St. John's University Athletics
Pregame Quotes vs. No. 9/11 Notre Dame
1/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2011
St. John's Head Coach Steve Lavin
On what the team has worked on since the Syracuse game:
"I thought that we had only played well for eight minutes, but with three minutes to go (in the first half), we cut it to one and then they went on a 10-0 run. It was from that three-minute mark and into the second half that we didn't play with the necessary energy or aggressiveness. I think that's what we've spent the most time on and have focused on. We came out early and both teams were offensively challenged, but we were patient and we got good looks at the basket and we got deep into the shot clock. I thought our pressure was good in the full court. We got some steals and forced turnovers. We forced them into 20 turnovers and that's a positive. But our scoring droughts were a combination of not converting some high-percentage looks, some turnovers, some quick shots and that added up to the other team going on a good run. We had to address that - playing through the post, being patient, taking care of the basketball and sustaining our defense. I think I could help some with substituting more frequently so we can keep a higher level of energy with fresh bodies on the floor. Since Notre Dame has good shooters, we have to keep the energy level up defensively."
On facing Notre Dame twice in eight days:
"One of the positives of playing Notre Dame after a quick turnaround is the familiarity in terms of your game preparation, but that works both ways. They also have a familiarity and a good sense for us. Other than that, I don't put a lot of stock into when we're playing somebody. It's more important that we get off the snide and get back to winning ways."
On if this group of seniors has earned a second chance with New York basketball fans:
"I think so. Most of the fans that I've talked to that follow this team closely feel very strongly about this particular group. They have followed their journey. This team has worked very hard and has represented the program well. People want to see them finish on a high note. There are basketball fans that don't necessarily have an allegiance to St. John's that are coming back to following the Johnnies. That group may not have as good a sense of this particular group of players. The St. John's that really follow this group have a sense that there is real camaraderie and that they are galvanized in their objective to make the NCAA Tournament and finish their careers as they deserve in the postseason, having success. Our staff can't help but be taken by the makeup of this current team. They are hard workers, they are earnest, they are eager to learn and you want to see them be successful."
Senior forward Justin Brownlee
On if the team sees Sunday's game as a chance for repayment:
"Yeah, they kind of embarrassed us on their court. We didn't play very well. We are just looking forward to playing them again and playing well on our home floor."
On what went wrong against Notre Dame last week:
"I feel like we prepared well for the game and were ready. You can't have a good night every night. And that game last week was just one of those games where we came out flat. You have to give them credit too. They came out with a hard edge and played well on their home court and we didn't fight back."
On if teams are focused on stopping him now:
"Coach has told me since the start of the season that teams are going to have a target on my back. I have to understand that, and I think that I'm understanding it more. I have to always be ready to compete and give a counter-punch to whatever a team does to try to stop me."
Senior guard Dwight Hardy
On if the team sees this as a payback game:
"You could say that. We felt that we didn't come out to play when we played them at their place. Now we have them at the Garden in front of our fans. We look at it as a payback game, but also because we need the win. We are coming off of two straight losses and we need the win."
On what the team needs to do in Sunday's game:
"We just have to get back to doing what we did when we went on a winning streak - pressure defense for 40 minutes, not let fatigue be a factor, and being disciplined on defense and offense."
Senior guard Paris Horne
On any adjustments the team will make for Sunday:
"We will probably pressure a little bit more. On defense, we will try to switch it up and use different schemes. But overall, we will do pretty much the same things from the last Notre Dame game, but we didn't hit shots then. We missed a lot of easy layups that hurt us because it was an empty possession. It's the little things that we have to clean up."
