Arkansas Razorbacks coach Mike Neighbors just glad to get win over the Samford Bulldogs on Saturday in North Little Rock, Ark.
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00:00 Danics antiseptic for what happened last weekend, getting the dub and central
00:04 Arkansas or where, where, where do you land on it?
00:06 Just like always I go back and watch film.
00:09 I think we played hard though.
00:10 I do know that.
00:10 I don't know how good we played, but we did play hard, uh, hard week when
00:14 you have finals coming off a loss.
00:16 Um, so too early probably to stamp it as mission accomplished,
00:22 but certainly back on course.
00:24 Uh, I thought we responded.
00:26 We took a coaching really well in the film rooms.
00:29 I thought the words that the kids were using to each other today, when things
00:33 got, um, some adversity even hit today, I thought their words to each other were
00:37 phenomenal.
00:38 So I'm going to preliminarily tell you again, not, not mission accomplished,
00:43 but back on the right path.
00:44 But I mean, dominated the free throw game turnovers.
00:48 You had a good cushion there.
00:49 Most of the game and then points in the paint and second chance points, sort of
00:52 the blue collar stuff kind of stood out.
00:54 Felt like points in the paint was going to be a big one for us driving it in there.
00:58 They're hard to score on, especially with Bowman getting her in foul trouble was
01:01 big.
01:01 If you look at, you know, the, their opponents who they've played, they haven't
01:05 had very many games in the seventies, like one or two.
01:08 So we felt like we could approach that our defense would give us enough chance.
01:12 You know, we fell in love with the three a little early, a little, a little bit.
01:15 Cause we made our first one and sometimes that happens, but, but we got back to
01:18 driving it about Sam and Mac.
01:20 Uh, we're, we're really, really good, uh, in that area.
01:24 And then I think everybody else kind of caught, caught, uh, caught on and was
01:28 contagious, uh, and followed their lead.
01:30 Last part, before I turn it to someone else with Scott having the game that she
01:35 had and coffin murder, obviously with the rebounds, but not her double double night.
01:39 You had other players step up and have double digit win.
01:42 What does that tell you?
01:44 Well, that, you know, we can't control how the other team wants to defend us.
01:48 You know, they were going to run at Talia with a multiple player and
01:52 make the path difficult for her.
01:54 I thought she showed amazing maturity as a freshman.
01:58 This is the first night she's probably not shot it like she wants to, she'll be
02:01 more mad about missing four free throws than anything.
02:03 Um, but I thought she stepped it up defensively.
02:06 You know, she kept garden.
02:08 She got up there and got that steel that kind of ignited a little mini run that
02:11 kind of got us enough separation.
02:13 Uh, and then she started taking it to the paint, you know, um, she is so shifty.
02:18 A lot of times she was making moves and she'd be by the kid and the kid would
02:22 still be standing over and then she'd cross back over, come right back to her.
02:24 So she took coaching at halftime and our words from Mac and Sam to her,
02:29 where we got you tonight, you've been, you know, having to carry the load at
02:32 times and you know, tonight was our night to be able to step there and help you up.
02:35 Sailor's, uh, in a lot, a lot of pain, uh, to get 13 rebounds in the pain that
02:40 she's in and the way they were playing her, you know, I thought she distributed
02:44 the ball, moves the ball.
02:45 She got a lot of hockey assists that won't show up on this that sheet, but, uh,
02:49 Mary and playing, you know, I think a season high, maybe career high minutes.
02:53 I don't know.
02:53 We'll have to test, uh, Kylie's ability.
02:56 She's running to there to check that right now, but I'm going to say that
02:59 was her career high for, for minutes played.
03:02 And I thought she was, uh, you know, plus 16, you look over there, her Sam
03:06 and say they're plus 16, plus 17, plus 16 is really, really good.
03:09 Mac playing through some foul trouble, uh, was kind of a catalyst
03:13 for us and, uh, really a steady.
