University of Connecticut Athletics
Post-Game Quotes: UConn 106, Coppin State 85
12/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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UConn Head Coach Kevin Ollie
"I'm very proud of my guys. We came out and established ourselves from the start and played very well. I like our fast break. We got out on the break and then we established Amida. He did an awesome job getting 40 points and 12 rebounds, and Daniel getting a double-double with assists was great. Our ball movement was great. We had the most rebounds, I think, for this year.
The thing that I didn't like the most is points off turnovers. We've got to cut down our turnovers.
Once again, we've got to get back in transition and we've got to stop threes. Especially against Duke. You've got to do those two things because they're a great three-point shooting team, they're a great transition team and they've got (Jahlil) Okafor down there.
We're going to take this win and we're going to build off of it."
On sophomore center Amida Brimah
"I'm never questioning him being self-reliant, not questioning his effort and his energy. I like how he got six offensive rebounds - I don't think he's ever done that - getting 12 boards and getting 40 points. Some of those points were off tip dunks when Rodney missed a layup here and there and Amida was following. That's just hustle."
On freshman guard Daniel Hamilton's chemistry with Brimah
"Amida likes it up high. Some of the ones at his chest he doesn't like all the time, and there are some at his ankles. Our guards have thrown some at his ankles. Every time we have an opportunity to throw it up high to him, he seems to catch it. He's very athletic and very coordinated when it gets up in the air to him. Daniel, as a facilitator, is one of the best we've got. He sees the play before it happens. He sees Amida's man drawing even just a step and he throws it right up to him. It's always soft. It's always on target. It's always perfect. It's definitely some synergy they've got between each other, which is good, and we have to continue it."
UConn Player Quotes
Sophomore Center Amida Brimah
On his performance today
"I was just feeding of the play of my teammates. They found me and helped me be able to make easy shots."
On his work throughout the offseason
"I worked really hard to get better. After a game like today it really shows how that work is paying off."
Senior Guard Ryan Boatright
On today's game
"We have been having some good practices, we moved the ball well, we were driving and dishing. Our intensity level was there, the level we played at is better than what we played the past couple games. We just got to put together a full 40 minutes."
On fixing the defense
"They should not have scored 80 points. I told the team that's embarrassing and that we need to take pride in our defense."
Freshman Guard Daniel Hamilton
On what allowed him to be successful passing the ball
"I thought they were trying to pressure me, so I was able to go right by them, and when I went by them the defense collapsed and I just looked for the alley-oop."
On difference Amida's energy made
"It picks our energy level up when he gets dunks like that. You feed off of it and it makes you raise your game. It lifts you up."
Coppin State Head Coach Michael Grant
"I thought our team played hard. It was just a very, very tough match-up for us with their size. Anytime you can go 13-13 from the field, 14 of 16 from the free throw line, and put up 40 points it makes for a tough night for us. We had nobody that could match-up with him (Brimah). Every time they threw it at the basket it was dunk after dunk after dunk. I thought that he made his own highlight tape.
But I thought our guys competed. I thought we played well. One of the things that I thought we really didn't do well is take care of the basketball. We just turned the ball over a lot.
Early in the game and early in the second half, we just didn't do a good job taking care of the basketball.
This was the first night in a while we've shot over 40%. I really, really, felt good about that. I really felt good about our energy. UConn took its time and pounded the ball around the basket."
