Al Gooden
Al Gooden
faces forest guys last park playing regardless state understand
We want to get back to state anytime, regardless of who we're playing. We wanted to get back to the championship, but what playing Forest Park does is they can put faces with that team. When you say Forest Park, they can see those guys and understand who they are from playing them last year.
tough
It has been a long, tough year. We have the nucleus we get back here again.
familiar finally kids nobody playing practicing time trying
We were up and down, trying new kids in new spots, nobody was familiar with each other. The kids finally got used to it and got used to playing well with everybody. It just comes from practicing all the time and doing what you do best.
guys handle mentally stuff team tough
We had some young guys and they weren't mentally tough enough to handle that. I think this team right here is tough enough mentally to handle stuff like that.
finding man people pounding stride stronger taken
He has taken a pounding in there, but people are finding out, he is a lot stronger than what they think he is. He has taken it in stride like a man and is doing the things we need for him to do to win.
became felt himself james practice role summer talked time
I felt comfortable with James in that role Nov. 4 when we first started practice. We went through the summer time and talked to James about it, and James himself became more comfortable with it.
deeper feet foul good guard job kept quit reaching sit zone
We sit down in that zone and guard the perimeter, and kept our feet and quit reaching. That's why we went to the zone, because we were reaching too much. I think we did a good job of shadowing them and kept them from penetrating. And it prevented us from getting deeper in foul trouble.
guys teach
These new guys are excited, but you can't teach experience.
wanting
You never get used to it. It is a traditional thing wanting to get down here.
ball create good knew move offense patient quickly run took
We knew we were going to have to run the offense more and move the ball quickly around the perimeter to create shots. We were patient and took good shots.
finish regardless year
He told us before that regardless of what happened, he would come back and finish out the year with us. We said OK. J.J. is one of us, one of our own.
fighting frustrated happier hard teams
How many teams do you know that would like to be here right now? It's hard to be disappointed or frustrated when your team is here fighting for a championship. Yes, we are disappointed with the result, but, overall, I couldn't be happier for this group.
gonna hung kids sit tough tribute
It's been tough this year, it's been tough. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you a story. It's been tough, and our kids struggled. But it's a tribute to them how they hung together.
great telling week
It was great to see Jermaine there. He had been telling me all week he was going to be here.