Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State vs. Appalachian State Postgame Quotes
November 20, 1999 | Cowboy Basketball
Nov. 20, 1999
OSU Coach Eddie Sutton
"We played about like we did the first exhibition game, although this is a good basketball team. They're really good, and they can shoot the ball, but our defense probably allowed some of those three-point shooters to get too many good looks. I thought there were spurts when we really played well. I think we got a 17 and 18 point lead in the second half. Instead of laying down and playing defense and playing smart at the offensive end, we didn't do either one. All of the sudden we let them back in the ball game. We're happy we won the game, but we didn't play very well at times."
On Andre Williams
"Andre was a bright spot. I said all along that in time, he's got a chance to be just a very special player. He's got a long ways to go, but he certainly displayed some of his athletic talent tonight."
On the Cowboys' depth and balance
"That's a healthy situation. Any time you depend on just one, two, or three players, there are nights that they don't shoot the ball well, and the other team defends well. I think that's one reason we have a chance to be a really good basketball team. We have that, and depth, being able to bring people off the bench. Glendon (Alexander) came off of the bench, and Fredrik (Jonzen) and Andre (Williams) came off the bench and really gave us pretty good help."
On Jason Keep
"The trainers indicated that probably we shouldn't play him tonight. The x-ray came back, and he didn't have any ligament damage or any cartilage damage. He did bruise a bone a little bit. It's just something that's going to take some time. Jason told me before the game when he warmed up after he had stretched, that he felt like he could play. I think we could have played him, but I thought it might be best to keep him out."
Oklahoma State Players
Guard Joe Adkins
On the difference after halftime
"The difference was I think we turned it up defensively. To start the half,
we kind of jumped on them a little bit like we were supposed to do at the
beginning of the game. We kind of took their confidence away for a while,
then they got back in it."
On the well-rounded team performance
"That's what we hope we can get from everyone, but some nights some guys are
not going to play well. I shot 5 for 15. I didn't play well. We won it ugly,
but I think any win, as long as we come out on top."
On the season getting underway
"Now we can start. Everyone gets the feel of everything. It's good for the
young guys. We can get them in and get them ready for the Big 12 season.
This was a tough contest. This team wasn't a bad team, but we should have
played a lot better."
On Appalachian State coming back at the end of the game
"They were just knocking down some bombs. (Rufus) Leach could really shoot
it up. In games like this, we have to put teams like this away. We just
didn't do a very good job. But the good thing is, we get to come back
tomorrow and hopefully make up for it."
Guard Glendon Alexander
On his performance "I don't know what it is. I'm feeling good about myself. I'm healthy, even though I keep reading about my (knee) injury. I get tired of reading that, but as far as playing, Coach (Sutton) has a great deal of confidence in me. Each night I go out, I try to play hard."
On his shots "Late in the season last year, I got in a rhythm, but over the summer I worked hard and I came back. I was slowed down a little bit by the swelling of my knee, but I think I'm in a groove right now. I have all the confidence in the world. When I come off the bench, I'm just ready to play."
Appalachian State Coach Buzz Peterson
"I'm pleased with the way they played. We gave it a good fight. Oklahoma State is a very good ball club. I can see why they're in the top 25. They have so many weapons. Defensively, they really get after you. They hit the boards hard. They wore down. I preached so much about us needing to come out and be the aggressor in the first four minutes of the game, but those first eight or nine minutes of the first half, they really took it to us. I believe we scored three times on our first 16 possessions, and two of those were threes."
On Appalachian State's "big guys" getting into foul trouble
"This reminded me a little bit of our first exhibition game. We got into a
lot of foul trouble. But let's give Oklahoma State a lot of credit. They
went to us inside and got us into foul trouble. That's something we've got
to work on and do a better job of pinning in the post."
On Rufus Leach
"Rufus is a tremendous shooter. With Matt (McMahon) out there also and with
Shawn (Alexander), you've really got to be able to guard him. Rufus found
his spot and he got hot and we kept going to him. Matt's been shooting the
ball really well. They just didn't go down for him tonight. We ran into a
good ball club tonight."
On playing Oral Roberts tomorrow
"I'm sure Oral Roberts is going to be very hungry to get a win, and so are
we. We've got to get ready for Oral Roberts. They're a veteran ball club,
a very good team, and we want to come out of here with a win."
Appalachian State Players
Guard Rufus Leach
On getting back in the game in the second half
"We had to come out in the second half and try to contain them. The first
six minutes were critical. Coached stressed in the second half to come out
and just play with them. They jumped on us and we had to scrap back. We will
be all right. We have to just keep working together"
On his debut at Appalachian State
"It felt good. After sitting out last year, I had to sit out and watch from
the sidelines. I didn't get started in the first half. I was getting the
shots, but Coach told me to settle down and concentrate more and I shot the
ball good in the second half."
