Houston head coach Ronald Hughey spoke with the media following TCU's 59-49 win over the Cougars.
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00:00 >> We'll start off with an opening statement.
00:02 >> It was great to see Sedona come back from injury and
00:06 be able to participate and play.
00:09 I've always been a fan of hers.
00:11 Really nice kid, really nice family, that kind of stuff.
00:16 So again, you don't wish injury on anybody.
00:19 So again, being able to see this program,
00:21 be able to get some of those kids back is really good.
00:25 That's the one thing about what we do.
00:27 It's a family, what we have.
00:28 So nobody wish any ill will on any program.
00:30 So that was really good.
00:32 I thought they came out and executed really well.
00:37 They were really ready for us without pressure.
00:39 Even though I think we forced 21, 22 turnovers,
00:42 we didn't get any traps in the backcourt like we normally do.
00:45 Again, put them in a lot of harassing situations.
00:52 I thought they kind of was prepared for
00:54 a little bit more than what they were the last time.
00:57 They also did a really good job off the ball screens.
01:01 We adjusted two or
01:03 three things before we found something to really work on the ball screens.
01:07 Because again, they were getting it in there, picking and popping,
01:09 kind of spreading us out some, being able to get some wide open looks.
01:12 I think they only made four or five threes, I'm not sure.
01:16 So we were able to keep them from their normal ten.
01:18 But we wanted to keep them to two or three because we know what number three can do
01:24 when she get open, just like the one she hit in the fourth quarter there.
01:27 But my group, I thought the second quarter was the telltale quarter where
01:33 we just had too many simple breakdowns.
01:36 Things that we talked about and have an opportunity to take care of,
01:40 we didn't take care of like we did in the first quarter.
01:43 Started to slip away some there with some of the breakdowns.
01:46 Just simple stuff that we normally take care of.
01:49 And it causes you as a coach to be a little upset at halftime.
01:53 But I'll shut up and let y'all talk.
01:57 >> Well, you talked about that second quarter,
01:59 the second half was much better for you guys on the offensive side.
02:03 Did you feel like it was an adjustment you made at halftime that made the
02:06 difference there, or was it something TCU did?
02:08 >> No, I thought our group made a choice.
02:10 I thought they made a choice just now we're gonna really guard and
02:13 we're gonna make some shots and we're gonna do what we need to do and
02:15 things like that.
02:16 Cuz I think that second quarter was like 16%, 18%.
02:20 And then we just wasn't taking the right shots.
02:25 They were going under on ball screen daring us to shoot it.
02:27 They were icing us and giving us plenty of room for the pull up and
02:29 we wouldn't shoot it.
02:30 We was driving in there, just taking a fourth shot.
02:33 And then the other opportunity we had when we got through the ice,
02:37 with them icing the ball screen, we didn't share the basketball.
02:40 We took the first rush shot.
02:41 So I thought those things, so we called a timeout to be able to sell them from there,
02:45 be able to talk about doing something different from there,
02:47 popping off ball screens, reversing to the other side.
02:50 And that didn't happen.
02:51 And so I'm like, what's going on as a coach?
02:54 So it was like those kind of adjustments we talk about at halftime, and
02:57 I thought they made the choice to be able to do those things.
03:01 It kind of led to a better half, I think.
03:04 Yeah, we ended up winning the third and fourth quarter.
03:06 But again, the second quarter, they got us.
03:09 >> Well, and I think combined with that, it felt like you talked about the pressure
03:13 that you put on them, but
03:14 it felt like maybe that started to rile them a little bit in the second half.
03:17 >> It did, it did.
03:18 Cuz I think we only had like eight, seven turnovers at half.
03:22 And so again, they get more, 10 or 11.
03:25 I think we turned them over 21 times, so
03:27 I know the majority of those was in the second half.
03:30 And again, they were wearing the clock down then, putting us in rotation.
03:34 And then by the time, I think they probably had about five or
03:36 six shots that were taken under four seconds.
03:39 We either fouled or they got a good shot.
03:41 And now that was starting to be detrimental to us,
03:43 cuz now we're taking our time off the clock.
03:45 And we battled them back, I think it was 16 or 18 points down, and
03:48 got it to nine, something like that one time.
03:51 And was trying to get under, but when we got it to nine,
03:54 we had a foul in the backcourt, and then we got a foul on three.
03:57 >> Well, in the rebounding battle, I saw your action a couple times,
04:02 Agnes to just get those rebounds that seemed impossible.
04:06 I mean, teaching you guys to be a good athlete,
04:07 how do you address kinda what's going on down there?
04:09 >> Yeah, my high school coach said the same thing Charles Barkley said.
04:14 Rebound is all about heart, you just gotta go get the ball.
04:17 So whatever you wanna talk about with, she boxed me out, or
04:21 I didn't, you just have to make an effort and go.
04:24 It's as simple as that, and we wasn't making an effort to go.
