Paul Sather 11-14-23

UND Mens Basketball Head Coach Paul Sather recaps Elon and looks ahead at Valley City State.

Episode Transcript

(00:04):
And we welcome you back here toour final segment of the night here on
Hot Talk from Live from the Biblesix Puff Downtown Grand Forks at Hugo's Pure
Market. I'm Paul Rolston along withTim Hennessy, and we'll tell you that
we're gonna get Tim's of the gameof basketball. Now we finally score the
ball. Score the ball. Yeah, center of the puck, I mean

(00:24):
yeah, exactly, so head coachPaul say the head coach Paul say,
there, everybody, let's give abig round of applause. You know,
he wanted to know why he's alwayson last we actually talked about center in
the puck. You know a lotthere's a lot of similarities of basketball and
hockey. I don't know if youguys, Like when I watch it from
up top, I love sitting uptop and the spacing of it in the
pace and and a lot of theactions that take place, and a lot

(00:46):
of the passing. There's a lotof similarities. And one of the things
we talked a lot about, youknow, it's rim protection. There's you're
protecting the front of the net,right, but center in the puck,
you know, you want the ballin the in the center of the floor.
There's there's some similarities there. Well, you know, I'm ignorant when
it comes to basketball, but Ibet when you were younger, I bet
it was too forwards, a centerand two guards. Yeah, yeah,

(01:10):
now and and it's even it's moreposition positionless now than anything else. Really.
Yeah, everybody wants to be apoint guard. Everybody wants this shooting
guard. Right. I'm six eleven, I'm two hundred and fifty pounds,
and I want to be a Well, let's be a two guard. Let's
first talk about don't get me started. We talked late Sunday after the game

(01:34):
a little bit about how you wantedto see your team in the few days
that you had in its response fromthe Iowa City game against Iowa against an
Elon team that was popping out itschest a little bit, feeling pretty good
about things because the way they'd openthe season, and I thought your team
responded very well. Now, Iknow you trailed in the opening half.
They made some shots. I didn'tthink you played too bad on the first

(01:56):
half against Elon. No wait waitwait, he shot me out Nday morning.
I said, well, yeah,they you know, first half wasn't
all that they played really well onthe first half. Oh okay, okay,
you know when you want when yougo back and watch a film.
The thing that was disappointed about thefirst half was just some of the easy
threes they got, like they right, you know, in that first ten
minutes especially, you know, wereally work a lot on transition defense,

(02:21):
so when we're going from offense backto defense, and Elan's a team a
lot like Iowa, you know,that's where the assistant came from. Billy
Taylor came from Iowa, and andvery similar style of play, you know,
similar in the pace they want toplay. They scored fifty five points
on the road awake in the firsthalf, so they're a team that wants
to run. And we knew threewas good. We knew three was probably

(02:42):
their best player. And he hadfifteen points in the first nine minutes.
He only scored two after that.So like we just we didn't get off
to the great start in that firstten minutes, and we gave him some
easy looks in transition that we gotto take away, Like we just we
can't go through a season giving uplooks like that. And they it's more
it's more talk and you know,usually it comes from your bigs getting back

(03:07):
and they're more concerned about getting theirguy and a little less concerned about finding
the open man. And in basketball, like you have your matchups and you
have who you're guarding. But whenyou're getting back in transition, and I
think two or three of the timesit was a miss layup or a miss
three, somebody fell down. Soit's a five B four coming back and

(03:28):
you know your five has to nowguard maybe someone other than their big.
And it just so happened to bethat was three a couple of times,
and he went and he went bangbang. Honest, well he sure was
in any he's proven it. Ithink he was Freshman of the Year in
their league. Well and that's agood league. You know that's got Charleston
and it's a good league. Andand so like returning, he's been and

(03:49):
he's expanded his game. Last yearhe didn't make that many threes at a
good percentage. In this year he'sbeen lights out from three. And and
he's just he's physical for for kindof a skinny six y five Australian kiddie,
he goes into that you know,he'll drive you middle and put his
body right into you get space andgo right up for a shot without any
issue. And he did that tous, and I just you know,

(04:11):
I don't know if he scored onBJ. I was talking to coach Stevens
and I think he probably like weended up getting BJ on him as the
game went on more And I don'tknow if he scored on BJ, just
that size and length. He gotswitched a few times. Ye, we
got somebody else on him and he'sable to score over him. But so
you know, it's it's stuff.We got to get better, you know.

