Post-Game Quotes: James Madison
11/7/2023 12:49:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Opening Statement...
"First, I give them a lot of credit. They came in here and outplayed us, played harder than us, played stronger than us, and made big plays. We got in foul trouble early and that hurt us, we missed all those free throws early, that hurt us. We go 1-20 from the three, and I mean how you go 23 for 40 from the free throw line. The night before games we come in here and shoot free throws and watch film, we keep track and last night we had an all-time high at 90% as a team and we just missed free throw, after free throw, after free throw. That's demoralizing in the first half, and you do that. We had a couple guys that played poorly. I thought the only guy that played well was Coen (Carr) and he played awfully well; and Tyson (Walker) struggled, it looks like he had 35 points, but he didn't play very well. A.J. (Hoggard) was cramping all night, Jaden (Akins) struggled, and Malik (Hall) struggled. They outplayed us, they deserved the win. I told a couple of you that I was concerned about the game because of what they had, and what they were doing. I didn't think it would go like that at the end. I didn't think we would shoot like we did. I expect our defense to carry in a way and it didn't, because its depressing to miss free throw, after free throw."
On how frustrating it was to see the slow start…
"Well, you know we didn't turn the ball over and stuff like that, we just didn't make shots. I don't think it was at all like the Tennessee game, I think we didn't make shots, we didn't make any shots and we didn't make free throws. We didn't turn it over like that, the couple turnovers we had turned into layups and that's how they got a 12-point lead. I don't have a good answer why three juniors and seniors played like they played; I also don't care because I'll play some freshmen, let the controversy begin."
On concern of perimeter defense…
"Oh, it's a big concern, I thought guys like Jaden would be great, AJ, and Tre (Holloman)Â I thought was playing really playing well defensively. Our bigs didn't do a very good job on those ball screens either, it was a question of people. I don't think anybody had a good game. I don't know if guys were down about missing free throws, but then seemed like we got very stagnant on offense and we didn't cover well defensively, and again give them credit, they played well."
On who he expects to step up behind Tyson…
"Yeah, that's a good question and I don't have a good answer for you, right now. You hope A.J. would be a guy, you hope Jaden would mature into that guy, and I really thought Malik would after a great week of practice. He just didn't. I don't have a good answer. Tyson didn't have a great game either, he just kept us in there, but it wasn't the same Tyson Walker either and, as you saw, he was cramping up the whole night. I don't know why those two were cramping up so much, I haven't seen that very often."
On how he hopes his team will respond…
"Well, I hope they respond by being ticked off. I hope they respond by playing harder, more physical. I don't know what to say about the free throws, I harp on it every day, and we have shot well from the line at practice. It just happened, I mean really to get right down to it, other than Cooper who been shooting it well, I mean who would've thought Tyson would go 11-20. It's hard to complain about that, I complain more about if we're switching late, and a couple guys didn't do what they were supposed to do and that's how they got buckets that sent it into overtime."
On outside defense…
"That's one of the problems for a couple of those players, as soon as they miss a couple of shots everything relies on their offense, we got to get better at that. That and the fact in the second half every loose ball seemed to bounce their way, there was some weird calls too, we must've had five or six on screens, so we had our bigs in foul trouble a lot. We never had any continuity the whole night, and that was the problem."
On leadership issue and communication within the team..."Yeah, I said that was the concern I had last week, that was the concern I've had, I mean I don't put a lot on A.J. but that's one thing I put on him. We'll figure it out, there will be some adjustments there. We didn't show much leadership."
On low assist total by team standard and what caused that...
"Well, I think what happens, and this is my whole problem with everything we're doing right now; I think guys are worried too much about other things. A.J. has three assists and he had some guys wide open in those corners and he threw up. You know, that's not who he is, he's not a shooter. That's O.K., neither was Magic Johnson. I thought that was a big part because it was in his hand. But then again, when guys miss a lot of shots it doesn't matter if God was throwing that ball to them, to get an assist guys have got to make shots."
On whether this was a wakeup call for the team...
