St. John's University Athletics
PREGAME QUOTES: St. John's vs. No. 1 Villanova
1/11/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
St. John's Head Coach Chris Mullin…
On the loss to Georgetown:
"Georgetown was not an artistic game, but it was close. 31-31 at half and, as it turned out, 38-35 in the second half. It came down to one possession, they made the plays and we didn't. [Jessie] Govan hit a big 3-point shot and that proved to be the difference. We are in a tough stretch here. Starting out 0-5 in conference, we played three good games and two stinkers at home. We are just trying to hunker down, get a positive mindset, get our bodies some energy, and get ready for the No. 1 team in the country on Saturday."
On the Marcus LoVett injury announcement:
"Any time you lose one of your best players; there are typically adjustments that need to be made. Having said that, we've been dealing with that for a few weeks now, and on most occasions we have come out pretty well. We will play a little bigger and still have enough to compete. That's really where our mindset is and just trying to get our team together. Have a positive mindset and bring some energy."
On Villanova:
"They're number one in the country for good reason. Great coaching, great players, they play together, fundamentally sound, and what you have to do is be fundamentally sound too. You can't gamble, give them easy baskets, and can't turn the ball over because they are going to make you pay. To me, the amazing thing about Villanova is they're so fundamental, they do it so well, that they become elite. A lot of teams have outstanding speed or something else, but [Villanova] is just a solid, fundamental, well-oiled machine. You have to be prepared for that, and not let them overpower you. They play for 40 minutes and beyond if they have to."
On message to the team after starting 0-5 in BIG EAST play:
"It's the oldest cliché in the book, but if you actually exercise it, it's not. Today is a nice day to get ourselves together, get a nice workout, get our bodies going, do some prep, and that's kind of what we do. Win or lose, that's what we do. We look at the last game, learn from it, and move on. I know it sounds kind of mundane, but that's what you have to do. We've stuck to that, and for the most part we've done okay. Short-term memory, win or lose, and get ready for the next game."
On whether the LoVett injury announcement caught anyone by surprise and if having an answer helps:
"Yeah I think it does [help]. I wasn't surprised because that was really the first day we were going to have him try and get to that next level of rehab. He did his stuff in the morning, and by the time he was to get on the court, he was still sore and didn't feel like he could do it. It's probably much to do with what time is left for him to get ready. He's probably been out for about seven weeks, and there's just not enough time to get him back in shape. He just has to concentrate on getting healthy, and that's the most important thing."
On whether he has seen anything different from Shamorie Ponds this season:
"Everyone takes losing hard, and I think it's admirable that people try to take it to heart. But it's a team effort, whether we win or lose. Shamorie is a great competitor and my job is to keep their heads in a positive place and make sure their bodies are energetic enough to compete. In sports and life in general, your mind and your body go together. It's important that both of those function at a high level in a positive way. Healthy mind, healthy body."
