Men’s Basketball Quotes – March 27, 2007 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 28, 2007
Matta Press Conference
Player Interviews
Photo Gallery
Thad Matta, Ohio State head coach
On Ohio State and Georgetown’s comebacks in the NCAA Tournament
“It says a lot about both teams and it shows no lead is secure at the NCAA tournament. We haven’t dwelled on the past much because we keep moving to the next game, but we are fortunate to be in this position.”
On Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert
“With (Roy) Hibbert we saw a great side of him last year at the NCAA tournament. His size and athleticism is what we picked up last year and the fact that he has a great understanding of how to play basketball.”
On how he has motivated Ohio State to come from behind wins
“The first thing is to get our guys to understand that it starts with good defense and to have them not panic on the offensive side. I told our guys against Tennessee we have to keep our focus and I’m proud of how our guys have come back to win these games.”
On the 2006-07 freshman recruiting class
“I can’t describe how important being able to play postseason games is to a program. These five guys took a chance with us at Ohio State and without a doubt their faith in our program has been very instrumental in the type of season we are having.”
On Greg Oden’s performance
“The thing about Greg (Oden) I enjoy is that he gets better everyday. The seven months his hand was immobilized really set him back, but he’s made a lot of progress.
On NBA rule sending players to college
“It is going to take time to tell the full impact. I think it is going to get the college game back to where it used to be with a true low post threat. We have gone out and recruited as much size as we can get.”
Jamar Butler, junior guard
On the match-up against Georgetown
“It should be a great match-up. We just need to stay focus on doing what we have been doing all year. We try to get better each day in practice because we have had a lot of time to prepare for this game.”
On playing in the Final Four
“We are playing in the Final Four and you really can’t ask for more than that. This is a dream come true.”
Mike Conley Jr., freshman guard
On how his speed is a big part of his game
“Speed definitely is a big part of my game. It keeps the defense unbalanced and we are able to control what the defense is doing. I love it because it works.”
On playing in the Final Four against Georgetown
“We are just going to go after it and try to get the win for our seniors, Ivan and Ron. But it’s the same tournament as before, so we have to treat it the same. The key is to stay focus.”
On nearly exiting the tournament in close games against Xavier and Tennessee
“Earlier in the season, every loss we had was a heartbreaker. I nearly had the same feeling in the tournament. I hate losing, but I think our team is doing well because we have come so close to that feeling of heartbreak. Everything is working out so far for us because of that. It would have been nice to have these experiences earlier in the season in games that weren’t so big, but it will help us when we play a team like Georgetown.”
Ivan Harris, senior forward
On Ohio State’s match-up against Georgetown
“I think we will be okay. We are athletic and quick and we play smart. As long as we do what the coaches say, we will be fine.”
On being one of two seniors on the team
“I have been here for four years and I have been through and seen the ups and downs, but this program stuck with it and we have achieved a lot. Now, we just want to go down to Atlanta win.”
On the keys to Ohio State’s success this season
“The way we practice has helped us a lot. We practice hard and we know how to deal with the pressure situations. We always think about the positive and not the negative.”
Ron Lewis, senior forward
On how Georgetown played against Ohio State last season
“They attacked us with the zone and man defenses. They do have a big team, but sometimes that means we can attack them offensively when we have a big guy matched up against a smaller one and then we can drive to the basket.”
On Georgetown’s Jeff Green
“We have to limit his touches if we want to contain him. He is a great player so that makes it difficult.”
Greg Oden, freshman center
On being selected as an All-American
“It is a great honor. I didn’t even know I was being considered. I’m proud to be recognized, but my teammates deserve a lot of credit too. I wouldn’t have made it without them.”
On facing fellow seven-footer Roy Hibbert
“It’s going to be a big challenge. He’s a great player. We are similar players. We both play really strong and block a lot of shots. It’s going to be difficult for sure.”
Othello Hunter, junior forward
On preparing for the Final Four
“I’m just relaxing and enjoying the moment. We practice a lot, but the practices are shorter. I can’t stop thinking about it though.”
Matt Terwilliger, junior center
On going to the Final Four
“The whole weekend is going to be exciting. I don’t think any of us have hit a wall yet. Last year, our team was running on empty at this time, but this year it feels like it’s only October at practice sometimes.”
Daequan Cook, freshman guard
On Georgetown
“They are very impressive big men. We have to be aggressive from the start Saturday.”
On Ohio State
“It’s more than just basketball here because we’re a family. Win or lose, we had a great year and accomplished many of the goals on our list.”
David Lighty, freshman forward
On his defensive mindset
“If you go in and think you are going to be beat, you will. You have to have a defender’s mentality going into a game to be a good defender. I know I have to be focused this weekend because it’s a business trip.”
On Ohio State
“Early in the season, we noticed we had something special as a team that could take us far if we played the way coach (Thad Matta) wanted us to. Everybody wanted to go to the Final Four. That was our dream. It just shows hard work pays off.”
