Comments from Morgan State loss

[mat1992 2,231]

Opening comment

This stings. We haven't lost one of these (local games) in a long time. Guys are trying but we're just not a good basketball team right now. Can't turn the ball over 21 times. That falls on me. It stings. We watched a lot of tape on these guys. We start out every practice on skill work. We did a lot of numbing things from foul line to foul line. We did some interesting things. Until we figure that out, we're going to be in trouble. They drove us late, we didn't come up with big plays. Tough one to swallow. We have to figure it out. Maybe make a couple of lineup changes. Start playing some younger guys a little bit more.

On press

We planned on potentially doing it (going small). Thought we might have to. Foul trouble was part of it. Big Alex was ineffective. I have to watch the tape. I'm not sure if it helped or hurt us. The thing that comes up is that we're struggling on offense but the other night we shot 52%, tonight we shot 48%. I told them at the half, that we're up 5 and there's 14 possessions where we didn't get a shot. Just think about that, if you have a shot at half of those, you're probably up a lot. Some of the turnovers are numbing. Sanders has to play better. I drew something at the timeout and we cough it up. I still think we're going to have a lot of these types of games. Right now, we're not ready to win them.

On point guard play

I have to watch the tape. He (Dottin) was hurt the last couple of weeks. Hopefully he has gotten over that. Six turnovers is too many from that position. One thing that is troubling right now. Somebody has to drive the bus when we're in a little traffic. We drive the bus through fire hydrants and store fronts. Can't live with that.

On playing younger guys

I don't know. Tunstall is going to play. I'm at the point...our ability to settle down is just not there. That hurt us the other night (against GW). We're up 7 with 10 to go and had some numbing turnovers. I haven't went crazy on the guys yet, but I'm close. There's a half dozen that I like and see something in. 

On the half

You never really know with so many new guys (about losing momentum). When things start working pretty good, we don't want to back to those. Maybe I'll take a quick shot or maybe I'll test it here. The goal is to play consistent basketball. If I were guessing, we probably did that for about 20 minutes. To get some wins, we just lost three games that were kicks in the teeth for us. All different styles of play. Tonight, we expected to be mayhem. We don't impose our own style of play on the game yet in key junctures.

On problems with press

It wasn't the traps. We were sloppy with the ball. Playoff off two feet. Catch and face. Catch with two hands. Meet passes. It's disappointing and it falls on me. We spend the first 30 minutes of practice on skill level. We don't transfer that over. We were adamant with the guys that when Morgan wins, the cause 23 turnovers per game. When they lose, it's 13. That's the first key. I said to my staff, I didn't know how we were up five after turning it over 14 times. It takes more than playing hard to win games. Hopefully we'll get there. I appreciate people for being patient. Which guys can get us closer to that and if we can't, we have to get guys that can. That's reality. That's college basketball.

[TSU88 1,070]

I genuinely feel sorry for Skerry. It has to be killing him inside.

Some very telling comments:

- “there’s a half dozen that I like & see something in.” 

“And if we can’t, we have to get guys that can.” That’s reality. That’s college basketball.”

[mat1992 2,231]

10 minutes ago, TSU88 said:

I genuinely feel sorry for Skerry. It has to be killing him inside.

Some very telling comments:

- “there’s a half dozen that I like & see something in.” 

“And if we can’t, we have to get guys that can.” That’s reality. That’s college basketball.”

He said the same thing during the 1-31 season about replacing guys. I think it was understandable then because a lot of those kids were just bodies he added very late in the game. You could sort of say the same thing about adding guys late but that was Timberlake and Yagi. Fobbs as well. Maybe Yagi becomes the odd man out along with Drayton. I have to give Drayton some kudos for playing with a cast on his hand but I'm not sure why we played him. He took one of the worst shots off the wrong foot I've ever seen.