Rutgers Scarlet Knights Basketball head coach Steve Pikiell talks to the press following the team's 60-52 loss to Michigan.

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Opening Statement: "It was a great college basketball game. I'm thankful to our fans for coming out, doing a great job making it a great place to play. We have to start a new streak now at the RAC. I have to give Michigan credit. I know how good they are. They've been playing great basketball. They were ranked as high as three of four in the country. Great size, elite point guard. Tip of the hat. The ball didn't go in for us in the second half. I did like our looks for the most part, but you have to put the ball in the basket when you play a basketball team like that and we had one of those nights."

On what the difference was in the game: "Gotta finish some plays. I thought we had some good looks, some layups. I loved our effort. I thought we played our tails off. These guys always fight and this team does, but you're playing an elite team, that's an elite point guard. I think he had his 1000th point tonight. He leads the country in assists They got shooters around him. They got good size. You just have to play better than that. And you have to put the ball in the basket. We just had one of those nights -- the ball wasn't going in. 0-10 in the second half i think from three and I thought they were pretty good looks, too, that we got. It happens. We gotta bounce back. We play in the best league in the country. We got four more. I want to make sure senior night, the place is rocking. We have one more home game here. Now we have to go on the road."

On second half shooting slump: "Our defense kept us hanging around. Again, the ball has to go in. It just didn't. It's one of those nights. I'll watch the film. I did think we had a lot of good looks. I thought we had some layups, I thought we had some open threes. Ball's gotta go in. It went in on their end. Obviously, they got us from the foul line. Huge key in the game was foul shot points. They beat us last time from the foul. line. Really at the end of the day, that winds up being a difference, too, the free throw line."

On only shooting nine free throws at home: "They got tremendous size around the basket. It's a huge key for us. First of all, it helps us get our pressure started. Secondly, it gets into people's benches. I think our bench is really deep. It's another problem when we don't get to the free throw line and get fouls. We had a lot of good looks today and you gotta finish some of those to win against an elite team like Michigan."

On if fatigue is a factor with the team: "I don't think so. I love our bench. We've played game after game after game. Maybe that's how it is at this time of year. I think we're in really good shape. I just think in games, sometimes the ball doesn't go in. We haven't had many of those, especially here, we've really shot the ball well. Gotta give them credit. They've got tremendous length. I think (Zavier Simpson) is the best defensive point guard in the league, too, he causes havoc. He leads them in steals, he has for his career. We turned the ball over a little too much and when we did, they scored on that. Little things here and there, but the ball has to go in the basket at the end of the day to win against Michigan."

On how Rutgers can win on the road: "This team is good. They're good. We just gotta play elite basketball on the road. It's an elite league, got great teams, teams with huge home-court advantages. That's the first time we've lost here at the RAC. We've had a huge home-court advantage. We'll be back in the gym, we'll be well-prepared. We're playing a Wisconsin team that's won some terrific games. It will be a battle. But first and foremost, the ball's gotta go in and that would help us a great deal. Our defense keeps us in all these games and that's what we gotta keep being focused on -- our defense. Go on the road, (play) elite defense and then the ball goes in, we'll be able to get one on the road."

On defending Zavier Simpson: "That's a difficult team. He's an elite passer, he's got elite shooters around him and he's got a 7-2 center that's a four-year veteran. They got a lot of weapons and when you got that quarterback that can slice and dice you, nothing's easy. I thought we did a pretty decent job guarding him, too. Different guys, different looks, different screen coverages. At the end of the day, he still makes a lot of plays. And he does it at both ends of the court. He's an elite defender, too. He's a great player."

On Colin Castleton and Michigan's bench: "He came in and gave them great minutes. They got a terrific bench. All those guys are capable of playing a lot of minutes at a lot of places. He came in, he's got tremendous length, he gave them some great minutes. (Brandon) Johns, the last time, he killed us at Madison Square Garden, came off the bench, he doesn't play a lot. (Austin) Davis, the big kid, shooting 85.7 percent from the floor. That's a huge percentage. They've got a lot of weapons. It's a hard team to play."