Saint Mary's Post-Game Quotes (Utah State)
2/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Randy's Comments on the Game:
Great win against a really good team. They are very efficient offensively. We had 40 hours to prepare for them. I think the difference was our intensity level. You can feel it in the gym at the end of the half, you can feel it the whole second half. Actually, for the most part the whole game. We missed some free throws in the stretch there in the second half that let the game get a little closer then if probably should of. I thought our leadership from our seniors. You may not see it, but I see it behind the scenes in practice, in shoot around, in the locker room before the game. Somebody's gotta play really good to beat us tonight. Our desire to win that game was at a really high level. I thought we played really well. I thought this was the best we played since we lost Pat. It's a good win for our resume.
Diamon on the last dunk:
I was excited to put a stamp on my career like that. The energy going through me at the time was unreal. I'm just happy to leave the gym on a good note.
It was definitely cheery picking. I didn't think we were going to get the rebound that fast and be able to outlet it, and so I thought just wait at half court.
Mickey on the importance of this win:
I was definitely a huge game. They are a great team and we need all the wins we can get. It was good to get a win against a highly competitive team.
Omar on if this was a better game then last game against Portland:
It was. It was a big tight game and we played well down the stretch. Last night we all laughed at him (Mickey) about how he was dribbling out, trying to get the fouls. Tonight he played, and just let it happen.
Omar on how he felt about Diamon's last dunk:
So excited. That was the last shoot he'll ever take here, so that's just awesome. I've been on him all week. He's been mad at me all week, because of me talking about how sad it's gonna be and everything else. He's been saying, "Man, stop talking about it so much." It was a great win. It was a great way to go out. Thank you (directed at Diamon).
Omar on the match up with Gary Wilkinson:
He was a good player. He has done well in the WAC. Coach said he might even have the chance to be player of the year over there. I knew it was going to be a tough match up. Gyno kind of got me on Thursday, so I was looking to come back and play better defense. Coaches were harping on me pretty hard about scout report and that kind of stuff. It was a battle. They said he's a warrior and he was. I'm just happy to come out with W. They were a good team, so it was good win.
Omar on the defensive improvement for the 3 games after the Santa Clara game:
Well, coach said a lot. We said a little. We as a team and a unit can understand the offense change and what not, because of Patty getting hurt, but you can't understand the lapse on defense. We weren't playing as hard as we normally do. So we came together as a unit, and worked hard in practice. We said that's one area that we can control for 40 minutes. So, we've done a great job of that and it's paid off.
Randy on the importance of this win:
Even (as to the importance of the win this game verses the USD win). They are both big wins. The other one was really important for league. The other one was very important because this is the right team to beat. Hopefully we can play well, and we'll have the chance to go to that NCAA tournament that win would certainly help over a ranked team.
Randy on what would happen if the Gaels lost this game:
I don't know. We were 18 and 1 with our team and we had battle through that. But I think they take that into consideration. So I don't know. I just know all we can do is keep winning the games we play and if we do that we'll be in good shape.
Randy's comments on the importance of Mickey's play:
It's not a coincidence (between Mickey's good play and the success of the team). It's a direct correlation. Mickey's had two really good games. Shoot, he's had three good games. That game against Portland was a great game and tonight it was great. We played well tonight. I felt like we've been sporadic a little bit, Gonzaga, Portland even. We weren't very sporadic tonight. We played well at both ends of the floor. And Mickey had a great deal to do with that. It's what a team is. You have to be confident in one another. And trust one another. Mickey's come through enough now that, all right Mickey's gonna be fine, so he's doing well and thus we're doing well.
Randy on Diamon's improvement over the years:
He's made unbelievable improvements as a player. I said this at the beginning of the year. The thing about Diamon is he's improved every year. Not a lot of players do that. They plateau out. Sometimes that have a really good freshman or sophomore year and then they dip. He's never dipped. Every year they've gotten better. Just look at his numbers. They speak volumes. He is probably one of the winningest players who has ever played at Saint Mary's. There is a direct correlation, because of him, we have won a lot and these other guys. But, that's what a good player does. He comes to win.
