Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. were both made available to the media on Monday afternoon. They talked about weaknesses they saw out of their team on film, practicing high-pressure situations and much more. You can watch the interviews in the embedded media player below or read pulled quotes below the videos.
Trey:
- “I don’t want to say it feels like the offseason, but it feels like we haven’t had a game in, like, two or three weeks but it was just last week.” The team will start scouting Pittsburgh today
- On whether or not he’s played in the Garden: “No, I never have. It’s going to be exciting. … A lot of great players, hall of fame players, have played there. Just being able to go on that court and perform means a lot.”
- “We all know that it’s a big tournament, That it’s one of the major preseason tournaments. We definitely understand the opportunity that’s in front of us. We’re blessed to have the opportunity to win a tournament as big as the NIT.”
Tim:
- On the break: “I think it’s always good to get a break off your legs and some time to focus on the team concept. Coach Beilein’s done a great job of limiting our workouts and our hours. He really emphasizes getting our rest so that when we practice we can practice as hard as we can.”
- When asked about helping the freshmen control their emotions on such a big stage like Madison Square Garden: “You can even put me in that boat because playing in Madison Square Garden, there’s nothing like it. I think it beats all venues for basketball. … We just have to continue doing what we’re doing.”
- “I’ve never been to New York. Neever ever.” Said he has talked to his dad about playing there, especially in the late 1990’s during the Knicks-Heat rivalry. On if he thought he’d be playing in MSG while watching his dad: “I didn’t think it’d be this soon.”
- Hardaway will spend Thanksgiving with his family, who will be traveling to the tournament. He would like to see the parade, but only if Michigan doesn’t have practice.
