POSTGAME: Head Coach Alex Jensen reacts to @UtahMBB 87-69 win over Holy Cross

POSTGAME: Head Coach Alex Jensen reacts to Utah MBB 87-69 win over Holy Cross

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Back inside the John M. Huntsman Center. Post game continues on.
We dive back into the Utah locker room and Sean
and I catch up with the head coach of the
Running UTA, Alex Jensen. I know it's only a three
game sample, but clearly the most complete game you guys
had played so far this year.

Speaker 4 (00:14):
What did you like most about it?

Speaker 2 (00:15):
But I think the thing I like most was we
put two halves together out rebound and both halves, which
we haven't done up to this point. And you know,
everybody that played had and assist. You know, I had
the fifteen assist, which is really good.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Cotch. I'm assuming Tyler Boston was high on your scout board.
We did a really nice job. I heard you telling
the players that stayed down not buying his pump fakes
were happy with our defense.

Speaker 4 (00:38):
Yeah, that was one of the first time.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
One of the first things I brought up to our
guys after was he was definite focal points, kind of
like the engine gets into the paint sets up other guys.
And I think we did a good job of for
the most part, keeping him out of there and like,
you know, not going for us fakes.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
We talked a lot in the off season about how
you guys are going to be a little bit smaller
with the injury to Bob Carfe. So you're playing Josh
little bit more, you're playing the freshman Kendle a little
bit more. And then that first half, I think they
combined to give you fifteen points in six rebounds. That's
pretty good complimentary play out of your bigs.

Speaker 4 (01:10):
Yeah, no, Josh, I'll give Josh was great tonight. Josh.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
You know, I challenged him to start the game angry
and it's not his nature, but.

Speaker 4 (01:18):
Josh, Josh was great. Josh played very hard.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
For us in all of his minutes, which made a difference.
Gotten foul trouble, but I think he had a big
impact on the on the game, you know, and I'll
say this too. We were small, but like there was
a couple of minutes there where Jake Patrick came in
and ran the four, and he he ran he knew
the play and so credit to him to be, you know,
being experimented in a lot of that in practice.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
Say, do you had eight rebounds tonight? Could you haven't
been harping on the rebounds at all to your team?
I think you may have been are you happy with
that from Sadu.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yeah, no, Sady was great. Sady you had that big
first game and you know the same message. But I
try to send to all our guys it's something you
can do every game. Right. You're not gonna be able
to shoot well every game. Nobody does. But that was
give him credit to did a great job.

Speaker 4 (02:03):
You know.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Eight rebounds was was huge for us. Too offensive too,
So I think that was the big.

Speaker 4 (02:08):
Difference in the game.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
I mentioned Kendall Sanders, you mentioned Jake Patrick. Let's mention
the other freshman who played good minutes for you tonight
at the point.

Speaker 4 (02:15):
Guard spot, Oba mante Abbey.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
This is a guy who played almost twenty five minutes
for you tonight, and he wasn't here all spring and
summer with you. He got here a lady was with
his finish national team. But three games in, this was
clearly the best game he's played. What what have you
seen and how have you seen him really begin to evolve?

Speaker 4 (02:32):
Alex? You know, he's you know, I'll give him this.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
He's a point guard and that's not an easy transition
coming over because the college in America, the college game
is a different game. But I think he plays hard.
He's a great defender. And you know, you look at
his plus minus tonight in his minutes, see him plus
twenty six and twenty five minutes, which is you know,
obviously says something, But no, I think he's you know,

(02:59):
getting used to the game, figured out his role. But yeah,
he just his effort and how hard he plays is great.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Fifteen assists on thirty two made field goes Alex. I
love the way we changed the ball, which means to
the fans out there, the ball moves quickly from side
to side. Are you happy with the offense tonight?

Speaker 4 (03:16):
Ah? Much better.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
You know, we had our laps as we got up
by fifteen, and you know, the ball stopped changing sides
of the floor and and just those quick decisions and
you know, and the drives, and you know, I always
tell him good to great.

Speaker 4 (03:30):
You know you might be, especially when you have a lead.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Don't make it easy on the other team defensively by
just making a one pass and shooting the shot. You know,
drive it, get to the second, third side, and go
good to great.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Sometimes guys have a career night and don't back it
up the next night.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
They maybe are a little bit off.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Terrence tonight he had thirty sixty other night backs it
up with a twenty one point game tonight, was pretty
efficient in his shooting, missed a couple late. But how
did you feel like he backed up that career night
the other night? And what's he doing well for you
right now?

Speaker 2 (03:57):
You know? I I told him that, you know the
same thing I said, you know, the Holy Cross is
going to watch the film of of the you know,
our previous game against Weber So like you got you
got to you gotta win the game with your mind too.

Speaker 4 (04:10):
They're gonna, you know, try to keep you from going there.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
So we had a couple of nice rejects, and I
think he did a good job of.

Speaker 4 (04:17):
You know, not forcing it all the time. He had
a couple of times, but.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Then he realized it and he adjusted to the game.
And I think, you know, his whole thing is letting
it come to you and instead of just hunting it
every time.

Speaker 3 (04:28):
You have a week to prepare for Sam Houston State,
that's going to be nice as opposed to one day.
Maybe you'll get some sleep. Tonight Sam Houston State look
pretty good against Texas Tech.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, no, we were just we're just talking about that
they hung with Texas Tech and uh, you know, funny
thing rebounding. I think they had twenty something offensive rebounds
against a very big and strong and good.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
Texas Tech team.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
So yeah, we'll have a day off tomorrow, but we'll
have time to prepare and yep, it doesn't get easier.
But yeah, they're Sam Houston State Is, you know, their men,
and we'll have to be ready for him.

Speaker 4 (05:01):
Alex, Thanks, congratulations, Thank you guys. There you go.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
Alex Jensen with us here on the postgame show as
Utah wins at eighty seven to sixty nine.