Everything Nebraska basketball head coach Fred Hoiberg said after the victory over Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.
On finishing games expected to win
“We need everybody right now with all that were facing, and you know the thing that I’ve been most impressed with this group is they just don’t panic. We had an opportunity to put it away a couple times, but Minnesota hit a few threes and they got a loose ball and hit a three off it and now it’s six, but we came down and we executed. We were able to continue to get the ball to the right guy and finish the job and make enough free throws there down the stretch. I thought Sam, what do we call him? Sam H. I guess, I thought he made some really good plays, some loose balls, got out in transition and made his free throws. Again, just really pleased. Jamarques was great early. C.J., I thought was excellent all game long. Just, again, everyone that stepped on the floor contributed, and that’s what it’s all about.”
“I thought we had good hand activity, and you know obviously were trying to do everything we can to protect Derrick early in games especially. That’s where the double teams are coming. I thought we had really good, physical chest-to-chest double teams when we came with hands. That’s what created some deflections, and that’s what got us out into transition and that’s what built us a little bit of a lead early in the game. We thought that was very important to jump out early in these games, get off to a good start. We built that thing up to nine or ten, and that’s kind of where it stayed all game long, between six, and when we got up, that one small little stretch at 14. You know, I think stayed around 10 all game and that early stretch we had, where we were able to create some easy baskets in transition was, I thought, imperative for the way we needed to come out and play this game.”
“It’s a team that’s stayed together very well. It’s got leadership that I think is important when you’re trying to string games together like this. Griesel, obviously, and Derrick are huge in that area. I know the guys talked a lot about in the press conference a couple days ago, Emmanuel still leading and talking to his team so that’s where it starts. If you have good leadership out there and you win a couple in a row, now you know you can do it. That gives confidence to your players. We’re going…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Basketball | Cornhuskers Wire…