WATCH: Coach Jans Postgame Presser - No. 3 Florida
February 11, 2025 | Men's Basketball
2024-25 Mississippi State Men's Basketball Postgame Quotes
No. 22 Mississippi State vs. No. 3 Florida – February 11, 2025
Mississippi State Head Coach Chris Jans
Q: What did you see on Florida's 17-point run to open the second half?
CJ: "I just didn't expect it. In the first half, we were frustrated with ourselves offensively. I thought we set the tone and had a good defense in the first half. We rebounded the ball very well in the first half. That was a big goal for us. For whatever reason, we were just out of sync in terms of all five guys being when we're going from defense to offense on what we're trying to run and what we're trying to do. We just weren't where we needed to all the time. It wasn't just one guy. One time, it was this guy. Another time, it was the next guy, and it was frustrating for us. We didn't feel like we were giving ourselves the best chance to take advantage of what we were trying to do against their defense."
"Certainly, being 2-for-15 from three going into halftime, and having Cam [Cameron Matthews] get his second foul with seven minutes left [in the first half]. You're almost saying, 'Hey, we survived this a little bit that way [to be ahead at halftime].'
"Then, the locker room was pretty animated by both players and coaches in a really positive way. We made a couple of slight adjustments to what they were doing against us. For whatever reason, we got off to a horrible start. Cameron got his third foul in the first or second possession into the second half certainly didn't help. It kind of deflated some people, in my opinion, because he's such a big part of our personality and our spirit on the court. We had to play plenty of stretches without him, but we just didn't react very well to the start of the second half."
Q: You take a few timeouts early in the second half. What was your message to the team during your first timeout of the second half, and where do you think your players failed to respond?
CJ: "At that point, I was trying to get a rise out of them. At that point, I was trying to challenge them. I was a little shocked and just shocked by the way we were playing. We didn't have the type of urgency and fight that we showed the majority in the first half from where I sat. I may feel different after I see the film, but we let a couple of made shots by them directly affect our energy in a negative way."
"You can imagine us over the course of the season talking about getting to the next play and not letting one mistake compound into another. Just keep playing, keep competing and not get thrown off by things of that nature. We obviously didn't do a very good job of that. The game changed quickly. The momentum changed right from the jump out of the gate. At that point, they had all of the energy and all of the vibe. We were just trying to figure out a way to climb back into it, which in the end, we never did."
Q: Turnovers haven't been an issue for this team. However, they were a problem early in the second half tonight. What did you see from those possessions tonight?
CJ: "I don't know what we had at halftime [turnover wise], but it was a fairly manageable number. That was a big part of why they went on the run. We gave them the ball, and we gave them extra possessions. As you said, it's been a great stat in non-conference, it's been okay in the SEC. When you're giving a team more opportunities, especially with live ball turnovers, those are the hardest thing to guard."
Q: What is your concern level right now, and what can you do as a coach to get the team back on the track?
CJ: "I'm certainly concerned. I'm a little shocked because we had a great practice yesterday. We're coming off a very tough and well-earned road victory. The vibe was really, really good, The shootaround was one of the better ones that we've had. They were excited, and their togetherness was showing. I thought, for the most part, other than our offense in the first half, we were playing okay and pretty good at times. As a staff, we were disappointed that it was only a one-point game. We thought we had a chance to have a bigger margin, but we didn't."
"My experience with these guys – tomorrow will be an off day for us, since we don't play until Saturday. We'll regroup on Thursday afternoon, and we'll talk about where we go from here. Certainly, we're well aware of what's next for us."
No. 22 Mississippi State vs. No. 3 Florida – February 11, 2025
Mississippi State Head Coach Chris Jans
Q: What did you see on Florida's 17-point run to open the second half?
CJ: "I just didn't expect it. In the first half, we were frustrated with ourselves offensively. I thought we set the tone and had a good defense in the first half. We rebounded the ball very well in the first half. That was a big goal for us. For whatever reason, we were just out of sync in terms of all five guys being when we're going from defense to offense on what we're trying to run and what we're trying to do. We just weren't where we needed to all the time. It wasn't just one guy. One time, it was this guy. Another time, it was the next guy, and it was frustrating for us. We didn't feel like we were giving ourselves the best chance to take advantage of what we were trying to do against their defense."
"Certainly, being 2-for-15 from three going into halftime, and having Cam [Cameron Matthews] get his second foul with seven minutes left [in the first half]. You're almost saying, 'Hey, we survived this a little bit that way [to be ahead at halftime].'
"Then, the locker room was pretty animated by both players and coaches in a really positive way. We made a couple of slight adjustments to what they were doing against us. For whatever reason, we got off to a horrible start. Cameron got his third foul in the first or second possession into the second half certainly didn't help. It kind of deflated some people, in my opinion, because he's such a big part of our personality and our spirit on the court. We had to play plenty of stretches without him, but we just didn't react very well to the start of the second half."
Q: You take a few timeouts early in the second half. What was your message to the team during your first timeout of the second half, and where do you think your players failed to respond?
CJ: "At that point, I was trying to get a rise out of them. At that point, I was trying to challenge them. I was a little shocked and just shocked by the way we were playing. We didn't have the type of urgency and fight that we showed the majority in the first half from where I sat. I may feel different after I see the film, but we let a couple of made shots by them directly affect our energy in a negative way."
"You can imagine us over the course of the season talking about getting to the next play and not letting one mistake compound into another. Just keep playing, keep competing and not get thrown off by things of that nature. We obviously didn't do a very good job of that. The game changed quickly. The momentum changed right from the jump out of the gate. At that point, they had all of the energy and all of the vibe. We were just trying to figure out a way to climb back into it, which in the end, we never did."
Q: Turnovers haven't been an issue for this team. However, they were a problem early in the second half tonight. What did you see from those possessions tonight?
CJ: "I don't know what we had at halftime [turnover wise], but it was a fairly manageable number. That was a big part of why they went on the run. We gave them the ball, and we gave them extra possessions. As you said, it's been a great stat in non-conference, it's been okay in the SEC. When you're giving a team more opportunities, especially with live ball turnovers, those are the hardest thing to guard."
Q: What is your concern level right now, and what can you do as a coach to get the team back on the track?
CJ: "I'm certainly concerned. I'm a little shocked because we had a great practice yesterday. We're coming off a very tough and well-earned road victory. The vibe was really, really good, The shootaround was one of the better ones that we've had. They were excited, and their togetherness was showing. I thought, for the most part, other than our offense in the first half, we were playing okay and pretty good at times. As a staff, we were disappointed that it was only a one-point game. We thought we had a chance to have a bigger margin, but we didn't."
"My experience with these guys – tomorrow will be an off day for us, since we don't play until Saturday. We'll regroup on Thursday afternoon, and we'll talk about where we go from here. Certainly, we're well aware of what's next for us."
Players Mentioned
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