Friday, December 26, 2008

UConn Game Post Game Notes

A couple of notes from the postgame press conferences.

From Fairfield players ... Greg Nero said it was difficult to play inside because every time he turned he still had the height right there on him and if he was able to get past one guy, there was another waiting for him ... Jon Han said that the Huskies have a "swagger" which "they deserve" because they are the number two team in the country. According to him the Stags are still looking for that swagger, but have it in a different way. He said the Stags are now focused on Siena and starting another win streak. He said the Stags like to play on the road and are well prepared to by playing road games like at Memphis and this one at UConn, so they will not be intimidated at Siena.

From Fairfield head coach Ed Cooley ... Cooley was not angry, but seemed a bit disappointed. He said that he is happy he will not have to see height like that again this season. As for Siena, as far as he knows, "Hasheem Thabeet has never walked out of their locker room." ... He said that the Stags were "beat up" inside ... Warren Edney has a sore achilles which has bothered him for two weeks and acted up during the first half.

From UConn head coach Jim Calhoun .. "Fairfield came in very well prepare defensively. I knew they ran good stuff, but defensively they really kind of stopped us from getting into any kind of motion, any kind of flow, that we would really like to do." ... He said that Greg Nero is "tough" and that Anthony Johnson is a "Big East athlete" who needs to learn to play offensively a little better ... Said that along with Niagara and Siena, the Stags are poised to make a run to the NCAA tournament ... Said that the Stags played tougher than even the Buffalo Bulls, who nearly upset UConn earlier this season.

-Tom Cleary

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