Fresno State Athletics
POST-GAME QUOTES: California 64, Fresno State 57
11/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Rodney Terry, Fresno State Head Coach
On his thoughts after the loss...
"Cal is a really good team, they will be one of the better teams in the PAC-12 this season. We did a decent job guarding those guys much better in the second half than we did in the first half. They shot 60% in the first half and we gave up a lot, which was not a part of our game plan. We went into the game saying that we can't have their guys sink their teeth into our defense. They were very good at kicking out shots and shot the ball at a very high percentage from the arch. We let those guys get comfortable in the first half, but we battle through. As we got to the end we began to execute but we didn't do a good job of taking care of the basketball at the end."
On starting Darnell Taylor...
"He is a really big physical guard. The one thing that I am trying to challenge him on is giving our team a defensive presence. To be a guy that can come in and give us quality minutes guarding from the perimeter. Today was a tough assignment today we played probably the toughest guard tandem on the West Coast. That is an explosive trio of guards between Wallace, Matthews and Bird. Those guys can really score the basketball. We knew it was going to be a hard challenge coming in, they have a good group."
On Terrell Carter's presence hindering David Kravish in the post...
"We needed some physicality on David Kravish. He is a much improved low post scorer. Over the course of his career he has improved his low post game. He does well not just against us, but against some really elite completion like Syracuse, Texas who is about as long as anyone in the country. We knew coming in that we couldn't let Kravish isolate us on the block without a trap."
On his preparation for UC Irvine...
"I said to our guys the growth curve for this team is still to be determined. It starts with how bad they really want it and how hard they are prepared to work. From a personnel and talent standpoint we have all the pieces to beat anyone we need to night in and night out. It is going to get down to how much they want to stay together, how much they want to be good teammates and how much it really means to them to win or lose games. With that being said, we are going to have a quick turnaround to play a team on Wednesday that I think is an NCAA Tournament caliber team. They are a very good team, so we are going to have to regroup and get ready to play another very good opponent on our home court. We can't feel sorry for ourselves right now; we just have to play at a higher level."
On how to get the team to click offensively the entire game....
"I think it is difficult, when we go through stretches where we aren't scoring. It gets even more difficult when we aren't making stops during those stretches. Now we are playing behind a double-digit lead and trying to battle back from that deficit, which makes it difficult. I do think that Marvelle Harris started the game well, with this being only the fourth time he's started in the point guard position. He has truly grown as a player and in that role. The first time we asked him to play point guard for us he had zero points after the half and wasn't looking to shoot the ball; he was more concerned with running our offense. Tonight he ended the game with 27 points and was able to manage his responsibilities well. We are asking him to sacrifice for the good of our team."
On Julien Lewis...
"I think that he guarded pretty hard tonight. I think that he let his offense affect him sometimes, in terms of how he played defense. But I still don't think that he has played that the level he is capable of playing. I think that he is still just a shell of himself in terms of the type of player that we think that he can be for us. Tonight we got back to the way that we played last year and will continue to play this year. When we got a stop we would take the ball and go and have multiple ball handlers on the court and take the pressure off of Marvelle Harris."
On being 1-6 this season...
"I think that anytime you start off with the adversity that this team has started off with there will be issues. I think that there is always going to be some form of adversity, whether it is at the beginning of the year, middle of the year or end of the year. All that matters is how you adapt to the situation and how you adjust. It all starts with attitude and approach and you can get better through losses. You hate to have to learn through those losses, but I think that the adversity that these guys have had to deal with is going to make us better. This season we have asked guys to do things that they have never done before and help us in key situations. So from now on if Cezar Guerrero gets into foul trouble we know that Marvelle Harris will be able to handle the ball for us and do a great job. We are all in a state of serious growing pains but at the end of the day we have to stay together and stay the course."
On the minutes for Alex Davis and Braeden Anderson...
"I don't think Alex Davis has been 100% all season and he has worked his way back in terms of trying to get his ankle back. He tweaked his ankle again tonight and it is going to be a work in progress the entire time. He is the type of player that is going to need his wheels because he's an active player and moves around. When he doesn't have the ability to move around he's not as effective. Anderson has been out an entire year, every time out he is trying to get better, trying to play with confidence and physicality and I think all year long he will be a work in progress. I think that we have a log jam at the five position. We have a number of players that can come in and give us good minutes. I think that Terrell came in and gave us some physicality tonight in the post at the five position. We know that Karachi Edo can come in and play at the five and score the basketball. We are going to have to find another guy that can come in and play the four. That is a skilled position and where we are playing Paul Watson right now and where we have tried to play Alex."
On the team's decision making at the end of the game...
"I think that is where guards win games and that is where we need our guard on the court. He would be able to manage the game and get the ball wherever we wanted it to go in the final minutes. We need guys that feel confident bringing the ball up the floor and won't make errors. At the end of the game that's really where guards come in and manage games for you. They are able to execute sets and make free throws for your team and close games out."
On what the team misses in Cezar's absence...
"I think the team misses his experience; experience is major piece. We are talking about a guy who is in his fourth year of college, third year playing and you miss his experience on the floor. He isn't going to play perfectly, but he is going to lead and make Marvelle and Julien Lewis' jobs a lot easier. At the end of the day we have had to alter what we do from an offensive standpoint. We miss Cezar from an experience standpoint, we need a shot maker and someone who can handle the ball."
Marvelle Harris, Fresno State Junior Guard
On playing against a team that recruited him heavily...
"Any time I get an opportunity to play, I am excited and this was an exciting game for me."
On how he started offensively...
"When we got back from Florida I went to the gym to try to get some extra shots in before practice and tonight's game. So I think that the extra work I put in was helpful for my start."
On being 1-6...
"I just try not to look at our record. I just try to go out play every game and try to win. Eventually we are going to start winning, we just need to come together as a team."
