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00:00 >> Credit to our guys, we spoke after the game in terms of executing a game plan.
00:06 Especially when you're switching defenses like that,
00:11 sometimes it can create a lot of confusion.
00:14 But our guys locked in on the game plan, we changed some things up defensively in
00:18 our man, and went back and forth with our defenses.
00:22 And certainly our guys took that and ran with it and executed it.
00:26 So credit to our guys for taking that approach and especially after the loss in
00:32 Orlando and figuring out what we can do different and executing that.
00:37 It was a night and day difference.
00:38 >> Josh, talk about switching defenses and what you saw at the zone,
00:44 cuz you used that as much as I can remember this year.
00:47 Did you like what you saw?
00:48 Did you go in thinking, okay, this is something we can lay our hat on?
00:51 >> Yeah, we thought they're not the best three point shooting team by any means.
00:58 And they really pounded down low on us and I didn't want them,
01:03 trying to manage Jesse that's been an issue in terms of keeping him out of foul
01:06 trouble.
01:07 I thought that was probably our best option to do so
01:09 if we could get as many zone possessions as possible with him.
01:12 And we rebounded fairly well out of it, which shouldn't really be the case,
01:18 but we're not exactly a normal team over the course of the year.
01:23 So we've shown some crazy anomalies.
01:27 But regardless, those guys locked in and
01:30 figured we got kind of punched in the mouth down there in Orlando.
01:33 And we didn't back down tonight.
01:36 I think one of the keys, looking back at it, they threw that token press at us and
01:41 we didn't go side to side with it and slow our offense down.
01:46 And we kind of attacked it early, which I think was a critical part of the game
01:51 where we weren't kind of playing offense on our heels, which we were in Orlando.
01:56 >> So with your strategy and knowing their tendencies,
02:01 the fact they shoot 38 threes tonight probably, I mean,
02:05 that's what you're hoping for, I guess.
02:07 >> Yeah, I mean, they were averaging about six three point makes a game,
02:11 if I remember correctly.
02:12 And so, I mean, like I told our guys, they're gonna make some shots and
02:18 we just can't get frustrated when they do.
02:20 Because that's what we're gonna live with.
02:23 And when you talk about putting together a game plan,
02:26 it's always what you're gonna live with.
02:28 And that's what we're gonna live with.
02:29 If they made some shots from the perimeter, they made some.
02:32 But I thought that was our best chance of winning and it materialized.
02:37 >> [INAUDIBLE]
02:42 >> The offense with Jesse in versus
02:44 Jesse out and the adjustments that you have to make.
02:48 Anything specific you tried to emphasize with that tonight?
02:51 It seemed like the continuity was good no matter who was on the floor.
02:55 >> If you look back to the game in Orlando, I mean,
03:00 they're gonna put a lot more pressure on Ray.
03:02 They put a lot more pressure on Kerr, Noah, all those guys,
03:05 because we didn't have that inside presence to go to.
03:08 So Pat was playing really well at that time, but it's kinda unfair for him.
03:14 He's now a natural five to go against a guy like Diallo.
03:17 And Diallo consequently had 14 and 12 in that game.
03:21 And it was a little different tonight.
03:23 And Jesse was the one with the double-double, 15 and 10.
03:26 So having him made a tremendous difference,
03:31 especially opening up our guard play.
03:34 >> Statistically, Kerr spreading out the assists seven to one, I think,
03:37 in turnovers and all of the stats kinda spread out.
03:41 Is that what you were hoping for with his addition way back over the summer?
03:45 And how does the offense work when he's operating that?
03:47 >> No, he was really, really good tonight.
03:49 And as a team, 15 assists, we're plus on assist to turnover ratio.
03:56 But 15 assists, 15 or more usually were pretty good.
04:00 Seven to one, credit to him.
04:02 And he really controlled the game in several aspects that it's nice for
04:07 a first year head coach to have a guy with that type of experience out there,
04:12 that can control the game.
04:14 So he did an excellent job.
04:15 And I'll be the first to admit I put our guys in a terrible position a couple
04:19 of times that I can look back and learn from this game too.
04:23 So it's good to have veterans out there.
04:27 I got a little lackadaisical late in terms of taking care of the ball against
04:32 their pressure and getting in the right position, but
04:34 I kinda let our guard down there.
04:37 >> Coach, their coach talked about,
04:40 besides the difference of Edwards from the last game, it seemed to him that you
04:44 guys are starting to gel and there was more chemistry in this game compared to that.
04:48 Is that your estimation too?
04:50 And how do you keep that moving?
04:52 Cuz now you're gonna have a few days break until another big game and
04:55 then it's gonna get clumped together.
04:56 So you're not coming off a losing streak, now you're coming off a win.
04:59 You have to keep that going.
05:01 >> Well, we have to take tomorrow off.
05:02 So that is what it is.
05:05 And this time of year, any day off is, and get your legs under you and
05:10 get your mind right and turn the page.
05:12 And I think that's gonna be as critical as anything.
05:15 So we'll have two days of prep before we go on that two game road trip.
05:19 But that's one of the best defenses we'll see all year.
05:22 That's it, they rival Houston's defense in the half court.
05:26 So it's gonna be a challenge, but we need to figure out and
05:29 especially look back at even the game last night, Houston and
05:33 Iowa State and how they attacked each other.
05:35 But also how we handled the Houston defense.
05:39 So, but that game we played without Jesse Edwards too.
05:43 So they can put, like I said earlier,
05:45 without Jesse they can put a lot more pressure on our guards.
