Arkansas Razorbacks guard Khalif Battle and coach Eric Musselman after an 80-66 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn.
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00:00 I just give South Carolina a ton of credit.
00:02 You know, defensively, they were really good.
00:05 Start of the second half, you know, the 8-0 run,
00:11 probably too much to overcome tonight.
00:14 You know, we had four free throws attempted
00:19 through about 30 some minutes of play.
00:23 And, you know, just like fast break teams,
00:27 got to get out and run in transition.
00:29 Three-point shooting teams need to knock down threes.
00:32 We didn't get to zone one enough
00:34 and draw free throws attempted.
00:35 We're second in the country in free throws attempted.
00:38 We're second in the country in free throws made.
00:41 And, you know, that wasn't the case tonight.
00:43 South Carolina's a great defensive team.
00:46 And, you know, we tried not to settle for threes,
00:49 which we only took 13.
00:51 But the turnovers, 14 turnovers, a lot to overcome.
00:55 You know, the field goal percentage for us,
00:58 you know, 53 one half, 50 in another.
01:01 You know, you think you're right there, 52% for the game.
01:06 Difference for us offensively was like I mentioned,
01:09 the inability for us to draw fouls tonight.
01:12 - All right, we go to questions for Cale.
01:16 If anyone have a question, raise your hand.
01:18 Let's start right on the front, Bob.
01:20 - Yeah, KB, your guys have been taking, you know,
01:23 17, 15, 14 free throws a game.
01:25 Eric alluded to it.
01:27 How tough was that?
01:28 That you guys, I guess, weren't getting the calls
01:30 for whatever reason that you maybe do a lot of games.
01:33 - Oh, it's tough.
01:34 I mean, that's part of our game plan.
01:36 I mean, I thought we were going to the,
01:40 we could have went to the basket a little better,
01:42 but, you know, the refs didn't call it that way.
01:45 So, you know, sometimes that's how the game goes.
01:48 - Do you have a follow up?
01:49 - Yeah, Kyle.
01:50 Obviously, you had a really good season
01:53 when you got cooking late in the year,
01:54 but not the season, you know, people,
01:57 I know you guys didn't expect it, media, whoever.
01:59 Just, is there a way you can sum up the season?
02:01 Maybe why things didn't go as expected
02:03 overall with the team?
02:05 - Oh, no.
02:11 I mean, you know, I hear a lot of things about, you know,
02:13 like I know coach gets a lot of negative attention,
02:17 but, you know, the whole coaching staff works really hard.
02:20 And, you know, at the end of the day, it's on the players.
02:23 You know, these guys, you know, they spend overtime,
02:28 you know, working on a game plan and watching film
02:32 and, you know, doing a lot of like detailed oriented stuff.
02:37 So, you know, we just, it's on the players this season.
02:40 - Other questions, raise your hand.
02:43 Okay, Bob, go.
02:45 - As far as, I know you said the other day
02:50 you're a Razorback, but like Eric said,
02:52 you got to make a decision when you have some time
02:54 to think about it more.
02:55 I mean, what's the process like for you now?
02:57 'Cause you do have a year of eligibility left.
03:00 - Oh no, we just lost, so I'm not even,
03:04 I don't know.
03:08 I mean, I'm just, right now, like I'm,
03:10 my mind is getting ready for next year.
03:13 So I don't, and that's it.
03:16 - I got you.
03:17 - Okay, we take, we got one more question.
03:19 - Okay. - Go.
03:20 - What impressed, South Carolina obviously got in the paint.
03:22 They're big, strong guys.
03:24 They look like football players to me,
03:25 but what were you impressed the most about them today?
03:29 - They play together.
03:31 That was the difference in the game.
03:34 I don't think, I think we're just as talented,
03:37 I think, you know, we were just as talented
03:39 as anybody in the country, but they just,
03:41 they play together.
03:42 They were a team out there.
03:44 They were a team.
03:49 - And, Cale, if you can return to the locker room, thank you.
03:51 - And we'll continue on with questions for Coach Musselman.
03:57 Raise your hand and we'll get a remote mic to you.
04:00 We'll start right on the front row.
04:02 - Eric, you guys were pretty much trading baskets
04:06 most of the first half.
04:07 I think you were, you're up 35-32.
04:09 Then they went on, I think an 8-0 run to end the half,
04:11 an 8-0 run to start the half.
04:13 Almost all those shots were dunks and layups.
04:16 And you guys had, I think, four turnovers and five misses.
04:18 What do you think happened in that stretch?
04:20 That's kind of where they took control.
04:22 - Yeah, I thought, you know, they attacked the rim.
