Postgame press conference quotes from head coach
Gregg Marshall, sophomore point guard
Landry Shamet and senior guard
Conner Frankamp after a 109-57 victory over UMKC in the season opener.
MARSHALL ON...
... a 52-point victory over UMKC in season opener:
"We'll take that. Anytime you can win that handily in Division I basketball, you'll take it. Obviously, Kareem's group - they lost a lot from last year. They played very well early. I think that first group ran out of gas a little bit. We were able to bring in our the second group that played equally as well as our first group. 1-0, and we got a tough one on Monday."
... what impressed him the most about Shamet tonight:
"Not his four turnovers. The way he shot the ball, he looked very healthy, looked in great shape. He's got to a be a little more careful with the basketball. I thought, all-in-all, the first nine, 10 guys played really well."
... how nice it is to have multiple post players able to shoot the three:
"[Darral and Shaq] both really worked on that. At one point our bigs were 5-of-7 from the three, including Rauno. Rauno has always shot it, Shaq shot it a little bit last year and Darral. They make them in practice. That's skill development. That's working on their games. Those guys have really put in the time. I would love them to roll a little more to the basket sometimes, but they love the pick-and-pop. If they are open, that's a hard guard."
... the rest of the offense opens up with their ability to shoot the three:
"It certainly opens the floor up, you saw a lot of penetration tonight. You saw Landry, you saw Samajae, you saw Conner. Conner -- nine assists, one turnover -- he was really dealing them tonight. He was setting everybody up."
... the team's ability to be consistent on the offensive end:
"We knew the way they play, it wasn't going to be a set-up ,half-court type affair. It was going to be a breakdown basketball type of game. Breakdown, meaning you have to play opportunity. When you've got the numbers you've got to be aggressive. When you don't, you've got to be smart. You have to handle the traps. They were very aggressive, and that's hard to do. We are deeper than them right now because of our experience and their youth. We were getting some great looks, 61-percent and 57-percent and 78-percent from the line are great numbers. 26 assists, was a record for [one of my WSU teams]."
... the upcoming game against College of Charleston, with all ties to the team:
"It will be good to catch up with some folks that I really like and admire. Coach Grant was with me for six years, Matt Braeuer played for me and then was my Graduate Assistant for a couple of years and now he is the DOBO (Director of Basketball Operations) there in Charleston. I know there will be some other folks that are making that trip. Fans and friends that have already contacted me. Everybody wants to spend some time. I am going to be hunkered down trying to prepare for the game. They are a very good team. I think it is his best team. He has built this, I think, in year four, and that is what you are supposed to do. He built it the right way. They've got some really, really good players. They are a dangerous team, and we are going to have to play very well."
... the offense evolved with everyone's ability to score:
"It's just a lot of talented guys that are used to playing with each other. They are unselfish. [On] great teams there is no envy, jealousy. We haven't had it. We didn't with the Ron (Baker) and Fred (VanVleet) teams. Ron would make the Pan-Am games and Fred didn't. Fred would be Conference Player of the Year , and Ron didn't. Not one time did they complain. Not one time did I hear from their parents about how I was using them. Not one time did they ask for more shots. That is just the way we do it here. Winning takes care of everything. Those guys won a lot, and now Ron's a multimillionaire, and Fred is on his way. Hopefully we've got some more guys, now that the road has been paved, that can eventually get there. This is how you do it. Sharing the ball, when it is your time, knocking the shot down and winning handily."
... Rod Brown's status:
"Yeah, more than likely he is going to redshirt. Unless crazy things happen, bad things. Hopefully we can redshirt him. It's what he wanted to do. He could use it, certainly. It is hard to get this many guys as we have in right now. We still got some pretty good players over there in street clothes. It will be interesting to see how that all unfolds."
SHAMET ON...
... starting his first game coming back from injury
"Coach pulled me and Samajae aside and talked to us…We both are on the same page, neither one of us really cares who starts…It's coach's decision on who plays, and it's our job as players to go out and play. It doesn't matter if we come off the bench or start."
... on early returns
"It just felt good to be playing in a game that mattered. When I hurt my foot I was thinking I would be out until Maui, but the fact of the matter is that I'm back and I'm playing. It feels good to be back before you are expected to be back."
... on how the big men change the offense by adding outside shooting
"It's going to be an added factor to our offense this year, for sure. You have to acknowledge that our bigs can stretch the floor this year. It helps a lot…It's an added factor that not many teams have. It's where the game is progressing. In college you usually see a true five. Now we have Shaq shooting the three. It makes it easier on us guards, too, because when they hedge, the big steps out and defends the pick and roll, forcing them to not stay as long, which sets up more opportunities for guards to get downhill and make plays."
FRANKAMP ON...
.
..on starting the game with intensity
"It felt really good. We were knocking down shots; guys were playing good defense; we had high intensity. Everybody came out with great poise and played really well for the opening game."
...on taking over offensively the second half
"My teammates were giving me the ball, and I was open and able to get some easy buckets in transition."
