Ben Howland Quotes

When a big play occurs for our team, I'm concentrating on how the defense is reacting to it. Most of the time, I don't see the great catch or the long run. What I'm looking at is how the other team defended it.

Teams that just play on one side of the floor are going to struggle against defenses that load up on that side.

I can stretch the defense.

Now listen lads, I'm not happy with our tackling. We're hurting them but they keep getting up.

If you never concede a goal, you're going to win more games than you lose.

A little more movement of the defensive side of the ball, some rules that will be unnoticed, but a big rule will be allowing the jack linebacker to move out of the box sideline to sideline.

Against our zone, even really good offensive teams take longer than usual to get into their patterns, maybe 30 seconds. So we're locked into playing defense for that long... it's hard to run on offense after you've been hunkering down on D for that long.

I can be the only defensive midfielder and try and break up play. Or I can play a little more forward.

Coach Kiffin calls plays based on matchups and what he sees.

I would prefer to play for and against an attacking team, but I am now used to playing against defensive teams.

Before I receive the ball I already know how that play is developing so I'm able to give rhythm to that play.

My height might be a disadvantage in some parts of my game, but it is a big advantage in rushing the passer.

If the opponent can score 10 goals, then we need to change something quickly.

In the NBA they've taken away so much of the hand-checking and the physicality of how guys are able to guard you. So if you touch me, I'm gonna throw the ball toward the rim and get shots.

People talk about offensive chemistry all the time, but defensive chemistry is something you have to build, too, and there's a lot of that work to be done with just communications and the feel of who certain guys play.

If I can't help the team offensively, I can help defensively.

I don't go into a game thinking I'm going to run more than I'm going to pass. So it just depends on what the defense is going to bring in the situation of the game and what happens that play.

I'm starting to figure it out - figure out my spots, where I should be on the court, where I'm most effective, and how I handle double teams - and it's paying off.

Basketball is basketball, so from a strategic standpoint, having a players' perspective is valuable.

If you have the ball, you must make the field as big as possible, and if you don't have the ball, you must make it as small as possible.

I try to be a smart quarterback. I'm not the fastest or the best athlete, but if I can know what the defense is doing and stick to my job and what needs to be done I can make the plays needed to move the ball and score.

Back when I played, basketball was all about fundamentals, about hustling, getting those loose balls, all those rebounds under the basket. That equals up to 12, 14, 16 points. You can lose a game with that much. It's different watching basketball now. People don't play the same way. It doesn't matter if you score, if you can't stop the other team from scoring. Our coach used to kick our ass if we didn't. I was told if you saw more of the other team color under the basket than your own team color, you ain't doing your job. Everybody should be under the board, trying to get that ball.

It looks like our defense is quite a bit better than it has been in the last two years, ... If we can keep it up and stay at least in the middle of the league, that would be significant. We haven't ordered any championship rings yet; two games doesn't make a season. I love the Colorado air. I love the game, the competition, the show.

We tried to talk about [the Owls' zone], but it's hard to replicate it. It's nearly impossible to penetrate that zone. What you do get are open outside shots. You're going to have to make some of them.

Defense can't guard two things in a row.