Men’s Basketball – Nebraska Postgame Press Conference (2/7/24)
Uh needless to say this was a big game for us um I think really proud of our response um last week was a very difficult week for us emotionally you know we had two amazing opportunities against two of the better teams in the league to to Come Away with Road winds
And and you you have heartbreaking losses on you know last possessions and it goes to overtime and you come up short and you have to play 90 minutes and you’re you’re already a little bit thin as it is you know with uh in terms
Of depth and um you know we we knew the importance of this game we also knew they were coming off a real emotional game so our energy level was going to be huge because they kind of had what we had last week you know where they had to
Go to Champagne overtime game play great you know then travel back here uh play on the road again you know and and so we wanted to try to take advantage of that a little bit because the schedule just get you I mean that happened to us last
Week we Minnesota was sitting at home for eight days you you know we come back off of West lafay head and and that doesn’t discount what they did but you know when you have the when you have that you got to take advantage of it and
I thought in the first half we we had a lot of energy um thought we were very sharp um you know they went to a bigger lineup which we kind of expected um you know Gary played very well but I thought overall Alec had really hurt us in the
First game I think he had 18 points in the first game tonight he gets zero so that was a big thing and I thought we did a great job on Mast you know Mast has been really playing well in our league you know the last three weeks or
So with some big games 20 plus games and I thought we did a really good job you know taking away his pick and pops and his low post stuff and um you know obviously when when you got tomin Naga and wilch you know flying around shooting threes that’s scary and so um
This was a good win um really proud of the guys obviously dealt with adversity foul trouble tie going down um and you still found a way to win guys stepped up and uh we took care of the home floor tonight which was huge d coach do you
Have an update on Tai I don’t um you know really I don’t um other than that you know he had a little bit of a Twist of his knee and and um we’ll just get more information you know the docs are all on it and you know we have to we
Have to kind of see how he responds and and obviously kind of see where things are at so you know you you pray for the best I mean Tai’s playing great basketball he’s such a leader for us he’s playing the best basketball of his career and you know we hope and pray
That you know it’s nothing that’s going to be real long term but um I know he’s going to fight like crazy to get back out on the floor uh as soon as he can and and while while that time period is we just have to step up right other guys
Got who just like Nick did tonight you know his 15 points were huge in Tai’s absence you don’t expect this to be season ended we don’t know yeah I I really don’t know I have no I have no uh no update on on I don’t and I don’t want
To speculate because that’s not fair to him or uh to anyone involved so we’ll we’ll get you guys information as soon as we know more you guys did K to just three M shots and nothing from Deep what was kind of the big adjustment after he hit
The dagger and L against you guys yeah I mean I think you just have to really stay dialed in at all times his movement is great you know I mean he’s one of the better Cutters in the league and their spacing is really good and they share
The ball and they can all pass and and when he gets flying off those double downs and and then you you take it away he curls to the basket he’s crafty getting fouled but you know our main thing with him was to try to take away
His layups and threes you know if you can try to make him play in the mid-range and he got some free throws but I think all three of his baskets that he got were like little mid-range pull-ups you know and and you kind of live with that because he’s he’s so
Dangerous when he can either get those catch and shoot threes on on all that movement they do or if then he catches you on a back cut and gets layups so that was kind of our main thing no threes no layups and he still found his
Way to 11 points because he’s a good player but I thought our guys had a great sense of urgency on him tonight coach after Tai goes down it’s hard to replace his spacing how did the offensive game plan shift yeah I mean you know when Nick comes in we get a
Little bit bigger right but but we’re not probably as prolific from the three-point line when you have Buu Ty and Ryan kind of spacing everything out but um you know we tried to play to that personnel and run some of our actions um it kind of makes Brooks a little bit
More of a playmaker role when he’s kind of more in a wing role you know Nick kind of plays more of that four spot when uh when he’s in there when they’re in there together but the one thing about Nick is he’s really been shooting the ball well you know and it’s
Something he’s worked on I mean we all know he’s got that hky jerky funky in the whatever I don’t even know what to call it um but it works but uh but I don’t I have to find a name for it but um uh but he’s really shooting it well I
Mean he made two huge threes in the second half you know when they were trying to make a run on us um and then they tried to get the ball out of Boo’s hands you know we were I thought we did a pretty good job taking advantage of