03:15 And then I thought we got some help off the bench, but Christina's minutes.
03:18 We're good.
03:18 Carly's minutes were good.
03:19 And Jenna had some very timely rebounds and then hit that three there
03:22 at the end to kind of cap it off.
03:24 It's a matter of time before, um, she gets her sea legs, her game legs under her.
03:29 She's a really good shooter too.
03:31 So I don't think we shot the three.
03:33 Uh, well, but I was proud that we stopped taking as many in the past.
03:36 We've kind of kept shooting them tonight.
03:37 We didn't.
03:38 Mike, it just seems like you have a lot of players that kind of, they're,
03:43 they're really hard on themselves.
03:45 Like Talia is really hard on herself.
03:47 Sailor can be, I mean, just how do you co like, it seemed like Talia
03:51 was mad at herself for a while.
03:52 I'm just, uh, how do you as a coach handle those sorts of situations?
03:55 Guys again, I'm not gonna be that y'all aren't going to see me on some.
04:00 National news is really hard to be a student athlete these days.
04:04 It's really hard.
04:05 And we lost to UAPB and we heard all kinds.
04:08 You can't, you cannot hide.
04:09 I do.
04:09 I spent my whole night protecting the whole week, protecting those kids.
04:13 So they are incredibly hard on themselves.
04:17 And you're spot on.
04:18 Ethan is so hard.
04:19 There's almost a sense of relief when you win rather than excitement nowadays.
04:24 And that's happened in the last two years.
04:26 I don't know how much of it's post COVID.
04:29 I don't know how much of it is the lunacy of social media when people don't even
04:34 know the facts, but want to have an opinion and not even a, a big opinion,
04:39 like a deep rooted, think they have an informed opinion and send these kids.
04:44 Some of the most ridiculous things you've ever seen.
04:46 You know, they'll come say, coach, you see this one?
04:48 And we, we, we had fun with it.
04:50 I said, well, let me show you some, I got, let's see who got the worst one.
04:52 You know, we had a little fun with it.
04:54 So I think as long as we protect each other, they got my back, I got their back
04:57 at that point in time, that's all we can ask for, but they are really, really hard
05:01 on themselves.
05:02 So anything, anybody out there listening can do to help them understand that, um,
05:06 you know, it's still a game it is, and winning is important and they want to win.
05:10 But man, when it gets personal, it's so hard on them.
05:14 So we protect them.
05:15 Try to coach them the best that we can, but it is not an easy thing.
05:18 It's not something we have a lot of experience with, uh, because
05:21 it's all new to everybody.
05:22 But this environment, it's a, it is a home environment for y'all, but it's different.
05:28 I mean, and having Mack and Sam kind of have the game that they've had being
05:31 players who have played here before, just what'd you think about their
05:34 ability to maybe, um, settle the team in?
05:36 Just really super proud of them, you know, cause they've been very patient.
05:39 You know, we've talked about what we need to do to be a great team.
05:43 Uh, and it's not, they, they, there was no big deal with it.
05:45 We got it tonight.
05:45 We got it tonight.
05:46 And this is a home crowd, but that's it.
05:50 I mean, it's, it's not your home rims.
05:52 It's not, we had to travel.
05:53 We stayed in a hotel.
05:54 We had to get up early.
05:55 You have to take the bus you're here two hours.
05:57 So again, I think y'all all know me well enough.
06:01 We're going to challenge our kids for some, we could have picked a
06:03 much easier opponent to play here.
06:06 Uh, but again, I'm just not one that's big on having any false confidence.
06:11 I want to know, um, and I still don't know where we're at.
06:14 Uh, and I'm not sure we will know until, you know, January, February
06:18 and the sec rolls around, but I look around the country and it's, I
06:22 mean, there's two scores tonight.
06:23 Another I've said it before, but I look at another school and I go, that can't be.
06:26 I'm sure people thought that about our game the other night.
06:29 Maybe we were one of those teams, but there's four or five.
