2011-2012 Season

Video, Notes & Quotes: John Beilein on 66-64 Loss at Arkansas

Here’s a video and quotes from John Beilein’s post game remarks after Michigan’s comeback effort fell just short at Arkansas.

Opening Statement…

“For us, our last four games with Northwestern, double overtime with the ball, I think in the air to force overtime. Michigan State same thing and then tonight the same thing. We have had great basketball games and it was certainly a wonderful venue to play in. We are glad we made the trip. Arkansas is a good young team and that is probably the quickest team we will see all year long. I think Memphis was pretty quick, but sometimes I think this team, because they are 6-foot-2ish and 6-foot-3ish they are really fast. Sometimes bigger guys are quicker in close spaces. I really thought that was the quickest team we have played. It took us a while to get adjusted but once we did we played a pretty good game. The early lead hurt us. “

Was the game a product of the matchups…

“Yeah, like I said, it is tough to simulate that. I know what somebody must say when they play the Southeastern Conference in football, trying to simulate it every day. They really came out and made all their shots. Some of them were just transition and they really got good looks. They got tough looks that went in and then the momentum builds. We only had 10 turnovers. We would like to have probably three or four less but with a little more poise we may have only had five or six, now we win the game. They are a great team at doing what they do and they won the game. They beat us today. “

On Trey and Tim not scoring, look to others…

“Jordan has really played well after we encouraged him. He has really got to run the floor, has to run the floor, has to run the floor. We can’t, with their pressure, get things full court. Zack obviously really played well and made some great shots. It is tough because they really put pressure on you 94/50 and can really wear you down. They have a great plan.”

On the hard foul on BJ Young…

“I haven’t seen it on film so I am not going to comment until I see it. All I know is Zack Novak plays as hard as can be and plays as clean as can be so I am sure there is no ill-intent.”

On the final possession…

“We were looking for a two or a three. We were trying to just get them downhill, trying to get to the basket, or if they gapped, then let the guy go for the three. We were going to get both, so when he tried to turn the corner and he didn’t, he sort of went for his own which would have been a great ending. We were going for a two or a three.”

On the shot…

“It was a little bit short and i thought it was short out of his hands. After watching millions of shots I thought it was going to be a little bit short. It had so much arch on it because he had to shoot it up high. It would have been nice to go in but then again I have been on both ends of those. It was a great basketball game.”

On the tip to Arkansas, and was it worth it…

“I think we have to do this. I mean, there are a lot of reasons why we do this. One is our exam schedule and we are in the middle of this. There is just not enough days to get this extra game in so as a result we were looking for opportunities. Arkansas comes back to the Crisler Center next year, I think it is December 10th. It’s a Saturday game and we have our students on campus and so we are trying to create this atmosphere like we did with Kansas. National TV games like we have done with Kansas, UCLA, Duke, and who else, Connecticut. We have done that all with them so it is no different from doing that with Arkansas. We went to Kansas and it was a great atmosphere to play in. “

On Hunter Mickelson…

“I saw him play in AAU and I knew he would be a great talent because he can block shots. He might be second in the country in blocking shots. He really does a great job with that. He will just get better and better. Today most of his stuff was off drop offs. He had that one shots at the end where I think he had no thought it was going in by the way it came off his hand but it went in. He is going to be a good player but you have to be patient with him while he develops because he has a chance to be a great player. He is not there yet but he will be. “

On resiliency on the road with the exception of Iowa …

“We have a lot of courage in that locker room. A lot of tough kids that won’t give into fatigue and won’t give in to crowds. They will hang in there and as a result we have to continue to do that. Sometimes on short rest, sometimes on long rest we just have to keep doing it. It should be our identity.”

On Arkansas rebounding from Kentucky loss…

“They were very good today. I watched a little of Kentucky, and pretty much everybody in college basketball is tough to beat at home. I think you watch it right now, you watch the scores, there are an awful lot of home teams that are doing very well in all the BCS conferences. I think it is great when you have an atmosphere like this. We were really thrilled they were able to sell the place out and play some good Razorback basketball.”

Whether he’s concerned with road play…

“No, I think we have been really competitive so far. It is just, I am concerned like 365 other coaches when you go on the road. If you are going to win on the road you have to have so much more talent than the other team or you have to play your best game. Pretty much what it comes down to is you have to be so much more talented or play best game. Look at our shooting stats, we didn’t play our best game and that is more important. I think it is prevalent whether it is the Southeastern Conference, the Big Ten, everybody is in the same situation.”

On what lesson the team has to learn to win on the road…

“I don’t think there is going to be a point where you say now we know. I think the tempo today was, for the most part, really good. We just had to make some shots right there that we needed to do and some stops that we needed to do. We lost because they played better than us today it wasn’t where we were, it really wasn’t. I do think that you really have to play well. Any of my teams that have gotten in a game like this, they have really shot the heck out of it that game.”

On BJ Young’s performance…

“They are all good. All those guys are good. I don’t get into that. I watch my team and what we are doing and whatever, but i am not going to get into making comments like that. You ask me about my players, I will tell you more. They have a lot of talent on that team, I will say, and Young is one of them.”

By Zach Turner

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