Postgame Quotes: Ohio State 79, South Carolina 57 – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
No. 2 Ohio State (10-0) 79, South Carolina 57 (7-2)
Value City Arena – Columbus, Ohio
December 18, 2010
Attendance: 15,497
POSTGAME QUOTES
OHIO STATE
Thad Matta, Ohio State head coach
Opening Statement
“Good win for us today, we felt like there were some things we had to take away, they are so high powered and athletic. The biggest thing was rebounding on the defensive end. Offensively once we got to where we were supposed to get against the press, we told them at halftime we need to run and take care of the ball, I thought we did good job at that.”
On opposing teams concentrating on a specific area
“It’s hard to say what teams will do, 16 shots from three point range was a good thing tonight. I think it’s putting it all together when you can hit shots from the outside it helps, but it changes during the game.”
On intensity before the game
“I quit trying to read the players, every time I think we are ready we aren’t, and when I think we are not ready we are. We came in this morning for shootaround at 9:30 and at nine everyone was sitting in the film room.”
On similarities to 2007 team
“It’s hard to tell, a lot of people have asked me that. It’s a different makeup, it’s a different dimension and a lot of people forget Greg (Oden) missed the first eight games that year. We adjusted when he came back; I think roles are a little more determined this time.”
On Dallas Lauderdale’s rebounding
“He’s going with fire in his eyes, he’s getting rebounds out of his area and he’s clearing space. It does nothing but help our basketball team.”
David Lighty, senior guard
On Ohio State’s defensive play
“Defense was the main key; it was our main focus. We wanted to come out and hit them first. We executed the game plan to a T. Defense is important to everyone but especially for me. The better we are defensively the better we will be overall.”
On the difference in play between the first and second half
“Everyone was focused today and ready to go. We weren’t as mentally prepared coming out the second half.”
On Ohio State’s progress
“Our play inside and out makes it real hard for teams to scout us. We have to stay humble. It’s not how you start (the season), it’s how you finish. The pieces we have put together now is working; we just have to continue to get better.”
Jared Sullinger, freshman forward
On finishing the game with 19 rebounds
“I key in on rebounding. If I’m not rebounding then I’m not playing hard. Nineteen rebounds, I was really into the game.”
On coming into the game prepared
“The scouting report was great. I knew we had to get the ball inside.”
On his three-point half-time buzzer beater
“The play was Dave, pass it to me and I give it back, but I didn’t catch the ball clean. All I heard from Dave was to shoot.”
Dallas Lauderdale, senior forward
On the crowd’s excitment
“Our energy came from the crowd. They were really into it and it amped us up.”
On the team’s seven blocked shots
“We knew the advantage was our great size and length. Being in the position we needed was very important in this game.”
SOUTH CAROLINA
Darrin Horn, South Carolina head coach
On the game as a whole
“We took this game knowing it would be a tremendous challenge for us. We knew we would learn a lot about our team and it would help us towards moving forward. It was a good old-fashioned whipping from a veteran team. We looked like a team that had very little experience going into the game.”
On their defensive strategy
“We wanted to focus on shutting down three-pointers and eliminating their transition play. But sometimes if you try to take it all away, you could end up taking nothing away … I think when a team’s that balanced, then you have to pick something. We’d rather shut down the perimeter shot.”
On Ohio State
“They’re a terrific team. They’re ranked and are where they are for a reason. I think this game’s going to be a great learning experience for us as we move forward.”
On Ohio State’s interior defense affecting South Carolina’s offense
“I don’t think we did a good job of looking to throw it in early and I think most of that was underneath. We weren’t concerned about interior guys so much, it was the perimeter guys were concerned with.”
On making the decision to shut down either inside play or outside play
“I think some of it’s philosophical, based on how you play. We are a pressure and trapping team and that also spreads you out. We wanted to get something out of it.”
On Ohio State freshman guard Aaron Craft
“I think he’s a great fit for their team. He’s a guy that’s looking to run the team. Something that nobody talks about is that they don’t turn the ball over at all. They’ve had a bunch of single-digit games. I think he [Craft] knows his role and he fits in and plays like a veteran, more so than a normal freshman.”
