University of Houston Athletics
POSTGAME QUOTES: Houston 109, ECU 58
2/25/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
ECU PIRATES (10-17 • 4-12 American)
at #23/23 HOUSTON COUGARS (22-6 • 12-4 American)
Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018 • Health & PE Arena • Houston
HOUSTON HEAD COACH Kelvin Sampson
Opening Statement
"I was disappointed in our performance from our previous game. The work we put in on Friday, Saturday and this morning was to get us refocused. People picked this team to finish seventh and now they expect us to win all of our games. We didn't get any new players and I think we're a good team. When we don't meet the standards, the players and coaches get disappointed. Our guys were sharp today, but there were a few challenges along the way. We lost the lead against Cincinnati and Memphis, so we had to address that. We tried to play in four-minute segments tonight and the most important one was the last segment of the first half. I really focused on that and I thought we finished that half out well. I'm pleased with all of our points and emphasis. We had 31 assists, 42 baskets and our rebounds were outstanding."
On getting the team refocused against SMU
"I don't have to get them refocused. When you play 30 games, you'll lose on the road in these leagues. Cincinnati lost to Wichita State at home and we beat Wichita State while they lost to SMU. The last couple of years we've been 6-3 on the road. Overall, I'm pleased with the progress we're making. We're going to have a hiccup here and there, so I tend not to overreact to it. I was upset with our effort the last half of the Memphis game and today we came out as sharp as a blade. For 35 minutes, our top nine guys executed everything we had worked on for the last few days. I don't have to refocus the guys, they do it themselves."
On Rob's performance
"In terms of execution, I think this was Rob's best basketball game. Making the right plays, letting the ball come to him and being free and natural. He was starting to score a little bit and come back the other night. I just thought he was outstanding in making the right plays."
On the AAC tournament
"I wish everybody played on the same day. If you play first you have an advantage. In my first year here, we beat Tulane in the tournament and were seven up against Tulsa when we were nowhere as good as them. The problem with conference tournaments these days is that there are too many days off and you lose your mojo. I wish we all played the same amount of games. If we had to finish in the top four to get the by, I'd rather we finish in the top four."
On if that's the best he's seen Armoni shoot
"No. He's had several games like that."
On Gabe Grant's performance
"It's never easy to disperse playing times. Gabe isn't really a forward or a three, but he's a really good basketball player. I have a lot of respect for that young man. He's been through tough situations, but he never stops working and has a tremendous attitude. When you treat people the right way and show respect, you'll be rewarded when your time comes. When Gabe plays like how he did today, it makes me think that there's a hand on him."
On his thoughts on the SMU game
"The team is full of excellent talent: (Jahmal) McMurray, (Ben) Emelogu, (Jimmy) Whitt, (Ethan) Chargois, (Akoy) Agau and (William) Douglas. When I was at Oklahoma, I only played seven guys. Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State also only played seven guys. SMU plays seven guys and all seven are good players. They put you in a tough position, because they only play one big at a time. Last year we played Galen (Robinson), Wes (VanBeck) and (Damyean) Dotson. SMU goes small and makes you go small. Last time, our small lineup helped us, but it took away half of our roster. The strength of our teams is depth up front. They're a tough matchup for everybody and gave Wichita State a fit who only beat them by six points. It is going to be a tough game for us."
On Wes VanBeck's injury
"He was going up for a rebound yesterday and his fingers caught one of the jerseys and snapped them back. He's got some swelling on his knuckles, so we held him up. He wanted to jump into practice this morning, but I wouldn't let him."
HOUSTON SOPHOMORE GUARD Armoni Brooks
On changes in practice following loss to Memphis
"We saw a lot of slippage in our defensive principles, so we just went back to our defensive principles. We did a lot of shell drill which is like our bible. it helps us be in the right spots defensively. "
On the run of threes made in the first half
"It was good. We work on those shots every day after practice and before practice. We put in the time to become better shooters. Our defense is really what got that run going. Getting stops and getting rebounds. We're at our best when we're in transition. We got the rebound and we pushed it. We were making the good shots that we got."
On how H&PE arena has been to play at this year
"It's been great. We really embrace protecting our home floor and our fans have been great all season. We may just have to stay here to be honest." (Chuckling)
HOUSTON SENIOR GUARD Rob Gray
On rebounding from loss to Memphis
"For sure, just another opportunity to play. We just wanted to come out without Coach Sampson getting on us so much. We wanted to be player-coached and just come out and know that we're playing for ourselves, for the city and for the program. Also, to just to get rid of that bad taste from Memphis and losing on the road in a very winnable game. Just a chance for us to come out protect the paint, rebound and play defense without Coach Sampson getting on us and just holding each other accountable."
On changes in practice following loss to Memphis
"Pretty much what Armoni said. We just went back to the basics and focused on our identity and understanding that defense is what got us here even though we made a lot of shots tonight."
On getting 11 assists
"I'm just glad that we have the personnel to be able to get 11 assists. We have a lot of not just shooters, but makers. I'm extremely thankful that they're my teammates. A lot of teams send an extra defender or two at me when I'm in the paint, so it helps that our team makes winning plays.
On run of threes made in the first half
"Similar to what Armoni said. At the beginning of the game we were getting a lot of stops, so we were able to play in the open court. Once we get in the open court, our team is coached pretty well to find the open guy and get it to the best shooters. That's what we did. It was a normal day in the office, we were just making a lot of threes in a row."
On emotions before last two regular season games
"Thankful, humble and appreciative to be at this point. It's crazy how time flies and when it's all over you don't want to have any regrets. I'm just thankful to be in this situation. I don't really feel any anxiety I'm just extremely thankful that God allowed me to be in this position."
On transition being key to big runs
"I think our defense is ranked in the top-27 according to KenPom, but our offense is not really ranked too high, maybe top-50. We definitely have some really good shooters and we love to play fast, so it plays into our game plan. Each game we want to have more than 70 possessions and to do that you have to be up and down. You have to force the other team to miss shots or have turnovers, so that we get chances to run. When we run we have Galen coming full speed at you and we have me trying to make plays. It's just how we play and how we practice, it's very normal for us. When we get clicking and everyone's making their three's it's just really exciting to see all the hard work pay off."
On the advantages of playing at H&PE Arena
"I won't get to play in the facility next year. I'm sure that it's not a good idea to stay here even though we keep winning, because it's going to be real nice. And I'm kind of jealous that Armoni gets to play there two years and I don't. Another thing to be thankful for is that Texas Southern is so close. Cincinnati plays in Northern Kentucky which is a 35 minute drive. Even Memphis plays in the Fedex Forum which is like a 30 minute drive from their campus. We just turn left, turn right and we're right here at TSU which is working out really well for us. 14-0 trying to make it 15-0 on senior night."
