Cousins Post Game Interview

Talked to Demarcus Cousins after the game. Here is what he had to say...

On the scare tonight from Miami... "It was pretty scary. This was my first close college game so I had never experienced it before. It was fun though at the same time."

On if he needed to turn it up the last five minutes... "Yea.. Coach has been getting on me lately for my energy level. I just tried to give my all and leave it on the floor. Coach said I wasn't playing hard enough. I thought I am, but he says that I am so I had to turn it up.

On Orton getting the elbow... "I didn't like that. Didn't like that at all. We didn't get a lot of calls tonight, but that that is part of the game. That really got me boiling. I guess you could say that helped get me going."

On Coach wanting him to smile more... "Coach wants me to smile more. Yea you know that story. I am not really the type that smiles on the court. Coach felt like I had bad body language in the first half. It is nothing to smile about when you are out there playing. I am just really focused on Winning. He thought me smiling would help the situation."

On if he was confident in John making the game winner... "Oh yea. That is John. Mr. Clutch.. But I was going in there for the rebound though just in case." Demarcus showed a little bit of the personality there. Had a big grin on his face and got a good laugh from the media throng.

On Miami's shooting performance.... "They shot the ball well today. Coach Cal says it all the time. Every team we play is going to be their Superbowl. There are going to be teams that come in hot and hitting everything and that is what they did today. The whole time it was going on I wasn't really worried because I knew we were going to come away with the win. We have a great leader in Pat and two play makers in Eric and John so I wasn't real worried, but it was a scary situation at the same time.

On Miami bouncing back from losing the lead late in the game... "Wasn't surprised at all. It was a game full of adrenaline and momentum. I was just out there trying to win."

On the impact of the fan's.... "They helped a lot. That just gets you going. Them being into the game helps you stay in the game. Makes the game a lot easier."

On Wall living up to the hype.... "With John.... With the hype he has, it is all true. There is no extra behind it. I mean, John Wall is legit. He is the real deal. There is no guard out there better than him. I said it right after the game. John just started his legacy. That's John."

On Cousins' own legacy.... "I am just here to win."

On his double-double.... "I didn't even know I had a double double honestly."

On his performance overall.... "First half I stunk. I believe I helped us get the win in the second half and I just left it out on the floor. I wasn't helping on either end of the floor in the first half. I had to come out and improve my body language and help us get that win."

When asked about his conversation with Calipari about his body language (Cal said if his body language didn't improve he was going to stay on the bench).... "That was the conversation." (Again showed off his personality here.) "Those two fouls (in the first half) brought me down. I was thinking about last game, which I shouldn't have done. I just didn't want to start it off with two bad games and being in foul trouble. But we got the win and that is all that matters."

On baseball (he had a Pirates hat on).... "I love baseball hats. I wish I could play baseball. They get paid the most." (Cousins has got some jokes)

On Miami's performance.... "They came to play today. You could tell they played through their point guard. And they just played incredible and hit almost every shot."

On playing his best down the stretch...." That is how I should play and how I need to play from the beginning. I saw the emotions from my teammates and didn't feel like I was part of that and was letting them down. And when Daniel got hit that got me boiling and got me going."

On learning from tonight's game.... "Tonight was a lesson we learned. I mean, if we came out and blew out every team by 30 points, that is a false sense of reality. We haven't been in a situation like this so we learned something today."

On how long it might take for the team to CLICK.... "I can't say the exact time, but if we keep practicing hard and working on what we are doing we will get there. The talent is there we just gotta come together."

On tonight being a step personally.... "I know more how I need to play now. I am going to try to come out and play like I finished off the game tonight."

On his emotions.... "I play off emotions. When I am down, I show it. When I am going, I am going."

On Cal coaching.... "Cal has a good way of helping me deal with that. HE is just going to bench you if you don't play the right way. And you have plenty time to think about it."

On Patterson.... "He is a leader on and off the court. Shows you how to be a leader. He comes to play every game. He has a lot of energy on both ends. Just the perfect role model I guess you could say."

On Darius Miller's play down the stretch.... "I mean, that is him. He is just like that in practice. I think he was just nervous in the first game, like all of us were nervous the first game. You will see a lot more of that from him."

On telling his kid's about John Wall's first game someday.... "Oh yeah, he will probably be there to tell them too though."

On his confidence in Wall.... "I knew it was going in when he shot. I have confidence in all my teammates though, not just Wall. I think any of them can make a shot like that. I am just going to try to do my job and get the rebound if it is there."

On the difference between the first and second half.... "I was just zoned up I guess you could say. I Didn't feel tired really. I just went out there and played."

On being down 18 in the first half.... "That is just basketball. If you let that get to you, you will lose the game. Just gotta keep grinding it out."

On John Wall's hype.... "Everybody is looking for that opportunity to say he isn't all that. He is legit. HE IS LEGIT."