University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Postgame Quotes - UCLA 97, Kentucky 92
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 97, Kentucky 92
Rupp Arenaย (Lexington, Ky.)
December 3, 2016
UCLA head coach Steve Alford
opening statement
โI canโt be more proud of our team obviously coming into here with this environment and playing a team like this. The respect I have for Cal and what he does and the team that he produces is phenomenal. For our guys to come in here and do the things that they did, theyโre always learning lessons when youโre in November and early December. The games that you get to play are games that you get to learn a lot. Weโll take this back. Itโs a huge win for us. Gives us a lot of momentum as we go into finals and Michigan next weekend. Itโs good to see offense, defense, against one of the best teams in the country, but you probably wonโt lose another game in here all year. For us to come in here and get a win, itโs huge for us. I couldnโt be more proud. We had a flow of the game. I thought we controlled things in the second half. We proved that if you can run with this team, you can run with anybody. We thought it would be a track meet. It was. We made shots, and if we can make shots in this environment against a team like this, itโs very encouraging. I thought at the start of the second half we had some key stops to get the lead above 10. Then we really settled in and had poise until about the last two minutes. Thatโs probably on us as coaches more that it is the guys. We havenโt been in a game like this where weโve had to burn clock and get the ball in against pressure.ย Weโll learn and be better the next time the next time.
ย
on stepping back and pinching yourself to acknowledge that youโre here coaching UCLA in Rupp Arena
โWell, I pinch myself a lot just being at a place like this because itโs a very special place. We need a win like this with starting 8-0 and doing the things that weโve done to date. I think not so much for any game. I saw a lot of people before the game. I just saw Rex (Chapman). I havenโt been in here in 33 years, so itโs been a while since Iโve been in here. We played well that night and I think lost by five or six points. So, to come back in here, itโs an incredible place to play with a lot of history and tradition. Iโm happy for our guys because our guys get experience that. I didnโt think there was anything about them today that was a feeling out process. We talk about, โDonโt go in and jab around the ring to see if you belong. Youโre 8-0. Youโre playing well. Trust that you belong.โ That was the key thing that guys did from the tip. They make me not think about anything except enjoying coaching them. Theyโve been a lot of fun to coach, and weโre looking forward to see what happens down the road. We got a chance to be pretty good.โ
ย
on their run at the beginning of the second half
โIt was a big key and weโve been talking about it all year. The thing Iโm most pleased with is that we came in here with a certain identity and we left here with the same identity - we just did it against the No. 1 team in the county. This was by far the best team that weโve played. To know that weโve established an identity of six guys in double figures again, thatโs been our identity. We probably had too many turnovers tonight. Thatโs a lot more than what we normally have, but thatโs a credit to Kentuckyโs defense. I think our guys will learn from that. We had some silly turnovers that hurt us as well. We came in a high-scoring team that shared the ball and put six guys in double figures. To do that in this building against (Kentucky), thatโs very encouraging. Itโs about when you get in December before you get into conference play that identity gets cemented. You might think thatโs what you can look like. You can hope thatโs what you can look like. We have a pretty good identity built right now. Hopefully we can continue that.โ
ย
on Lonzo Ballโs performance
โI thought he was terrific. He was playing against a very good player in (DeโAaron) Fox. Thatโs a great matchup. I thought he did a lot of good things in the first half and making the shot to end the first half really got him going into the second half. He just does what he does. Heโll tell you he had more turnovers than what he shouldโve had tonight, but he ended up with 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds. The kid just knows how to win. Iโve watched him for the last two and a half years in the LA area and it didnโt matter who they played. Weโve seen it. The game before last he took one or two shots and we won by 40. He can beat you by taking a lot of shots or no shots. You can almost tell him to go get 15 rebounds and if that what it takes to win, heโll do it. Thatโs what makes him special. He can beat you in a lot of different ways and he did that again tonight.โ
UCLA Senior guard Isaac Hamilton
on the mindset coming into the game
โOur mindset was just eliminate transition and keeping them at half-court. I think we did a good job at that. We went under a lot of streams and tested a lot of shots, and I think we just stuck to the game plan coach prepared for us and we executed.โย
UCLA Freshman guard Lonzoย Ball
on the 3-point shot and mindset going into the second half
โI had the shot and I took it. Coach Alford says to never hesitate. I wasnโt hitting the whole game, but in the big moments Iโm going to come through. I put it up and it went in. It was a good shot and a good way to go into halftime.โ
ย
on the momentum built for UCLA
โOnce again, Coach said it was going to be a lot of runs. They were going to have runs and we were going to have runs, but at the end of the day whoever had the most runs was going to win. Thatโs just us. Weโre going to find a way to win. Thatโs not just me, but my teammates too. We were just a good collective unit out there, and we got the job done.โ
UCLA Freshman forward TJ Leaf
on the walk through yesterday settingย the tone for today
"I donโt think anyone needed to.ย We knew it was a big game. A lot of people are just thinking we played out of our minds. We played a good game, nothing special. That is just who we are. We are a good basketball team, and I think we can compete with anyone in the country and I think we showed that."
on withstanding Kentucky's runs
"We knew it was going to be a game of runs and it definitely was. You have to take the blow and be able to swing back. I think we did that. It ended up being a really fun game in a great environment."
on three freshmen having quality game
"I think when Ike got in he really set the tone for us for the game. He came in blocking shots, getting rebounds and that power dunk, I mean he really set the tone for us to be physical and this is our game."
on first impression of Rupp Arenaย
"The history here is just incredible. And then seeing Rupp Arena there, all the great players that have played here, itโs just awesome to be able to walk down the stairs and have a practice in here. Then during the game just that atmosphere, sometimes you canโt even hear yourself think. It was just a great time being here."