04:26 We definitely weren't making an effort to block people out,
04:28 because they were just running in and being able to tip the ball.
04:30 And next thing you know, they came up with those.
04:33 I think in the first half, they came up with four 50-50 balls.
04:36 And we were on the floor, I think we got one of those, and
04:39 we tied up the other two, but they had the possession.
04:42 So again, we just playing harder than us that first half.
04:46 >> Is it hard to prepare for a team like this,
04:47 where you think someone like Sedona might be coming back?
04:51 And there's just been a lot of changes on the CCU team.
04:53 >> Yeah, no, we had ideas she'd be coming back.
04:56 That's the one thing that Myra does really, really good is track those kinda
05:01 things with players that's been sitting out, things like that, our staff also,
05:04 my assistants.
05:05 And we kinda know the timetable and things like that.
05:07 And you just have to prepare to play,
05:10 prepare to play against her the first time before she got hurt.
05:12 And you always wanna take into account that people are gonna have their best
05:16 players to be able to play.
05:17 >> Yeah, come down here to the final stretch before you guys go into
05:21 conference play.
05:22 For you guys, just kinda what's the message to your team right now with,
05:26 like what, two, three games left here in the regular season?
05:29 >> The thing we talked about was having these three games being a three game
05:33 tournament.
05:34 So again, you can try to win out and not play on the first day.
05:39 You get another day of rest and then be able to play.
05:41 And now we're pushing that envelope down.
05:44 So now I think we got two coming up and
05:46 you gotta really be able to hone in and be able to get that.
05:49 So again, without pressure, what we do and how we play at the tournament.
05:54 Again, a lot of people can't really adjust to that and face that.
05:57 If you know at home, you got the crowd, you got all the comforts, everything.
06:01 But neutral site, again, it's press, that kinda stuff,
06:04 things can really go a little different.
06:06 Now we all are shooting on that normal baskets because we're not home and
06:10 those kinda things.
06:11 So we wanted to try to build some momentum to be able to go.
06:14 So when we get to that tournament now, at conference tournament,
06:17 we could be able to roll a little bit and be able to get some things going.
06:19 So we just wanna build some momentum and build some steam.
06:23 And that's why the first half, that second quarter was so
06:25 just disheartening because we did that in the Iowa State game.
06:32 And so I was like, I don't understand what's happening in second quarters now.
06:36 So that's what we gotta be able to go back, look at it and
06:38 fix just like we do everything else.
06:41 >> You had two girls getting a double digit scoring, kinda like you said,
06:44 that second half was where it kinda came together.
06:47 Just what did you see out of your two leading scorers tonight?
06:50 >> Yeah, Laila didn't shoot the ball in a particular way.
06:53 I think she was one for eight at halftime.
06:55 And then Naya is going back and forth with taking a pull up shot or
07:02 dragging it out and getting in reversing the ball and things like that.
07:05 I'm saying you have to be aggressive.
07:07 We didn't take enough shots.
07:08 That's the first thing.
07:09 We should have had in a game like this where they're backing off and
07:12 giving us space, we should have had 80 shots.
07:14 But we didn't, we wasn't aggressive enough to take shots.
07:17 We wanted to force the issue and try to get inside and things like that.
07:19 And Sedona's gonna present a problem.
07:22 And then everybody else can stay home because again,
07:24 they're gonna let her be able to do that.
07:25 So you have to be able to let her come out of her comfort zone,
07:28 out of the paint to be able to guard and those kind of things like that.
07:32 And we didn't force her to do that.
07:34 But we have to have three or four, we've been having three or
07:37 four in our double figures the last couple games.
07:40 And we wanted to be able to keep that trend going too.
07:42 And then only had two tonight.
07:44 So that's another area that we're really not satisfied with at all.
07:48 >> How much better is this team with Sedona?
07:52 15 points, she's been out all this time.
07:55 What difference does that make?
07:57 >> Man, she's a presence.
07:58 She's a pro.
07:59 We talk about stature and the type of player that she is.
08:04 She can shoot the ball from three, she can shoot the ball from the high post.
08:06 There's no blocking her shot in women's basketball.
08:09 Not in college women's basketball anyway.
08:11 She can post around the rim, she can put the ball on the floor.
08:14 She can pass to either side, right hand, left hand, those kind of things.
08:18 She's very versatile.
08:19 And she can make any team better, so there's no doubt that she can make them better.
08:23 It's a reason why they were undefeated in our conference and
08:26 that was kind of thing because again, she's a presence down there.
08:29 And the thing that I love most about her, she's always had a smile on her face.
08:34 And not a arrogant kid.
08:35 She's been like that since I've known her since seventh grade.
08:38 So again, just a very talented young lady that's,
08:41 skies are the limit if she continue to stay healthy and grow.
08:44 >> Thank you, Coach.
08:47 >> Thanks, Coach.
08:47 >> Thank you all so much, I appreciate it.