Postgame Quotes: #24 Michigan 71, Detroit 62
11/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2014
Recap | Box Score | Notes | MGoBlue.com 
| USA Today
Michigan Head Coach John Beilein
Opening statement ... "Going into this game, it was exactly what we expected, a team that was going to come out and pressure us, try and run us out of stuff and see how we could handle it. We didn't anticipate the five-guard approach that they used. It worked really well, and I'm proud of the ways the guys made continuous adjustments to their offensive attacks. They (Detroit) shot 43 percent and only scored 63 points. That's a pretty good game defensively. Offensively, when they sped us up at the beginning of the game, we didn't play with the poise that we expected of our guys. We learned in the second half and played with much more deliberate poise. We read the defense and made a pretty good run."
On if he expected to lean more heavily on the veterans ... "Oh, absolutely. Yesterday in practice we said the same thing. Our scout team really pressured us. There's timing and so many things that happen with young guys. They didn't turn it over as much. Defensively they spread us out, and that was key."
On the many lead changes ... "I think there were a couple pivotal moments -- when they were up 34-30, we really didn't execute offensively, it could have gone the other way. Then we made a good run, and they jumped right back into it. That was good for us to see and probably the biggest reason we kept the young guys off the floor. There's certain ways you can learn -- you can throw them in there, and you learn through a real adversity like losses. We're going to have to pick and choose and really learn in practice."
On Caris LeVert's ability to make things happen ... "He's one of those guys that is multi-talented. He's so quick and can get into the paint. He shoots it very well, and he can really see the assists. That was big for us. We had probably six three-pointers go in and out. That's a good thing because that's going to happen sometimes, and you've still got to run with your defense. As this year goes on, we're going to find creative ways to use him, so he'll be a big part of our offense."
On maintaining poise in the game ... "We thought we were poised, but we weren't. We got sped up. We saw in practice and whether it's Oregon or VCU, we're going to get sped up. It's important to learn how you can execute without being sped up."
U-M Junior Guard Caris LeVert
On the opponent's denying him the ball and how he overcame it ... "They were denying me the ball, but my teammates worked to get it to me, and we were able to knock down some shots. I think I got out in transition more; my teammates found me cutting to the basket, which got us some easy baskets."
On the 10-0 run ... "We had some threes go in and out all game from Derrick (Walton Jr.) and Zak (Irvin) and Spike (Albrecht), so we knew we had to get some easy baskets in transition. Our defense really fueled that."
On the mood in the locker room at halftime ... "We were all trying to just get up as much energy as possible. We all knew that they got a late basket so the energy was kind of down, so we just wanted to pick that up a bit and come out strong in the second half."
On if it feels good to win a game when shots were not falling ... "I think so, we showed some grit and got some stops late in the game and showed some pride on our home court."
On if this game helped to prepare the team for the tournament coming up in in New York ... "Yeah, I think so. Especially with an in-state rivalry like that where we knew we had to play really well down the stretch."
On his scoring this game compared to the last two ... "It was kind of one of those things that just happened. They were denying me the ball, and then when I got the ball they were trying to make me take some tough shots. We got some easy shots to go in; we got some transition baskets."
On the increased attention on him this year and how that affects his game ... "You saw today that they were denying a lot of the game; they were denying Zak (Irvin) a lot of the game as well. We just have to do some extra work to get touches."
U-M Men's Basketball Legend of the Game Campy Russell
On the evening ... "Look at this facility, who wouldn't want to be a part of this?"
On how often he returns to campus ... "It's kind of rare. I try to watch Michigan every chance I get just to see how the program is growing, as well as the type of players they're getting. It's been exciting over the last two or three years."
On his view of the program ... "I think Coach Beilein has done a great job of bringing it back, putting it back on the map, recruiting all over the country, bringing in very good guys, not only basketball players, but good people. You can see that this program has definitely been turned around. I think it's a program now that people want to be a part of. There's no question that it has to do with Coach Beilein. He's done a great job of putting this all together. When you win, when you're successful, when you've got a good and solid program, everybody wants to be a part of it. I'm sure the recruiting may be a little easier, but you always have to go out there and work out the chippers."
On what he thinks of the current players ... "Today was the first time I met some of them. They were respectful. I think a lot of times, as an older guy as I am now, you kind of get a good sense of people. The young guys, I had a chance to speak with them. One of things that I tried to impart on them is that it's important to have relationships, not just with your teammates, but with different people at the university. Don't shield yourself off to just athletes. That's the thing I wanted to impart on them, but when you look at the young kids; they're all young, they're in a growth mode. Coach B is a very good teacher for them. Seeing the guys who have come through this program under him, they are not just good players, good athletes, but they have a great basketball IQ."
On his Michigan experience ... "I played way before freshmen were eligible to play. The very next year, I came out of high school in '71 -- the very next year is when they allowed freshman to play on the varsity level. We had a very good freshman team, and that's what I remember. I have great memories about that freshman team primarily because we all grew up together, we became Big Ten champs together after going through a sophomore year where they had us ranked number one in the country, and we just bombed out as a team. A lot of that had to do with relationships. If you don't have a relationship with your teammates, you can't be good. But the very next year, my junior year, we were all the same guys that came in here together, and we had relationships with each other, and we shared a lot of things; we hung out with each other. I think that's what helped us become the Big Ten champs; we were meant to be. We became a very good team. If you saw us you would have said, 'they're not really that good, they're not big,' but we got on the court and when the game was over, everybody said, 'wow, that was a hell of a game.' Those are my fond memories of being here."
On his thoughts on Johnny Orr, Michigan head coach (1968-1980) ... "John Orr is -- I'm telling you -- he was a brilliant guy, one of the funniest guys I've ever known. He's a dear friend, a dear coach of mine. I have a lot of respect for him and his family because he had us around his family. He'd bring us over for lunch and dinner. I have a lot of respect for Coach Orr. I hated to see him go, when he left here to go to Iowa State, but sometimes you've got to move on. Johnny Orr is a guy that I can say that I loved him as a coach and a human being."
