Stan Heath Press Conference - Auburn

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas travels to Auburn for Saturday’s 1 p.m. non-televised game. The Razorbacks are 12-5 overall and 1-3 in the SEC following Wednesday’s 78-75 overtime loss at Alabama. Auburn is 8-6 overall and 0-3, and has not played since Saturday’s 69-57 loss at Florida. Following is a partial transcript of head coach Stan Heath’s press conference.

“It’s really easy for outsiders to be pessimistic, to be questioning and wondering, and that’s okay. We understand why. We put ourselves in that position.

“Our team played very well at Alabama. That was one of our better road games. We could have made better choices. Where do we go from here? We go to Auburn and get a win.

“We have to play with the same urgency, put ourselves in position to win and we win it.

“Momentum is a funny thing. Early in the season, we won every close game. Now we can’t get one. I can see us getting double-digit conference wins. Our team can play with anybody. The question is can we beat anybody. Other teams are going to make runs. We have to finish plays, make free throws and do the other things we were doing early in the season.

“We had a good talk after the game to voice what we need to do better. We looked eye-to-eye. We realize we’re as good as anybody.”

Auburn:

“Auburn is improved. They are a good three-point shooting team, and they have a good, solid front line. Quantez Robertson makes good decisions. They were leading in their games against Florida and Alabama. They play hard and they play well together. Sometimes they have lulls, but that happens to a lot of teams. It happens to us. They are dangerous with the three and in transition. We’ll see a 1-3-1 zone, and they’ve added size in Korvotney Barber (6-7, 220) and Joey Cameron (6-8, 240).”

Timeout at the end of regulation against Alabama:

“My mindset was the let him (Brewer) go. I didn’t see us attacking. I saw us searching. He had two more dribbles to go (on the shot at the end of regulation). He could have gotten closer and

possibly drawn contact, but he had space and separation, and that’s the shot he felt comfortable with.”

Facing zone defenses:

“Steven made great plays when we got it in to him (at Alabama). Eric Ferguson was the best at attacking the zone. We did a good job. They got out of it with about five minutes to go and in overtime. What we could have done better was rebound off the missed free throws. That was a disappointment. The team shared in that. One of those took a freakish bounce, but we have to come up with that.”

Dontell Jefferson:

“It’s tough. He wishes he had some of those plays back. He has to bounce back, be competitive and tough. He has to know he will never be perfect. The coaches aren’t perfect. That was a hard play (foul at the end of regulation).”