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SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 14, 2008Shan FosterAlex GordonKevin StallingsATLANTA, GEORGIA THE MODERATOR: We'll ask Coach Stallings if he'll begin with some overall thoughts of the game, then we'll take your questions just for the two student athletes. COACH STALLINGS: Well, we just got beaten badly on the boards, and we gave them way too many second opportunities and third opportunities and fourth opportunities. So that was the difference in the game. They just pounded us on the boards, which is disappointing, and our offense isn't good enough to recover, or cover, for -- when they get more of their misses than we do. That's a total breakdown on our part, but they played better than we did, and that's the story of the game. Q. This question is for Shan. You obviously didn't have your typical shooting game. It looked like your leg or ankle or knee was bothering you. How are you physically, and what was Arkansas doing to make it a tough game for you? SHAN FOSTER: Well, I did roll my ankle there a little bit, but that's no excuse for me not playing the way my team needed me to play today. I felt like I let the team down defensively and on the boards. They did a good job of staying close to me and not allowing me to get free on shots, but like Coach said, it really came down to defense and rebounding. Q. It looked like you were matched up on Williams most of the game, and I think he was 1 for 9. Can you just talk about what you all were able to get done against him? I would think you would take that type of game from him most of the time. SHAN FOSTER: Well, being that he's such a good player, we just wanted to stay close to him, not allow him to get open shots and try to trail him on screens and things of that sort. You know, he's a good player. He got a few shots that he usually makes that he didn't knock down, and we were able to get some stops on those possessions. Q. This is for Alex. I think you were shut out in Fayetteville but obviously you had a great game today. Talk about the difference between here and Fayetteville. Talk about what you were feeling here that you weren't feeling there. ALEX GORDON: It's the SEC Tournament, so Coach always talks about stepping up and taking it to another level and just playing harder, so I just wanted to come out and do whatever it took today to lead my team and teammates to victory. But unfortunately that didn't happen (that was Alex). Q. Despite this loss, how confident are you guys heading into the NCAA Tournament now? ALEX GORDON: We've obviously got some work to do as far as like our defense, like our Coach said, but we're not going to lose any confidence. At the end of the day, it's basketball. We've just got to keep the confidence no matter what. We're a good team, we've just got to go to the drawing board and come up with the game plan that Coach gives us? SHAN FOSTER: Just to piggy back on what Alex said, we've got some things to work on. We have to go back to practice and continue to work hard and get better at the things we didn't do so well at today and head into the NCAA Tournament with our heads held high and ready to play. Q. Shan, what do you remember about last year when you lost in this round, and then you guys made a good run in the NCAA Tournament. What happened between losing that game and then getting yourselves back up for the NCAAs. What happened in that year and how do you think you'll approach it this year? SHAN FOSTER: We just continue to believe in each other. Obviously we didn't want to lose that game or this one, but it's just one game. And fortunately for us we have an opportunity to right the ship in the NCAA Tournament. We have an opportunity to keep playing. Same as last year, just continue to get better and practice and be ready to play come next week. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, fellows. You can be excused to the locker room. Thank you for coming. We'll continue on with questions for Coach Stallings. Q. Can you just talk about Shan's game today, not a typical game for him, and what Arkansas was doing you thought made it tough on him? COACH STALLINGS: Williams is a good defender and he's got good size and good strength. So he just -- he had a lot of help. I think that they were -- he had a lot of help, and again, their presence at the basket makes everything more difficult. Their athleticism at the goal is one of the deceiving parts about their defense because it's not as easy to get things right at the basket as it is against a lot of teams. You know, I mean, they did a good job on him. I don't think we can expect Shan Foster to -- what did he have, 25 over in Fayetteville? I don't think we can expect him to be superman every night. He is most nights, but he can't be superman every night. Q. Your team played great defense today when you hold Sonny Williams and Patrick Beverly to a combined ten points. Did you think you would walk out with a loss? COACH STALLINGS: I wouldn't have thought we would have lost, but our first shot at defense was okay but it doesn't count if you don't get the rebound. We were able to get them to miss, but when you allow them to rebound the ball, then they get a second try and a third try and a fourth try, and eventually they're going to score or get fouled. I wouldn't go so far as to say that our defense was good. It was probably okay, but our rebounding effort was pathetic. And that's my fault. Q. Losing to Arkansas four times the past two years, what is it specifically that gives you guys problems? COACH STALLINGS: I think their length and their athleticism. How athletic they are in the perimeter. We don't do a good job of guarding Ervin, and he's hurt us in just about every game. I think that's it more than anything else. Q. As disappointed as you sound right now, do you have any hope that you guys can make another run in the next tournament? COACH STALLINGS: There's always hope. I'll feel better after we practice. I always do. We just need to get to practice and work on some things. Yeah, I like our chances in the NCAA Tournament, quite honestly. But again, it's all about match-ups and who you draw and how you fit against how they fit. So we'll just see what happens on Sunday, and then we'll go about our business. Q. You mentioned Gary Ervin, he had a pretty solid game all around. I was wondering what you thought of his game. Also Arkansas free-throw shooting hasn't been one of their strengths and they knocked them down pretty good the last few minutes. Could you comment on that? COACH STALLINGS: They seemed to play with a confidence against us that you don't see when they play some other teams. So maybe the basket looks bigger to them when they play us. Q. Could you talk about Gary Ervin's game overall? COACH STALLINGS: Pretty efficient. He scored 18 points, took seven shots. That's usually a pretty good sign. A little better than he played in the last game against Auburn. Q. I know you don't put too much stock into rankings or things like that during the season, but given what you guys have done this year, where do you see yourselves being ranked going into the NCAA Tournament in terms of seeding? COACH STALLINGS: I'm not going to get into that speculative, we deserve this or we deserve that. The committee will decide what we deserve. I'm not -- I'm sorry, I just don't care to answer that kind of question because I don't think it makes any difference. Q. Focusing on Arkansas if they clinched a bid and they weren't already in, how good are they and what do you think about them as an NCAA Tournament team? COACH STALLINGS: They're good when they play us (laughter). They're good when they play us. I think their NCAA Tournament chances, probably like anybody else, it depends on who they draw. But they've certainly got pieces and they've got talent, so I would imagine it's just about match-ups, and again, how they fit against who they draw compared to how who they draw fits against them. End of FastScripts |
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