Some mismatches in the first half on some switching and and Buu really had it going and the second half we when we went to those actions they they just ran a second guy at him you know and that’s why you know he’s become such a willing passer it’s great like he he found
And then it gets them in rotation and that’s why guy like Ryan gets 18 you know you get Nick with 15 you get Brooks with 14 because they were second half they really tried to get the ball out of boo hands coach not necessarily a lot of
Second Chance points but um your team beat them on the offensive glass 13 to3 3629 overall what do you think contributed to you know one of your team’s best nights in rebounding so far I mean so much of rebounding obviously is Will and want to and just you know
Wan to go get that ball I mean it’s a physical game out there both teams are playing hard both teams are being physical and it was really impressive for us to to be able to outrebound them when they played such a big lineup right I mean they they started Gary masked
Alec you know on the front line with Bryce Williams who’s about six7 you know that’s a big team and so for our guys to come out and kind of match that physicality and not allow them to get on the glass and and then for us you know
To be able to get 13 offensive rebounds ourselves um you know just the game was really important to us tonight not that not that uh they all aren’t they all are but when you have two losses the way we had last week and you’re trying to fight
You know to stay in the top half of this league and you see whatever you know everybody’s winning and um this was a game that we had to have and our guys talked about it they knew it as veteran guys and that’s not pressure but you
Know that was just the reality that you know we had to come home and take care of our home floorida tonight after you know those two losses last week the team um had 26 uh points of 17 turn turnovers can can I talk about the team’s ability to turn defense and
Offense yeah I thought our activity tonight was really good you know our hand activity um when you play this team they’re very hard to guard because they move and and they play with great pace and they they swing the ball and they get you in in tough situations but we
Felt like if we could disrupt the Rhythm a little bit and get into the ball handler a little bit and and take away some of the vision um that we might be able to cause a few problems and maybe because they don’t really have a true
Point guard and so a lot of times they play if you saw you know they play through masted a lot as kind of their point Center and we put Brooks on him you know instead he he normally gets a center you know so he kind of gets that
Space to be able to navigate in the middle of the floor and we just felt like he was such a big key with initiating their offense we put a smaller guy on him and I thought you know had some success with that uh so when it comes to boo you
Mentioned spacing and and the ability to create off that how much better has he gotten it just being able to space the floor and not just maybe his entire career but even just this season you talking about who boy booy yeah um well I mean his game has just improved in
Every way I mean he’s he was always the guy who could score the ball and he had electric ability to do that but he’s learned how to be a great player you know he’s he’s studied the game he’s watched film he’s gotten better he’s gotten stronger um he’s honed his craft
With his ball handling I mean that floater you know is deadly you know I mean if he if he gets to that kind of elbow area um you feel really good that something Good’s going to happen he’s either going to that floater going in or
If they come up he’s going to hit the hit the big guy on the lob or then he’s going to spray it to Shooters so and I think what he’s really learned is what the game is bringing every night like in the first half they weren’t really you
Know they were switching stuff and he was getting matchups he liked and he was attacking what do you get 16 or 18 in the first half second half they changed it up you know they said okay we’re not going to let him beat us we’re going to
Double team him every time and make him be a passer and that’s what he did and sometimes a great scorer even when you’re saying like hey give it up like they want to score you know and that’s the one thing I think he’s really learned is kind of how to manage the
Game what the defense is trying to do and and how to manage his teammates as well he’s he’s become a terrific point guard I mean we talk about it I mean he’s you know I’m I’m glad he’s on my team you know that I’ll say that he he
Um he he makes others better and he’s been a terrific leader for this team coach 35 or more minutes a piece for bu Ryan and Brooks tonight as the stretch run starts to hit how are you going to make sure that you back bance winning the games with also getting
Those guys the rest they deserve they’re playing so I mean that just listen I’ve said it guys like and I I I know I played a long time ago like good players don’t want to come out they want to play and what I was impressed about tonight
Was a kid like Jordan Clayton you know who hasn’t played much he comes in tonight and gets 10 and a half minutes that are that are key minutes you know where he’s got to come in he’s got to guard a team that’s really hard to guard
They’re pressing at the end of the game you got to help take care of the ball um so hopefully the more he can get out there a little bit we can spell those guys but you know honestly I mean do I want them to play 38 30 no but but
They’re going to be in the the low to mid-30s I mean that’s just the reality they they condition themselves to do that um they want to be out there and um you know that’s just kind of how this team is right now and certainly we’re