Great win against a really good team. They are very efficient offensively. We had 40 hours to prepare for them. I think the difference was our intensity level. You can feel it in the gym at the end of the half, you can feel it the whole second half. Actually, for the most part the whole game. We missed some free throws in the stretch there in the second half that let the game get a little closer then if probably should of. I thought our leadership from our seniors. You may not see it, but I see it behind the scenes in practice, in shoot around, in the locker room before the game. Somebody's gotta play really good to beat us tonight. Our desire to win that game was at a really high level. I thought we played really well. I thought this was the best we played since we lost Pat. It's a good win for our resume.
Diamon on the last dunk:
I was excited to put a stamp on my career like that. The energy going through me at the time was unreal. I'm just happy to leave the gym on a good note.
It was definitely cheery picking. I didn't think we were going to get the rebound that fast and be able to outlet it, and so I thought just wait at half court.
Mickey on the importance of this win:
I was definitely a huge game. They are a great team and we need all the wins we can get. It was good to get a win against a highly competitive team.
Omar on if this was a better game then last game against Portland:
It was. It was a big tight game and we played well down the stretch. Last night we all laughed at him (Mickey) about how he was dribbling out, trying to get the fouls. Tonight he played, and just let it happen.
Omar on how he felt about Diamon's last dunk:
So excited. That was the last shoot he'll ever take here, so that's just awesome. I've been on him all week. He's been mad at me all week, because of me talking about how sad it's gonna be and everything else. He's been saying, "Man, stop talking about it so much." It was a great win. It was a great way to go out. Thank you (directed at Diamon).
Omar on the match up with Gary Wilkinson:
He was a good player. He has done well in the WAC. Coach said he might even have the chance to be player of the year over there. I knew it was going to be a tough match up. Gyno kind of got me on Thursday, so I was looking to come back and play better defense. Coaches were harping on me pretty hard about scout report and that kind of stuff. It was a battle. They said he's a warrior and he was. I'm just happy to come out with W. They were a good team, so it was good win.
Omar on the defensive improvement for the 3 games after the Santa Clara game:
Well, coach said a lot. We said a little. We as a team and a unit can understand the offense change and what not, because of Patty getting hurt, but you can't understand the lapse on defense. We weren't playing as hard as we normally do. So we came together as a unit, and worked hard in practice. We said that's one area that we can control for 40 minutes. So, we've done a great job of that and it's paid off.
Randy on the importance of this win:
Even (as to the importance of the win this game verses the USD win). They are both big wins. The other one was really important for league. The other one was very important because this is the right team to beat. Hopefully we can play well, and we'll have the chance to go to that NCAA tournament that win would certainly help over a ranked team.
Randy on what would happen if the Gaels lost this game:
I don't know. We were 18 and 1 with our team and we had battle through that. But I think they take that into consideration. So I don't know. I just know all we can do is keep winning the games we play and if we do that we'll be in good shape.
Randy's comments on the importance of Mickey's play:
It's not a coincidence (between Mickey's good play and the success of the team). It's a direct correlation. Mickey's had two really good games. Shoot, he's had three good games. That game against Portland was a great game and tonight it was great. We played well tonight. I felt like we've been sporadic a little bit, Gonzaga, Portland even. We weren't very sporadic tonight. We played well at both ends of the floor. And Mickey had a great deal to do with that. It's what a team is. You have to be confident in one another. And trust one another. Mickey's come through enough now that, all right Mickey's gonna be fine, so he's doing well and thus we're doing well.
Randy on Diamon's improvement over the years:
He's made unbelievable improvements as a player. I said this at the beginning of the year. The thing about Diamon is he's improved every year. Not a lot of players do that. They plateau out. Sometimes that have a really good freshman or sophomore year and then they dip. He's never dipped. Every year they've gotten better. Just look at his numbers. They speak volumes. He is probably one of the winningest players who has ever played at Saint Mary's. There is a direct correlation, because of him, we have won a lot and these other guys. But, that's what a good player does. He comes to win.
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