Rutgers Basketball HC Steve Pikiell talks American Postgame
Rutgers Basketball Head Coach Steve Pikiell met with the media following the Scarlet Knights’ 80-71 win over American on Tuesday night inside of Jersey Mike’s Arena.
Following the game, Steve Pikiell spoke with the media to offer an immediate reaction to his program’s performance and talked about what he saw in the fourth game of the season.
Full Transcript
Coach Pikiell Opening Statement on Win Against American
“I thought we did not do a great job in the first half at all. I was very disappointed. In the second half, we held them to two 3s, with one being a bank at the end. Tale of two halves, but we got a win against a team that is well-coached, and he has done a really good job.
“Watching the film and the way they zoom it, our actions in zoom were not great. We have to do a better job being up to touch and exit earlier and louder. We have to do a better job defensively for sure, but we are 4-0.
“In the second half, we played so much better, but we have to start heading to being a 40-minute team, and right now we are just not there. In the second, we really got up to touch on everything. Our hand activity was elite. We ex’d at the right time. We have five different screen coverages that we want to be really good at, but they zoom and then flare on the weak side. They’ve got some really good action that is hard to guard if you are not ready for it. Bryce [Dortch] and Baye [Fall] were better five-man guarding their five-man tonight. Sometimes it is hard when you have to step out at five.
“We just did a much better job in every area in the second half, and we finished the first half the right way too because we had to play from being down and clawed our way back to a tie game at halftime. Then we came out within the first four minutes and established the game. Our coverages have to be elite, and they were not tonight against a team that can really make you pay when you make a mistake.”
Coach Pikiell on Where the Team Is Defensively
“Obviously, at certain times in games, we have opened up with a great 20 minutes. We have had some great minutes, but we play in a 40-minute league. We have a chance — and these guys know it too — but we are not there yet. I do not think any coach in the country will tell you he is there yet.
“In the second half, in the first four minutes, we showed you what we can do because we have some elite length. We ex’d on wraps that they had, and on back cuts we did not give up any in the second half. We took away some of that. But obviously, 3-point shots — if teams are making them, then the basket gets bigger, and you cannot give them that kind of confidence.
“I am not happy where we are with anything, but I love these guys’ work. They work when no one is watching, and I like that a ton.”
Coach Pikiell on Dylan Grant’s Performance
“A lot of double-doubles. He is starting to string them together and scores in a lot of different ways. The four guys who have returned to our program have all gotten better, so I am proud of that. That is the work they put in.
“But Dylan, when he rebounds like that, it is a big thing for us. Then he can sit down and guard people. He made a big play at the end defensively. Proud of his progress, and I think he can do more.”
Coach Pikiell on Baye Fall’s Performance
“I mean, Baye is getting better too. That five-spot has been pretty productive when you look at minutes. E [Emmanuel Ogbole] got in foul trouble too. You have to play through that. But Gevonte [Ware] is working his tail off too. Those guys are a little more mobile and can get out on people.
“Baye can really block shots, but he is coming too, and he is figuring it out. I think those guys are all unique. They are all unique. But it helps when these two guys play the way they played, and it is not so much pressure on some of those other guys.”
Coach Pikiell on the Offense Opening Up and the Change From Half to Half
“We were going to the basket soft. You have to attack. They gamble a lot. They [American] play a unique kind of defense that forces you out of your stuff. So we got the ball moving downhill and made some great passes. J-Mike [Jamichael Davis] to Denis [Badalau] — a huge fastball down the stretch there — Denis knocked it home.
“We just shared the game and got it going downhill. Again, another game where we outrebounded the opponent by double digits. And we were not up early — they were up on us. I think we were minus-6 at the 8-minute mark. So we came back to win the battle of the boards by 10. They did better. We moved the ball a little bit. We got some answers. We got four guys in double figures.
“We have to get better. We play a Central Connecticut team who won the league last year in a couple of days, and then we jump on a plane to Vegas. So we have to get better in a short period of time.”
Coach Pikiell on Denis Badalau Adjusting to the American Game and His Progress
“He can do a lot of things for us. As you can see, he was plus-17 in the plus-minus category. So when he was on the floor, some good things really happened for us. He is an elite shooter. He is a really good passer as well. But I think they are all learning. They are learning how to play together. They are making the adjustment.
“Harun [Zmo] came off the bench and gave us a good lift too. So they are figuring it out, and we need all of them. That bench is huge and so important to us moving forward.”
Coach Pikiell on What He Has Learned About the Team in the First Few Games
“As a coach, you always want more. We did not have a great practice yesterday, and this team practices pretty well. I never said that last year about that team. This team practices well. We have to keep our edge.
“As you start playing game after game, you are trying to worry about their bodies and everything, but this team usually practices well — but not yesterday. So we have to make sure that does not happen because I think how we practice is how we play, and that is what I have learned about this team.”
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