Going to do our best to get them as much rest as possible um you know but it’s hard like you guys don’t understand like in games like this you take some key guys off the floor for two three minutes and a team hits you
With an 80 run or a 100 Run the game can flip like that so I think what you see is we try to use timeouts you know we try to substitute wisely where guys can maybe get a minute of rest but rest longer and um and just not use fatigue
As an issue right I mean that if you don’t talk about being tired then you’re not going to be tired because because you want to win and you want to be out there good at the end of the game they will claw way back in help with you guys
Trying to break the Press will you attribute to the turnovers and the inability at times to get through that yeah I I thought you know we had a couple sloppy ones there I know the one that came back to Brooks he kind of fumbled it out of bounds you know Buu
Had an offensive foul where they called a push off um and give them credit you know they were fighting to get back into the game I I think everyone just needs to be an active receiver in that moment you know you got to take on the pressure
You got to be strong with the ball you got to understand they’re going to be physical they might not call the foul they might call it but um I thought the last you know we we we struggled the first few possessions with it but then I
Thought the last three or four we were able to get ourselves fouled get to the line make some free throws and and kind of settle in and and really it was G great practice I think the last minute of the game to have even though I was
Not happy with him fouling out you know to have that last minute where Buu wasn’t out there and those other guys had to figure it out they had to get to open areas they had to take care of the ball they had to get foul out they had
To make free throws you know get stops on the other end so you know I thought that was that was really good minute experience for them under game pressure transfer over to Penn State with the amount of press that they bring yeah hope so you know part of it too is
You got to defend them you know if they don’t score they can’t press you you know and when we played them in last game in the first half we couldn’t stop them so they could set their press on almost every possession in the second half we got stops and it was hard for
Them to pick us up but yeah I we turned it over 18 time I think it was the most we had all year or one of them at least we had 18 turnovers against them in the first game and and um we’re going to have to do a better job because they’re
Playing well you know they went on the road last week and won at Ruckers they won at Indiana and we got to get rested up and we got to prepare and understand we got another hungry team coming in here Sunday afternoon coach 10 rebounds from Brooks tonight his most since the Dayton game
How vital was his performance on the glass oh it was huge not only on the glass but his defense on MK you know I mean he was guarding masked um which you know you’re giving up size you’re giving up strength uh we wanted you know I thought his pressure out there on the
Perimeter guarding him he really didn’t get hurt in the post um so so his defense on MK the guy who’s been as hot as anybody in the league and then his ability to get 14 points and 10 rebounds um you know just a testament to the to
The player he is I mean he’s he’s a heck of a player you know to me he’s he’s playing like an all League guy and that’s what you got to have if you want to want to win games in this league uh 10 minutes for Jordan Clayton was his
Most in a big 10 game so far you know with you yourself having a lot of experience playing guard Buu having a lot of experience playing guard what have the conversations been like with him as a true freshman to get him ready to play and stay patient for these kind
Of roles yeah I mean you got to practices have to be your games you know you talk about that a lot he’s he’s spent time on the scout team where he’s emulating you know the the Toman AAS and the Lawrence and the Williams and guys
Like that so you got you got to come every day and and view practice as your games you got to prepare every day like you might be called upon I mean he didn’t know coming into tonight that Tai was going to get hurt and that he was
Going to have to be ready to play and that’s on him to be ready and and he was and hopefully the more he plays uh the more comfortable I thought the shot he took was a great look it was in and out um he took it with confidence and that’s
What we want just play with confidence like if if you don’t play with confidence you’re going to get swallowed up so come out there might be some mistakes made we might yell at you cuz you’re a freshman uh that’s part of the deal and just but stay confident stay
True to yourself believe in yourself learn from the older guys and it was a good uh good minutes for him tonight we we really needed him especially losing Tai all right thank you guys see you Sunday start with some questions for these guys Bradley Nick kind what was
Your reaction when Tai left the game and how were you able to come in and make such an immediate impact uh yeah first I I didn’t know that like I I I wasn’t even paying attention like when he got hurt and went out of the game it was
Kind of like when I got back to the bench and saw like he wasn’t on the bench I was obviously shook he’s such a good player Matt and for Ryan you know being part of that kind of backourt core of this team what was kind of the conversation between you guys and with
