Jim O’Brien’s Quotes from Teleconference – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/8/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
February 8, 1999
%^$
%^$On getting 8 Big Ten teams in the NCAA
%^$”I think the way things have changed with the process with how teams get%^$in, we have a real possibility if it all gets done by the numbers and the%^$computers. After you take out the automatic qualifiers, everyone else goes%^$into a bowl and regardless of what conference you are in it will be%^$determined by the RPI and computers. I don’t think conference affiliation%^$plays a big factor.
%^$ “The way I look at it (determination) gets done by the numbers (RPI,%^$computer rankings, strength of schedule). If we have eight (Big Ten) teams%^$it should not matter. If that is the way it works we have a chance to get%^$quite a few teams from the Big Ten in the tournament. Quite a few teams%^$have good RPIs right now.”%^$
%^$Guarding Michigan’s Josh Asselin (22 pts., 10 rebs., in last meeting)
%^$”The biggest thing is to keep (OSU junior center) Ken Johnson in the game.%^$He got in foul trouble early and did not play much the last game with them.%^$I think Johnson has to play a lot of minutes. They played exceptionally%^$well. They did a good job and we had a hard time guarding (Asselin).%^$Asselin had his way with us because of his size.”%^$
%^$Difference in Buckeyes from last year to this year
%^$”I think there are a number of things. (Junior guard) Scoonie (Penn) is%^$not a small part. The way we are playing has helped (senior forward) Jason%^$Singleton. A style that goes up and down the court a little more has%^$allowed him to utilize his skills. We also have more players. We lost%^$Carlos Davis and replaced him with three guys, George Reese, Boban Savovic%^$and Brian Brown. Depthwise we are a little stronger as well. We are%^$physically stronger and more mature.” %^$
%^$On the turnaround from last year
%^$”I am very surprised that we are where we are. I never thought going in%^$this year we would find ourselves where we are. Our players have not%^$flinched since we started this season and have been committed to working%^$hard.”%^$
%^$On being ranked No. 13 (AP/ESPN/USA Today)
%^$”I have a hard time believing there are not 13 better teams out there than%^$we are. We have done well to this point and have been fortunate to beat%^$some ranked teams. We have some good wins. But I still remain very cautious%^$with where we are with our team.”%^$
%^$Michigan having played Sunday and again Tuesday like Purdue playing%^$Thursday and OSU Saturday
%^$”It is never easy to play Sunday and have one day between and having that%^$day to travel. We were tired in practice yesterday (Sunday) so we backed%^$off. We had a hard game and got back late Saturday. It is hard for Michigan%^$because they have a travel day. Everyone goes through those stages.” %^$
%^$Philosophy change from last year to this season
%^$”We are playing more like I like to play and I think we are pressing more%^$than I did at Boston College but that is because we are more athletic. Our%^$philosophy is similar to how we played at BC this year.”%^$
%^$Changes from a first-year coach to the next
%^$”You have more of an opportunity to get to know your players and them to%^$get to know you. Everything is new. It takes time for guys to get familiar%^$with how you run drills, conduct practices, etc.” %^$
%^$On OSU getting into the NCAA Tournament this year
%^$Unless you win out and we end with 23 wins it is not automatic. There has%^$been some recent situations where people have not got in with 19 or 20%^$wins. There have been a couple instances with teams having 19 or 20 and not%^$get in. You can’t take anything for granted. We have some wins over ranked%^$opponents. We are just trying to keep a very consistent approach and not%^$let anything else get in the way of that.” %^$
%^$On the positives this season
%^$”The two wins on the road recently (at Illinois 64-61 and at Purdue 80-69)%^$have really helped us. Earlier when we won the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic%^$and started the conference back up (after beating Penn State in November)%^$and won at Wisconsin. Those have all been significant.”%^$
%^$Feb. 8, 1999
%^$Jason Singleton, OSU senior forward on playing Michigan
%^$”Being at home and with our fans that is definitely going to help us.%^$But being the Big Ten, it is not going to be easy, so we have to come%^$out, play aggressive and out work them.”%^$
%^$”I want to go out and play hard. I want my teammates to come out and%^$play hard and if we do that, we can come out on top.”%^$
%^$”We just have to play our game, try to be positive, try to work hard and%^$just try to get a win.”%^$
%^$On the No. 13 ranking in both polls
%^$”We are not really impressed with the polls. We are sticking together%^$right now and by doing that we can be successful in the Big Ten and not%^$worry about the polls. We just need to worry about winning each game.”%^$
%^$”Michigan is a very big team. They are aggressive and physical. They%^$have great guards. We just have to play hard and out play them. It is%^$going to be a great game.”%^$
%^$
%^$Michael Redd, OSU sophomore guard
%^$”To beat Illinois and Purdue that is great for our confidence. We have%^$to keep that going and play hard against Michigan.”%^$
%^$”The team is just thinking about Michigan and not the polls. We will let%^$the future determine itself. Hopefully we will keep on winning and stay%^$on pace with Michigan State.”%^$
%^$”Last time against Michigan, they just outplayed us. We are the same%^$team, same roster. It is all about coming out and playing harder.”%^$
%^$”The fans will be behind us and that will help our energy in the%^$game, so hopefully we can turn things around against Michigan.”%^$
%^$”We need to win the rest of our home games. That is the key for us.”%^$
%^$”We have to play better post defense against Michigan and also adjust to%^$the zone.”%^$
%^$
%^$Neshaun Coleman, OSU senior guard
%^$”With six games left trying to stay focused is the biggest thing. The%^$games our coming so fast now that you have to be ready right after the%^$game you just played, so the big thing now is just to be ready for%^$Michigan.”%^$
%^$”I have been staying everyday after practice along with Kwadro (Steele)%^$and just shooting and that has help me in staying focused.”%^$
%^$On the game against Michigan
%^$”We need to begin the game with a real good start. I think that was the%^$key for Michigan last time. We need to set the tone that we are going to be%^$aggressive throughout the whole game and play as hard as we can.”%^$
%^$
%^$Noting the Purdue Game (2/6)
%^$
In two games against the Boilermakers the Buckeyes have nevertrailed in%^$80 minutes of basketball. Ohio State downed Purdue72-43 in Columbus and%^$80-69 in West Lafayette.
