University of Connecticut Athletics
UCONN-CENTRAL CONN. POSTGAME QUOTES
11/9/2021 10:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UConn Coach Dan Hurley:
"I was happy with the start of the year. Overall, minus the turnovers and mishaps on defense I was pretty happy with how the guys were able to play with high intensity."
You avoided a lot of things, didn't take your foot off the gas. Is this one of the better first games you had?
"The theme with the team is to hit the ground and get running. Especially after returning eight players that played significant roles. While also playing top 25- level basketball. Losing such a big piece like James Bouknight hurts, but everyone is a year better and especially having the student session to back you is a big thing as well."
Offensively, did you like the spacing and the ball movement looked impressive as well
"The strength of the team is we can play different things. Being able to play different, it will allow the team to identify the best course of action to attack the offense. Big wings to post and also able to put a lot of pressure in the paint."
Adama had the physical advantage he will have that a lot this year. How tough a matchup is he?
"People are going to have to trap him. He is a special guy. From an offensive standpoint, he is one of the best low post scorers in the country. Especially with his touch."
What did you like about your defense tonight?
"We did what we did by being in the right spots. Of course being overaggressive at times, but we are tough to score against. RJ is tough on the ball. Isaiah is one of the best defensive frontcourt players in the country. Then bring in more length ii shrinks the court for the opponents."
UConn players R.J. Cole and Adama Sanogo:
How did it feel to get back out on the floor?
RJ: "It was fun being able to get back out there and get the energy from the fan base. Honestly, being able to get on the court with this group of guys. I like this team a lot, and to get everyone out here and get their first win with fans was great."
Does the team play with swagger, knowing how good it is?
RJ: "For sure, we know we are a talented team. It's a matter of us playing to our identity every day, and coming out with grit and toughness and everything else will come into place."
What's your role this year?
Adama: "I need to play the best I can. We need to win, I need to do the best I can so if that's scoring 10, 15 points. I just need to do the best I can."
On the ball movement
RJ: "it was nice seeing the ball move around and go in the hoop. I think that's a testament to having a real off season. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses, so it helps a lot not having to play catch up going into the season."
On the team's identity
RJ: "We are one of the hardest working teams in the country, if not the hardest. Our identity is playing hard, getting after it on defense, and the offense will come after it."
On success in the paint
Adama: "I was able to score because the other team was undersized, so it made it easier for me. It's tough to guard me, so I think I can score whenever I like."
Central Connecticut Coach Patrick Sellers:
"Obviously. we came out and faced a really tough opponent. UConn's ranked 24th in the country andsecond in the Big East and we see why. They're long, their size really bothered us -- 29 turnovers. We prepared for the last two weeks against pressure, against physicality that we thought we were going to see but you just can't duplicate that size and length in a game the way these guys are so long. So we turned the ball over 29 times and that's unacceptable. But the Huskies, this is like one of those teams when I was here back in the early-mid 2000's with the size, the length, the athleticism. These guys have a chance to be a special team."
On Adama Sanogo:
"I thought he was Ola Olamuyiwa's size but he has way more girth than Ola and he has a little bit of Jeff Adrien inside the paint. He's got a lot of up and unders, right-hand, left-hand finishes, and I think Jeff might have had little bit longer arms but he's just got a lot of touch in and around the basket. You could see him playing in the NBA someplace down the road."
On having fans back:
"I'm sure for UConn those fans really gave them a lot of energy but the fans also gave us a lot of energy too just because these guys played last year with no fans, so it was like a scrimmage almost all the time. Just to have the fans, even if they're booing us and screaming for those guys, it felt good to have that crowd and that energy back in the arena."
