We're waiting on Sean Miller and the Texas players to get to the interview room after an 84-75 win over South Carolina. It wasn't pretty, but it was a win.

 

Cam Heide said the team is still trying to focus on being better in the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half.

Dailyn Swain credited the crowd for giving the team some juice in the second half.

Heide: "I need to be someone who can knock down shots."

Just now, Jeff Howe said:

Heide: "I need to be someone who can knock down shots."

Heide said Texas will be tougher to guard if he can make shots because of how good Swain and Tramon Mark are at scoring around the rim and in the mid-range.

Heide said there was a point in the first half when Miller told the team to stop taking threes and make more of an effort to get to the basket.

Heide: "I need to do more than catch and shoot... It creates more opportunities for me, but also for other guys on the team."

Swain said Miller was telling guys to look for Heide because he was getting open and had good looks.

Sean Miller's take was that Texas wasn't sharp, and he didn't like that there weren't enough defensive stops and too many point-blank misses for his liking, but they got the win, and he'll take it.

Miller credits the team with executing critical second-half possessions on offense when Texas needed to score.

Miller pointed out that this was Texas' third game in 11 days. The Longhorns get a day off tomorrow.

Miller: "This is very fair — we're a much better offensive team than a defensive team."

Just now, Jeff Howe said:

Miller: "This is very fair — we're a much better offensive team than a defensive team."

Miller: "We just have to improve and be the best that we can be, knowing we've got some pretty special things going on offense."

Miller on Meechie Johnson's 35-point game: "That's what those guys get against us."

Miller liked the way Texas defended the 3-point line (South Carolina was 2-for-11 from deep).

Miller: "The first four, eight, 10 minutes of the game, I don't think it's what we needed to be. Certainly, we have to be better on Saturday."

Miller said Jordan Pope's competitive spirit needs to shine because this is it for him.

"I need to help Jordan go down that path," he said.

Miller is pointing out that Jordan Pope has never been on a team that's won three conference games in a row.

Miller: "This is a big, big opportunity for us this weekend."

Miller considers Chris Beard a friend. He said they've talked a lot the last few years as they've both gone down their respective journeys.

Just now, Jeff Howe said:

Miller considers Chris Beard a friend. He said they've talked a lot the last few years as they've both gone down their respective journeys.

Miller lays out the challenge for the Moody Center crowd to be the best of the season on Saturday.

Even though Texas is at .500 in conference play, Miller said he hasn't talked to his team much about it, "because the train keeps rolling," he said.

Miller said he told Matas after the game, "I'm not getting through to you."

He's hit a plateau, Miller said.

Miller on Matas: "If he could adjust in two or three plays, three or four plays, I cannot tell you the difference it's going to make for our team with not fouling."

Miller on Matas: "We need him to be more of an anchor for us on defense."