UAPB Postgame Quotes

Oklahoma State Head Coach Brad Underwood opening statement:

"I thought we started out a little tentative against their zone. They are a team that is really good defensively and their zone bothers people. They're averaging forcing 18 turnovers a game, but I thought our defense at times was just off the chart. They tried to spread the floor, back cut on us and doing that, and most of the time that works. It's always a good sign when we have more turnovers than the other team has field goals and that was a positive for us. I liked our aggression in the first half. We had 12 misses in the first half and we had 12 offensive rebounds. Some of those were off free throws, but that's an unbelievable number. Our goal tonight against the zone was to try to get some points in the paint, and we had 30. I think we got really good play out of our bench. The start was OK, but we have to clean up some of the silly turnovers we had, but we got better tonight."

On the high number of free throw attempts:

"To be aggressive, to go to the offensive glass and get opportunities and - statistically, over time one out of two offensive rebounds is a foul - I think we had seven opportunities for and-ones in the first half and we didn't finish those. That's youth and lack of strength and not being tough enough, we've got to be able to finish those moving forward. I'll take 40 free throw attempts every night."

On Leyton Hammonds' performance:

"He hit a three late, but it was his presence in the paint and ability. He got a couple of offensive rebounds that he wasn't able to score, but it's amazing how often the aggressive team gets the call and goes to the foul line. With Leyton tonight, he was aggressive and he put himself into a position because of his aggression to go rebound and make some opportunities."

On attacking a zone defense:

"It's different. It's feel. Sometimes against the zone, you have to see the play a pass ahead. Mitch - Mitch has been great for us - Mitch mad a pass that was kind of a chest-level, no-look pass that he thought was going to be open, and you can't throw those passes through the heart of a zone. You have to throw the bounce pass or passes have to be in the air or be soft so the offensive player can attack the ball. Those are things we have to continually work on to get better. I thought our ball movement in the second half was much better with just a slight adjustment of putting Dziagwa at the point. It changed their coverage a bit and allowed Jawun to drive the ball and we got some penetration and kick. You have to play inside-out against the zone and we did a better job of that in the second half."

OSU senior forward Leyton Hammonds:

On being in a game where the team forced 31 turnovers:

"I haven't ever been in a game where we created that much havoc on the defensive end. We do it in practice. That's our game plan. In every game, just to create havoc, turnovers and easy baskets. It's good to see that."

On staying focused for this game:

"There was an emphasis, but that's our game plan for every game. We just have to play the next game. We can't worry about who we have after the game in front of us. We have to play against the team we're playing against. Just staying focused, trying to lock in scouting reports and being mature. That's what basketball comes down to. Being mature and being every day guys. It doesn't matter who we play against, no matter whose name is on the jersey. We've got to come out there and do what we do."

On Wichita State:

"They kind of have our same mentality on defense. Try to get after you. They go really hard to the glass. We just have to do what we do. We have to be every day guys. Be focused and prepared. Coach is going to get us prepared for the game. We're going to hold ourselves accountable for the game. We've just got to do what we do."

OSU freshman guard Thomas Dziagwa:

On his minutes helping him get more comfortable with college basketball:

"I just stay ready and try to contribute any way I can. Whether it's cheering on or if it's knocking down threes or getting steals. I just try to contribute and play my role to the fullest. Whatever coach asks of me I do."

On being a member of the freshmen class:

"It's a brotherhood, for sure. We're always with each other. We will all help each other. If we need help with academics or whatever we will all help each other because we want each of us to succeed."

On the freshmen pushing each other outside of practice:

"The freshman class is every day guys. We want to get better. We just try to get little improvements every single day. That's how we see it. We have leaps and bounds to go but I think every day we just have to get better."

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Thomas Dziagwa

Leyton Hammonds

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