UCLA 88, Washington 66
February 25, 2015
UCLA head coach Steve Alford
opening statement
“This was a really good game for us. I thought everyone that played did a lot of good things for us tonight. We didn't rebound well on the Arizona road trip. We came back here and really did a nice job on the glass. They were undersized, and we took advantage, which isn't always the case. We moved the ball well. We really guarded well up until the last six minutes of the game. I have to give a big thanks to, not only the players for their focus, but also the staff for getting this team ready while I was out a couple days this week. They are a great staff of coaches, and it showed.”
on Shawn Kemp Jr. being out
“With Kemp out, we wanted to go inside. But Tony [Parker] needed to have the energy and go-to mentality to have a big game, and he did. He defended better, stayed out of foul trouble, and went after rebounds. We have to have that from him, and he has delivered. This is what he's capable of. He's been playing aggressive all year. He has a good mindset and good defense. There is a real purpose to the way he wanted to play.”
on the play of Isaac Hamilton
“Isaac also had a great game for us. He played under control and handled the ball well. He had a double-double and also got three steals for us. He made a lot of great plays for us. When he plays like that, he takes us to another level.”
on the team's sense of urgency as the regular season winds down
“We have to finish strong because we have only home games left. We have the strongest strength of schedule of all the teams in our conference. But we have got to win our remaining home games to prepare ourselves for the tournament. If we can finish well, our resume will look better, and we can get a top (four) seed for the Pac-12 Tournament, where we can finish strong.”
UCLA junior center/forward Tony Parker
On his game plan
"My main goal was to get aggressive and play tough. Early in the game I wanted to get into a rhythm."
On playing smaller defenders
"It was kind of hard playing against a smaller defender in the post because they're quicker, and you have to hold your post and move your feet."
On hitting his early baskets
"That was big for me to hit those shots. I was killing Isaac (Hamilton) and (Kevon) Looney last night, one-on-one, so I think that helped me out a lot."
On how his performance does for his confidence
"It was big for me and for my confidence to play hard and play a big-time role to get this win. I knew if I played hard and came out strong, our team would win."
On getting big wins and style points for the NCAA selection committee
"Really, we've just got to win. It doesn't matter how we do it. That's the bottom line. Either we win or we lose. I don't think about style points; all that really doesn't matter. We've just got to win."
Senior guard Norman Powell
On if there was extra motivation for Tony Parker after last week's games
"I think everybody was motivated. You could see how we all came out and played as a whole, not just Tony. I think a lot of it had to do with Coach being out and frustration with our last road trip. We could have won both of them if not for a couple of plays where we let possession slip through our hands. We came back to practice and refocused on coming out with high energy and high effort, and it showed throughout the whole team. Tony came down and got blocks and was being physical in post and that's what we needed from him."
On the team's sense of urgency
Coach talked to us about it after the Arizona game. I think it's great we're in the position that we're in. We control our own destiny. We have a chance to go undefeated at home in the conference season and set up what we want to do in the Pac-12 Tournament. There's a lot of motivation. We're focused on winning our next game and our next game after that. If we do that, we're going to give ourselves a high possibility of being a seed in the tournament. So our focus is to handle home and go to the Pac-12 Tournament on a high note and take it from there"
On changing his mindset
"My mindset is the same every game - be aggressive. I've played with a chip on my shoulder. Over the last couple of games, I've been more assertive in the offense and focused on getting to the free throw line, trying to attack and get into the paint. My mindset is to be aggressive and make plays."
On the pressure of winning games
"That's what's so great right now. We control our own destiny. If we go into the next couple of games with the same sense of urgency we had today, we're going to take care of things, and it's not going to be a problem. The guys are doing a great job of believing in the team and believing in one another, and when we do that, you can see that we're a great team."
Sophomore guard Isaac Hamilton
On if this was his most complete game of the season
“Of course. I'm just trying to be aggressive and trying to make sure to knock the ball in the post, make some reads and make plays.”
On passing inside
"I think this year Tony and Kevon have been a problem for teams in the post. When you start the game out like that, it's much easier with ball movement, getting the offense flowing, and getting the guards some open looks."
Washington Head Coach Lorenzo Romar
Opening statement
”UCLA really had a size advantage over us tonight. When they score 50 points in the paint, they did what they needed to do and it makes it hard to recover from that. I have to give UCLA credit.”
On the injury to Shawn Kemp Jr.
“The way concussions are treated today is very cautious. We thought he really could play tonight. He got hit in the head at the 15-minute mark against Wazzu. He still has not been cleared and we are hoping his symptoms decrease, so he'll be ready on Sunday. Fortunately, he does not have any dizziness, but he is sensitive to light.”
On UCLA's Tony Parker
“Parker really caught it really deep in the paint and he set the tone. Jernard (Jarreau) tried to defend him , but he was in foul trouble early. UCLA, they really set the tone early.”
On what they will take from this game
“Our guys continue to stay strong, despite playing with a small line-up. This is something we can definitely build on.”
Washington sophomore guard Nigel Williams-Goss
On not having Shawn Kemp Jr.
“It was a surprise, we came to practice and found out that he was not going to play. We played better than what we did against Stanford, but it's tough when you don't have the size.”
On UCLA's Tony Parker
“He is 6'9” and 200-and something pounds. He's really big down there and really skilled. It's hard when we don't have size. It makes it really tough.”
On the five-guard line-up
“When you have five guys who are 6'4” and under, it makes it tough. We are trying to do the best with the hand that we were dealt.”