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| Dambrot Weekly Press Conference Quotes | ||||||||||
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Below is the transcript of head coach Keith Dambrot's
discussion with the media on today's Mid-American Conference
teleconference. Dambrot will be on the call each Monday throughout the
league season. Opening Statement: “We had a rough week. We had a 10-point lead at Kent State, and then we struggled early against Central (Michigan). We have to play better on the road if we are going to compete for championships. We have gone back to the basics. We felt like we got out-competed at Central (Michigan), which is something we never want to do. We can accept losing a game, but we never want to be out-competed. Coming up, we play two very competitive and tough teams in Toledo and Eastern Michigan. We just have to make sure that we compete.” On his top concern with the team: “We have been preaching for over the last six weeks now that we have got to get our field-goal percentage defense better around the rim. We had never given up more than 42 percent here, and for two years we were around 40 (percent) and now we are in the high 46s, so that’s the No. 1 concern. Part of that is our defense around the basket. We have been soft around the basket. We are not going to play people who do not defend, regardless of who they are.” On the team’s point guards: “I think (Steve) McNees hit the freshman wall a little bit, but I think he will battle back, and (Nick) Dials just had an aberration at Central Michigan. We need to work on some things, but I’m not disappointed in how they have played overall this season.” On Darryl Roberts's ability to playing the point guard position: “We think he can, but we didn’t want to do it after missing a half a year of practice. It’s really hard to run the point if you haven’t practiced in September. We thought it would be easier to play him at the other guard spot. Its just like with Brett McKnight, we think he will be a big-time three in this league, but we thought the four spot would be easier for him to learn.” On the overall status of the team: I think we have room for development. I don’t think this team is as good as last year’s team at this point, because you are not only talking about losing two really really good players (Dru Joyce and Romeo Travis) but two really really smart guys. Defensively, those two really understood the game. They had been in a lot of big games, but were not as good when they were freshmen and sophomores either. I think we have room to develop, and its just going to depend on if we can develop and hang tough during the tough times. We have had a few rough games, but we have proven that we can compete with anyone and we have to make sure we don’t lose our belief structure. That’s the key.” On the team’s defensive options around the rim: “We have some options, we can play harder No. 1. I think Jeremiah (Wood) can do a better job around the rim, there is no question about that. He has been a little bit tired, and I think that Mike Bardo is a player who can help us in there. We just have to be tougher, that’s what it comes down to. There is no question that (Romeo Travis) covered a lot of mistakes down there, I mean he is the all-time leading shot blocker in the school’s history. There is no question that we miss him. We just have to be better in other areas. For instance, we have not been thrown over the entire year. By that I mean that we have not been lobed on the entire year. That indicates to me that we should try to do a better job of trying to keep it from getting there.” |
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