The Buckeyes & The Final Four – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/23/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 23, 1999
Jim OBrien Quotes
Opening remarks
Were ecstatic to be playing in the Final Four. I am happy with the way the team has been playing. We know playing UConn is not going to be easy. I have a high regard for UConn and fond memories of its program. We have our work cut out for us.
On backcourt matchups
From our standpoint, we unfairly count so heavily on our backcourt that you get spoiled and tend to expect good performances from Scoonie and Michael. We tend to do so much better when we can get some production from our frontcourt guys and thats what we got against St. Johns. It all does start for our team with the guards. Youd be hard pressed to think that it is not the same thing with UConn with Richard Hamilton and Khalid El Amin.
On Scoonie Penn the leader
I think that when he first got to BC there wasnt a need for him to step forward and be a leader. We had seniors and dominant personalities. When he got here he was a couple years older. There was no resentment here because of his personality. He is endearing and that connected with the personalities of the other players. They welcomed him with open arms. They all seemed to mesh from day one very easily.
On his impact this year
His will to win and his competitive spirit are the things that are most obvious. He came into a group that other than Scoonie had not had a winning season in college. He comes in here – his first two years in college were very successful – with a totally different approach, saying we can do better than this. His mentality pushed the other kids and fortunately we had a lot of inexperienced and young players. It was not difficult for them to follow him.
On raising two teenage daughters
It is something that a lot of parents have to go through. Its not all that unique. I was fortunate that both were well grounded kids. Im not sure it was me who got them through it or them who got me through it.
On Final Four pressure
Mere fact that we found ourselves in the tournament right away indicated that we already had done well, that without speaking about it, regardless of what happens, everything else is all gravy. Then we are a four seed and wed like to get one win. UCLA gets upset and were still a high seed, but you start to get hungry and greedy and then we beat Detroit. From there it changed becuase we had to play the number one seed. Not many people thought we would win, but we didnt have a lot to lose. The same thing with St. Johns. It is unbelievable to me that we are in the Final Four and the thing that we keep talking about is not settling with this. The kids want to keep getting better.
On OSUs free throw shooting
Im very concerned. There is absolutely nothing we can do about it from here until we are finished playing. When weve needed to make free throws at the end, weve done that, but it almost came apart at the St. Johns game. We dodged a bullet.
On the first time seeing Scoonie
He was a sophomore in high school and he was playing all throughout the Boston area with an AAU team. We had been recruiting kids on that team who were a little older. We were familiar with Scoonie from an early age. My impressions were that he was a very good scorer a little dynamo. He has become a lot stronger since then and a very, very bright young man.
On Scoonies transfer
This is a very bright kid who was going to do what was in his best interests. He did not come into the office and ask where are we going to go. He asked us what is going to happen to him. It probably took him a month to make a decision. He told us he was definitely going to leave and we told him he should look at Ohio State. He was concerned because he didnt know anything about Ohio State. We asked him to at least take a look, and if he didnt like it well help you look elsewhere.
On relationship with Jim Calhoun
Ive known Jim for a very long timefrom when I was an assistant at St. Bonaventure. The irony in this is that we both got into the Big East at the same time – I think he got the UConn job a month earlier – and we both get to the Final Four at the same time.
On Michael Redds game
I cant compare himjust physically and being left-handed. Michael is a very good scorer who is improving on his perimeter shooting. Michael is as good as any collegiate player form the three-point line on in. He is very difficult to guard. He has a scorers mentality and a lot of confidence. He doesnt think that there is anybody who can stop him. He is becoming more well-rounded, he takes other parts of his game very seriously and he is becoming a very good player.
On concerns about Michael and Scoonie clashing
I wasnt very concerned. I knew Scoonie very well and after a year getting to know Michael, I know him well, and I didnt think there would be a problem. In some instances, if the personalities involved werent as good as Scoonie and Michael, there is a chance for problems to happen. Their personalities really made this thing happen very easily.
On playing UConn
No extra motivation. If you look at all BCs games vs. UConn, if you wanted to take one team in the Conference that we played well, it was probably UConn. I think we played well against them regularly, but for whatever circumstances, we just couldnt get over them.
On Final Four point guards
When you look at any of the teams that have success, not just the four that are left, all the good teams have good guards. When you have good guards and the ball is in their hands, you give yourself a better chance to win. We think we are very fortunate with Scoonie and Michael. Both can win games at the end.
Scoonie Penn Quotes
On the decision to leave BC
It was a very tough decision. What made it so tough was that it was my home area and things were going very good. After looking at it all I felt I didnt like the direction that BC was heading so I decided to leave. But it was a very difficult decision.
On confidence
I cant say where it comes from. I think Ive always had iteven when I was a little kid. Just from maturing and years of playing sports and becoming better has helped my confidence.
On being a leader
I think the guys took to me right away. I was myself. I didnt come in trying to be the leader. This program needed a leader and I had experience, and I had experience winning, so they just looked for me to be a leader.
On characteristics of a leader
Leader. Confidence. Likeable guy.
On Salem High School
It influenced me a lot. I had a coach who let me go and play. I got the burden of being a leader and if I didnt have that type of career I wouldnt be the player I am now.
On his health
Ive had a really good improvement since the Big Ten tournament. I was limited by a couple of things at the Big Ten tournament, but right now I am back where I was in the middle of the season.
On beating UConn
Two things that are key in beating UConn: getting back on transition and rebounding.
On Ken Johnson as a player and person
He will be very important. We need Kenny. There is a tremendous difference watching him as a player and person from last year. He is much more self confident. He is a quiet guy. Right now he is more confident at this point than he probably has been all his life.
On UConns Ricky Moore
He is one of the best defensive players in the country. He can hound the ball. He can hound you off the ball. I know he is a very good defender and he is going to give us a problem.
Michael Redd Quotes
On Final Four pressure
Theres not that much pressure on us at all. We are happy to be here, but we will take the same hunger and intensity into this game. Our confidence is bubbling over right now.
On Scoonie Penn and what he means
Scoonie has done a great job helping me to be able to penetrate. He frees me up because teams concentrate on him and not just me. He brings scoring punch. But the biggest thing he brings is leadership.
On tournament rebounding and outstanding defense
We understand to win you have to play great defense. Coach OBrien has stressed that. It was evident in the St. Johns game, getting outrebounded by 17 boards, that we had to step it up defensively.
On Brian Brown
Brian adds more quickness. He is quick to the ball. He loves to pressure the offensive player. Our defense is our offense and, with three guards out there, there is so much we can do. He makes us a much quicker team.
Michaels personal satisfaction
I think that I have proven that I have been overlooked. My main objective is winning and team goals. All I can do is play as hard as I can but the team comes first.
First meeting with Scoonie
First time I met him was the first time I came in to Ohio State. I was a freshman. I had heard about him a little bit. Once we saw each other play, we got really cool because we both knew that we were each pretty good.
On Scoonies leadership
It was evident right away and he showed leadership throughout the season. Thats what it takes.
On coming to Ohio State
I knew my first year was going to be a struggle, but not that much of a struggle. Coach OBrien kept telling us that things are going to get better. Keep working hard. What impressed me about his was that he was crying with us.
On UConns backcourt
Richard and Khalid present a number of problems. They can both shoot and they can take you off the dribble. Scoonie and I have to look at what we can do and not what they can do. We have to match their intensity.
On the difference in Ken Johnson
He has worked hard. We were on him all summer about being more tougher and more physicalbeing a dog out there. He has stepped his game up. He knows his role and his position on the court. He has learned to be a basketball player and that helps us.
