Oklahoma State Vs. Athletes First Postgame Quotes

Nov. 10, 1999

OSU Coach Eddie Sutton

"If you were to evaluate the game, we probably played 20 minutes of good basketball. But it was spotty, and we probably played 20 minutes of basketball we'd just as soon forget. There were some encouraging things out there. I thought that for the first time out Jason Keep played pretty well. Joe played very well. If you had to evaluate the veteran players, he was by far and away the best player on the floor. I thought the biggest thing as far as a negative was the defensive board play. They're a big team and they're veterans who play a lot of basketball, but we just did a horrendous job in blocking out and giving them too many second opportunities. I told the squad that's the reason you play an exhibition game, and we can take the film and learn a lot from it. "

On the team's letting up after gaining a 24-point lead
"I think it happens a great many times, but good ball clubs deliver the killer punch and win by 35. "

On the offense
"I think the problem we have at times is that we did a pretty good job in transition, but we don't gear back with the understanding that we're now in a half court game. We have to execute and be patient and allow the defense to break down and then take the shot. That's something that we've got to do a better job of."

Oklahoma State Players

Brian Montonati
"I think we need to concentrate on the defensive boards a lot more. We gave away too many offensive rebounds to them. But, I guess for the first time out everybody probably lost their assignments on the defensive end. We will go to work on that in the next couple of days and prepare for that better Wednesday."

"We kind of came out a little bit flat. We didn't play that well offensively or defensively. The second half coach got onto us a little bit. We just stayed focused. That is what the seniors are going to have to do is stay focused. We just came out and responded."

On the Different Combinations of Players on the Floor
"I thought it went smooth. We have been playing like that in practice for the last three weeks. I don't think we really had any trouble playing with anybody else that we are not normally playing with. We will just keep practicing together and hopefully gel together."

"I think they played well. (Jason) Keep was really excited. I think this is the first time he has played in front of a lot of people, but he played real well."

Joe Adkins
"I think we played pretty well in the first half. I think at times we showed we can be a good ball club and at times we showed we could be beat by anybody. Like Brian said, that comes from the first game and playing against teams like this where they are disorganized. We will go back to the drawing board tomorrow."

On Free Throw Shooting
"We had the guys at the line we wanted. We just have to step up and knock them down. Me being a senior I have to be a leader and knock those down."

On the Guard Taking Care of the Ball
"We are seniors now and that is expected of us. When you play teams like this that is how you are supposed to play."

Desmond Mason

"Jason (Keep) came in and gave us a spark off the bench. Joe (Adkins) played really well, he played great defense. Doug (Gottlieb) played a decent game tonight. We are going to have to do a better job on defense, guarding and going to the boards, things like that. Those things are going to come. It's the first game. You can't expect too much. We've got a chance to be a really good team. We just have to go back and practice and get ready for the next game."

On becoming a better team
"We just have to learn the offense and let the new guys learn the offense. We have to mold as a team. Coach was shuffling players in and out trying to see what was going on. We have to get our chemistry down as a team. Improving our defense is the main thing, being aggressive and having some intensity, if we are going to be that great team we're supposed to be."

Jason Keep
On his first game as a Cowboy
"I think we came out to a slow start, but we had our spurts. It was awesome, the best feeling in the world, playing at a Division-I school and having these fans. I've never had fans before cheering for me, it was just awesome."

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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