"To me wake-up calls are for programs that all of a sudden came out of the ashes. We've been a solid program, there should be no wake-up calls. So, I take responsibility for that, there's no reason for a wake-up call. There's going to be some changes but there's no reason for a wakeup call. I'm really big on giving guys a chance, but there were some things that happened over and over again that, we'll see."
On whether there will be some changes to the starting lineup...
"Maybe. I wouldn't answer that anyway. Guys aren't going to do what they're not supposed to do. I don't need guys taking shots that are not shooters, I don't need guys dribbling that are not ball handlers and we've got to pay more attention to what we say in a huddle and if we're going to switch then we're going to switch. I say all that and if you make a quarter of the free throws we miss, then we win the game. By six or eight. Give them credit, they made 75%. As I said, we shot 62% but it was really worse than that if you count the one-and-ones and that was really in that run in the first half."
On rough shooting and what next couple days of practice will look like...
"Ugly. It's going to be ugly. Guys are coming to practice and they're too worried about load management and sports science and this and that. That's out the door. There's no practice. And we practice pretty good. But the physical part of it, it's always too worried about too many things that aren't in my deal. So no, I'm not going to sit there and make guys headcases. If we played better defensively, if we got those rebounds and loose balls, didn't cut out – those are effort related things. Shooting – we've got to shoot the ball better. I don't know if I've ever seen us shoot that poorly. Definitely not from the line I don't think ever. I don't know if I've ever had a team that went 1-20 from 3. But stuff happens as they say and we'll get that part straightened out, I'm more concerned about the other parts. I don't think guys are reading their press clippings, I think they're too pampered. They get whatever they want now. I'm not big on that."
On whether guys were speaking up in the locker room after the game...
"No, I don't have very good leadership. That's one thing that I said at the first press conference this year. You asked, 'who is our leader,' and I said, 'I hope it's this guy, this guy,' but no. I mean guys were hurt, guys were disappointed, they were probably I guess embarrassed in the way they played and that takes nothing away from James Madison. They played awfully well, they ran stuff well, Mark did a great job coaching them, I think they deserve a lot of credit. Again, then you start missing shots like that it becomes contagious, from the free throw line at least when you make some. You know, at one time, we would have been eight up in the first half if we would have just made 80% of our free throws. We didn't and I think that wore on us a little bit. And then the foul trouble. We had Mady (Sissoko), we had Malik, in foul trouble early. I think Mady got two of his three on illegal screens. So, I guess we've got to do a better job of that."
On why he believes Coen Carr was the only one that played well...
"Because he played hard, he played with some passion, he played like a freshman should. And Jeremy (Fears), was O.K. He gave some guys a chance, but he'll get some more time. And Booker, it was a tough game for him, it's going to be a tough game sometimes with smaller teams that are really athletic, you know it's just going to be part of his process, it'll be almost bigger with him when we play bigger teams. I wasn't disappointed with any of the freshmen, I was more disappointed with some of the veterans to be frank about it."
Graduate guard Tyson Walker
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On his impact...
"I didn't do enough at the free throw line and took too many bad shots. I didn't get any key rebounds or stops either."Â
"Got to be better. The first five has to be better. The bench shouldn't need to come in and give us a spark, we need to be able to do that at the beginning."Â
On his team's start...
"I need to show everyone what is right and simply do more. We didn't do enough of the little things and that's why they won the game. We need to talk a little more."Â
On his cramps during the game..
"Nothing was wrong with me, honestly. I caught a little cramp one time then came out, but I came right back in, and I was fine."Â
On JMU's defense...
"They were very active. We simply didn't make shots; we missed a lot of open shots which we usually make. They played harder."Â
On practice tomorrow...
"A lot of learning. Learning to play harder and how to begin the games. Playing harder, that's it."Â
Graduate Forward Malik Hall
On what he thinks led to the slow start...
"It was everything. We didn't knock down enough shots. We were letting them get rebounds. We just weren't all the way there."
On the team's leaders...