(04:32):
Yeah, but if he gets onlytwo after that initial yeah, how
do you do that? Well?I think your players figured it out a
little bit better. You know,we did a better job as the game
went on, like you do.And we're we're early season stuff. There's
plenty of mistakes we're going to bemaking and we're going to make him throughout

(04:53):
the year. And it was goodto see the guys recover. I thought
we'd played a better ten minutes.But it's a good offensive team we played
against in the second half and theyhaven't been a very good second half team
elon yep. And it played outthat way like I thought we played well
in the second half, But Idon't know if Elan played that well,

(05:14):
Like it was a combination of usmaybe playing pretty well in that second half
and maybe them not playing as well. But I thought like from start to
finish, even though you made mistakesin that first half, effort wise,
yes, you were good all theway through play the most part with just
about everybody that got an opportunity,yeah, gave you something as far as
the energy, the effort. Youknow, not everybody can be brady as

(05:39):
far as that is concerned, butthey can give you effort to their utmost.
And I thought, at least onthat day, from start to finish,
for the most part, it wasthe pretty good yeah. Yeah,
And it's it's fun to see,you know, like Eli King, I
thought there was some good growth comingfrom Iowa you know, even though he's
a sophomore, like he just didn'tplay, He didn't get on the floor
much for Iowa States. So thisis a lot of like his first year

(06:01):
of getting in games playing college basketball, and and there was some good growth
from from the first half to thesecond half, even in a line with
him, And it's fun to seethat confidence bruin. But but like I
like, it's better. We wejust got to really get you know,
continue to lock in and understand that. You know, it's not about beating

(06:23):
a line, it's not. It'sabout us continually working to be the best
team we can be. And justwe got some guys playing pretty well.
We got some guys that are learningand and going through it a little bit,
and we need those guys to comealong. Do you bet a line
was a good barometer to a point, I think. So, you know,
they beat a good as East TennesseeState team. You know, Brian

(06:45):
Jones is down there and I visitedwith him a little bit about Alan he
you know, he and and Ithink he likes their I think their team
down at East Tennessee State's got achance to be a pretty good team.
Yeah, and Elon got them prettygood. I think it ended up close
in the end, but they hadEast Tennessee State down by twenty twenty one
or twenty two. So like they'veshown in two games, one against the

(07:05):
acc opponent in wake Forest that theycan score and and really put points up
against anybody. But you know,the second half has been hard on them,
and we were able to kind ofget him in that second half.
If that, if that happens asa coach, what are you thinking?
I mean, if it's almost likea history of that for them, then

(07:25):
it keeps occurring. Second halfs aren'tvery good. Yeah, what are you
thinking as a coach? Don't goto the locker room? Yeah yeah,
what are you No, I've seenI've seen coach Robuck do that with his
team. Yeah, you're gonna stayout here. Well, it's it's,
it's it's a lot of it isyou are kind of learning to come out.
And and you know, to Ulan'scredit, there's a couple they got

(07:45):
returning guys that are playing, butthey're playing some new guys on that roster
as well. And and I thinkthere's still you know, we talked a
lot about it last year, Tam. I think we're they're still figuring out
some rotation stuff. I think it'spretty clear. I think they're playing ten
to eleven guys, and and we'renot. I mean we're playing eight to
nine right now, and and andand and with Brian Matthews being out with

(08:07):
an ankle, you know, wewere pretty much at about nine guys that
were playing these last two games,and getting Brian back allows us to do
some different things. But it's it'scoming round. I want to talk to
you about maybe a sneaky good startthrough two games. Uh Amar Kuliovic has
I thought showing some things here inthe first couple of games that boy,

(08:31):
you guys can really use as theseason progresses, as long as he continues
to grow in that's in that role. He plays so hard. It's fun
to see him. It's fun tosee him and his runs get so tired
because he's playing so hard and he'sconstantly working for inside position rebounding wise,
he's constantly looking to get other peopleopen. He's just a really hard nosed
blue collar or just do the dirtywork. He's from West Waterloo now is

(08:54):
both of his parents are possible,that's tough. Both of his parents are
Bosnian, right, so like andlike they literally moved over here from Bosnia,
like they weren't like his family,you know, immigrated here from Bosnia.
So no, he's he grew upand born and raised in West Waterloo.
But but older brother that played uhDivision one basketball as well, and