05:49 >> Coach, I need a rules clarification on the goaltending with Noah's shot.
05:55 They review it like 30 seconds later.
06:00 I didn't know, I mean, is that possible?
06:01 Are they allowed to do that?
06:02 I mean, what- >> Yeah, they are.
06:04 I mean, they're just waiting for the dead ball situation,
06:07 a timeout situation so they can take a look at it.
06:09 >> Okay, so you can't retroactively go back and look at it?
06:13 >> Well, I mean, I would assume they can because they did.
06:16 >> All right, okay, all right.
06:17 >> [LAUGH] >> Well, can they go back to-
06:19 >> I'd like to review a lot of things, but-
06:22 >> Can they go back to 2008 and
06:23 review that?
06:24 >> [LAUGH] >> I remember that vividly.
06:28 >> [LAUGH] >> Hey, Josh,
06:31 do you have a hunch that going zone would kind of take the yellow out of the game?
06:36 I mean, literally took them out of the game.
06:38 >> No, I mean, Jesse helped too.
06:40 I mean, like I said, when we didn't have Jesse,
06:45 it was always an issue to double or not to double because we didn't have a true five
06:50 out there, Cook's doing everything he could, Pat was doing everything he could.
06:54 And so teams saw that as our huge weakness.
06:58 So it's helpful to keep him out of foul trouble in the zone.
07:05 So it's helpful that we're rebound well out of the zone.
07:08 So those things kind of all, it's a cumulative effect with my decision making.
07:13 >> Anything else?
07:18 >> Is maybe going more to the zone earlier in the season,
07:21 something in retrospect that you're saying you're reflecting on yourself too and
07:25 kind of learning as you go just because before when he was healthy,
07:28 sometimes foul trouble was a thing.
07:30 >> Yeah. >> Maybe that could have kept him out of
07:32 it at that time.
07:32 >> Well, in the first nine games, I mean, we were doing anything and everything.
07:35 Like a lot of times it was just safe legs because we only had a seven man rotation
07:39 in that first nine games.
07:40 So we were trying to, it was hard because we didn't have anybody put in the game.
07:47 So each situation is different.
07:51 Tonight it felt like that was the way to go.
07:53 So, and credit our staff and our assistants and
07:58 putting together a game plan and game plan that was successful.
08:03 >> Ray Quarles was talking earlier about how he could kind of look at a season as
08:07 a roller coaster.
08:08 Obviously he's on that uptick right now.
08:10 What's the difference with him when he's at that level as opposed to when
08:16 he's on the downswing?
08:18 >> He's doing a lot better job letting the game come to him.
08:20 And just being patient with it.
08:25 He's gonna get his touches one way or another.
08:26 So understanding what's the best opportunity to attack because he's
08:32 naturally in attack mode.
08:34 That's the way he plays.
08:35 But it's the time and score and when's a good time to go downhill and when's not.
08:40 So sometimes just giving it up and getting it back is the way to go.
08:45 >> I feel like Joe Joe's really started to come into his role and
08:47 understand kind of how he can help this team.
08:50 >> No, he was excellent.
08:52 He was excellent tonight.
08:53 Eight and three in 11 minutes plus three.
08:57 So other than missing two free throws, which is kind of uncharacteristic of him,
09:02 but he left two on the table there.
09:04 But he was excellent coming in and we need to find some more minutes for him.
09:09 Whenever we can and keep guys as fresh as possible.
09:12 But he's fighting for minutes with Q.
09:14 Q had a really good game.
09:16 He took care of business out there tonight and played well.
09:19 So it's whenever you can step in and help the program.
09:24 Joe Joe's the perfect guy.
09:26 He's a program guy.
09:27 He's gonna do everything the right way.
09:28 He's gonna be the first one in the gym.
09:30 And it's great to have those guys that understand their role and
09:33 whenever it's time to go, they step up.
09:36 >> Josh, how many times do you think you're gonna play a game where
09:40 the other team takes 16 more shots and you win the game?
09:43 >> I think it happened very often.
09:45 I'd looked at that and I kind of took a double take when I saw they took 38 threes.
09:49 That's a high volume of threes.
09:52 So maybe we caught them off guard and
09:55 maybe they didn't think they'd see that much zone.
09:57 But yeah, I didn't even realize they had 16 more attempts than us.
10:05 But I mean, you look at the game, I said it's gonna come down to three things.
10:08 And one, looking back to the last three losses,
10:13 three in a row, I mean, I think they scored almost 75 points off our turnovers
10:18 in those three games and second chance points were huge.
10:23 I think between those two categories, last game out against Baylor's,
10:27 like totaled 42 points between points off turnovers and second chance points.
10:31 So my big message is, we take care of the ball, work for the best shot,
10:37 and we finish possessions with a rebound.
10:39 And third thing is we had to match their toughness because they really out
10:44 toughed us and they're way more physical down there in Orlando.
10:48 >> Coach, in terms of morale, yours, the team's,
10:54 the program's, just getting this one tonight and in the losing streak.
10:59 How much, I mean, how big is that?
11:02 >> It's critical, it's critical at this juncture, especially when you go on a road
11:06 and playing two really tough opponents on the road.
11:09 And K-State's had their struggles, but they're as hard as anybody to beat in
11:13 Bramlage, and so you got two game road trip and Hilton and Bramlage.
11:18 Not fun places to play, so it's critical to get that confidence and
11:23 have a few days to prep before we head out and need to win one away from the road.
11:30 See one go down on the road, that'd be even more critical for our confidence.
11:34 Thank you.