06:31 I'm looking here on the first three or four scrolls.
06:33 I'm like, wait, that can't be right, but it is.
06:35 So I'm proud that our kids have continued to find different ways.
06:40 We've not, if you look at our 12 games, is it 12, nine and three,
06:44 none of them have been the same.
06:45 They've all required something different.
06:47 So I'm really proud with where we're at going to this tournament, looking
06:50 forward to some, uh, Florida sunshine.
06:53 With how tough this week was that you just mentioned to get off to the start.
06:58 You did, I mean, open layups, miss open threes, miss, but then to find
07:02 the gritty way that they won.
07:04 Does that make it a little bit better?
07:05 Yes.
07:06 Very gratifying, very satisfying.
07:08 Very, Hey, we, we can do this, you know?
07:11 And I think it all went back to playing hard.
07:13 We didn't challenge them to play.
07:14 Y'all can go in there.
07:15 I'll let, it's probably still up on the board.
07:16 We're not going to play perfect.
07:17 We might not play great, but man, we can play hard.
07:20 We didn't play very hard last Sunday.
07:22 We had, um, uh, coach Schaefer mentioned it.
07:25 And I remember when coach Calipari said we had a very arrogant, uh,
07:28 uh, uh, performance last week.
07:30 And I think our kids took it to heart.
07:32 Like they watched the film.
07:33 They were very critical of themselves without the coaches having to be.
07:37 So kind of those pains that change you a little bit.
07:39 Um, so, you know, there were moments today, I'll be honest with you.
07:44 There were moments where you thought, oh, here we go again.
07:45 You know, cause we were missing some layups and we did miss some shots and
07:49 we blew some defensive coverages, but they settled in, you know, hold them to 18%.
07:55 Lexi Pritchard is an unbelievable guard.
07:57 I've been watching her since she was very young when I was on the West coast.
08:00 Um, when we watch, when I watch film, I don't ever pull a roster out.
08:06 I just put the film on and I kept looking at her and I kept going, she looks so
08:10 familiar and I could not place who she was and I finally had to pull the roster
08:14 out and I was like, I had no idea she'd gone because she's from Wesley and it's
08:17 Peyton Pritchard sister that plays in the NBA.
08:19 And when I was at Washington, she was an up and coming star.
08:22 So, um, I don't know how Sam, I can tell you this.
08:25 I looked.
08:26 Sometimes I look at their game notes.
08:28 This team was picked seventh out of eighth in their league.
08:30 I will predict in front of anybody in this room, they don't
08:33 finish seventh in their league.
08:35 I think they've got a good squad.
08:35 She does a heck of a job with them.
08:37 I know it sounds like I need it, but I don't.
08:40 Thank you.
08:40 Go ahead.
08:42 Sadie Stetson for them.
08:44 Just, I mean, I know you mentioned her before the game started, but really
08:47 kept them in it with her shooting.
08:48 Just, uh, you know, what'd you think of that game?
08:51 We lost her three times in the first half and she made us pay every time.
08:56 And then when that happens, then, you know, she's going to make everything.
08:58 I mean, I watched her in warmup.
09:00 It looked like Jimmy Chitwood out there.
09:02 I just kept going.
09:02 She ever going to miss one.
09:04 She's got such good timing and they do such a good job of spacing around her and
09:09 making it really hard to stay with her.
09:12 And if y'all don't like watching Pritchard, she's so good at finding kids late.
09:16 Um, again, that that's one of the reasons I look at what she did and I know they
09:21 got in some foul trouble today.
09:22 Um, so she's a large part of the reason I think they're going to have a good year.
09:27 It was a great performance by her.
09:29 Last thing that I have is, um, I I'd have to look at the numbers, but y'all are
09:34 really good, like last possession of a quarter or something.
09:36 I know Matt kit, the three going to the half.
09:39 Just what do you think it is about your team?
09:40 That's so good in those situations.
09:42 We really watch three for twos and two for ones.
