And Maurice Taylor said some things like, "We're not in a state of panic" and "There's just some minor things we have to get better in ...."
And as hard as Fisher and the Wolverines try to sugarcoat last night's loss to Athletes in Action, last night's exhibition game means a lot more than they may be willing to admit. It does matter, and the Wolverines should be concerned.
You see, one thing came into focus a week ago against Australia Adelaide and became crystal clear last night: The Wolverines cannot play defense, and that tends to be a problem during basketball games.
And if it continues, it will be another long, mediocre season for the Wolverines.
The athletes that comprise AIA are more concerned about spreading the word of God than spreading the floor, zone defense and layups. But AIA was more of like a personal Hell for Michigan last night, as the Wolverines found themselves asking for some divine intervention.
Athletes in Action shot the lights out from behind the arc, hitting a total 12 of 21 3-pointers, nine of 14 in the first half, and 41 of 60 from the field. They held a 15-point lead at the half, 63-48, and were up by 18 early in the second.
If it weren't for Taylor, who finished with a blistering 40 points, the game would have been long over at the half.
And the funny thing is, AIA cannot shine Michigan's shoes offensively. Not many people will question Michigan's offensive capabilities this season, but Athletes in Action are not exactly the epitome of offensive prowess. They do not have a great inside game; their strength lies on the perimeter.
And they shot from the perimeter all night, they got too many good looks at the basket, and the Wolverines could not do much to stop them.
Then again, when you don't contest shots and step out and put a hand in a shooter's face, not much stops them from sinking a few treys.
Before the Wolverines could remember a lyric or two from Sister Act, AIA burned the Wolverines in the rear, draining 3-pointer after 3-pointer and pull-up jumper after pull-up jumper.
They were on fire - it must have been their little red jerseys.
And when Athletes in Action were not embarrassing the Wolverines' outside defense, AIA managed to turn their mediocre inside game into a force.
AIA managed to beat the Wolverines down the floor on almost every fast-break opportunity and score easy baskets. And they managed to find easy backdoor cuts, scoring more than their fair share of layups. If you leave the door open, someone will come in. Plain and simple.
"We were looking for backdoor cuts," AIA coach Chuck Badger said. "I didn't think we would get that many (backdoor layups)."
Athletes in Action's 5-foot-8 Scott Campbell should never be able to score a layup with 6-foot-8, 300-pound Robert Traylor guarding the lane.
But he did, and so did a lot of the other red-jerseyed, bible readers.
Yes, exhibition games do not count in the record, and yes, no one will remember or care about this game in two months.
But what will the Wolverines do against the Iowas and Indianas of the basketball world if they can't beat Athletes in Action?
"The best thing about playing teams like this, is it gives you a chance to evaluate all the things you're not very good at," Fisher said.
And the Wolverines are not very good at defense.
Fisher may be happy that this was an exhibition game and that his Wolverines will enter the regular season 0-0, but the Wolverines have some problems right now.
They need to develop a reliable defense, and fast.
That's something to pray for.
- Danielle Rumore can be reached over e-mail at drumore@umich.edu.
WARREN ZINN/Daily
If Robert Traylor's defense was as intimidating as his low-post presence, Michigan may have been able to hang with Athletes in Action last night.