St. John's University Athletics
Pregame Quotes: St. John's at Providence
1/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Head Coach Steve Lavin
On what to do defensively moving forward:
"This season is not different than previous years in terms of our defensive strategy. We need to be able mix our defenses in an effective manner in order to keep teams off balance. Staying out of foul trouble and using our fuel in the most effective way is a priority. If we can make adjustments with our point of pickup, zone, press and man-to-man defenses then we can put our team in position to win."
On LaDonte Henton:
" Toward the end of last season it became evident that his game was developing in a dramatic fashion, so it's not surprising that he is having this type of season as a senior. He is a unique talent who is tough minded and who forces teams to use a collective defensive approach in order to slow him down."
On dealing with the concern of the bench's depth:
"It's important as a coach to have an open mind to explore what we need to do in order to put ourselves in the best position to win games. Our 11-1 start to this season is an indication we can be successful."
On the status of the team:
"There is a lot of basketball ahead of us. We would like to be 15-0, 14-1, 13-2 or 12-3, but instead we are 11-4. We have to move forward and try and accumulate enough wins to do something special come March." ​
Senior Forward Sir'Dominic Pointer
On Providence playing last year with a short rotation:
"They started the game off by pressuring the ball. When Providence got into foul trouble last year, they were able to lay off the ball which is something that we need to do. When we're in foul trouble, we need to stay back and pick and choose our fouls. When we're not in foul trouble, we are one of the best teams in the country."
On the team's recent foul trouble:
"We need to use less hands and let some things go, but at the same time we need to continue to play St. John's basketball. At the beginning of the season we played that way. The BIG EAST is a little tougher but we need to play through it. Not too many teams win with six players, so we need to find some people to come off the bench to give us some minutes."
On the challenges the team faces this season:
"Most of our problems are from foul trouble. When we get in foul trouble, we sit back which is not our game. Right now we are trying to figure out how to play our style of basketball while staying out of foul trouble."
On the strength of the BIG EAST this season:
"You've got to win your games at home and at least split on the road to win this conference. We have a lot of making up to do this season because we've dropped two at home. We've got to go on the road and win some games on other team's home floors. This year, the conference can get seven teams in the NCAA Tournament. DePaul is at the top of the league right now and they've been near the bottom the last few years. This is a tough league from top to bottom and we need to start getting some wins."
Senior Guard Jamal Branch
On the three-game losing streak:
"It's hard for us right now but we need to just stick with each other and keep pushing each other in practice. It's important to keep doing what got us to 11-1. It's hard because of the league that we are in. It's a competitive league. We can't take any games off, no matter who we play, because every team in the BIG EAST is good."
On playing a lot of minutes in recent games:
"It has been a lot of minutes for me since I got here [to St. John's]. I was a little fatigued out there last year, but that is something I have to overcome and keep pushing through. This break has helped us to recover. Guys from our bench have been stepping up recently and I'm looking forward to them helping out the rest of the way."
On Head Coach Steve Lavin as a motivator:
"He has a very positive influence on us. He always says that he would never trade us for any other teams, and he really means that. He sees a lot of potential in us and when we're working hard there is a lot of potential in us."