(09:16):
he started he ended up a calState Fullerton, I believe. But but
what I've liked about him, coach, and you can tell me if I'm
wrong when he stepped on the floor. So far, he's not trying to
be anything but who he is.Yeah, And I really like that.
Yeah, and that that that thatdoesn't always happen with young guys get well
and or just new players. Youknow, I think they're trying to kind

(09:37):
of show and prove themselves, right, And and I think what he's just
trying to prove is gonna be toughkid. He's gonna compete, He's going
to do the little things. Andthat's just the way he's that's just kind
of how he's built. I mean, you know, you know, Coach
Stevens saw him play, you know, in a regional tournament or in a
national tournament out and and the onething, the one thing about I mean,

(10:03):
he he was one of the toprebounding Juco Biggs in the country.
And that's played out like he's inhis minute said, he's getting he's rebounding
it great, and he's given asecond shot opportunities, he's getting in the
free throw line. He's doing somethings really really well for us, and
it gives us, It just givesus some depth and some physicality in there,
and it allows us to play Teaat that four with along with them

(10:28):
are or along with Brian. Soit helps us be bigger because we're going
to be playing against teams like aSouth Dakota State that will play two bigs
a lot, and there'll be otherteams that play with more size. So
you know, we've got a rangeof small lineups and big lineups. So
yeah, it's okay, has beenawesome time out. A lot of people

(10:48):
don't know who Tea is, soa lot of a lot of people do.
But so he'd say, I knowyou, I know you did,
I know you did. Really there'sa lot of I've got a lot of
tough games in this team, sowe gotta you gotta simplify a little bit.
Yeah, well, I mean Isay it a lot, but I

(11:09):
was just gonna say that really quickabout Pacific. You get another kick at
the can with them coming up?What next Monday night? Yeah, I
know, we got Valley City State, but they were such a good team
here at least on that night.They were here a year and they got
a lot of those guys again whenthey went under root. I think they
beat cal yeah, I think thiswas a cal I think they beat or
Or. But they're they're they're good, they're talented. They're gonna be good

(11:31):
at their place. You know,we got Valley City Thursday night, and
and real quick on that. Uhyeah, Valley City is tough because they're
gonna come out with a one threeone zone. They're gonna play for forty
minutes. They got a two guardthat's averaging about twenty four a game.
They got some bigs that have reallyrebounded. Well, this is one of
those teams. Remember the Mayville gamea couple of years ago, right when

(11:54):
a team zoning you for forty minutesand and and they're coming and excited to
play. So I'm I'm thinking ofabout Pacific, But right now, my
first concern is like this Valley Citygame, Like we got to get ready,
we got to get her mind rightand and really play well. But
but because they are, they're they'rethey're They're just one of those teams that's
going to be excited about playing.They got a couple guys that can really

(12:15):
score it. So Thursday is goingto be fun in the Betty and then
and then we'll force we'll put ourattention over to Pacific. Who listen.
I they're really I think they're reallygood. They're really talented. They lost
a few guys from that last year'steam, but they return a good chunk
of those guys. Yeah, they'revery good, very very good. Well,
we I tell you what. We'reglad you could swing out and join
us, because you know, theschedule is kind of crazy at this time

(12:37):
of year, so we get atleast a quick glance. Appreciate it.
Let's have a great Thursday night andthen a safe travels out to California.
I'll catch up to you, Iguess somewhere along the way somewhere, yehock
stock We're going to be in stockTo. I got that much so far.
I have won one of those shirts. You know, aren't those nights?
Huh? Those look good? Allright, Head coach, everybody,
head coach Paul Saith, you ande men's basketball. As we're about to

(13:01):
wrap things up here, Carl Millerused to be an idea. I did
not know that. That's a greatthat's a great bit of Carl Miller.
Yes, I mean Stockton, California. Yeah, but first Valley City States
coach I mentioned on Thursday night atHome with the Betty at seven. We

(13:22):
hope many people will be joining uslive for there, but of course bring
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Tim will have hockey both Friday andSaturday with Mike Lamoyne as his sidekick
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And do not forget Saturday afternoon youneed football pregame. You need football Tailgate

(13:46):
show gets underway at twelve noon acrossthe home of Economy Radio Network. Jack
Michaels, Mike Burt, Me anda whole bunch of great others will be
coming your way with the Kick atone. But Jack Michaels Tomorrow night has
you Indie women's basketball for the Betty. Beginning it's seven against the Concordia College
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(14:09):
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We thank them for Tim. I'mPaul. We hope you join us again
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