showed up. They were able to make some plays, get to the basket, draw some contact, and they just made the plays at the end and we didn't. Q. Chasson, was Justin Cobbs effective defending you throughout this game? Was that something that bothered you at all? CHASSON RANDLE: First of all, my hat goes off to the Cal Bears. They did a great job and came out victorious. But, yeah, he did a good job chasing me off of screens, keeping me in front. He did a great job. What can I say? Q. Johnny, can you talk about if you saw a change in Gutierrez in the second half? He hasn't played with a lot of confidence in the last few games. You guys did a great job on him on Sunday. It looked like in the second half he looked more like the way he's played most of the year. COACH DAWKINS: Well, Gutierrez is a terrific player. We have a lot of respect for who he is. Probably one of the more difficult guys to prepare for when you're talking about a scouting report. He really stepped up in the second half. I think when his team needed him the most he was there. He had a big second half. But he's done that throughout his career. Q. Andrew, we're not used to seeing this kind of offense from you. A career high 22 points. What got you going in this game? ANDREW ZIMMERMANN: Just not being hesitant. As a senior, you don't have much time left. Unfortunately I'm upset at myself for not starting earlier, I guess. But my teammates found me in positions to score. They had faith in me. I believed in myself, and you've got to leave it all on the line when you're playing for every game that you can. There are no more guaranteed games. Just the idea that this could be your last one. Q. Both of you guys had four fouls. Really getting to the line and being fouled out. Late in the game did that kind of get in your head, or did you have to say I have to be really careful? I don't want to make a mistake. Because both of the guys that were the big play makers and wanted to go, it could have cost you the win. Did that affect the way you played? ANDREW ZIMMERMANN: Me personally, it never affects how I play. I'm always going to play hard. Obviously, you have to play a little smarter. But it's about winning, and I trust my teammates. Like you said, Chasson and I did well offensively on any given night. I have faith in my teammates that I have to make the plays I have to make. If that means a hard foul when I have to make a foul, I'm going to do that and count on my teammates to pick me up. So that never plays into my way of play. CHASSON RANDLE: Same with me. You just want to stay aggressive and do what it takes to help your team win. And it didn't take anything away from my game, I guess. Q. First, can you talk about what you have in Chasson and the way he's played recently especially? Second of all, do you expect to get an NIT bid? COACH DAWKINS: Chasson has been terrific this year. He still has a big upside and some things that he can continue to work on. But I really have enjoyed coaching him. A young man who really likes being in the moment. He likes being on the stage like this and competing. I think that showed. I think as he continues to grow and develop, he's only going to get better. I'm excited to have an opportunity to coach him. With regards to what happens after this, I have not given it any thought. For us, we just lost a game. A tough, tough game for us. It was the only guaranteed game we had remaining. I'm just thinking about our seniors, and we'll just take it one day at a time and find out where we stand. Q. Andrew, you seemed very emotional out there during the game and after. What sort of perspective do you have now on how tough that was a way to finish things out, and how much your heart was battling there at the end? ANDREW ZIMMERMANN: That's just how I play. Every game is important to me. Like Coach said earlier, when you don't have anymore guaranteed games, it means a lot to you. I appreciate every moment that I have with my teammates. That's something that you're never going to have again, the type of chemistry you have, whether it's in the workforce or playing professionally somewhere. You never build that camaraderie where you see guys every day and hang out with them every day. Deep down that's what it's all about for me. Being able to be with my teammates a little longer, being able to compete with my teammates a little longer. So that's the difficult part about knowing that this could be your last game, is not being able to play with guys that you've been around with, for the seniors that I've been with three or four years, and the young guys, too, just helping them grow and knowing that next year's going to be different. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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