Men's Basketball 11/16/2016 6:36:00 PM

Men's Basketball Quotes - Hiwassee

2016-17 Chattanooga Mocs Basketball
Post-Game Quotes
Nov. 16, 2016 – Hiwassee – Chattanooga, Tenn. – McKenzie Arena

Matt McCall, Head Coach
Opening statement after 102-54 win over Hiwassee.
"I thought our starting five really came in with the right mindset tonight and got us off to a great start. I think anytime you're coming off a weekend like we had, it wouldn't be easy to come into a game like this. As a coach, you're concerned about complacency and playing the game the right way. Trying to get better. I talked a lot to the team before the game about getting better. We needed to get better today and we needed to take a step forward in a lot of areas. I think our starting five got us off to a great start with that and playing the game the right way. It was a game where once we got a pretty good lead, I wanted to really get our new guys reps. I throw Makinde in that mix, just because we didn't find out until Friday afternoon that he was going to play this season. Trying to get those guys as many reps as possible, which I thought was good. Going in to this weekend we're going to need our bench playing two games. I thought it was important to play those guys. Everybody played double figure minutes. The only person that played over twenty-five was Nat Dixon. So I thought it was good night overall."

On getting better in certain areas.
"I thought the turnovers for us has been an issue in the first two games. We ended tonight with 20 assists and 13 turnovers. I thought that we took a step forward there. I thought for the most part we did a good job rebounding the ball. I think late is when it got away from us a little bit, but I think we took a step forward there as well. Just those two areas, especially, we needed to get better at. I've been talking a lot to these guys about shooting good reps in practice. Every single time they take a shot it needs to be the best rep possible and harping on that. I think we did that. We shot 50 percent from the three-point line. I think there was some carry over there."

Thoughts on Makinde's play.
"First of all, he brings unbelievable energy to our team every day. That's something that I constantly talk to him about. He deserves this. I think Makinde has been through a lot, especially as a player. The opportunities he's getting right now, he deserves. I think for us, as a team, we need to practice with him in the line-up. You have to prepare like he's not going to be playing. We haven't had time to practice with him in the line-up very much."

On Greg Pryor as an overall player.
"Greg is a master of his craft. I was coming through here yesterday to speak to the media and he's out there putting himself through a shooting workout. Always stays after practice to get extra shots. Always one of the first guys on the floor for practice. He just has such a professional approach to what he does every day. That's what you want out of your point guard. I just have the upmost respect for him as a player. He doesn't take a day off and he wants to be really good. I know there have been some good players to come through our program and some that are even fortunate enough to go on to the NBA, but I think it would be hard to find a better point guard in the history of our program that Greg Pryor, just from a winning stand point, to everything he brings to the table, and the professionalism that he handles himself in every single day. I only have about 30 games with him left. I'm going to enjoy every single day I get to coach that kid, because he's one in a million."

Looking forward to the upcoming weekend.
"Obviously, we're going to go to New York and try to win two games, but I think next week for our team is huge. We have a whole week to practice. We need to get healthy, Casey kind of tweaked his ankle yesterday in practice so we wanted to hold him out tonight."

Makinde London, So.-F
Thoughts on starting tonight.
"It was definitely a great experience and a long time coming. I was just happy to be able to contribute to my team and be able to give it everything I had right off from the tip. It was definitely a good feeling."

On comfort level tonight.
"I'm a little under the weather right now, I think coming back to Tennessee and having all these forest fires going on I don't know if that's what's getting to me, but I'm a little under the weather. I was trying to get warm and get in a rhythm. I feel like my teammates were making it easy for me and when you have teammates that do that, it's bound to be comfortable. Like Coach McCall said, we all put in the work."

On maybe trying to do too much.
"No, I don't feel like I was trying to do too much. Coach said I haven't really had full strings of practices together to really get into the flow with the guys because of waiting on eligibility. I feel like that's kind of hindering a little bit. It's a learning process. It just means we have more places to grow. I don't see it as a negative at all. I don't feel like it's doing too much and what not. I feel like it's better for us as a team to get closer."

Justin Tuoyo, Sr.-F
On playing with Makinde (London).
"He brings a lot to the team. On the court. and off the court since he's been there before. He's been a part of a good program. He knows what he's doing. He knows what he's talking about. His energy, he's a high character guy so it helps the team. Him getting cleared is on of the best thing that's ever happened to us."

Assessing this win.
"Honestly we're just trying to get better. We just try to sharpen our offense up and key in on defense. Just add things and tie them together and get better. Tomorrow we're going to do the same thing. We don't want to sleep-in because we know if we don't take it seriously, then we can lose. So we try for everyone to be on the same page and try to get better and I think we did that tonight."

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