St. John's University Athletics
QUOTES: St. John’s Basketball Pregame Media Availability
St. John’s Head Coach Mike Anderson and Freshman Guard Posh Alexander spoke with the media prior to the BIG EAST Tournament
St. John’s Head Coach Mike Anderson
On being named BIG EAST Coach of the Year…
“First of all when your voted by your peers that’s pretty special. Guys that you go to war with every night and it just tells me that we are doing some good things at St. John’s. None of this happens without players such as Posh [Alexander], my staff and all the support systems, the administration here at St. John’s that brought me in. ... I am honored especially in a highly competitive league such as the BIG EAST. It’s a tremendous honor but there is still more to be done.
On how he galvanized this team to make a run …
“We were thrust right into the BIG EAST conference play [and we started] 1-5 in conference play. We didn’t even know who we were going to play because the schedule was constantly going in different directions, but at the same time I think guys got more experience. We started trusting our older guys that have been through the wars, the Greg Williams, Josh Roberts when we inserted him in the lineup along with Julian Champagnie and Rasheem Dunn. Those guys have been through it. Then you put in a guy such as Posh Alexander, I think that is when we started trending up and guys understanding their roles. Then our bench really started to develop, you saw Marcellus [Earlington], you saw Isiah Moore, obviously Vince Cole those guys really started stepping up with their play and I thought that made a big, big difference with this basketball team along with Dylan [Addae-Wusu]. This is the ultimate team as I have said it from the beginning and the sum of all the parts those parts are coming together. It’s like putting a puzzle together, I have a lot of pieces and we start putting the puzzle together and you can see it works. Even when we have guys go down we have some guys fill in roles and were able to continue to play at a high level. From that stand point, my teams always tend to get it together as the season goes on and guys understand their roles.
On Posh Alexander’s impact on the team…
“He is the igniter. What he brings to the table I have always envisioned. He is wired for defense. Most kids when they come from high school or junior college they come with their offensive arsenal, that’s what they want to impress everybody with that they can score. Well this guy I have said from day one he will pick you up right when you off the bus. That’s what he will do and I don’t even have to tell him that. When you have that instinctive ability and when you are playing the way were playing in terms of up-tempo basketball it just transcends your team and it ignites guys. … He just competes and plays at a high level. If you’re not out there doing the same thing you stand out, but you stand out for the wrong thing. He plays to win. I think when I describe this gut right here he’s got a big heart and kind of like the heart and soul of our team. … At this level in the BIG EAST he was thrown into the fire right at the beginning and he has responded well.”
On his team not looking ahead in the BIG EAST Tournament…
“We just played Seton Hall and split the regular season. It’s the tournament and it’s a one game season now. If you look at Seton Hall’s record over the course of the last two to three years in tournament play it’s been pretty good, so we know we are going to get the best version of Seton Hall and we got to be in the best version as well. It’s a one game season and we are not looking ahead. We’ve learned those lessons, so hopefully well come and leave everything on the floor as we get ready to play against a very good Seton Hall team. We were down 18 to nothing at our place so if that doesn’t get our attention then I don’t know what will.”
On talking with Lou Carnesecca…
“Coach and I talk probably once a week sometimes even twice a week. As a matter of fact, I talked with him today. He congratulated me on being Coach of the Year actually he told me to come down from the chandelier and I said ‘Coach I am not on no chandelier.’ If you know Coach Carnesecca that’s his humor there, ‘I am down on the floor, a matter of fact I am on the bottom floor’. There is more work to be done and that’s what he said ‘go to work.’ He is excited about the program and about the kids. Of course you could imagine that this is the program he built and is used to winning, used to bringing excitement so hopefully we can continue that.”
St. John’s Guard Posh Alexander
On being named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year…
“Being Freshman of the Year means a lot to me. Coming out of high school I told my coach my biggest goal is to come in and win Freshman of the Year and try and win a championship and be the best teammate I can be. With that being said, I give a big congratulations to my teammates and the St. John’s coaching staff for letting me come here and play.”
On proving the player he is this season…
“I don’t look at the rankings, I go out there and I just try to prove that I am one of the better [players on the floor]. I go out there every game try to preform every time I am on the court.”
On his availability tomorrow and status of sprained right thumb…
“Thumb is feeling a lot better and yeah I am going to able to play tomorrow.”
On playing Seton Hall for the second straight game …
“I feel like we have the right mind set. What we learned from the DePaul game is we can’t judge a book by its cover and think that we are just going to beat a team just becasue they are one of the worst teams in the league. I feel like Seton Hall is going to come out and throw their best shot, but as a team we are going to stay together and try to come out to get the win. Just try and win one game at a time, so that’s really it.”