UCLA 97, Kentucky 92
Rupp Arenaย (Lexington, Ky.)
December 3, 2016
UCLA head coach Steve Alford
opening statement
โI canโt be more proud of our team obviously coming into here with this environment and playing a team like this. The respect I have for Cal and what he does and the team that he produces is phenomenal. For our guys to come in here and do the things that they did, theyโre always learning lessons when youโre in November and early December. The games that you get to play are games that you get to learn a lot. Weโll take this back. Itโs a huge win for us. Gives us a lot of momentum as we go into finals and Michigan next weekend. Itโs good to see offense, defense, against one of the best teams in the country, but you probably wonโt lose another game in here all year. For us to come in here and get a win, itโs huge for us. I couldnโt be more proud. We had a flow of the game. I thought we controlled things in the second half. We proved that if you can run with this team, you can run with anybody. We thought it would be a track meet. It was. We made shots, and if we can make shots in this environment against a team like this, itโs very encouraging. I thought at the start of the second half we had some key stops to get the lead above 10. Then we really settled in and had poise until about the last two minutes. Thatโs probably on us as coaches more that it is the guys. We havenโt been in a game like this where weโve had to burn clock and get the ball in against pressure.ย Weโll learn and be better the next time the next time.
ย
on stepping back and pinching yourself to acknowledge that youโre here coaching UCLA in Rupp Arena
โWell, I pinch myself a lot just being at a place like this because itโs a very special place. We need a win like this with starting 8-0 and doing the things that weโve done to date. I think not so much for any game. I saw a lot of people before the game. I just saw Rex (Chapman). I havenโt been in here in 33 years, so itโs been a while since Iโve been in here. We played well that night and I think lost by five or six points. So, to come back in here, itโs an incredible place to play with a lot of history and tradition. Iโm happy for our guys because our guys get experience that. I didnโt think there was anything about them today that was a feeling out process. We talk about, โDonโt go in and jab around the ring to see if you belong. Youโre 8-0. Youโre playing well. Trust that you belong.โ That was the key thing that guys did from the tip. They make me not think about anything except enjoying coaching them. Theyโve been a lot of fun to coach, and weโre looking forward to see what happens down the road. We got a chance to be pretty good.โ
ย
on their run at the beginning of the second half
โIt was a big key and weโve been talking about it all year. The thing Iโm most pleased with is that we came in here with a certain identity and we left here with the same identity - we just did it against the No. 1 team in the county. This was by far the best team that weโve played. To know that weโve established an identity of six guys in double figures again, thatโs been our identity. We probably had too many turnovers tonight. Thatโs a lot more than what we normally have, but thatโs a credit to Kentuckyโs defense. I think our guys will learn from that. We had some silly turnovers that hurt us as well. We came in a high-scoring team that shared the ball and put six guys in double figures. To do that in this building against (Kentucky), thatโs very encouraging. Itโs about when you get in December before you get into conference play that identity gets cemented. You might think thatโs what you can look like. You can hope thatโs what you can look like. We have a pretty good identity built right now. Hopefully we can continue that.โ
ย
on Lonzo Ballโs performance
โI thought he was terrific. He was playing against a very good player in (DeโAaron) Fox. Thatโs a great matchup. I thought he did a lot of good things in the first half and making the shot to end the first half really got him going into the second half. He just does what he does. Heโll tell you he had more turnovers than what he shouldโve had tonight, but he ended up with 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds. The kid just knows how to win. Iโve watched him for the last two and a half years in the LA area and it didnโt matter who they played. Weโve seen it. The game before last he took one or two shots and we won by 40. He can beat you by taking a lot of shots or no shots. You can almost tell him to go get 15 rebounds and if that what it takes to win, heโll do it. Thatโs what makes him special. He can beat you in a lot of different ways and he did that again tonight.โ
UCLA Senior guard Isaac Hamilton
on the mindset coming into the game
โOur mindset was just eliminate transition and keeping them at half-court. I think we did a good job at that. We went under a lot of streams and tested a lot of shots, and I think we just stuck to the game plan coach prepared for us and we executed.โย
UCLA Freshman guard Lonzoย Ball
on the 3-point shot and mindset going into the second half
โI had the shot and I took it. Coach Alford says to never hesitate. I wasnโt hitting the whole game, but in the big moments Iโm going to come through. I put it up and it went in. It was a good shot and a good way to go into halftime.โ
ย
on the momentum built for UCLA
โOnce again, Coach said it was going to be a lot of runs. They were going to have runs and we were going to have runs, but at the end of the day whoever had the most runs was going to win. Thatโs just us. Weโre going to find a way to win. Thatโs not just me, but my teammates too. We were just a good collective unit out there, and we got the job done.โ
UCLA Freshman forward TJ Leaf
on the walk through yesterday settingย the tone for today
"I donโt think anyone needed to.ย We knew it was a big game. A lot of people are just thinking we played out of our minds. We played a good game, nothing special. That is just who we are. We are a good basketball team, and I think we can compete with anyone in the country and I think we showed that."
on withstanding Kentucky's runs
"We knew it was going to be a game of runs and it definitely was. You have to take the blow and be able to swing back. I think we did that. It ended up being a really fun game in a great environment."
on three freshmen having quality game
"I think when Ike got in he really set the tone for us for the game. He came in blocking shots, getting rebounds and that power dunk, I mean he really set the tone for us to be physical and this is our game."
on first impression of Rupp Arenaย
"The history here is just incredible. And then seeing Rupp Arena there, all the great players that have played here, itโs just awesome to be able to walk down the stairs and have a practice in here. Then during the game just that atmosphere, sometimes you canโt even hear yourself think. It was just a great time being here."