Jan. 26, 2009
Notre Dame vs. Marquette
Monday, January 26, 2009 *Joyce Center* Notre Dame, Ind.
Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey
On the team’s inability to close out the game…
“We’re not going to win many games scoring 61 and 64 points like we have the past two. We had some empty possessions in the last four minutes that really hurt us. Marquette had veteran guys that made a lot of big plays. It’s disappointing, but we’re not halfway through the league season yet. We’ll come back tomorrow and get back to work.”
On the team’s scoring troubles…
“Going into this stretch I was more concerned about us guarding than scoring. We’ve guarded pretty well. Connecticut scored 69 points and Marquette scored 71; that should be enough. That’s about as good as we have been on the defensive end. We change defenses up, and it’s a rhythm offensively. I think that these last two games, we’ve missed some great looks that we usually make. We have to keep shooting; we have to let the guys that can shoot keep shooting.”
On the contributions from Zeller, Peoples, and Nash…
“As far as our lineup tonight, I liked what Zeller, Peoples, and Nash gave us. We started out differently tonight, and Zeller being a shooting threat on the floor early and making shots helped us. And I thought Jon Peoples gave us tough minutes and battled. The shots he made were almost extra because that’s not something he usually does. And certainly Ty Nash’s bounce and activity is something we need, and he will continue to develop.”
On the opportunities for the rest of the BIG EAST season…
“It doesn’t get any easier. We go to Pittsburgh now, and we have another battle on our hands. But it’s also an opportunity to get a big win, which we are searching for. That’s how you have to look at it with a lot of games left.”
On the effect of the tough stretch on Notre Dame’s veteran players…
“I think it’s not bad for them to be smacked around a little bit. It’s been a good life here; they’ve been on a pretty good run. The seniors really haven’t experienced anything like this since their freshman year. And no one on the team has experienced getting smacked four games in a row. Now granted, we have played some really good teams. This is not a bad thing to toughen the group up, to see if they can come out of it tougher and understand it. I firmly believe, with this group, that we have a run in us. It’s going to be really hard, though, and I think they understand that.”
On Marquette’s success in guarding Kyle McAlarney…
“I thought Maurice Acker came in and really harassed (McAlarney) and took him out of the game. He was active, and they were always able to keep a fresh body on him. That’s one thing they can do is quickly get out and really defend you. It was hard to get clean looks, and I think that’s why (Luke Harangody) got a lot of looks inside, one-on-one, and we kept going to him.”
Notre Dame Player Quotes
Luke Harangody – Jr. – F
On Notre Dame’s string of losses…
“All were tight games we could have won, especially at home. We need to dig deep right now, stay together. We weren’t looking to get ourselves in a four game losing streak. We realize now that this can happen and it’s not going to get any easier. We need to do some soul-searching. All it is, is heart. One stop here, one stop there, and you win tonight.”
On playing against Marquette…
“They have some great players, a lot of quickness, a lot of athleticism. Especially for me to guard a player like (Wesley) Matthews and (Jerel) McNeill, it was a tough match-up. You have to give the credit to them tonight because they’re a great team. They came in here to a tough environment and got a win.”
Luke Zeller- Sr.- F/C
On what Notre Dame needs to do to break the losing streak…
“We need to find a way to win. There are no easy games. Our backs are against the wall now. We’ve got to find a way to win, that’s the only option. We can be mentally tough, but we just aren’t right now. That’s why we’re all upset with ourselves because we know we can do it. We need to come in here tomorrow and get to work. We have to be able to be mentally and physically tough enough to win games, and execute on offense and defense.”
On what Notre Dame can do to keep the confidence up…
“I don’t know that I can answer that right now. We really have to be together as a group right now to get each other going. Right now I don’t think any single one of us is jump-starting the team.”
On whether this is the toughest stretch of games Notre Dame has played in his four years here…
“There are no excuses. Every single game in this league is a tough game. It’s going to be a tough stretch the rest of the way, we just need to dig in and find a way to win every single night.”
Jonathan Peoples- Jr.- G
On his first appearance in Notre Dame’s starting lineup…
“I was more pumped up tonight than usual because it was my first start. I would expect everyone to be pumped up for their first start. I had a few butterflies but I shook them off. I wanted to win but it didn’t happen tonight.”
Kyle McAlarney- Senior – Guard
On the game…
“I don’t know, I’m just trying to wrap my head around it right now, they’re obviously a very good team, an incredible pull for them, they took it to us. I think at key times, key processions, they made their free throws at key times. I don’t know I am just trying to wrap my head around it right now. It’s very disappointing for us.”
On his shooting struggles…
“Last game I got some great looks, they just weren’t falling, this game it was hard to get looks, I was working as hard as could, I was giving it my all trying to get open, I must have got back door millions of times.
Comment on the mentality of the team…
“We got to try and stick together, it’s very hard to do that. It’s four in a row now, and two at home. It’s going to be trying to bounce back, but that’s the way this league is. I just hope that we can stick together and if we can try to find a way to work together and try.”
Tory Jackson-Sophomore-Guard
On what Marquette did right…
“They did whatever they could, whatever it took to get to the basket. They did everything the right way, and we didn’t play well.”
On what he can do to help turn things around…
“It’s not just about me, but I got to pick it up, everybody’s got to pick it up but we have to do whatever it takes. If we have to get in a big fight tomorrow, then we’ll do it. We got to do something.”
Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams
On playing Notre Dame…
“It was another classic BIG EAST game. When you play in a hostile environment against two prolific scorers, one on the inside and one on the perimeter, it changes what you have to do defensively. When you help inside, you have guys on the perimeter who can score or drive it and score.”
On the play of Marquette…
“We were much better in the second half in regards to our character defensively. Despite our size deficiency we rebounded well. Maurice Acker didn’t score a point but was the MVP of our team in regards to his defensive efforts on McAlarney and Dominic James getting nine rebounds, seven on the defensive end, definitely helped us. Those two guys, the two smallest on the court, helped us defensively and defensive rebound-wise.”
On Marquette only committing three turnovers …
“It gives you a great chance to win the game. We only had three turnovers and part of that goes back to playing five guards the last seventeen minutes of the game.”
On the talent of the BIG EAST…
“The league speaks for itself. Whether you play at home or on the road, if your mindset is not right to compete in every possession on both ends of the floor, you are going to get smacked. It is not offense, its defense, so we spend a lot of time on defense every day trying to figure out how to guard really good players when you are 6’5″ and under.”
Marquette Player Quotes
Wesley Matthews – Sr. – G.
On the team coming together…
“We’re buying into the idea all for one and one for all. We’re working together and we’re mature.”
Finding open spots…
“It’s a lot of making reads off of what Dominic [James] and Jerel [McNeal] do and when they have the ball they draw a lot of attention to them and I can find the backdoor for shots.”
On going to basket more than he used to…
“Yeah, I am because there’s more space to do it. We run off of a motion set rather than specific spots on the court and I can find open space.”
On the goal for the season… “We don’t have a goal for the season, it’s more of just taking it day by day.”
Dominic James – Sr. – G.
On playing Notre Dame…
“We didn’t want to try and come and play pretty basketball with them. We wanted it to be a battle of wills and toughness, loose balls and scrums and I feel like we won that battle tonight. I’m glad for our guys and the way they played.”
On facing Harangody…
“He’s a competitor and made some unbelievable shots and that could’ve dictated the game and given them the momentum but we stayed poised. We knew he was hitting great shots but we wouldn’t let him hit them all night.”