"We just need to do more.The young guys don't really know much of what is going on because it is their first experience. Just being able to expect more from ourselves and our teammates. We need to make sure we are improving.You have to lead by holding people accountable."
Freshman Forward Coen Carr
On how he thought he played...
"I mean I played alright I guess, I felt like I could've made a lot more plays out there. I played alright but you know, I don't really care how good I played, I wanted to get the win. That doesn't even matter to me."Â
On the team's emotions when shots aren't falling...
"You know we just gotta keep putting shots up. We're up and we're down, the motions are down, but you've just got to try to keep that motor going, keep going, keep shooting, you know what I'm saying. Shot's not gonna fall you know, we shot I think one for 20 from 3 I don't think that's ever going to happen again with us. So yeah, just try to turn the page and play better."Â
On what his role is when shots aren't falling...
"I mean yeah, that's what I try to do, just come in there and play hard, I mean you know try be what I do best, get to the rim, get offensive rebounds, just try to make plays for my team to get them going."
On what the locker room was like after the game...
"About what it should be after a loss. You know what I'm saying, just a lot of talk about self-evaluation."Â
On being on the floor in late game scenarios...
"They trust me. They trust me, but yeah I mean I didn't come in there expecting that or any of that and just, you know what I'm saying, have whatever happens happen, I'm just going to play how I play always whether it's the beginning or the end of the game."Â
James Madison Head Coach Mark Byington
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Opening statement…
First things first, what a heck of a game for the first game of the year. I would have been proud, win or lose. We went against one of the best teams in the country, in one of the best arenas, and best atmospheres in the country. I just love the way that we had resilience, stuck together, and believed in each other. I learned a lot about our team. We had two scrimmages; I didn't know what to expect. We were able to deal with a lot of adversity with foul trouble and making a run getting to go up six in the second half, and we kept going. I appreciate coach Izzo giving us the opportunity. He is one of the best coaches ever.
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On if he scheduled this game thinking he had a chance…
Well truthfully, we couldn't find a regional game to play, and I know Coach Izzo isn't afraid to play anybody. I mean we're good whatever you want to call us good, major, we've had good programs, but he's not scared to play us and give us a solid opportunity. I know if he had a choice, he's probably playing the Pistons or Lakers, I mean coming up here and getting tested we learned a lot, it's great to go out on a win. I mean if something had happened, and Tyson Walker made that shot at the end of regulation, we still would have learned a lot.
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On if it was his move or MSU in the MSU 1 for 20 from three…
Well, the first games tough. I think it was probably some of both, but I think it's the first game. You know, you look at NBA guys, and as tall as they are it takes the first couple of games, it takes getting in a rhythm, the crowd, and the intensity. We struggled with it, and I think they struggled with it, and I think it's going to be a good 3-point shooting team. I think we will too, but tonight I give some credit to the defense. I think some guys missed some shots they would made.
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On the beginning of the game chances at winning…
Yeah, one of the things we talked about yesterday, we talked about two starts, and we said alright what happens when they go up 10-2? We got to keep playing and fight back. Or what happens when we start 10-2? The game is not over, we got to keep playing. Luckily, it was the second one, and you know it helped for confidence, it helped for guys getting the rhythm. It wasn't any type of thing where our guys needed something to believe they could win. I don't think that was ever shaken, but it's good to get off on a good start in this environment because people will get steamrolled in here pretty quick when things aren't turning their own way.
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On what the mood is liked from the players in the locker room and what it means to him to get a win over MSU…
Yeah, it's something that the odd person will cheer us later on. The guys, you know, ecstatic locker room. It's cause of the respect we have for Michigan State, their history, their players. You know, for me, I'm like we got to get ready for Kent State on Thursday. It's going to be a tough one, and the great team won 28 games last year. It's a tough road week ahead. Luckily, we got this one. This can't be our biggest game of the year. It's a great thing, something we'll talk about later, and great for these guys, but you know we got to keep getting better and keep getting better, and our bigger games will come down the road.
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