Post-game press conference notes

[lou v]

An extremely hoarse Steve Pikiell, who could barley talk

It was a great environment...a great crowd. They were ready to play, our team was ready to play, too. It was a great college basketball game.

Controlling the offensive glass: We're the best offensive rebounding team in the league. That can be good, or it can mean you miss a lot of shots.

Second-half run: We were able to string together some stops.

 

[olshin]

Steve Pikiell will make Rutgers a legit Big Ten team in a few recruiting classes. He's a very good coach, and Rutgers was lucky to land him after the Eddie Jordan fiasco.

 

[lou v]

Chris Collins

Huge win for us today...We knew how good Rutgers was...They remind me a lot of where we've been the last couple years...maybe not getting the results with the wins...Really proud of my team the last 8 minutes of the game...We just hung in there...We just kept saying, "Let's find a way, let's find a way."...The three 3s were huge, 2 by Gavin, 1 by McIntosh...We had to dig down deep and find a way.

Crowd: The crowd's energy was huge for us...It's great to see the team get the support they deserve.

Scottie: He didn't do any exercise for three weeks...You lose conditioning, you lose shape...I was mad at myself at halftime. I felt like I played him too long in the first half....He didn't have much left in the second half...He's got to get through that soreness, that fatigue.

Skelly: How can you not love Gavin? He's such a great guy...There weren't two bigger shots than his two 3s.

Target on back now: All of this is new for all of us...We've got to learn how to handle it better...We didn't defend to the level we need to for 30 minutes today; we did for the last 8.

One field goal over 11 minutes: I tried to be really calm...to keep our composure...It was only a 6-point game...A lot of us not playing well was because of them.

Gang rebounding: We're at our best when (we all) are digging them out...We have to do it with our heart and our will.

Believing their going to win: It's just the experience we've gone through...You get that way by going through tough times...and fighting through that...We've figured out how to win in close games....We're getting older now...In the past we started panicking...(Now) we know it's a long game, we've got time.

 

[lou v]

Byrant McIntosh

Big 3 down stretch: Called a drag...they hard hedged, the guard didn't get back in time...That's a shot I work on a lot with Coach Gates...Knew it was in as soon as I let it go.

We didn't play very good defense tonight...their ball screen offense really picked us apart tonight...We got stops when we had to.

Target on your back: Playing meaningful games at this time of the year...Most of the time we're just playing for respect at this point. To find a way to win was big for us.

Crowd support tonight: Our crowd's been unreal this year...You gotta love the characters...the shark, the bathing suit...The atmosphere is unbelievable.

Down 6: We felt like 'We're going to find out what we're all about'...We wouldn't have won this game in past years...Credit to Isiah, he made some big free throws.

Skelly making big shots: Put in a lot of work over the last 48 hours...Took shots for 30 minutes after yesterday's practice...That's what happens, when you put the work in the ball finds you when it's time to make a play.

Attitude change: We're older, we're more mature, also we just believe that we can win...We felt like we shouldn't lose this game...We felt like that game belonged to us.

Lindsey: Having him out there brings a lot of confidence...eases pressure on me. I was able to get a couple more breaks.

 

[lou v]

Gavin Skelly

Two big 3s: I was in a huge shooting slump...shot 200-300 3s every day to get out of it...I made 20 3s in a row yesterday...Gave me that confidence.

Atmosphere: It's awesome. This crowd is absolutely amazing...Coach calls me the Energizer Bunny, so I try to get the crowd pumped up.

 

[NU Houston]

An extremely hoarse Steve Pikiell, who could barley talk

Controlling the offensive glass: We're the best offensive rebounding team in the league. That can be good, or it can mean you miss a lot of shots.

That's a great quote.

 

[RU1-Newtown_ Pa]

Coach Pikiell is always on the Rutgers post game show and a majority of times hoarse.

All I can say to the NU faithful is what a difference a year makes.

Last year, we get the doors blown off in Evanston.

I have no doubt that Rutgers is at the cusp of turning it in hoops.

Give credit to Pat Hobbs out AD for this hire.

Rutgers is not the laughing stock as it was last year in the B1G.

 

[phatcat]

Coach Pikiell is always on the Rutgers post game show and a majority of times hoarse.

All I can say to the NU faithful is what a difference a year makes.

Last year, we get the doors blown off in Evanston.

I have no doubt that Rutgers is at the cusp of turning it in hoops.

Give credit to Pat Hobbs out AD for this hire.

Rutgers is not the laughing stock as it was last year in the B1G.

Good. I am pulling for you. Tired of the RU jokes. They weren't funny when we were in last and they aren't now

 

[olshin]

Coach Pikiell is always on the Rutgers post game show and a majority of times hoarse.

All I can say to the NU faithful is what a difference a year makes.

Last year, we get the doors blown off in Evanston.

I have no doubt that Rutgers is at the cusp of turning it in hoops.

Give credit to Pat Hobbs out AD for this hire.

Rutgers is not the laughing stock as it was last year in the B1G.

They seem to be in a similar position to where we were when Collins took over.
Few more recruiting classes, similar effort, Rutgers will be fine.
Now that Eddie Jordan has been brutal as an NBA and college head coach, I'm wondering what HS team he'll ruin next.

 

[D_C_B]

That's a great quote.

It reminds of how sometime a guy will lead the NFL in interceptions. It often means you're the guy the other team deems to be the weak link so they throw at you the whole game.

In this case, though, the just wiped us on the glass, plain and simple. Really pumped we dug deep and pulled this game out in the end. Prior teams would have caved.