2016 Big Ten Tournament: Purdue 76, Michigan 59: Postgame Quotes

Here are some of the best notes from the postgame press conference for Purdue and Michigan:

John Beilein: So fortunate to have a win over them earlier in the year because they are such a tough matchup for us with their size. A.J. Hammons is an impossible matchup for us. We felt if we could hold him to 40 and close out the other guys and we didn't do that. We had some good looks today and we didn't make them. Given the opportunity again we'll make them.

Derrick Walton: That was a big play. We were on a run and he got tothe basket on our bigs and finished. (Referring to Hammons' 5-0 answer after they cut it to 6).

Walton: It is not really our job, but we go out and  play and let the committee do what they need to do. At the end of the day we hope the put us in. (In regards to NCAA chances).

Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman: They're a great defensive team and they take away certain shots. We have some shots we normally knock down, but she just didn't make them.

Beilein: Runs were a big part of the game. The size of Hammons is almost shocking the first time when you go out to guard him. The start of the second half, I have no clue how that could have happened. There is a huge difference tot he game with the way we started int he second half.

Hammons is an elite player. He's a versatile big man. He can pass, shoot the 15-footer, and really has some crafty stuff in the post. We tried to double him at Purdue and it was a catastrophe. We played him straight up in Ann Arbor and had success, but today he was just unstoppable.

Our kids battled all year long. We had adjustments all year long and they have to compare that to all the other bubble teams.

(On Wagner) What Haas did to him is a great reason for what he needs to do in the weight room.

There is a huge number of top 25 teams we played. Maybe half our games were top 25 teams, but we won enough to show that if we played the 26-50 teams we would have beaten them. We won on the road, we won 22 games, we beat four top 25 teams. We're a good team.

Matt Painter: I felt our guys were ready to play at the start of both halves. It is a good sign the way we have started all four halves here in the Big Ten Tournament. Our guys did a good job of sharing the ball and dominating the glass.

A.J. Hammons: Today I just came out with more energy and went with the moves I know.

Vince Edwards: He's a funny,outgoing guy. He took a fadeaway shot and he normally brushes that off, but not today. He went to the moves he knew.

Hammons: I came back for this: to win some championships. I have been here for four years trying to rebuild the program and it would mean a lot to the students and the fans to bring back a championship and go into the NCAA Tournament in a good spot.

Edwards: Our chemistry is definitely getting better. we all care about each other and we're clicking at the right time. We're sitting here about to play for a Big Ten championship and that's huge.

Painter: The second half start was probably the difference in the game. They never got it to a one possession game and it was so vital for us. We were able to build on that eight point lead and it was vital to our success.

Isaac came in heavy. He felt he had to be bigger than he actually was and we told him he needed to lose weight. He put the time into working and getting into great shape. We told him he didn't come here to back anyone up. He came here to play. If I played him 25 minutes he would be First Team all-Big Ten. He has been great for AJ and they have been great for each other. When you know that if you don't perform, they will play someone else, that is the best motivation.

This helps you get into that tourney mode. You have to adjust to different rims and such, but when you play in this it helps you make those adjustments and we're trying to build off the finish to Big Ten play.

We just tried to hold AJ accountable and, as a coach, not flying off the handle while still holding him accountable. He's a really intelligent guy. He knows what he's doing out there. The game is slowing down for him but he's a good practice guy when before, he was a nightmare. With him, you have to get him the ball deep and we can trust him. The gameplan every game is to get him the ball inside.

It was a little important to win a game without shooting a high volume of threes. We were selective, but winning differently is important for your confidence. We're not a team that absolutely has to shoot threes to win.

When Swanigan gets down there, posts up, and posts strong it is very hard for face up fours.