COACH CHAMBERS QUOTES | JUNIOR LAMAR STEVENS QUOTES | POSTGAME NOTES | RECAP
Penn State Men's Basketball
Patrick Chambers Postgame Press Conference
vs. Rutgers – January 26, 2019
Coach Chambers | Head Coach
Opening Statement:
PC: Coming into the game I knew Rutgers was playing really well. Played very tough, very physical, grinding out basketball. So let's give Coach [Steve] Pikiell credit for their game plan today. Second, we go up, and they fight back. We keep fighting back. They go up a few points, we keep fighting back again. We get it to one point and I just love this team's grit. We're this close to breaking through. I'm more optimistic walking out of this arena than I was a week ago. We just got to clean up a few things. A couple of rebounds here or there, couple missed free throws here or there and missed assignments on both ends. I thought we did some really good things offensively. We got some good open shots. We didn't make them and that's what Rutgers does. Then we were able to get downhill a little bit in the second half.
Look, we go back to work tomorrow with training, with Saz (Jonathan Salazer) and ice and all that good stuff. We go back to work on Monday and start preparing for Purdue. That's got to be the mindset. Keep getting better. One percent better each day. We're this close.
And I'm sorry, I should have said this first, but what an amazing crowd. What an amazing day to be a part and partner up with THON with Coaches versus Cancer. To have almost over 13,000 there is phenomenal. I know we are not where we want to be, but for everybody to show up and support men's basketball, support THON or Coaches versus Cancer, it just shows you the relationship that we have with everybody. THON, Coaches versus Cancer and everyone in the community. Definitely a bright spot.
How much did Rutgers' early offensive rebounds hurt you coming into this game?
PC: We gave up nine in the first half. We weren't finding bodies. With Purdue coming up we have to find bodies. The next two teams play very similarly. Although, I think Purdue shoots it a little bit better, but they still go to the glass a lot. We got to work on that during practice. We did for two days. Working on finding bodies and cleaning it up. Obviously first half we didn't do a good job. The play at the end of the first half, where they get that layin, you could of looked at it either way. Did that win in the game or the one at the end? They both got offensive rebounds and were able to make two points out of it.
Your four most experienced players had a combined 11 turnovers in today's game. Do these guys have to step it up in that regard in these types of games?
PC: I don't disagree, but we're all trying so hard. Right? We all want to push the team through that barrier. We all want to get the team over the hump. So sometimes you can't fall for his aggressiveness on the offensive end. But I agree. Our veterans have to set it up to get it done. Josh [Reaves], Mike [Watkins] and Lamar [Stevens] all have to get it done.
I think our freshmen and sophomores are getting better. I hope you see that too. Maybe you're not going to watch as much film as I am, but they're getting better. I thought Ra [Rasir Bolton] played really well. Jamari [Wheeler] got some great minutes. Especially guarding in the second half. I thought John [Harrar] making his free throws did some good things for us. Ball screen defense, he was terrific. I thought Myles [Dread], although he only missed a couple, he's getting better. Guys are getting better. Our veterans really need to take care of the ball. They need to push us over this hump.
Q: Was Rasir [Bolton's] shot at the end something you had drawn up?
PC: It's a read. So he comes off, we were able to get a foul to stop the clock and he makes two. So we went to a similar play, he can shoot three if he wants it, but we have some action on the other side too if he wants that corner three over there or he's got Lamar [Stevens], and at the time, I had Trent [Buttrick] in, filling those slot areas. He had a lot of different choices with 9.2 seconds to go and I felt like he got [the shot] off clean. He had just hit one similar to that in practice the other day so I felt like it was a good shot, threw some rebounders, didn't go in. But you know that it's never that shot. It's a free throw, it's a rebound, it's a turnover.
Q: Were you satisfied with the explanation on the fresh shot clock for [Rutgers]?
PC: I'm not sure, I'm going to have to call tomorrow. I am still confused on that one, but I am not going to blame the referees, either. We had plenty of opportunities to seize this game, take over this game, and we didn't make the plays or get the stops, they did, so give them credit.
Q: Some of those late timeouts you look on some of these younger guys faces, really everyone's face, and there's just a 'this is happening again' kind of look of their face. No matter how confident you make them in practice, how do you get them to believe when they can make it that far but then they get into that moment and it just unravels?
PC: Keep practicing. You know what I would tell [them], keep putting ourselves in that position. This is a whole new team. This is a young team that is out there making critical decisions offensively, defensively and on special teams. I would much rather be in a one-possession game then get beat by an excessive amount. So keep putting ourselves there, learn from these experiences, and we are going to break through.
Q: You mentioned the older guys getting over the hump, but it seems at the same time maybe their issue to a certain extent is trying too hard. How do you get that message across without making your best players squeeze the ball harder?
PC: I just think it's the simplicity of it. When we draw up a play, it's a very easy read, make the easy read and don't complicate things. Sometimes we have a tendency to complicate things. So make the easy reads, play as hard as you can, put a fist up and try to execute what we have been executing in practice. I thought we had two really good practices, really strong practices. It's going to come through, all the work we're putting in, it's going to come through.
Q: How do you think Rasir's doing this season? It feels like when he is attacking and when he is able to get to the free throw line he's a more efficient player and he seems more confident. Are you stressing him at all about maybe taking a few less jumpshots and attacking more because he is a really good free throw shooter?
PC: I'm just telling him to read, read the situation, read the ball-screen. When we do that we make better choices and he is making better choices. He's getting downhill for himself and he's making good plays for others. He hit Myles [Dread] in the corner, great look. He has to continue to do that and we need to continue to put him in a position to do that.
Q: How do you keep the team motivated at this point after the losses have kind of piled up? I know you have referred to this a little bit, but how much of a challenge is it because they are only human out there and it has to be a little difficult when these tight ones keep hitting and going in.
PC: I hope and pray as athletes and competitors, that even though you are in this situation, you want to feel that winning feeling again. I am going to keep telling them to show up. I'm going to keep showing up. I cannot wait to get to work tomorrow morning, can't wait. Can't wait to watch this film tonight, can't wait. That's what I just told them, keep showing up. Make good choices tonight, hang out with your family, then show up again tomorrow. As an athlete, as a competitor, if you don't want to get this bad taste out of your mouth you shouldn't be playing sports.