• last year
Arkansas Razorbacks guard Tramon Mark on team's problems in 69-66 ugly win over Lipsomb Bisons at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Ark.
Transcript
00:00 You guys look, you're up by 20, looks like you're in good shape.
00:03 And then they had like a 21 to 1 run to get within one.
00:06 Just what do you think you guys did well to get the big lead?
00:08 And then what happened when you almost blew the lead?
00:12 I think we just scored the ball well, defended well.
00:16 In that time frame, we were up 20.
00:19 And then as they went on their run, we just got sloppy.
00:21 They started getting more and more open looks, more
00:23 driving lanes for layups.
00:25 And we really have no rotations on their drives
00:30 and on their five man that was popping and shooting.
00:33 So yeah.
00:35 McCormick looked like he had a couple pretty good looks.
00:37 I mean, what did you think seeing those threes?
00:40 I guess is it a sense of relief to get out here with a win?
00:42 Or just kind of what's the emotions?
00:45 It's definitely a sense of relief because I think
00:48 last 30 seconds of the game, he got two good looks off
00:51 McCormick.
00:52 So just seeing that and just got to be glad he missed.
00:58 But we all know you got to be better defensively.
01:03 Now three games back after the injury
01:05 and had your best production game since that return.
01:08 How are you feeling right now?
01:09 And what did you think about your game
01:11 in terms of maybe getting back into a grieve, at least
01:14 offensively?
01:15 I think I got into a really nice groove first half.
01:18 And I just slowed down.
01:20 I think I slowed down second half.
01:22 I don't think I was as aggressive as I
01:24 was the second half.
01:26 But it felt good just being out there
01:29 and being able to see the ball go through the hoop, but more
01:31 focused on the team.
01:33 Keon Minifield into the fold now and getting
01:35 to play with him in a game.
01:37 What was that like tonight?
01:38 What did you see from him?
01:39 And what did he bring?
01:40 I'm just really excited for him.
01:42 Just everything he's been through,
01:44 not playing and knowing you should be out there.
01:47 So now that he's finally out there,
01:48 it's just I know it's a good feeling for him.
01:50 It's a good feeling for the team just working him back in,
01:54 getting more reps in and practice now,
01:56 just doing all that stuff.
01:57 It's a good feeling.
01:59 Tremont, what would you say this team's personality or identity
02:02 is at this point in the year?
02:05 Personality or identity, I don't have an answer for that
02:10 right now.
02:12 Who is in the locker room?
02:15 Who are leaders, guys that bring energy?
02:19 Everybody's talking in the locker room.
02:20 That first half, even that first half going into the locker room,
02:25 we were all talking about what we need to do better.
02:27 And then even as they came back in our little timeout huddle,
02:32 guys that were playing, guys that even weren't playing,
02:35 talking to the guys that are playing,
02:36 telling us what we need to do.
02:38 So it's just the effort from everybody, really.
02:41 Eric said he would like to see you guys do a better job
02:47 of milking the clock.
02:48 He thought that contributed to Lipscomb coming back
02:50 like they did.
02:51 How do you feel about the shot selections
02:53 and how you guys up your clock management?
02:56 Our clock management, it definitely
02:58 could have been better.
02:59 We have some turnovers.
03:00 I had a couple turnovers.
03:04 I think in terms of shot selection, we did OK, though.
03:08 But just got to clean up our turnovers, especially
03:11 in a clutch time like that.
03:13 Might have shot a little quick at times?
03:16 Probably one or two, yeah.
03:18 I know it's your first year here.
03:23 Eric's been through some rough patches,
03:25 but he always gets the team playing pretty well.
03:27 He says this is different.
03:28 You can't compare teams.
03:30 What's your sense of-- you guys obviously have a lot of talent,
03:32 but still trying to mesh a lot of new guys, new teammates.
03:36 What's your sense of where the team is?
03:37 And do you feel good that you guys
03:39 can start playing like the team that was ranked in the top 20
03:42 in the preseason?
03:43 I'm always confident in my team going against anybody.
03:46 So whether we're struggling or not struggling,
03:51 these are my guys.
03:52 Most of us are transfers, but the guys that have been here,
03:57 they tell us what we need to do.
03:58 And we go out there and try to do it.
04:00 So like I said, I'm always confident in my team
04:02 and whatever we need to do to win a basketball game.
04:07 What did you see from Jalen Graham tonight?
04:09 It feels like the last two games,
04:11 he's put back-to-back pretty good games together.
04:13 And then I guess just the importance of Mekon.
04:16 He was just very productive down there in the paint.
04:19 He basically got to anywhere he wanted to.
04:23 His post hook, he made a pass to Kauffer and assists.
04:26 Just doing stuff like that, it was very productive for us.
04:29 And that's what contributed to our up 20-point lead.
04:33 But he was very productive, and I
04:37 like what I've been seeing from him.
04:39 Good.
04:41 Knowing you weren't out there to start the game,
04:43 how weird was it when they introduced the starting lineups,
04:46 the game's ready to start, and then they can't start?
04:48 Because the lights, I think it was 15 minutes.
04:50 And then it was not dark, but it wasn't as light
04:53 as it should have been.
04:54 Just what was that like?
04:55 I was saying it wasn't bad to play like that,
04:57 but just guys aren't used to that.
04:59 So that was the whole thing where
05:01 I think guys can't play like that,
05:03 because you're used to the bright lights,
05:05 and it was just so dim in there.
05:07 You're not going to be used to that.
05:10 Back in somebody's driveway at 6 o'clock.
05:12 You playing outside 6, 7 PM with your friends or something.
05:17 And I know you guys, what was practice like last week?
05:20 I know you did a lot of work on yourselves there,
05:22 except we thought the practices were pretty good.
05:24 And then you got a few practices this coming week
05:25 before you play again.
05:27 What was practice like last week?
05:29 What do you anticipate it being like this week?
05:30 What do you guys need to do?
05:32 We just worked on our intensity and effort
05:37 in our defensive schemes and just everything,
05:42 really just focusing on ourselves
05:44 was probably one of our best practices.
05:47 I think that Monday through Thursday,
05:51 we had great practices, just doing
05:54 what we need to do to win a game and getting better as a team.
05:57 I think you only scored six, as Eric pointed out,
05:59 but he had a couple of huge baskets there at the end.
06:02 What did you think about what he did there at the end?
06:04 Pretty clutch.
06:05 He was a dog at the end.
06:07 He got his hands on a lot of loose balls
06:09 and got it back and scored a couple of buckets for us.
06:14 That was big in late game.
06:16 And Devo, he's been here longer than anybody.
06:19 He took it to the hole, didn't really show any hesitation.
06:21 What did you think of that drive he scored?
06:23 I loved it.
06:24 I loved it.
06:24 We needed it, and he went and got it for us.