Dec. 2, 2008
Recap | Final Stats
December 2, 2008Post Game Quotes
Marist (2-4)61Memphis (5-1)100
Memphis Head Coach John Calipari
On the overall performance
"There were a lot of things I saw that I liked. However, there are still a lot of things we need to work on. The things we've been working on over the last four days in practice--Thanksgiving, the next day, twice on Saturday, twice on Sunday--carried over into the game tonight. People that have been in our practices know that everything went up a notch. Now, still, Pierre (Niles) is physical, but we're not getting any physical play out of anybody else. I'm telling you, that's not going to win big time games unless you can go battle a guy and go make a tough basket. So, we have to work on that, but we have time. You know, I kind of felt bad that it got where it was for Chuck, but I'm worried about my team right now and Chuck's going to be fine. His team is going to be fine. If we had played this way down in Puerto Rico, we would have probably had a better chance of winning that last game.
What good things happened tonight?
"Well, we had a great assist to turnover ratio. We scored 100 points and only had 11 turnovers. That's good and some of (the turnovers) happened late such as the Pierre pass across the lane. I also liked that Wesley Witherspoon had three assists tonight and no turnovers playing point guard. I like that. I liked how Tyreke played tonight. He messed with the ball about three of four times, opposed to every time. So, the rest of the time he scored, got to the rim. We didn't make free throws the way we needed to. Antonio was steady. I thought he stopped a little bit. Doneal Mack was fine. Roburt Sallie, you know, started the game. And here's the issue. When you're in high school and you start poorly, you're still going to play the whole game, but you start in college and you miss your first three shots, two free throws and a layup and then get broken down on defense, you may not get back in the game. That's hard for these guys, because it's never been that way. And, it's not just one. I get four or five that think it's ok to start poorly, but, it isn't. No one played more than 22 minutes. It was that kind of balance that we played with, and that's good.
Marist Head Coach Chuck Martin
Opening Statement
"They're a good team. I spent a couple of years with Coach Cal, and I helped recruit some of those dudes. I know how talented they are. It's funny when you've been away for a few months and you come back to Memphis and read the papers. I'm reading that Memphis is struggling and I said, `Stop!' because they're going to win 25 or 26 games and make a run in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Cal is one of the best coaches in the country, and they have the talent, but they're just young."
You've seen it before when Coach Cal shuffles players in and out he can wear your team down.
"Yeah. He's coming in waves. He has 11 guys that can play, and that's the luxury that we've had the past four years. You can play as hard as you can four minutes at a time and just come in with a kid that can start just about anywhere in the ACC or the SEC."
What were you hoping to take from tonight's game?
"Experience for my kids. My kids are young. We had six scholarship kids when I came in and took the job. We brought five more guys in. Of the returning kids, one kid played last year, David Devezin. Ryan Schneider played a little bit and Dejuan Goodwin played a little bit, but I think that they needed to feel and see what it means to play hard. I can say, `Hey, I was at Memphis and I coached in a national championship game,' but they're just words. They need to feel the sting, and when it hits them now they know when they go back to practice. They understand the meaning of playing hard and rebounding the ball with two hands. That was probably the most important thing for me and my staff was that they walked away with an experience that will carry over into league play for us."
What's the biggest thing that you can take from Coach Cal and being part of this program at Memphis after playing back here tonight?
"The biggest thing is getting our players to play really really hard, coaching, obviously recruiting and improving our talent over the next three years. It is really to get them to play hard and compete every night. Then when you bring the more talented players in, those guys will understand what you're about and what your program is about."
What's it like to be on the receiving end of one of these games now?
"It's hard because a lot of those guys, I spent three years with them. I can honestly say that I know those guys, and we went through battles with those guys. Willie Kemp is my boy. I recruited Wesley Witherspoon for eight months. Tyreke Evans and Shawn Taggart those are my guys, and when I see them out there I wish them luck, but I wanted to compete. You spend three years with those guys so there was a bond that we had that people can't take away. I knew what was coming tonight, but my kids didn't know what was coming. You try to explain to them, but they don't know that train is coming through the tunnel."
Does having such a connection with the program here and knowing the guys take a little sting out of the loss?
"Yeah, a little bit because you wish the best for the Memphis guys because you know them. It stings for my kids, but I'm happy for Coach Cal and his program. They got a really good win, and hopefully it will get them over the hump and they can beat Georgetown next week."
