ISU Postgame Quotes

Head Coach Brad Underwood:

On his overall thoughts of the game:
"We got off to maybe as bad as a start as imaginable. We're trying to fix that. We made a little change to the starting lineup and thought that might help and then we just didn't execute. It was turnover, turnover, turnover. I think 12 of their first 16 were layups off our turnovers. I think we had seven turnovers at half and end up with 16 for the game and that's too many. Late in the game you've got to be a big boy and get a rebound. You've got to get loose balls. Those were in my notes pregame. And we saw a pro point guard tonight."

On fighting back early on after falling behind:
"We were in great shape at halftime. I was proud of my guys. We were shooting the ball well. We were good in transition at times. Then we were really good in the half court. We were getting anything we wanted when we passed the ball. When we tried to break things off and guys go do their own thing we have problems. You get a five-point or seven-point lead in the second half then all of a sudden it's, I don't know. We don't practice that. It really hurt us. Your best defense can be your offense. One thing I try to talk about is time of possession. Especially when you get a lead. It's kind of a football term, but look at Iowa State. Their last five minutes of the game, that shot clock was under 10 or 12 seconds if they didn't have a layup. We're shooting shots with 15-20 seconds on the shot clock and those get you in trouble. We've got to get better, and we will. We'll keep working."

On what he sees out of Jawun Evans right now:
"I think he's maybe trying too hard. He's got to learn to rely on his teammates more. I'm probably expecting too much of him. They did a great job tonight. Their ball-screen defense was fabulous. We've got to create a little more space for him. When that ball doesn't go in, and he's making those threes and layups early, right now he's in a little funk where that thing isn't going in. But he works at it. He'll get it turned around and we'll help him in those areas. He's too good of a player to struggle like he has. More importantly it's keeping him on the court. It's hard to play when you're not in your rhythm from the jump. He had two fouls in a 1:30 tonight. I decided to play him anyway but it gets tough when you're back on your heels because of fouls."

On not being able to extend the lead down the stretch in the second half:
"We had opportunities in the paint. Then you turn it over. I don't have an explanation for it. You've got to take advantage of those opportunities when they're there."

On maintaining confidence yet knowing adjustments need to be made going forward:
"We do it every day. I'm not going to change what I do every day. We've got to get healthy. That helps. We're not playing with the kind of depth that we have. We've got to continue to grow. We're the youngest team in the league. Us and Oklahoma, I think. That's not an excuse, but guys need to learn if you want to play in the Big 12 you've got to strap it every single night. We're in the league with the best point guards in the country so the leadership is off the chart. On Saturday, we get probably the best player in the country right now in Frank Mason. If there were a national player of the year he's getting it. So it doesn't get any easier. I promise Bill Self isn't going to feel sorry for us. You find out who you are as a person. We're going to continue to work and grow. Become tougher. We've got to be able to go make those plays. Tonight they showed they're a team with five seniors, the fourth oldest team in the country. Nothing bothered them. Up or down. That's what they do."

OSU freshman forward Cameron McGriff:

On his first start:
"I just came out and tried to play and bring a lot of energy like I do when I come off the bench."

On the 11-point comeback:
"Phil and coach Underwood really got us together and to lock in and that's when we really got on a run and got back into the game."

On the 0-4 start to the conference season:
"We just have to stay positive and know every game is a grind and continue to get better in practice."

On the mood within the team:
"I believe [the start] has made us closer as a team and the more we stay together, the better things will be in the future."

OSU senior guard Phil Forte:

On the turnaround for Iowa State in the second half:
"I think it was right after the under-eight media timeout. They made plays, made big shots - and give them the credit, but we have to finish games. Every game is going to come down like that in the Big 12 and we have to find a way to close them, get that rebound or get that stop. We gave up too many points. They're talented, that's for sure, offensively, but when you score 86 points that should be enough to win the game."

On OSU's run in the second half:
"Defensively, we needed more of that. We needed more three stops in-a-row. Like I said, giving up 96 is way too much and when you score 86 that should be enough to win. We have to figure it out. It's not going to get any easier. We go to Kansas Saturday, so we'll find out what we're made of. We have to come together as a team. No one in the league is going to feel sorry for us."

On keeping morale high during the slump:
"It's not an option. We're not going to give up. That's been made clear from the start. If no one wants to be here, they can leave. It starts tomorrow with our preparation for Kansas Saturday. We have to bring it. If we have to play five guys who want to play, that's fine. We have to figure ourselves out. Like I said, no one is going to feel sorry for us and it's a team game. We're only as strong as our weakest link and we have to believe that. We honestly have to believe that we can win every game we play and I believe that we can beat any team in the country, any team in our league, any given night. We have to start believing that and it starts tomorrow with our preparation for KU."

Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm Opening Statement:

"This was a good win. Anytime you get a good road win, they're huge. We have a lot of respect for Oklahoma State and coach Underwood's team. We know how hard it is to win here, and I'm proud of these guys. I had a lot of guys respond and play well. These guys were great. Monte [Morris] didn't have any turnovers against that kind of pressure all game long. All of my guys stepped up. I though Matt [Thomas] was four for nine from three. Deonte [Burton] was huge for us early on. Every one of these guys, Naz [Mitrou-Long] and [Darrell] Bowie, made a big difference late in the game. I'm proud of these guys, and now we have to get ready for TCU."

On Monte Morris's performance tonight:
"Your best player has to play well on the road to win, and when we needed him tonight, he was good. He was good all night. It's hard to play 39 minutes, but that kid is gassed. We're not doing much tomorrow besides watching tape on TCU and watching the breakdown from this game. It was a special performance, and he was at his best when we needed him. That's what defines great players."

On his ball-screen defense:
"They were locked in. The second half, we went small, and we're not as good when we're blitzing ball screens when we're small. We subbed a little bit. Solomon [Young] is just a freshman. We have to get him to watch tape to get him to see how we want to do what we do. We were locked in for sure, and that start gave us an opportunity to weather some storms later in the game."

ISU senior guard Monte Morris:

On what was working for him offensively tonight:
"We just knew that the key to the game was to take care of the basketball, and we knew it was good if we were spaced. Coach implemented some things on offense so we weren't stagnant and trying to run to the ball and things like that, so we just wanted to keep space. I give all the credit to my coaches and teammates for setting up good things for us tonight."

On attacking the pick and switch a little more:
"Coach just didn't want us to be stagnant, and as far as trying to throw it into the post, or dribble for a long time, I was just trying to be efficient and get other guys involved because that's the key to our defense."

On creating turnovers:
"We were trying to get [Jawun] Evans because he's so good at getting in gaps, and coach said in the first ten minutes it was amazing. We had him trying to play backwards rather than downhill because once he gets downhill, it's very tough. I think we were active and fresh. It's hard to do it when we're tired, but we had flashes today and we were very active. It was good for us tonight, and I think we took a good step in that direction defensively."

ISU senior forward Matt Thomas:

On being behind in the second half and the difference from the first four to five minutes of the game:
"That's the Big 12. They're [Oklahoma State] a great team, and we're playing on the road. They're going to make runs, but we weathered that pretty well. Monte obviously had his big game facilitating against scoring. With his two 3's back-to-back in the second half, those really got us over the hump, I think. We walked into the last seven or eight minutes with Deonte [Burton] at the And1 and we knew we were in a good spot."

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Jawun Evans

Cameron McGriff

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