March 11, 2011
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THE MODERATOR: We're joined by UNLV. Coach, we'll begin with some opening comments about tonight's game.
COACH KRUGER: Really, really good win. Air Force has been playing well. I thought our guys, the key going into the ballgame, had terrific respect for Air Force, having played them twice in games that went right down to the wire. Guys knew how tough it was going to be, stepped out and played really well from the start. I thought defensively really solid. Tre and Chace got us off making shots. That makes a big difference, of course. From there, just a pretty solid effort from start to finish.
THE MODERATOR: At this time we'll open it up for questions for the student athletes.
Q. Chace, you really shot the ball well tonight. Is it you continue to feel good as a team from long range?
Chace Stanback: Just keeping confidence in ourselves and our teammates making plays for each other.
Q. Chace in the grand scheme of things, it's only three points, but how important is it to hit that first three point shot for your confidence?
Chace Stanback: That's big. When you hit your first shot, your confidence is up, you feel like you can make another one and just keep it flowing.
Q. Tre'Von, can you talk about your play tonight and how much it helps when you and Chace are both playing as a scoring duo like that.
Tre'Von Willis: Well, it's always great and a plus. Like coach said, that kind of got us going. Me and Chace put a lot of pressure on ourselves to go out and make buckets for our club.
Q. You're shooting so well right now. How much more confident are you going into the third game maybe than the first two?
Tre'Von Willis: Well, I don't think confidence is the key. I think we always have confidence. It's just a matter of making them. Lately we all have been getting extra repetitions shooting before and after practice. That's what it takes.
Chace Stanback: Just keep getting up extra shots, keep having confidence in yourself, having your teammates find you.
Q. Chace, can you talk about San Diego State, what type of game you expect tomorrow night?
Chace Stanback: We all know it's going to be a real physical game. We know that. We just got to play together, play hard as a team, just match their intensity.
Q. San Diego State seems to have had your number the last couple years, especially here on this floor. Is there any added motivation because of that to win this game?
Tre'Von Willis: Well, this is tournament time, you know. Our goal is to try to win this thing. San Diego State is in our way right now. I think we lost, what, four straight. We want the win regardless whether it's four straight or if we coming off a win against them. We're going to come in with the same mindset, not doing anything differently, just keep improving as a team.
Q. In your two games against San Diego State, you were combined 2 of 33 on threes. How much of that was not shooting well and how much was something they do defensively to bother you?
Tre'Von Willis: I think lately these past few weeks, we've been taking all good threes, all of them have been dribble drive, kick outs, good threes. The coaching staff has been on us about that, preaching to us about it. We've been concerned about that as well, as players. We just want to continue to keep taking good shots and just stepping up and knocking 'em down.
Q. I know you have considered BYU maybe your top rival the last few years. What does this rivalry with San Diego State mean to you guys, especially since you two are staying in the league in the foreseeable future?
Chace Stanback: We know it's going to be a big game. We haven't played very well against them these past couple meetings. We've been picking it up lately, playing pretty well together. As long as we play together and play hard, we'll be fine.
Tre'Von Willis: It's always going to be a tough game against them. We know each other so well. We practically got the same sets. It's just a matter of who comes and plays more physical, basically who wants it more.
Q. The game against San Diego State, when you play them here on your home floor in a tournament, is it the same as playing a home game in the regular season or is there something different in a tournament situation here? Chace Stanback: It all feels the same except for the fans. We don't have as many fans as we would like. That just comes with the tournament. We know it's going to be like that. We've just got to be prepared and play hard.
THE MODERATOR: We'll dismiss the student athletes at this time and continue with questions for Coach Kruger.
Q. How do you see your team, how different are they going into this one than the last two?
COACH KRUGER: We're playing as well as we've played all year. San Diego State is a really good basketball team. They're very, very rangy and athletic defensively. They do a terrific job. Our guys know that. Again, shooting the ball well like we've been helps a lot. Sometimes it will cover some other things when you're making shots. When you're not, everything else is magnified. Our guys know how tough it's going to be. San Diego State is playing great. It will be a huge challenge.
Q. Did you get a chance of watch SDSU's game against Utah? If so, what impressed you?
COACH KRUGER: Didn't see too much of their game tonight. They played so well all year. They move the ball well, got great leadership at the point. Coaches do a great job. Lot of weapons on the interior. Lot of guys make shots. They're a top 10 team in the country, so you expect them to be very good and have a lot of weapons. They are very good. They play great.
Q. Quintrell has come on for you the last five or six games and did nothing against San Diego State the first two games. How much of a different outcome depends on him tomorrow night?
COACH KRUGER: Q has been playing really well. He's a guy that's becoming more consistent. That's great for us. We need that. He's a guy that can change some shots on the interior, get big rebounds, score for us. He's just playing with more confidence, more of a presence right now. We need that.
Q. How much is the good shooting a by product of guys making the extra pass or good passing?
COACH KRUGER: Combination of several things. We're healthier right now. That's as big as anything. Tre getting healthy, Oscar getting healthy. About six, seven games ago, that's not a coincidence. Went through some stretches where we didn't shoot shots. I think injuries contributed to that, got in their heads a little bit, confidence goes down. It's pretty fragile. Right now we are at the other extreme, making shots, making the extra pass, in rhythm. Like the guys said, a lot of drive kicks, a lot of extra passes for each other.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach.
COACH KRUGER: Thank you.
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by the Air Force Academy. Coach, if we could start with some general comments on tonight's game.
COACH REYNOLDS: I thought the game was choppy for both sides. I thought their defensive pressure caused us to take some quick shots that were contested. We didn't shoot the ball like we're capable of. But I think you have to give UNLV's defense credit. They were able to dictate the tempo from the start of the game.
THE MODERATOR: At this time we'll open it up for questions for the student athletes.
Q. Derek, were you surprised how well they shot the three?
DEREK BROOKS: They shot the ball better than the last two games that we played. But they have been playing better than the last I think five games. So, you know, they shot the ball like they're capable of. We just tried to get out and contest it and they still made shots.
Q. You've accepted to the collegeinsider.com tournament. Talk about the chance to play in the post season to end your career.
EVAN WASHINGTON: It's a great feeling to know that my career's not over at this point. But it still hurts right now because we're playing to win the tournament, get an automatic bid into the national NCAA tournament. It's an excellent feeling to know that I can still play another day.
DEREK BROOKS: Like Evan said, it's a privilege that we get another shot at winning. A tournament, we got a couple more games. We're going to try to go out and put our best foot forward.
THE MODERATOR: We'll dismiss the student athletes and continue with questions for Coach Reynolds.
Q. You talked about how well they were shooting the ball. Obviously it worried you coming in. Were they just hitting shots or did you have some breakdowns?
COACH REYNOLDS: They ran pretty much what our staff had put together in the scouting report. We had some defensive breakdowns. Stanback made two really highly contested shots in the corner which got his rhythm going. If they shoot the ball with that type of consistency from the outside, along with their defense, they can play about anyone in the country.
Q. Your thoughts on playing in the post season tournament? Are you excited about that as a program?
COACH REYNOLDS: Obviously we're excited about it. But this is news to me. I was not aware. We had been contacted by both the CBI and CIT. We're told we had to take care of our business. I'm not sure what that means, but we lost tonight. I'm thrilled for these seniors, these young men that are graduating, that are going to go on and represent the United States Air Force. They deserve this opportunity. The Academy has not had an opportunity to play in post season in college basketball very often. For our program to take that kind of step is gratifying to the players and the work they've put in. It's great news. I hope it's true.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach.
COACH REYNOLDS: Thank you.