%^$
Buckeye junior Scoonie Penn had five points with 6:34 to playand Ohio%^$State attempting to hold off a fierce Purdue rally. PUwent on a 17-5 run%^$cutting a 24-point (65-41) OSU lead to 12(70-58) with 6:34 to play before%^$Penn scored Ohio State’s final10 points on a pair of layups and two%^$3-pointers to secure theBuckeye victory.
%^$
The Buckeyes won eight games last season and have alreadyimproved that%^$mark by nine wins this year (17-6). The record forimproving in the win%^$column from one season to the next at OhioState is 14 from 1958-59 (11-11)%^$to 1959-60 (25-3). The Buckeyeswon the national title in 1960. Ohio State%^$has made two, 10-gameimprovements 1918-19 (7-12) to 1919-1920 (17-10) and%^$from 1990-91(17-13) to 1991-1992 (27-4). In five of the seven years in%^$whichthe Buckeyes have improved in the win column from one season tonext%^$by at least eight games, Ohio State has won or shared theBig Ten title five%^$times.
%^$
Ohio State’s seventh win in the Big Ten is the most since the1993 team%^$went 8-10. The 1993 squad also was the last to secure awinning season at%^$Ohio State. The Buckeyes were assured a winningcampaign after the win over%^$Illinois (1/30).
%^$
The sweep of the Boilermakers is the first since the 1992season when Ohio%^$State won in Columbus (71-59) and at Purdue(71-64).
%^$
Ohio State has won consecutive road games in the Big Ten forthe first%^$time since the 1992 season when Ohio State won atMichigan State 78-65 (Feb.%^$29) and at Minnesota 94-63 (March 14).Ohio State has now won three league%^$road games this season, themost since 1992 when OSU won seven.
%^$
Ohio State now has a record of 5-2 against opponents ranked inthe AP Top%^$25. Ohio State last won five games against the rankedwas in 1992 when the%^$Buckeyes were 5-3 vs. the ranked. Ohio Statewas 6-9 vs. the ranked in%^$1989-90.
%^$
Ohio State has now won two road games vs. ranked opponents forthe first%^$time since 1992 when the No. 8 Buckeyes won at No. 12Michigan State 78-65%^$(2/29/92) and at No. 15 Michigan 68-58(2/2/92).
%^$
After taking a 49-34 lead at the half against Purdue, theBuckeyes are%^$15-2 when leading at the half this season. Ninedifferent players scored for%^$the Buckeyes in the first 20 minutesagainst the Boilermakers.
%^$
Purdue managed just a 37 percent (21-57) shooting effort forthe field.%^$Ohio State has now held 13 of 23 opponents under 40percent from the field.
%^$
Jason Singleton went over the 900-point mark in his career with10 at%^$Illinois. He has 923 career points after a 6 of 6 effortand 14 points at%^$Purdue to move him closer to becoming the thirdBuckeye to reach 1,000%^$points this season (Redd, Penn).
%^$
Senior Neshaun Coleman connected on three 3-point attempts togive him 133%^$made 3-pointers for his career. He ranks secondall-time in both 3-pointers%^$made and connected (392). He has made8 of his last 10 attempts from%^$three-point range.
%^$
Junior Ken Johnson has 63 blocks this season to surpass hiseffort last%^$year as a sophomore (58). Johnson’s single seasontotal this year is the%^$most since Brad Sellers swatted 97 in1986. Johnson’s averaged this year of%^$2.7 blocks per game is themost (so far) since Sellers averaged 2.9 in 1986.%^$ Michael Reddmoved into the No. 32 spot all-time in career scoring with15%^$against Illinois. He has scored 1,098 career points after a20-point effort%^$at Purdue (2/6). He needs two points to reach the1,100 scored by Mel Nowell%^$(1960-62).
%^$
Ohio State has connected on at least one three-point field goalattempt%^$over the last 207 games. Neshaun Coleman extended thestreak at Purdue with%^$a trey at the 14:20 mark of the firsthalf.%^$
