TCU men's basketball head coach Jamie Dixon talks 75-57 win over Cincinnati on Saturday, February 24.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:04 >> Hey guys, I mean you talked to the three guys,
00:08 they're the three guys that played the best.
00:10 When I saw Manuel, I mean eight shot, is it six shots or eight shots?
00:16 18, 18.6 assists, one turnover, I mean you see where he's come from and
00:20 decision making, I thought he was terrific.
00:23 Jacoby was really good.
00:24 Forrest Hantel, he played pretty good defense, he played with four and five.
00:28 And then he's someone who's really good.
00:30 So those guys stood out with some points, but
00:34 defensively I thought they were very good too.
00:35 So really a great win for us, good fast start.
00:41 Not so good as we went on, but our defense stayed with it,
00:47 got better, and limited them on layups, that's what we wanted to do.
00:51 Won the rebound battle, which was gonna be hard to win,
00:54 cuz they're a great rebound team.
00:56 And then our turnovers are far less, and we got a transition going again.
01:01 So that was good to see.
01:02 We kinda was in emphasis these last couple days,
01:04 cuz I didn't think we ran hard enough in the tech game.
01:07 And so good response, great win, highly rated Cincinnati team.
01:15 Their net's good, their Ken Palm is good, so this is good to see.
01:20 So very proud of our guys.
01:21 And I really like how we played down the stretch with the big lead.
01:24 And we didn't kinda make some shots at the end, but
01:28 we were unselfish, made the right plays, used clock, and
01:31 then made them take tough shots.
01:33 So really good finish to it as well.
01:35 So great win, and getting ready for, enjoy it for about one more minute, and
01:41 then get ready for Bayley.
01:41 >> Defensively, they were knocking down threes early in the first half.
01:45 Was there anything that changed, or just about-
01:48 >> Well, there was a couple threes that
01:50 were just complete breakdowns, strong side kick.
01:54 Transition where we weren't matched up.
01:55 I mean, we're not perfect, and we're still working.
01:58 And I keep believing, as I've told some guys,
02:01 we're not where I would like to be, but I believe that we're gonna get better.
02:06 And we make a lot of mistakes, so does everybody.
02:08 I mean, we've beaten really good teams.
02:12 It's just some of these mistakes have caught us.
02:14 And then that's why we're not undefeated, like no one else is either.
02:21 But we gotta cut down on mistakes defensively.
02:24 And we guarded the ball screen better, but still not good enough.
02:28 But we have improved.
02:29 In the last four games, our defense is better.
02:32 And our numbers showing, and our commitment, and
02:35 our better understanding, really our guards are playing better.
02:38 So we started Avery and Jameer just cuz I felt they played better defense
02:42 the other day.
02:43 I mean, really, that's been the challenge for Trey,
02:45 was the better defender early on in the season, where we started him.
02:49 And we're just trying to challenge them,
02:50 and who's the better defender is gonna be the guy that starts.
02:52 They're gonna play the same amount, so I don't know how much it really matters,
02:55 how much motivation it's creating.
02:56 But we're trying to hold them accountable defensively, and we've improved.
03:01 >> What have you seen from Issam coming off the bench this week?
03:05 >> I said again, he just keeps battling.
03:07 He wanted to play, he cares.
03:09 I think he's gotten better.
03:13 Obviously, the injuries kinda set him back a little bit, but he kept working and
03:17 preparing, and now the opportunity is there, and he's responded.
03:20 He's played really well, so I'm happy for him.
03:22 He cares.
03:23 He's different, but we can't throw it into the post to him.
03:28 And he can pass, and he can score enough.
03:32 And so with our movement, which again, I didn't think was as good in the last game,
03:36 especially when we hit the post.
03:38 Today was better, and I thought he made good decisions out of it.
03:44 So I'm really happy for him, cuz he's a great kid, and he's worked.
03:49 He's patiently asked what I can do better.
03:53 And guys do that, but he's addressed it.
03:58 He's addressed it.
03:58 So everybody, you guys work with somebody, they say, I wanna do this better, but
04:02 then they don't do it better.
04:04 He does, he did, and he deserves this.
04:06 So I'm really happy for him, and I keep playing against him.
04:12 And defensively, he's really bought into what we're trying to do now defensively
04:17 with our five man.
04:19 And he's not as athletic as Xavier or Ernest, but
04:24 he's positioning's getting better.
04:26 And so hopefully he can make the other guys learn from that as well.
04:29 So that's progress, progress.
04:34 >> This was Chokobe's best game since the non-conference.
04:36 When he's healthy and confident, how does he-
04:38 >> I mean, he's a different guy now.
04:40 We're seeing it, and he's good.
04:42 And we just gotta figure, it allows us, I think,
04:45 play in our minutes a little bit better.
04:48 And we wanted about 30 for those guys.
04:51 And Mike is 30, and Eman's 30, and he should be about 30, 25.
04:55 25, so.
04:56 And if he can defend, and he was really good.
05:02 I mean, just simple plays, I mean, highly efficient, 6 or 10.
05:06 And I mean, it's hard, middle of the year, we bring him back, I think, for Houston.
05:11 And it's like, welcome back, and play the best defensive team in the country.
05:16 And get your rhythm back.
05:18 It's not, our league's not good for coming back after three weeks off or so.
05:24 So I don't recommend it, but he's getting there.
05:28 I know he wants it, he cares, he cares, he does.
05:30 And we're trying to get him to care a little bit more about defense as much as
05:35 he cares about offense.
05:37 But I thought he played really good defense today, trying to get him.
05:39 And that's the same for everybody.
