Postgame Quotes: ?Ohio State 76, Mount St. Mary’s 54 – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2015
POSTGAME QUOTES
Ohio State 76 (1-0), Mount St. Mary’s 54 (0-2)
Nov 15, 2015
Value City Arena – Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 11,590
Thad Matta, Ohio State coach
On his reaction to getting his 300th win
“I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to coach here at Ohio State, especially for 12 years. Not many get to stay around here that long. It goes back to Haley the writer’s old saying, ‘When you see a turtle on a fence post you know it didn’t get there by itself.’ The same definitely goes for me.”
On forcing turnovers tonight
“We broke the offense on some of them and tried to make things happen. It looked like it was the simple thing to do, when really just pushing the ball ahead was the right play. Some of them JaQuan made some of the best passes I have ever seen, but unfortunately he and I were the only ones who saw it.”
On the explosiveness of Mount Saint Mary’s
“We noticed on film that they really play in unbelievable spurts. In their last game they were down 32-12 and within minutes it was 38-38. They can go periods without scoring, and then they can come right back and get 25 points in five minutes.”
On the play of Daniel Giddens
“He was everywhere tonight, showing his chest and helping them getting back to his man. The block he made in transition was an incredible thing.”
On making adjustments throughout the game
“Absolutely in timeouts we were working out the actions, this is the rotation. We made some rotations today that we just did not make on Sunday and I think from that standpoint it’s a step in the right direction.”
Daniel Giddens, Ohio State forward
On his first game as a college player
“I’m not going to lie, I was nervous. I’m still nervous because this is all so new to me. But I feel like our team did a great job and the whole coaching staff executed perfectly. Individually I just have to build on what I did today and make this season a successful one.”
On being a part of Coach Matta’s 300th win
“It’s just an honor playing for him. To help and be a part of his 300th win is a great feeling.”
Jae’Sean Tate, Ohio State forward
On being effective in the paint as a team
“It’s definitely an advantage for us. Even in practice, when we go inside and the defense has to collapse, our shooting percentages go up. So during the game we definitely focus on getting the ball to the post.”
On the inconsistency with turnovers
“Being such a young team in our first game played a factor in that. With two freshman point guards and so many young guys we’ll mature as the season goes on.”
On being able to pass within the post
“It definitely puts a little bit of tension on the defense because they have to be in their gaps or make rotations quicker. With people like Trevor Thompson, Daniel Giddens and Dave Bell who are so athletic and can play above the rim, it gives us an advantage.”
On how close the team is
“I feel like this team, even after last year, is one of the closest teams I’ve ever been on. We live together, go everywhere together and I think as the season goes on we’re going to gel even more every game.”
Jamion Christian, Mount St. Mary’s head coach
On Thad Matta winning 300 games
“Congratulations to Thad Matta for his 300th victory. As a young guy in this business I’ve always admired Coach Matta and what he has done with his teams and how he has built them. It’s hard to get 300 wins in this business or at any level and he’s done it with class every step of the way.”
On the strengths of Ohio State
“They’re a tough matchup because they run good stuff and typically don’t turn the ball over. They’re very secure in what they do; they rebound the ball very well so we knew we weren’t get many second shots.”
On their improvements in the second half
“The crazy thing about our style of play is that it’s like the baseball coach waiting for the 3-run homerun. We play so aggressively and we just got back to playing Mount basketball.”
