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PACIFIC-12 CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 12, 2014Dana AltmanJason CallisteJoseph YoungLAS VEGAS, NEVADA Oregon – 88 THE MODERATOR: Coach, an opening statement, please. COACH ALTMAN: Well, it was kind of an offensive game. We got them to turn the ball over a little bit, and I think that was the 14‑point advantage was our points off of turnovers. But they shot 60% for the game, and we shot 58, 57. So neither team was able to stop. They got really good scorers with Nelson who led the league in scoring for two years, and Brandt, some of those guys were a handful for us inside. So the difference in the game was our 21 points off of their turnovers. I thought we got a lot of contributions from a lot of guys. Dominic Artis really played a good ballgame. Ben Carter a good ballgame, Elgin Cook off the bench, Jason off the bench. Our depth, we got 46 points off the bench with Jason leading the way with 17. But just a really good effort team-wise, and it showed our depth. I thought our depth was a big factor in the game. Q. You guys were in a close game and you scored like 13 of the next 25 points, a bunch of them on lay‑ups, got a nice pass from Ben Carter. What was the difference in that 7‑minute stretch when you took over? JOSEPH YOUNG:  We were executing, moving the ball around, cutting. Everybody wasn't standing in one spot, and Coach was doing a good job calling the plays right, and we were just executing. Q. Coach, you mentioned the depth. How did that help on the defensive end enforcing those turnovers? COACH ALTMAN: Well, I thought our group that came in, we got off to a bad start, but the group that came in, D.A., Elgin, Ben, Jason, and I think Dot was out there, really turned up the defense. I thought we get down 10 to start the ballgame, and the press and the defense kind of helped us get it turned around there. So when you're playing that many people, we were able to guard 94 feet a lot. Which I thought wore them down a little bit. Q. Can you talk about that first half when you were in there and you came in with Cook and Artis and that group kind of ran away. Then in that second half when you came back in and separated yourself a little bit again? JASON CALLISTE: We were just a little more focused and paying attention to detail, guarding a little better, trying to rebound a little better. Everybody just played their part and got it done. Q. Coach, any thoughts about tomorrow's opponent? COACH ALTMAN: UCLA is the most gifted offensive team in our league. They've got a lot of guys who can score. They can spread you out. Anderson's a terrific passer. So we'll have our work cut out for us. They're a tough match‑up for everybody because of their offensive ability. But I liked the fact we didn't have to kill anybody tonight with extra minutes. I thought we spread them out pretty good. I thought we showed our depth; like I said earlier, and I think that helps us. So we're excited. We're excited about the opportunity. Q. Dominic struggles all year and he kind of comes out tonight. What's that say about his determination to work through the struggles? You sat him down and talked to him about settling things down? COACH ALTMAN: Well, we've talked a lot. D.A. is a good kid, and it's killing him that he wasn't playing well. He's a competitor; he's a good player. And I told him I had a lot of players go through this, maybe not quite as long a stretch, you know, but go through it and got off to a bad start with the nine‑game suspension. So he came back and just tried to do too much, and it piled on, piled on. If you notice tonight he had six assists in the first half. He had most of those assists before he even took a shot, and he waited, waited and waited until he got the shot he wanted. He made one play where he spun there and that was his turnover.       But other than that, he was looking to make plays. He waited for great opportunities for himself and just focused on the defense. I thought his defense was great. Really happy for him. With him and Johnny, because Johnny didn't play bad, it was just D.A. had the momentum going. I just went with him. So if I've got those two guys playing good, that gives us a lot of options. Q. Is that kind of how you would draw it up in terms of not only do you win but being able to rest the guys on the first night? COACH ALTMAN: You know, we just want to win a game, but it does help. You know you don't have to play everybody 30‑some minutes. It does help. It really helps that D.A. got those minutes and got his head up. Ben got those minutes and got his head up. If we can count on D.A. for 20 and Ben for 20 and play that well, it really helps. Q. That group was really, you mentioned it, but that first half when D.A. comes in and Elgin and Jason and Dot and the fifth‑‑ COACH ALTMAN: Their defensive pressure was really good. They flew around. Their ball movement was good. We had a couple of pick and pops there, and Ben knocked a couple baseline jumpers down. I just thought their activity was so good. I thought they flew around and did a great job. Q. Ben, six minutes against Arizona and now tonight, what is the difference between him? He seems to really pick things up. COACH ALTMAN: Yeah, like I said, you struggle along a little bit and you just catch a break and get your opportunity and take advantage of it. You know, he's been given opportunities before. Things didn't click for him, but they clicked against Arizona. They clicked tonight, and, heck, I hope they keep clicking. You know, he's a skilled player. He gives us a different dimension. Ben just had a bad off‑season and it took its toll. But no one questioned his instincts. No one has ever questioned his talent. But I think getting a couple shots down really helped him. It picked up his step. Like most guys, you get a couple baskets and you start flying around a little bit harder, so I thought that really helped him. Q. Can you comment on Moser's game tonight? COACH ALTMAN: I thought Mike didn't shoot it well the first half, he was 2 for 7, comes in the second half and goes 2 for 2. He and Elgin, they really combine to give us great presence at the four spot tonight. So Mike has been consistent for us. He's done a wonderful job. I was glad that 24 minutes is good because Mike will be able to bounce back tomorrow and give us a little bit more. But I thought he played well, and he shot‑‑ he hit a couple big shots that second half when we were trying to get our lead expanded. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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