Men’s Basketball Quotes – March 20, 2007 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 20, 2007
Thad Matta, Ohio State head coach
On the Tennessee rematch
“It lets us know a little bit more about what they are going to do, but Tennessee, like us, is more seasoned and have played at lot of basketball since our first meeting. They have a great understanding of their roles and, like us, their young guys have a lot more experience. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach (Bruce) Pearl and what he’s done. His guys seem to buy into what he is doing.”
On playing without Greg Oden
“Obviously, we don’t have a center and that changes our defense drastically. It then depends on who we have in the game that could pose a low post threat. Greg is a competitor and he wants to play well. If he doesn’t think he has done his best, he gets a little down.”
On Jamar Butler
“Jamar has a great feel for the game. He’s a complete player and has a great understanding of what needs to be done. He’s a tremendous defender and obviously we need him to do a great job against Tennessee’s great guards.”
On the comeback vs. Xavier
“It started with our defense because we finally were able to get some consecutive shots. We got some rebounds and were able to come down and convert. I told Mike (Conley Jr.) it was time for him to make plays (in overtime) and thankfully he stepped up and made some big plays for us. Daequan (Cook) was so open on that shot and when he gets his legs under him, I have great confidence with him shooting the ball. I thought it was a tremendous look for us so I had no problem with him taking that shot. We need Daequan to play well for us and he has shown on all levels that he can play. He has a mentality I like and that’s a scorer’s mentality. As he’s attempting to score I want to make sure he’s using the right mechanics.” On going small vs. Xavier
“We wanted to change everything. We wanted five guys out there that could guard any position. Ivan’s defense has drastically improved this year and we take great pride in him.”
On Greg Oden in the spotlight
“Greg has handled it very well because he is one of the most grounded kids I’ve ever seen. Therefore he comes in and has a tremendous work effort. It’s not about Greg Oden for him, it’s about the Ohio State team. We’ve talked about him leaving one time and the conversation went like this, “Let’s talk about it after the season.” If it’s right for him to go I am going to support him.”
