Nov. 5, 2015
Mike Brey, Notre Dame Head Coach
On the game…
“We’re still evaluating, and I think that’s disrupting some offensive stuff. We do still need work on the half-court offense with our key guys. We get good cuts eight, nine times a practice, but we didn’t today, so we have got some work to do on that end. We’re sharing the basketball; we had 19 assists. We want to get better, and we have a long way to go.”
On playing with a smaller lineup…
“When we get to the lineup where we’re downshifted, we’re pretty efficient. We have to keep working on efficiency when we have our two big guys in. I think they need to go to the offensive boards more. When we have them in early, we really want them to pound those boards and get us some second shots. I think that’s a thing we have to stress with them.”
On sophomore guard Matt Farrell…
“When Matt (Farrell) goes in, we can really open the floor up. He handles the ball, taking some pressure of Demetrius (Jackson), and he also makes shots. He’s really a key for us. I’m really pleased with what he’s been doing. As we said last week, that’s how he’s been all summer and through the fall.”
On the 14 blocks today…
“We are very long. When you have Bonzie (Colson), V.J. (Beachem), and Austin (Torres), we’ve got length on the floor more minutes compared to last year. That’s really good because we are able to recover defensively sometimes and block a shot, and we haven’t always been able to do that.”
On the starting group…
“The substitution patterns were a little unusual where we were still getting some guys in the game. I told the starting group that I was riding them for awhile in the second half. They were getting subbed for three halves, but I told them that they were playing for awhile. I wanted them to be better in the half court, better defensively and run. I didn’t want them to look over to the bench; I just wanted them to play. We were better offensively in the second half in the half court. We worked more, instead of taking quick shots.”
Notre Dame Player Quotes
Matt Farrell — Guard — Sophomore
On improving from last year….
“I think I’ve been getting the chance to get out there and play my game. I was behind a lot of great guards last year. It got me better playing last year practicing against them everyday. Now, coaches keep telling me to be myself when I get out there and to play like I can. It’s easier to play like that when you have good players around you.”
On if he got his court vision from Jerian Grant…
“Yeah, that’s been my game ever since I remember, trying to get my teammates involved, getting in the lane and making good passes. But we got to see a lot of that last year out of Jerian (Grant) and it was something I looked up to a lot. His vision, he saw everything happening on the floor, and that’s definitely something I tried to take from him and I’ll continue to do.”
On getting a lot of playing time these first two exhibition games…
“I think it’s very important. The coaches have a little more trust in me this year, so when I’m out on the floor, I just have to keep doing what I’m doing. It’s good for me obviously getting experience, and it’s just fun. It’s fun to be out there and it’s exciting for me.”
Steve Vasturia — Guard – Junior
On the half-court offense…
“I think we just have to be a little more patient. I think we have a lot of talent offensively and that’s pretty clear, but I think sometimes we’ve gotten away from moving the ball and playing without the ball especially. I think we’ve seen that in practice a lot, so we just have to keep improving on it. It’s definitely there – just playing the way we play and we know that we can.”
On the disconnect between the offense from practice to games…
“I’m not sure. I think early in the season people are excited. I think we just have to get comfortable with different lineups out on the court and get comfortable playing with each other. I think we just have to keep improving. Everybody knows how to play here. We’ve shown flashes of it and now we just have to put it together for 40 minutes.”
On how much cutting down the rotation will help cut down on turnovers and increase familiarity on the court…
“I think that’s possible. I think everybody’s trying to get a feel for where they fit and how they are going to help this team win. Whoever is out on the court has to contribute. I think we are going to keep learning about each other over the next week and hopefully we are ready for Friday.”
Matt Ryan — Guard – Freshman
On the Notre Dame offense…
“It’s going well. We are really moving the ball well. One thing I noticed is the assist to turnover ratio, 19-11. That improved from last game, so that’s good. But we have to keep dominating the glass and competing hard in practice.”
On the type of offense the team wants to produce…
“Coach emphasizes getting the rebound, creating outlets and running. For the wings, we want to run to the corners and space the court as far as possible. Our bigs want to run as hard as they can to the basket and one guy will trail. In the half-court set, we are being told to be more efficient. Defensively, we have to lock in and get as many kills (3 straight stops) as possible.”
V.J. Beachem — Forward – Junior
On scoring a team-high 13 points…
“It was good to get some open looks. The guys were looking for me and finding me. I was just trying to knock them down. I missed some easy ones, but I was able to knock down some too.”
On how this team differs from last season…
“I think defensively we are more active. Offensively, we have to learn to play together a little bit more. We are playing together now, but we need to learn to move together. We are sharing the ball, but we need to get guys in the right spots. That will make the game a lot easier for us.”
Mark Corino, Caldwell Head Coach
On the game…
“The first thing that I would like to say is that we greatly appreciate the opportunity that Coach Brey and the basketball program gave our institution and our kids this evening. One thing that they have done over the years has been providing Catholic institutions the experience to play in this type of setting, in this type of facility. Obviously, being part of a Catholic institution, we are grateful for the opportunity that Coach Brey has provided us. Also, as far as Notre Dame is concerned and the hospitality and what they’ve provided us and the experience that they’ve provided our student-athletes. I think it’s something they will appreciate for the rest of their lives. Again, I just want to say thank you to the basketball program.”
On Notre Dame…
“We knew we were playing against an outstanding team and an outstanding program. We know that they’ve lost a few starters that played a major part in their success. We certainly believe that they will be successful again. A lot of the young players they have are outstanding young players. And, I think it’s obvious as the year goes along, the contributions that they make to their program.”
On the play of his team…
“I think our kids hung in there. They did a decent job in the first 20 minutes. On the boards, I think we outrebounded them in the first 20 minutes. But then, in the second half, we wore down and we had a difficult time defending them and they got their second shots in. The things that I’m proud of, we didn’t commit many turnovers – we only turned the ball over ten times, seven in the first half. We didn’t defend well enough, but I believe there are a lot of positive signs from my standpoint.”
Dawan Lighty – Guard – Senior
On playing Notre Dame…
“It was a great experience. We have some younger guys, so it was a good experience for everybody all around the board. I appreciate the experience and had fun here.”
On moving forward and making improvements…
“We need to work definitely on the pace of the game. It was a bigger, stronger, more physical and faster game. But I look forward to going over to DePaul and playing well.”