2012-2013 Season

Video & Quotes: John Beilein discusses win over Penn State

John Beilein spoke with the media during a press conference following Michigan’s 79-71 victory over Penn State. Beilein said that Jordan Morgan is still not 100 percent and Caris LeVert suffered an ankle injury of his own. You can watch using the embedded media player below or read selected notes and quotes after the jump.


Opening statement: “It’s like a deja-vu of our Nebraska game, when Nebraska came in here and we had some adversity in the game and we had to battle through it and make foul shots and do some things. Frankly, stuff that we probably really needed at this time, from the standpoint that last week was such a difficult week for our kids just to try to bounce back. We just needed to win any way possible: one point, two points, 33 points, it didn’t make a difference; we just needed a ‘W.’ To do it the way we did, I think, was the silver lining. We’re still challenged right now with Jordan Morgan. This is a great ball-screen team, and they’re going to run your five man off ball screens all game long, and Jordan Morgan cannot do that just yet. He can’t do it. He’s very slow at it, and until he gets better, that really affects us. In the meantime, I thought Jon (Horford) really gave us a lift, Mitch (McGary), Max (Bielfeldt) for a moment — important. Caris LeVert had a little ankle injury. I would have loved it if Glenn (Robinson III) hadn’t charged and Matt Vogrich would have hit that three. He’s been working hard and he deserved an opportunity. He got the two foul shots. Which, when you haven’t shot a foul shot in about three months, in a game, it’s hard to go two for two. So, I’m proud for Matt.”

  • On Glenn Robinson III’s play: “His game is developing and evolving. We don’t even know where it’s going to go yet. As we try to define that and he tries to define that, he goes through periods where he’s trying to find, ‘what is the best way for me to impact this team?’ … by running the floor well today, by knowing when to go for an alley-oop, being active around the basket — that’s the easiest way to feel comfortable again.”
  • On getting tougher after two losses to Wisconsin and Michigan State: “I told the team, ‘you might not win this game if you don’t have what happened to you over the last week.’ … That was really a major emphasis. Everybody getting in the stance, realizing this is big boy basketball, you’re going to get hit, you’re going to get shoved a little bit, and you still have to play through it.”
  • On team defense: “Sometimes just the simplest stuff: being in the stance, being at the midline, talking — when we have to react very quickly to things we can’t plan for, it’s been a struggle for us.”
  • On how he’ll use the next week of no games: “We usually don’t take a day off the day after a game, we like to watch film and then take the following day off, but the way I looked at it during this week was get healthy tomorrow have a little mini-camp Tuesday and Wednesday and have another day off Thursday for most of our guys. That way we get guys two days rest this week.”
  • On getting to the free throw line in this game: “We went ten times in the last two (games) combined. We need to do that and that’s always been a point of emphasis. … Getting the ball in the paint, … that’s what we were trying to do. The residual effect is getting to the foul line.”
  • On Robinson learning to adapt to the different ways he’s being guarded: “Every game is different. … it takes a long time to learn all those things. I just love what he gave us. He’s an energy player, he’s a slasher, he’s a burner. He gets out on the fast break, he gives us the quickness that most teams really want, and he really can guard people.”
  • On the team’s struggles with defensive rotation: “One of our goals is to make people make skip passes, and then closing out. One of the hardest things in the country to do is close out at full speed, get to the three, or get down and guard somebody. You’re running one way, then he can go north-south on you. It’s a technique that you have to practice and practice.”
  • On Tim Hardaway Jr.: “He showed some times today when he lost some confidence. Here’s what used to happen: a game like that, he wouldn’t bounce back. His last three was in and out, but that first three was huge for us. That’s where he’s really improved, being able to bounce back from a tough game. … maybe a little fatigue too. He’s played a lot of minutes.”
  • On having former Michigan players around during the week: “We showed the video today of the House that Cazzie built at this morning’s walk-through. We’re always talking about the tradition of Michigan. There was a thing we saw that John Wooden was quoted as saying, in 1963, ‘We worry more about getting UCLA better. We don’t worry about what Kansas, Michigan and Duke are doing.’ … Michigan was one of the three schools we was (referencing) in probably ’64 or ’65.”
  • On Nik Stauskas: “I think if Nik misses one shot he goes into cardiac arrest sometimes. … you have to talk him off the ledge. … He does not expect to miss any shot. That’s a strength, but it can be his weakness sometimes, especially on defense.”
  • On Caris LeVert’s ankle: “Caris couldn’t go back in after it tightened up on him. It’s important to have depth there and Matt gave us some good minutes.”
  • On Jordan Morgan’s recovery: “We had no idea that Jordan Morgan would take this long. He wants to play, he’s insisted on playing and insisted on coming to practice, so you’ve got to trust him. But when you watch him move out there, it’s not happening. He’s delayed.”
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