The University of Mississippi Athletics
Kermit Davis Press Conference
11/19/2018 | Men's Basketball
Head Coach Previews Matchup with Nicholls
Ole Miss Men's Basketball Head Coach Kermit Davis with the media Monday to recap the Butler game and look ahead to tomorrow night's game versus Nicholls (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network). The full transcript can be found below.
Opening statement…
"It was a really good college game at Butler on Friday. We're all really disappointed, but our team competed really hard. We made a lot of mistakes, game plans, defensive schemes. When we did, Butler took full advantage of it. We were up five late and just couldn't keep them off the free throw line. We guarded (Kamar) Baldwin really well, 5 of 17 (field goals) and he goes 12 for 12 from the line. I don't think they missed (any free throws) in the second half. I know our team is better because of it. We missed an opportunity. There are zero morale games here. It's one of those things that we all went into that gym thinking we're going to win, and that's the attitude we've got to keep. We've got to be a better practice team. I look forward to playing Nicholls tomorrow night. They've been on kind of a death march, they've played all money games. They had Louisville to a one possession game with about three minutes to go, won at Idaho, hard place to win. They also played Baylor. We'll have our hands full against a good three-point shooting team. Our team will have to be in a really competitive state of mind defensively. They shoot the second-most threes of anyone in college basketball."
On Dominik (Olejniczak) and Bruce's (Stevens) play on Friday and going forward…
"They've been very good in scrimmages, the exhibition game and our first game. It didn't surprise me, about the week of practice the week leading up to that. Bruce got in foul trouble (Friday), he didn't really stay in his stance. He tried to guard the ball after the guy caught it ,which is too late. Dom started, just broke off a couple plays, offensively was doing things out of his character. For us to win a national game like that, those guys have got to be a lot better and their presence has to be felt. Hopefully we'll see that Tuesday and in this tournament Friday and Saturday."
On quick improvements going into Nicholls game…
"I have prided myself as a head coach my whole life winning the line out-of-bounds game. I think that's critical trying to win on the road. We got beat 11-0. I don't know if we've given up 11 points from out-of-bounds play in a year sometimes. T.D. (Terence Davis) not doing his responsibility, (Sean) McDermott makes the first three of the game. Breein (Tyree) missed his coverage twice, that's six points. Baldwin makes a play before the half. We've got to start there. We'll see something better there tomorrow night."
On K.J. Buffen and Blake Hinson's crunch time minutes…
"We got down obviously because those guys would drive and shoot a little bit. We really wanted Dom to be in there later on defensively because K.J. hadn't really played much at the 5. He's pretty smart. He's one of those guys that sees it, executes in different positions but he hadn't played the 5 hardly at all. In that time, we just thought K.J. gave us a better chance to win. When you get in those real live games when they have those big centers, Bruce and Dom need to play."
Opening statement…
"It was a really good college game at Butler on Friday. We're all really disappointed, but our team competed really hard. We made a lot of mistakes, game plans, defensive schemes. When we did, Butler took full advantage of it. We were up five late and just couldn't keep them off the free throw line. We guarded (Kamar) Baldwin really well, 5 of 17 (field goals) and he goes 12 for 12 from the line. I don't think they missed (any free throws) in the second half. I know our team is better because of it. We missed an opportunity. There are zero morale games here. It's one of those things that we all went into that gym thinking we're going to win, and that's the attitude we've got to keep. We've got to be a better practice team. I look forward to playing Nicholls tomorrow night. They've been on kind of a death march, they've played all money games. They had Louisville to a one possession game with about three minutes to go, won at Idaho, hard place to win. They also played Baylor. We'll have our hands full against a good three-point shooting team. Our team will have to be in a really competitive state of mind defensively. They shoot the second-most threes of anyone in college basketball."
On Dominik (Olejniczak) and Bruce's (Stevens) play on Friday and going forward…
"They've been very good in scrimmages, the exhibition game and our first game. It didn't surprise me, about the week of practice the week leading up to that. Bruce got in foul trouble (Friday), he didn't really stay in his stance. He tried to guard the ball after the guy caught it ,which is too late. Dom started, just broke off a couple plays, offensively was doing things out of his character. For us to win a national game like that, those guys have got to be a lot better and their presence has to be felt. Hopefully we'll see that Tuesday and in this tournament Friday and Saturday."
On quick improvements going into Nicholls game…
"I have prided myself as a head coach my whole life winning the line out-of-bounds game. I think that's critical trying to win on the road. We got beat 11-0. I don't know if we've given up 11 points from out-of-bounds play in a year sometimes. T.D. (Terence Davis) not doing his responsibility, (Sean) McDermott makes the first three of the game. Breein (Tyree) missed his coverage twice, that's six points. Baldwin makes a play before the half. We've got to start there. We'll see something better there tomorrow night."
On K.J. Buffen and Blake Hinson's crunch time minutes…
"We got down obviously because those guys would drive and shoot a little bit. We really wanted Dom to be in there later on defensively because K.J. hadn't really played much at the 5. He's pretty smart. He's one of those guys that sees it, executes in different positions but he hadn't played the 5 hardly at all. In that time, we just thought K.J. gave us a better chance to win. When you get in those real live games when they have those big centers, Bruce and Dom need to play."
Players Mentioned
Guard
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