The coaches once you knew Tai wouldn’t be returning um I mean just kind of sticking together and um persevering through that I mean obviously we we want him on the court as much as possible but um kind of when that happens your team has to come together in those tough
Moments uh this is for both of you guys uh Team shot 44% from Beyond The Arc tonight how does that open up your offense when you guys are consistently hitting from Beyond The Arc yeah I mean this guy was uh was drilling them as well so it’s always nice to have um I
Mean it makes us difficult to guard because then they’re playing on Closeouts and um we’re able to get into the paint and find each other and we’re pretty Dynamic when that happens so um yeah it’s always a spark plug but I think we always value the def the
Defensive side of the the ball first uh Nick I want to say this is your first game making two threes in the same game um kind of how have you felt like you’ve added that to your game as the season has gone on yeah I feel like a
Lot of it’s usually that I I don’t take uh three-pointers very much but um I think yeah just like confidence my teammates always tell me to shoot them and that always helps so and especially like when when Ryan and bu can draw two it’s just easy I’m getting wide open one
So David uh Ryan you took over the point guard role when Buu F out of the game and you had to break the press in the game how did you help direct traffic as the normal two on this team instead of now being the one in that situation yeah
I mean I think we’ve we’ve prepared for every scenario in practice so um I can’t I can’t take the credit for that the coaches have put me through all that and um also just kind of trusting everyone else that’s on the floor we kind of know
What we need to do where we need to be and at that point it’s really about Poise more than in composure more than anything uh just staying calm and not making any silly mistakes Ryan obviously you had seven rebounds how are you kind of able to
Sort of stay active on the on the glass and help the big men with rebounding just trying to box out all the big guys as much as possible um just being in there and it’s Matt has a tough job every night trying to box some of these
Guys out and this guy Brooks some of these guys so as much pressure as I can I can alleviate um I I try to do as much as I can right continuing to talk about rebound I this is the third time in the last four games you guys have won the
Rebound margin what have you guys done in practice to sort of make that a focus and get better at that as The Season’s gone on yeah I mean we do a a box out drill where we go pretty hard and you got to hit the guy and um we make we
Make it a priority for sure because I know that was a a weakness for us for a good part of the season so we’ve definitely made it a priority and I think just making sure that we we focus on it on defense we don’t guard for 30
Seconds and then give up an easy one because that just makes her job that much tougher R Ryan you had a sequence I think tonight where you saved the ball from going out of bounds and called a timeout midair I think was about the second time you’ve done that so far this
Year kind of what’s going through your mind during that play and how are you able to say so composed um I mean before the season um our coaches made us aware of the new rule um and I don’t know I just if I wasn’t going to be able to
Call a timeout I would have just walked out of bounds with it so whatever I could do I tried to find the ref and just point right at him so four years at Princeton smart nick uh coach touch on but uh it seems like every night we see kind of a
Clinic from you with that Lefty floater how did you develop such a shot and get it to such a lethal level where you canvert so much yeah uh I’m I’m honestly not really sure um yeah I I I couldn’t tell you but I think just having that in the Arsenal I
Don’t want to say it’s like a bailout shot but I think it’s like it’s a shot that I can go to when a lot of times they really like don’t sit on it much you know uh they’re more probably more focused on on scouting like this guy Boo
And such so like just the ability to you know get the ball on the post and like not have people running at me because we have such good players on the perimeter it allows me to get to that shot a lot Ryan this is another night for you
With want to say around 3940 minutes how important was kind of having those three to four rest days after Minnesota after the week of overtime to get back to being comfortable playing that uh those minutes yeah it’s always tough but um I think I mean we we’re all used to kind
Of doing that and all the work we’ve put in in the summer prepares us for it um rest days is always nice and you take advantage of them we do a lot of treatment and making sure all the guys are on top of taking care of their
Bodies so um just as much as we can get in the gym stay in the gym and do uh all the boots and everything we can it always helps one more question Ryan this is your second game of the last three with six assists and no turnovers which
Assist as a career high is there something you’re like cognizantly doing differently or you kind of just playing with the flow yeah just playing with the flow trusting my teammates um just trying to get in the paint and find guys um I think the more that I can do that
Um the more I can help the team win and I mean really that’s that’s the goal so all right better wrap us up thank you jeez
Sullivan-Ubben Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Collins and selected student-athletes, Nick Martinelli and Ryan Langborg, address the media following the Wildcats’ win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers on February 7th, 2024 at home in Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL.
