Jan. 15, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Men's Basketball
Weekly News Conference Quotes
Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl
Head coach Steve Fisher
Opening Statement:
"We had a very important and quite impressive victory on Saturday in The Pit, against a (New Mexico) team that was red hot, winning seven in a row and three straight road games. They packed The Pit with over 17,000 fans, the biggest crowd they have had in five or six years, and we found a way to get a win. That is what we will have to do in our home building against a very good Utah team tomorrow. We are thrilled that we are 2-0 (in the Mountain West Conference) and are hopeful that we can protect our home court. We need to make sure that we are prepared and play well. I know that we will play hard, but we also need to play good, tough Aztec basketball. If we do that, we will have a good chance to be successful."
On his thoughts on Utah being the best team in the league right now:
"(Utah) is the best team because we are playing them. Everybody that we play, on that day, I am going to think is the best team in the league. Utah is very good. I believe they have four starters back from a team that lost more close games than all the rest of us put together last year. They are an exceptionally good basketball team, with a dimension that very few people in the country have, and that is a 7-1 guy in the middle who can get things done. So, this will be a challenge for us. This is a team that believes they will come in here and win, so we have to impose our will on them."
On his decision to play senior guard Matt Thomas in crucial minutes vs. UNM:
"Since we don't have Richie (Williams), (Matt Thomas) is the other point guard, so he is almost going to get 18 to 22 minutes a game, and he was playing good basketball. We would not have been in the game had it not been for D.J. Gay scoring a season-tying 12 first half points, but then when Matt came in as a bigger guard, he created some problems on both ends of the floor because of his size. So, we went with him and when he was productive, we decided to stay with him."
On the play of senior guard Matt Thomas:
"I think when you have success you are able to really appreciate what led to it. Matt Thomas, who missed all of last season with a back injury and has been a coach's decision to not play in several games this year, came in (against New Mexico) and played with no fear. Matt stepped to the line and made six-straight free throws for us, which allowed us to win that game on Saturday, and they were pressure-filled free throws. If you look at the tape, he also got three big defensive rebounds and also made some plays that don't show up on the stat sheet. He was terrific in the victory against the Lobos."
On the factors that allowed the Aztecs to come back against New Mexico:
"We were initially affected by the altitude. Lorrenzo (Wade) and Kyle (Spain) said that the effects of the altitude hit them immediately. Had D.J. Gay not made those points in the first half, we wouldn't have had a chance to come back. I believe he had 12 of our first 24 points to give us a chance to stay with them. D.J. was a huge piece of us being able to come back. I think all of our players realized and appreciated that. Then, in the second half, Lorrenzo was terrific at both ends of the floor."
On junior forward Lorrenzo Wade:
"Lorrenzo is a guy that is becoming a true basketball player. He is really starting to think the game a lot better. He has the ability to slow the game down with his mind and knows when and where he needs to do something. His practices have been like games. If he plays tomorrow the way he practiced the past couple days, he is going to have a great game."
Junior forward Lorrenzo Wade
On Saturday's win at Mew Mexico on the heels of a disappointing loss to Northern Colorado:
"It was a big game for us, especially with it being a conference game. Winning on the road is very tough to do in the Mountain West Conference, so to go anywhere and get a victory is a plus for the team."
On the keys to success against Utah center Luke Nevill:
"We have to attack with him being as big as he is. When going to the basket, you really have to get into his body. Hopefully we can get him into a little bit of foul trouble. I know it'll be a little more difficult for him move his feet than some other people out on the court, so basically you just have to wear him down, keep him moving and keep him fatigued the entire game. It'll help us out in the long run. But you can't really concentrate on him alone because their guards are so aggressive, especially on the defensive end on the wings. We just really have to be focused in this game."
Junior forward Kyle Spain
On senior guard Matt Thomas' performance at New Mexico and his return from an injury:
"(I am) extremely happy for him. He made some big-time plays in that game. The thing that stood out for me the most was our free throws at the end. He led us at the end with free throws, and that's definitely one of the biggest factors that won us that game.
"(He) has always had skills in basketball. He hasn't let his injury from last year affect his play. I played against Matt in high school and I know what he's capable of doing. I'm not surprised about what he can do. He's a great player."
Senior guard Matt Thomas
On hitting his free throws in front of a boisterous crowd at New Mexico:
"I try not to see the people in the stands. I just go up there and shoot like I do in practice."
On whether he thought he'd be back in this position after his back injury last year:
"I knew. I just had to stay ready and prepare."