05:41 We're trying to get guys to care as much about defense as offense.
05:44 But I mean, 27 transition points, our defense led to offense.
05:48 And that was what we wanted to continue to do.
05:50 So it's good to get back to that.
05:51 >> You've certainly beaten Cincinnati before, but what's it mean to do it here?
05:55 It was kinda odd, was this 6-0?
05:58 >> Yeah, what, I'm sorry?
06:01 >> It was 6-0 historically, so this is the first two seasons.
06:03 >> Was that right?
06:04 >> I don't know, how did I just react when you told me?
06:07 I guess I don't tell you.
06:08 >> I think you don't.
06:09 >> Yeah, I'm just, I like how we played.
06:18 We still made mistakes, but they're a very good team.
06:21 Their net's good, their camp palm is good.
06:28 They're a very good team.
06:29 They rebound really well.
06:30 So we say win plus ten on the glass, but
06:34 they're one of the best in the league or the country, so that was gonna be hard.
06:37 But we did win the rebound battle.
06:39 And we got out and ran, which we thought we'd taken a step backwards in running.
06:46 And running takes work, it takes effort.
06:49 Everybody wants to run, they all say it, and everybody wants to talk about it, but
06:51 it takes effort.
06:52 So as far as the win, I mean,
06:56 Mr. Schallmeyer would have liked this win, I think.
07:02 So give me a second to think about it.
07:04 That's probably the most important thing to me.
07:06 I wish he was here to see it.
07:08 >> Jamie, they got 50 points in a painless time.
07:11 It seemed like your aggressiveness and ball pressure would bother them.
07:14 Was there an emphasis on that?
07:15 I don't know if you- >> Yeah, no, I mean layups.
07:17 We call it layups, no layups.
07:20 And yeah, I didn't know that.
07:22 So 28, still too many.
07:25 But I'll look at it.
07:26 We limit it to, we say five layups or less.
07:30 And I don't know what that, pain is different than layups.
07:34 But yeah, that's our biggest issue.
07:37 I mean, the last two games actually, and one was a win, one was a loss,
07:40 both on the road, but we're free throws.
07:42 We were fouling too much.
07:43 And we've gotta be more disciplined to not foul.
07:49 At times we had guys taking bad shots.
07:53 With that said, I think we fouled twice on threes that weren't good shots.
07:57 And we've gotta be better than that.
08:00 So I think one of the things we've gotta get better at defensively is not fouling.
08:03 And limiting the layups like you mentioned.
08:08 So yes, we did a better job of that.
08:10 And I forgot it was 50 in the last game.
08:12 But from that game, we weren't improving at the rate we wanted to.
08:19 We have the last four games.
08:20 We have gotten better.
08:22 So it was based on, yeah, that game was, but we've been heading in that direction.
08:27 >> What's the emphasis, or what's the focus on getting prepared for
08:32 background Monday?
08:33 >> Yeah, we'll practice tomorrow at 2 o'clock.
08:38 We're gonna kinda recognize the seniors.
08:41 A lot of the families are in town, so
08:42 we find a way to do something for them tomorrow on this day in between.
08:46 So we thought that'd be a great way, and Chance will be there, and
08:49 Jeremiah will be there.
08:50 So we got a little thing going on.
08:53 I know it's still not our last home game, but
08:56 we just felt all the families seemed like they were gonna be here because of the two
09:00 games and it just didn't fit, so we're gonna really do that.
09:02 But practice beforehand, nothing live.
09:04 Trying to get better defensively, everyday defensively.
09:08 But again, offensive numbers were pretty impressive.
09:12 We didn't shoot great, but we had a lot of open looks.
09:17 Couple, it was a stretch in the first half where we do that.
09:20 Things come right easy to us, and we get those eight points early,
09:24 wide open shots.
09:25 And we kinda shoot a contested over penetrate, and
09:30 that's what we gotta continue to work on.
09:32 But that's what everybody has to work on, nobody's perfect.
09:35 But it's a great way to get a great program and with a lot of history.
09:39 And I'm glad that we beat them for the first time.
09:44 So I'll take blame for last time, but I didn't do the other four or five.
09:51 >> Uday was day to day coming into this game.
09:52 What's his status looking like for Monday?
09:54 >> Yeah, good question.
09:56 He's safe, he felt better today.
09:58 I'll see how he feels tomorrow.
10:00 It's great.
10:01 I mean, he's never, we're talking about, I don't know that he's really had a serious
10:04 injury or even really any injury.
10:06 So this is a whole new world for him.
10:07 So there's discomfort, but there's no structure, there's no damage.
10:11 It's really up to him to make the call.
10:16 We'll see tomorrow.
10:17 But I knew he wasn't going.
10:19 I had a feeling that he wasn't going earlier in the week.
10:23 So we really had to get the count on the other guys.
10:28 But I was gonna say, they responded.
10:29 So it was a good performance by those guys.
10:35 Again, this is a very good team that we beat by a pretty good margin.
10:38 So it was a good team effort.
10:43 I mean, I can't say nothing about Manuel.
10:45 I mean, eight shots, how efficient that is.
10:49 18.6 rebounds and six assists on turnover, three steals.
10:53 That's a pretty impressive line.
10:56 That's a well-rounded player that has come a long way.
10:58 He didn't do those kind of things on the perimeter.
11:01 So it's good to see.
11:04 >> Anything else for coach?
11:06 >> Okay.
11:07 >> All right, have a great Saturday.
11:09 >> See you on Monday.
11:10 >> We'll see you on Monday.
11:12 See you at the baseball game.