On playing at Madison Square Garden at the college level…
“I get to play in front of my family for the first time on the college level [at Madison Square Garden]. Playing at the Garden it’s going to feel great. I am just happy, excited and I can’t wait to just play.”
On being named BIG EAST Coach of the Year…
“First of all when your voted by your peers that’s pretty special. Guys that you go to war with every night and it just tells me that we are doing some good things at St. John’s. None of this happens without players such as Posh [Alexander], my staff and all the support systems, the administration here at St. John’s that brought me in. ... I am honored especially in a highly competitive league such as the BIG EAST. It’s a tremendous honor but there is still more to be done.
On how he galvanized this team to make a run …
“We were thrust right into the BIG EAST conference play [and we started] 1-5 in conference play. We didn’t even know who we were going to play because the schedule was constantly going in different directions, but at the same time I think guys got more experience. We started trusting our older guys that have been through the wars, the Greg Williams, Josh Roberts when we inserted him in the lineup along with Julian Champagnie and Rasheem Dunn. Those guys have been through it. Then you put in a guy such as Posh Alexander, I think that is when we started trending up and guys understanding their roles. Then our bench really started to develop, you saw Marcellus [Earlington], you saw Isiah Moore, obviously Vince Cole those guys really started stepping up with their play and I thought that made a big, big difference with this basketball team along with Dylan [Addae-Wusu]. This is the ultimate team as I have said it from the beginning and the sum of all the parts those parts are coming together. It’s like putting a puzzle together, I have a lot of pieces and we start putting the puzzle together and you can see it works. Even when we have guys go down we have some guys fill in roles and were able to continue to play at a high level. From that stand point, my teams always tend to get it together as the season goes on and guys understand their roles.
On Posh Alexander’s impact on the team…
“He is the igniter. What he brings to the table I have always envisioned. He is wired for defense. Most kids when they come from high school or junior college they come with their offensive arsenal, that’s what they want to impress everybody with that they can score. Well this guy I have said from day one he will pick you up right when you off the bus. That’s what he will do and I don’t even have to tell him that. When you have that instinctive ability and when you are playing the way were playing in terms of up-tempo basketball it just transcends your team and it ignites guys. … He just competes and plays at a high level. If you’re not out there doing the same thing you stand out, but you stand out for the wrong thing. He plays to win. I think when I describe this gut right here he’s got a big heart and kind of like the heart and soul of our team. … At this level in the BIG EAST he was thrown into the fire right at the beginning and he has responded well.”
On his team not looking ahead in the BIG EAST Tournament…
“We just played Seton Hall and split the regular season. It’s the tournament and it’s a one game season now. If you look at Seton Hall’s record over the course of the last two to three years in tournament play it’s been pretty good, so we know we are going to get the best version of Seton Hall and we got to be in the best version as well. It’s a one game season and we are not looking ahead. We’ve learned those lessons, so hopefully well come and leave everything on the floor as we get ready to play against a very good Seton Hall team. We were down 18 to nothing at our place so if that doesn’t get our attention then I don’t know what will.”
On talking with Lou Carnesecca…
“Coach and I talk probably once a week sometimes even twice a week. As a matter of fact, I talked with him today. He congratulated me on being Coach of the Year actually he told me to come down from the chandelier and I said ‘Coach I am not on no chandelier.’ If you know Coach Carnesecca that’s his humor there, ‘I am down on the floor, a matter of fact I am on the bottom floor’. There is more work to be done and that’s what he said ‘go to work.’ He is excited about the program and about the kids. Of course you could imagine that this is the program he built and is used to winning, used to bringing excitement so hopefully we can continue that.”
St. John’s Guard Posh Alexander
On being named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year…
“Being Freshman of the Year means a lot to me. Coming out of high school I told my coach my biggest goal is to come in and win Freshman of the Year and try and win a championship and be the best teammate I can be. With that being said, I give a big congratulations to my teammates and the St. John’s coaching staff for letting me come here and play.”
On proving the player he is this season…
“I don’t look at the rankings, I go out there and I just try to prove that I am one of the better [players on the floor]. I go out there every game try to preform every time I am on the court.”
On his availability tomorrow and status of sprained right thumb…
“Thumb is feeling a lot better and yeah I am going to able to play tomorrow.”
On playing Seton Hall for the second straight game …
“I feel like we have the right mind set. What we learned from the DePaul game is we can’t judge a book by its cover and think that we are just going to beat a team just becasue they are one of the worst teams in the league. I feel like Seton Hall is going to come out and throw their best shot, but as a team we are going to stay together and try to come out to get the win. Just try and win one game at a time, so that’s really it.”
On playing at Madison Square Garden at the college level…
“I get to play in front of my family for the first time on the college level [at Madison Square Garden]. Playing at the Garden it’s going to feel great. I am just happy, excited and I can’t wait to just play.”