Postgame Quotes – UCLA 89, USC 68

on the beginning lineup used for the previous 5 video games
“I thought our bench was the big key today. To answer your question, it’s easier sometimes to get Tyler [Bilodeau] shots at the five in some games, depending on how they’re defending him. It also gives Eric Dailey a lot of mismatches. You get a taller guy on him, and his one-on-one ability can take over. It’s harder for him to get to work off the dribble on a smaller guy. That’s just my thought with it. Also, just trying to get our best five players on the court, not that it’s rocket science. Trent [Perry] is clearly one of our best five players with Skyy [Clark] coming back. And Book [Xavier Booker] had a couple of big blocks today – he’s doing a good job in his role.”

on Tyler Bilodeau’s 16-point first half efficiency

“Somebody’s got to score, man. We’ve got guys that can score, so I thought in the second half, just let Eric [Dailey Jr.] go. Tyler can shoot, man. Tyler’s going to get the chance to play in the NBA. He’s one of the best shooters in the country when he gets his feet set. He’s a tremendous shooter, and he works unbelievably hard at it.”

on Donovan Dent’s efficiency

“He took over in the second half. The whole second half he took over. We found something that was working off the hot pick and roll, the guys did a good job executing. If he can get in the lane, he’s as good as there is in college basketball. If he can get in there. Some shot making by Tyler allowed us to spread them out, and Donovan went to work.”

on the group’s offense

“Our offense, other than a couple of games, has been great all year. College basketball is way up in points per possession in the last five years, and way up this year. But it’s the best team I’ve ever coached in 23 years as a head coach as far as most points per possession. So, defense is all I worry about with this team.”

on if there may be extra buy-in from his gamers on the finish of the season

“I think that we definitely did against Nebraska, and we definitely did tonight. But I’ve been around these guy for five months, so I know that the fight is not over with that. You can go right back to where we were, which was a bad defensive team and a good offensive team, where we had to score 80-something to win. And you’re not going anywhere like that, nobody is. I don’t have to worry about it with Skyy, Eric Freeney, Brandon Williams, or Steven Jamerson. Some of our scores, that’s just who they’ve been. I’ve had the opposite in my career; teams who couldn’t score. My first team here, we lost here on a buzzer shot, I think it was 52-51, for the Pac-12 title to share it with Oregon. We couldn’t score. Jaime [Jaquez Jr.] was a freshman. We almost won the Pac-12. And a lot of my teams at Cincinnati. So when you finally have a team that can score, what if we really can play defense?”

on his favourite facet of this 12 months’s UCLA group

“We have great guys. We have great guys. I have to make myself yell at some of these guys because they’re such good guys, and I did that by design. You know, one thing about the portal, you can decide who you want to keep and offer them money to come back, you can decide who you go after. I want guys that are good guys. I don’t want to be fighting with guys, I don’t have the energy for it. Won enough games, it’s not worth it.”

on his prior income share feedback

“A few coaches were asking me what I meant. And then a few people owe me dinner because I predicted that our president was going to get involved. So I got some other coaches that owe me dinner, and my athletic director.”

on getting a win on the highway

“Winning away from home for sure is big. And not just winning, I thought our defensive effort was key. They didn’t get to 70. It was a high possession game, so 68 is not a lot.”

on successful the rebounding battle

“There’s a first for everything! We were plus-10 or 11 on the glass. It’s nice. Yeah, it’s effort related. Rebounding is about positioning, and it takes effort to get into position. And then toughness to get the ball. Positioning could be offensive or defensive on the block out, and then the effort to get the ball. Rebounding is all heart, desire, effort, competitive spirit.”

on the group’s potential ceiling if the defensive effort persists

“We can keep winning games, because we can score. A lot of good teams are going to Chicago next week, guys.”

UCLA senior Donovan Dent

on what goes into his help to turnover ratio

“Really, just coach trusting the ball in my hands, my teammates being open, and me making the right read. It’s very smooth to get assists when I have people shooting 40 percent from the three. It just makes my life easier.”

on if he’s extra comfy with the offense going into the tip of the season

“Absolutely, I think I just got more and more comfortable as the season went on, and now I just feel good with the ball in my hand and making the right read every time.”

on the significance of his scoring and management going into the postseason

“The team trusts me with every read I make, shot or pass, and I love that it makes it easy for me”

on if there’s extra of a defensive purchase in recently

“Absolutely. I think that’s two games in a row that we’ve held good scoring offenses to low scores, so I think we’re switching our mindset a little bit. Offensively, we’re going to score because we have so many weapons, but we really switched on the defensive mindset.”

UCLA redshirt freshman Eric Freeny

on what has clicked for him in his previous few video games

“I say just playing hard, practice every single day. Especially right now, just get ready for March Madness. The season’s barely getting started. We’ve got to keep on going, we’ve got to keep on winning.”

on carrying the group’s momentum into the Big Ten Tournament

“Just keep on winning, that’s how we carry it. It’s pretty simple I feel like. Winning, feeling good, next day practice feeling good. That how we’ve got to keep it going.”

on the 13-1 scoring run to tug away from USC within the first half

“Nothing but hustling. That’s about it. Just keep on doing it. Keep on getting rebounds, playing harder.”

on the group’s perspective when issues are going proper

“It’s just a feeling you can’t really explain. That’s why I love it. I love the sport, I love basketball. When you get that feeling, you just have to carry on the momentum and just keep on winning.”

UCLA senior Tyler Bilodeau

on the group’s development from earlier within the season

“It shows a lot of character. You know, it’s a game of runs. We knew they were going to have their runs, we were going to have ours, but just staying together there, keep rebounding, keep playing our defense, and it showed.”

on his 16-point first half efficiency

“I mean yeah, I’m trying to work hard offensively, especially if shots aren’t falling, stuff like that. But it could be anyone, any time. The biggest part is defensively staying together, and we know we’re going to go on a run.”

on the group’s mindset going into subsequent week’s Big Ten event

“I mean, we’re excited. This is what college basketball’s all about. Next week will be fun, we’re excited.”

on the boldness from taking part in properly on the highway

“It’s been really good. We’ve struggled a little bit on the road earlier, so to get this win on the road was big for us. It gives us a lot of confidence, and we’ve just got to keep working.”