NU head coach Chris Collins
"This was a really good college basketball game, two good offensive teams. I knew this would be tough. We only had one night to prepare and they have been off all week. (Alex) Rosenberg (17 points) and (Grant) Mullins (22 points) are grown men. I'm still trying to figure out how we pulled this off because stat sheet didn't favor us. I guess it was our will and our guards (Bryant McIntosh and tee Demps) were fantastic.
"Bryant (32 points, 6 assists) was terrific the whole game and Tre (22 points, 6 assists) was back to being Tre. He cares so much about this program and we kept telling him he was putting too much pressure on himself.
"Gavin Skelly (5 points, 5 rebounds in 15 minutes) changed the whole game. He didn't get a chance to play against Fairfield and I told him he had to be ready tonight. We were searching for something (with lineups) all night and he came in to give us a lift in the second half.
"Columbia did a good job of guarding our inside game, but when (Alex) Olah and (Joey) van Zegeren got open, we weren't hitting them.
"We need other contributors. Aaron Falzon (1-for-7) had a tough night. Scottie Lindsey and Nathan Taphorn need to play better. But I'm very proud of Bryant and Tre; they played like stars tonight.''
Re: North Carolina Monday night. "It's going to be pretty challenging. It's going to be national exposure. I have a lot of respect for Coach (Roy) Williams and what Carolina basketball stands for. We need to get our legs back because they are the best team in the nation in transition basketball and they do an unbelievable job on the glass. There's no pressure on us. Everyone says they're No. 1 and our guys are excited about the opportunity.''
Re: Columbia's 9-2 run to close the first half. "I was very disappointed. We got back in the game (26-26) and didn't defend well. I'm not happy with the way we finished. Then we got the first two baskets in the second half and let them go on another 9-point run. We did a very poor job on back cuts tonight; I think we let them have three or four despite the fact we had prepared for it.''
Bryant McIntosh, who was celebrating his 21st birthday with a career high 32 points.
Re: The career high. "Their guards were in foul trouble, so Tre and I were trying to attack them. Our guys did a great job of spreading the floor in the second half when they got in foul trouble. We were having success on the pick-and-roll because their big men weren't coming up very high. We took their guards in the screen, so we could go at the big men. I didn't think their transition defense was very good, but they didm very well once they set up in the half court.''
Re: North Carolina. "It's going to be a great challenge. They play a lot like Michigan State in the way they push the ball. This will be very similar to Big Ten play, so this ill be very good for our young guys. When it comes down to it, it's just a game and we're not going to make it more than it is.''
Gavin Skelly
Re: Not playing versus Fairfield in in the first half of Columbia game. "I met with Coach Collins after the game and he told me he didn't like the match, but I always have to be ready. I stayed loose in the second half (tonight) and knew I would need to impact this game.''
Re: What he saw from his team in the first half. "A lack of energy. They (Columbia were playing harder than us the whole game. One of the reasons I was recruited here was the energy I can provide.''
Re: Guarding Rosenberg, who had no baskets in the final 13 minutes. "He's a great player. I saw when he went for his shot he would always go to his right, so I cut him off and made him go left.''
Tre Demps
Re: Difference in his game tonight. "Throughout my career, even when I was little, I always struggled at the beginning of the season. Credit my coaches and teammates for telling me to forget it. It paid dividends tonight. I felt good tonight. The hardest part was the fast tempo at the beginning of the game, but then everything settled down.''
Re: Bryant McIntosh. "He's playing on a whole another level — shooting, driving and distributing the ball. With him playing so well, it really opens things up for everyone else because the ball is in his hands.''
"This was a really good college basketball game, two good offensive teams. I knew this would be tough. We only had one night to prepare and they have been off all week. (Alex) Rosenberg (17 points) and (Grant) Mullins (22 points) are grown men. I'm still trying to figure out how we pulled this off because stat sheet didn't favor us. I guess it was our will and our guards (Bryant McIntosh and tee Demps) were fantastic.
"Bryant (32 points, 6 assists) was terrific the whole game and Tre (22 points, 6 assists) was back to being Tre. He cares so much about this program and we kept telling him he was putting too much pressure on himself.
"Gavin Skelly (5 points, 5 rebounds in 15 minutes) changed the whole game. He didn't get a chance to play against Fairfield and I told him he had to be ready tonight. We were searching for something (with lineups) all night and he came in to give us a lift in the second half.
"Columbia did a good job of guarding our inside game, but when (Alex) Olah and (Joey) van Zegeren got open, we weren't hitting them.
"We need other contributors. Aaron Falzon (1-for-7) had a tough night. Scottie Lindsey and Nathan Taphorn need to play better. But I'm very proud of Bryant and Tre; they played like stars tonight.''
Re: North Carolina Monday night. "It's going to be pretty challenging. It's going to be national exposure. I have a lot of respect for Coach (Roy) Williams and what Carolina basketball stands for. We need to get our legs back because they are the best team in the nation in transition basketball and they do an unbelievable job on the glass. There's no pressure on us. Everyone says they're No. 1 and our guys are excited about the opportunity.''
Re: Columbia's 9-2 run to close the first half. "I was very disappointed. We got back in the game (26-26) and didn't defend well. I'm not happy with the way we finished. Then we got the first two baskets in the second half and let them go on another 9-point run. We did a very poor job on back cuts tonight; I think we let them have three or four despite the fact we had prepared for it.''
Bryant McIntosh, who was celebrating his 21st birthday with a career high 32 points.
Re: The career high. "Their guards were in foul trouble, so Tre and I were trying to attack them. Our guys did a great job of spreading the floor in the second half when they got in foul trouble. We were having success on the pick-and-roll because their big men weren't coming up very high. We took their guards in the screen, so we could go at the big men. I didn't think their transition defense was very good, but they didm very well once they set up in the half court.''
Re: North Carolina. "It's going to be a great challenge. They play a lot like Michigan State in the way they push the ball. This will be very similar to Big Ten play, so this ill be very good for our young guys. When it comes down to it, it's just a game and we're not going to make it more than it is.''
Gavin Skelly
Re: Not playing versus Fairfield in in the first half of Columbia game. "I met with Coach Collins after the game and he told me he didn't like the match, but I always have to be ready. I stayed loose in the second half (tonight) and knew I would need to impact this game.''
Re: What he saw from his team in the first half. "A lack of energy. They (Columbia were playing harder than us the whole game. One of the reasons I was recruited here was the energy I can provide.''
Re: Guarding Rosenberg, who had no baskets in the final 13 minutes. "He's a great player. I saw when he went for his shot he would always go to his right, so I cut him off and made him go left.''
Tre Demps
Re: Difference in his game tonight. "Throughout my career, even when I was little, I always struggled at the beginning of the season. Credit my coaches and teammates for telling me to forget it. It paid dividends tonight. I felt good tonight. The hardest part was the fast tempo at the beginning of the game, but then everything settled down.''
Re: Bryant McIntosh. "He's playing on a whole another level — shooting, driving and distributing the ball. With him playing so well, it really opens things up for everyone else because the ball is in his hands.''
