Penn State Men's Basketball
Lamar Stevens Postgame Press Conference
vs. Maryland – February 27, 2019
Q: Jamari [Wheeler] tonight just did a phenomenal job at setting the pace for you guys. How big has it been over the last few games where you guys have had more success.
A: It's been huge for us. I think Jamari [Wheeler] has done a great job at buying into his role and understanding what he has to do day in and day out for our team to be successful. We all feed off of that and Jamari has been the guy driving us to these big time games, big time wins.
Q: What's the value of a guy like Myles [Dread] and his ability to hit open shots early on and get the offense rolling early?
A: It's always good to have a guy like Myles [Dread] who gets hot early and sets the tone. It kind of gives everyone a boost of confidence but like I've always said, Myles works hard so I expect those things from him.
Q: You've had a few games now where you've been really patient in the first half and then really turned it up offensively in the second half. Is that something you're doing consciously or is that how games are just unfolding?
A: I think it's just the way games are unfolding. I don't ever think that I need to score in the first half and dial back in the second. I just feel out the game and pick and choose my spots and I work to get good shots for myself, not force shots. I think my teammates have been doing a good job at doing their roles. For shooters, I think Josh [Reaves] is playing great, I think John [Harrar] is playing great, and Mike [Watkins] too. So it's not much for me to have to force because everybody is contributing.
Q: You guys have won five of your last seven games. What do you think the biggest difference has been over the last seven games compared to the first half of conference play?
A: The first half of conference play our young guys really had to learn how to win in the Big Ten. It's just a whole other level. I think it's the best league in the country. When everybody dialed in and believed in Coach Chambers is when we were able to get over that hump. I knew we were talented but it's just another level of toughness and focus that you need to dial into to win in this league.
Q: You didn't have your best game the first time out against Maryland. Did you learn anything from that going against Jalen Smith and Bruno Fernando? What changed for you tonight?
A: Yeah, I didn't. I just watched film on it. I looked at where I may be able to be effective on the court and I felt like I was able to do that more tonight.
Q: Over the course of your career we've seen a lot of come-from-behind wins or back and forth games. You've pretty much won the last three games wire-to-wire, against Illinois once you got a more comfortable lead. What's different about playing in a game when you've got a lead and does it take how to win a game when you have a lead instead of coming from behind?
A: It definitely takes time to learn how to win because no team is going to give up. You have to keep going with the same mentality like it's an even score. That's what we say when we're up big. It's an even score, 0-0, and we just need to focus on winning the next four minutes and we just break it down in chunks. We keep track of that and that's what helps us keep going and not get comfortable. Over the course of the season we did learn that.
Q: Pat [Chambers] touted team defense and rebounding over the last few games. You held [Maryland] to 20 points in the first half. How much of a focal point is that for you guys right out of the gates to really lock down.
A: That's been something Coach has made the backbone of his teams, especially since I've been here. Defend and rebound. Everybody is dialing into that and buying into that recipe for us to win and it's been great for us. That's a really good team that we held to 20 points. It just shows how much people are buying into Coach Chambers and what he's preaching.
Q: We've heard the term, "Getting one percent better." Is there an area where you guys have specifically gotten one percent better?
A: We're just starting to get contributions from everybody. I don't think that there's any guy that doesn't step on the court and doesn't have an impact on the game. Look at Trent Buttrick: Might have played three minutes but I know he at least had two rebounds and he made his impact on the game. That's from top to bottom. You need that in this league. We have really talented guys and when you get that contribution from everybody, we're a really dangerous team.
Q: You mentioned the three freshman and them getting over the hump of learning how to win in the Big Ten. Tonight they combined for 33 points. How dangerous do you think you guys are as a team when those three are playing well together?
A: They're extremely talented. We knew they were talented when they got here. When we're able to get contributions like they did tonight, it just takes our team to a whole other level. For the whole month they've been able to do that and we need it from them.