09:46 Um, it's something when the shot clock came in, we just started kind of paying
09:50 attention to that thing and making sure we practice it.
09:53 We do drills and practice.
09:54 We call them stop, score, stop, score, stop score.
09:56 And they're just a little three possession mini games.
09:59 So we can refer back to what we've worked on in practice.
10:02 But I do think it's been uncanny how many times we've gotten a big momentum
10:07 into a halftime or a big momentum into a quarter or stave off a big drive.
10:12 So I think it's because we've got a few veterans, uh, and we can, you know, I
10:17 think at times we really can space you out too, so, but I give them the credit
10:21 for being able to take practice into a game.
10:24 That's not always easy to do.
10:25 Well, you mentioned something very interesting about maybe not as much
10:31 a joy after wins, but relief.
10:33 And you you've got this two games in two days.
10:36 And then I think three before you get into sec play at what point is there a
10:40 point where that can be problematic?
10:43 Or do you think that's something that every team faces?
10:45 Everybody I've talked to faces it.
10:47 Every one of my coaching circle friends have said something very similar when we
10:52 go to talking about it of the sense of relief that you, Hey, I'm so glad we won.
10:58 So, man, at least that guy that runs their grocery store won't get on social media
11:03 or my, my daughter won't call me.
11:06 The kids talk about it.
11:07 You know, I won't, I can look at my DMS.
11:09 It's a real thing.
11:11 And again, I'm not making excuses.
11:13 I signed up for this.
11:14 I got no problem with it.
11:15 Some of it's justified.
11:16 Some of it's funny.
11:17 I get a kick out of some of it, but the kids it's hard on them and
11:20 it's hard on his adults too.
11:22 It's hard on my family.
11:23 I've got kids that read social media.
11:25 It's hard on my mom who's 82 and wants to fight people.
11:27 And I'm sure she's ever fought anybody a day in her life.
11:30 But if she saw a couple of these people, I think my mom would give them a go.
11:33 You know?
11:34 So, I mean, I do think it's where we're, I don't think it's going to change, Kevin.
11:38 I think we have to become a better at handling it, you know, and we got to stick
11:42 together, we got to be there for each other and that's why we talk about so
11:44 many things when we go to them and we do, we just kind of made it a joke.
11:47 Like, Hey, who can bring the most idiotic thing in that you got or post or whatever.
11:53 And just, you know, so far from the truth, we have contests with it.
11:56 Um, so trying to make light of it, but then being in there when the kids need
12:00 you the most and being there for each other, there's been many times like
12:03 Max, just come to me and said, coach, you good coach, you're good.
12:06 I said, I'm real good, Matt.
12:07 Quiet.
12:08 She goes, I'm mad.
12:09 I got you when you need me, you know?
12:11 So I think it brings us together.
12:14 Um, I think it's become kind of a badge of honor a little bit, you know, that
12:20 we can take it, uh, that we don't let it get to us, uh, but it gets no easier.
12:25 So that that's that sense of relief.
12:27 I talk about now that doesn't mean somebody is not going to crush me for
12:30 saying what I just said now that's fine too, but it is reality and we're living
12:34 in it and it's okay, it's okay.
12:37 We, we have, um, to be there for each other.
12:40 Um, but I think we can have a little fun with it too.
12:43 Coach non-basketball question.
12:45 Harding just won the division two national championship.
12:48 As an Arkansas guy, what are your thoughts?
12:50 Uh, I almost went to Harding.
12:52 Uh, so I've always followed them.
12:55 Uh, I think it's awesome.
12:57 I love following his quotes about, you know, how their offense, how they do it
13:01 and how they go about building it.
13:02 Uh, I, it's awesome for the community, uh, for our state and national
13:07 championships or national championships.
13:09 I don't care what it's in.
13:11 Um, so, uh, thanks for spoiling it.
13:14 I had it recorded at the house, but, uh, I guess now I will not
13:17 have to watch it as closely.