Post Game Quotes From No. 4 Ohio State vs. Iowa State – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2006
Recap | Box Score | Notes
Thad Matta, Ohio State head coach
On Ohio State and the game
“Iowa State did a great job and they came to play. I don’t know how or why, but we weren’t as mentally focused tonight as we needed to be. To their (Iowa State’s) credit they kept coming at us every possession. I give our guys credit for keeping their composure and you go down the roster, everybody made some big time effort plays. We’ll take it and continue to get ready for the next game.”
“We just weren’t where we needed to be mentally to start this basketball game. We have to continue to clean things up. We couldn’t get a clean rebound the first half. That was war out there. With young men, it’s hard to tell at times where their minds are. Obviously, that weighs in but I don’t know. I think we had a war on our hands tonight.”
On Mike Conley Jr.
“He made aggressive plays at the basket. Defensively he got his hands on the ball and he knocked down his free throws. Defensively he sized up and really said I need to make difference.”
On Greg Oden
“I liked the shots he took tonight. 15 is his most all year. He missed a couple, news flash, he will miss a couple. I didn’t see any shots where I said I wish he shouldn’t have taken that shot. He had a great pass to Daequan on the curl there in the first half.”
On the slowed-down tempo
“We had 30-plus possessions at halftime. We’re accustomed to 40-plus. It was more of a slow down basketball game. At halftime I challenged our guys. I was a little nervous to do it, but I challenged them to see what we’re made of and I think they answered the call. We shrunk the clock on them (Iowa State) because they weren’t going to shoot real quick. Sometimes in the press you give up an uncontested shots but I think we got out of it what we needed.”
Ohio State Player Quotes
Mike Conley Jr., freshman guard
On the game
“We were ready to just have our team get over this hump from halftime. It is important to get everyone on the team to play defensively all game. I really felt that things started swinging our way when we began to press. I was pumped when they told me to guard (Iowa State’s) best player on the team.”
On the team cohesion
“I think we are still growing. We are such a young team and this is the closest game we have had to play since North Carolina. We know that teams are going to come in and play their best. We just have to stick together, fight back and take it to heart. Coach believes in us and we just have to get back to work.”
Daequan Cook, freshman guard
On playing off the bench
“I want to play the same as if I was starting. I like that I can give my team that extra kick coming off the bench. I like to bring the same type of intensity that the starters get.”
On the team strategy
“It is time for us to step up. We were letting them hit open shots and we have got to get our team going. I have come to play a lot more patiently. Sometimes, you have to be selfish on the court. I took some shots today and it felt good.”
Greg Oden, freshman center
On facing Iowa State
“For the first time in the season, I was going up against seven-footers. Most guys played behind me with their hands up. I was struggling today with getting shots off with my left hand. I’m not 100 percent, but it was a tight game.”
On preparing to face Florida
“I hope I’m ready. It is a really big game. We have got to come in and play hard. Even with Iowa State today, we have to realize that teams are going to bring it. They had some crazy shots today and everyone on the court had to be ready for some rebounds.”
Greg McDermott, Iowa State head coach
On the game
“I’m proud of our basketball team. They didn’t quit against a talented Ohio State team. I think our players played with more discipline in the first 30 minutes than they have played with all season. I hope our players learned something from this. We were down two points with about seven minutes to go, but we lacked the discipline late and Ohio State took it. They (Ohio State) had the ability to make plays at the end and our guys didn’t.
“I think we controlled the tempo and executed well offensively in the beginning enough to give us a chance, but it wasn’t quite enough. Daequan Cook made their big shots tonight. He’s a very talented young man. I thought we contained Greg Oden pretty well in the first half, but in the second half, to his credit, he used his size and strength inside. And Mike Conley was able to turn the corner and make plays.”