04:25 They did a great job and paint points the entire game,
04:30 52 points in the paint.
04:32 We didn't guard the paint like you need to
04:37 against a really good, talented team,
04:40 a team that's ranked, a team that's got a chance
04:42 to play in Sweet 16s or Elite 8s or Final Fours.
04:46 That's how good they are.
04:47 That's how connected they are.
04:48 That's how well coached they are.
04:50 - Questions for Coach Musselman?
04:54 All right, let's come back to the front.
04:57 - We just don't have a lot of media here.
04:59 Eric, as far as the season, I mean, you guys had,
05:03 I know it didn't count, but you had a big game
05:05 against Purdue.
05:06 You beat Duke, you had some really good wins,
05:07 swept the Aggies.
05:09 But inconsistency, oh, you played better here.
05:12 How would you sum up the season?
05:13 Have you been able to figure out why things didn't go
05:15 as you hoped they would?
05:17 - No, I mean, this is new territory.
05:18 I mean, right now, the season ending stings.
05:23 I have not been in this position.
05:28 Hopefully, the program's not.
05:33 Hopefully, we're playing deeper in this tournament.
05:37 But more importantly, hopefully,
05:39 we're playing in NCAA tournaments.
05:41 This is a new experience for me
05:44 and one that I hope that our group of players
05:49 that'll be here next year and the coaching staff,
05:53 we certainly hope that we're back making tournament runs,
05:59 not just making the tournament.
06:01 So a unique, a different feeling right now
06:05 than what many of us have experienced.
06:09 - Okay, anybody else?
06:13 - T-Mark's been your top scorer all year, real consistent,
06:16 maybe a couple of games where he's had under 10,
06:18 but today, they held him to two.
06:19 I think he only had four shots.
06:21 How tough was that, and what did they do,
06:23 in your mind, to limit him?
06:25 - Yeah, I mean, in my opinion,
06:27 and I don't know who was assigned to him,
06:30 every possession, but Cooper is one of my favorite players
06:34 in the league to watch.
06:36 I think he's phenomenal.
06:37 I think he's a great defender.
06:39 I think he's a true point guard.
06:40 He's got great size.
06:43 I think NBA teams have to take a serious look at him
06:47 'cause he's a connector.
06:50 The team is super connected with him on the floor.
06:52 And I think he's one of the best defenders in the league.
06:57 Doesn't matter how many steals he has,
06:58 he understands spacing, he's got great length,
07:01 and he's really strong.
07:02 And again, I'm not sure 'cause I haven't watched the film
07:07 of who was assigned to T-Mark every possession,
07:09 but I do know that Cooper does a great job
07:13 on scoring guards in our league,
07:16 even though he plays a point position.
07:19 - Do you have a question?
07:20 - I know it's tough to look at it now,
07:21 but this tournament's gonna look different next year
07:24 with the two new teams.
07:25 How much tougher is an already tough league
07:29 and tournament about to get?
07:31 - Yeah, I'm not really concerned about who comes in.
07:34 I think when you add great coaching,
07:39 great programs, everybody rises.
07:44 You know what I mean?
07:45 You have to.
07:46 So maybe we get more tournament teams in.
07:50 I don't know 'cause it's new for us.
07:55 And again, after a loss,
07:56 I'm not really thinking about Oklahoma or Texas.
07:59 I'm thinking about this game and our season.
08:03 - We got time for two more questions.
08:06 Bob, go ahead.
08:07 - TB hit those quick two threes.
08:09 Looks like he got off a good game last night
08:11 and then he gets the second foul.
08:13 And he just seemed, you know, he had to sit out
08:15 and then he didn't really get going in the second half.
08:17 I think he hit a couple of free throws late.
08:19 How tough was that that he got in foul trouble
08:21 when he got off such a good start?
08:23 - Yeah, I think anytime you have a guy
08:24 that can space the floor and his 6'11"
08:27 played well the night before,
08:28 certainly his two fouls affected the flow of the game
08:31 for us, you know, for sure.
08:34 But credit to, you know, South Carolina
08:36 for attacking the paint and putting pressure on the rim.
08:41 - Bob, you want to take the last question?
08:45 - Eric, I don't know how you could be any more intense
08:46 than you already are,
08:47 but when you've had a great eight seasons, you know,
08:50 and great NCAA tournament runs,
08:52 and then you have a season like this,
08:54 well, what does that do for your motivation?
08:56 Or can you not be any more motivated
08:58 than you've already have been, you know?
09:00 - No, I'm probably more motivated right now
09:04 at this moment than I ever have been.
09:06 So yeah, I can't wait to work.
09:11 to work.