Post-game Quotes

Post-Game Quotes

Arkansas vs. North Texas

January 3, 2009

Arkansas Head Coach John Pelphrey:

“We did a terrible job of guarding in the first half so I was happy to see we got that figured out in the second half. We knew they had some good shooters and led their league in 3-point shooting so it was frustrating to allow them to shoot so well in the first half.”

“In the second half we applied more pressure and got more turnovers in the process. It could have been a little fatigue on their part. This was not our best played game so it was key that our guys fought and scratched so we could come out with the victory today.”

“The crowd was awesome from start to finish today and certainly played an integral part in the victory today. To me, this game was more important after winning on Tuesday.”

“Michael Washington was obviously great today. We wanted to throw it to him so many times that his hands got sore. He also needs to be commended for stepping to the line and hitting his free throws today.”

“If Oklahoma is not the class of the Big 12, then it has to be Texas. They are really deep in the frontcourt, have a great shooter in (A.J.) Abrams and a tremendous athlete in (Damion) James. They can take their show on the road and win in a tough environment as they have already proven this year with their win at Wisconsin.”

Arkansas Players

Stefan Welsh:

“This was a great game for us, but we couldn’t have done it without the fans. They are the most passionate fans in America and really are the sixth man on the floor for us.”

“This was a total team effort and this team is built around heart. Coming into the season, we had low expectations. It was just a matter of everyone getting on the same page. We still have a long way to go, but everyone has been dedicated from day one.”

“Michael Washington isn’t surprising me at all this year with the way he has been playing. I knew he could play like this every night when I came to school here as a freshman with him. He’s capable of playing like this every single night.”

Courtney Fortson:

“It was unbelievable to play here. I wasn’t expecting the fans to be like this, but it was just as good as Bud Walton Arena.”

“Texas is a good team, but we’re not going to get caught up in the pre-game hype. We’re just going to go out and play hard just like any other game, so go ahead and get your hardhats and lunch pails because it’s going to be a good game.”

North Texas Coach Johnny Jones:

“In basketball, each game is a series of runs, and Arkansas is the type of team that can put you away with their runs. They are a top-25 caliber team. They have guys who can really shoot the ball and get out and defend you.”

“We feel good about our team, and we felt good about the guys we had coming into this game that we would be able to compete. Playing this game at the end of our non-conference schedule is good for us.”

“The best thing about it was the atmosphere. We will play in some tough arenas, but none of them will have 16,000 people. This game ends our non-conference and we can get into our 15-game schedule and see where we are, but if we play like with the effort we did today, I feel like we will be competitive in our league.”