Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Vs. Texas A&M Postgame Quotes
February 05, 2000 | Cowboy Basketball
Feb. 5, 2000
OSU Coach Eddie Sutton
"I thought we played a good game today. I thought our defense was just outstanding right from the start. That's what you should be able to do against a team that maybe you have better players, and you're playing at home. We used to do that a lot, and we really haven't done it as much in recent games this year. Then, of course, when you shoot the ball as well as we did, it camouflages so many shortcomings you have. Overall, it was really a good game defensively.
"I told Glendon Alexander, I don't know if he mentioned it or not, I said, 'You're going to have a game where you score 25 points. You're going to hit everything you throw up.' Because that's the way he's been shooting the ball in practice. He got the looks today, and he was able to convert them.
"I thought Desmond (Mason) did a sensational job on (Bernard) King. He had him probably two-thirds of the game. King's a nice young player. He took 20 shots and only hit three baskets. I think defense was probably the name of this game."
On if the team looked ahead to Kansas today
"I think that your focus in on A&M. I told them that you want to certainly play to the best of your ability and get ready for the rest of the season. I mean, we've had the easiest part of our schedule. If you look at the eight games we have left, in all likelihood, five of those teams will be in the NCAA tournament and the other two have a great chance to be in the NIT. So every game from now on is going to be a tough game."
On if today's game was revenge
"I think the guys were so disappointed in the way we played down in A&M. I think if you play that game 20 times, we'd win 19 times. I think they realized that we blew a game and at this point could maybe be eight and zero and have everybody maybe chasing us. I told them you can't ever look back. That's a loser's attitude. You learn from mistakes. There's no doubt that in our practice sessions they were focused in and ready for this game. I don't ever use the word revenge or payback or anything like that."
Oklahoma State Players
Guard Glendon Alexander
On the game
"Coach (Jimmy) Williams told me told me this morning at breakfast that I
have to back up my words I said in the newspaper. I think our ballclub came
out and we played the way we should have played down there (at Texas A&M).
But we can't go back over that game. We took the 'L,' and it was on our
minds. I think we didn't play hard. We didn't play up to our own
expectations. Today we came out and jumped on them from the start."
On the killer instinct
"It's what we have to do the rest of the year. We have the hardest of our
schedule coming up, starting Monday (against Kansas). Everybody on our team
has to be ready to play and step up. I think Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas,
Missouri and Iowa State are great ballclubs. They're going to be hard games
for us. It's whoever has that 'killer instinct,' like Desmond (Mason) said
two weeks ago, is more likely going to come out victorious."
On his 8-of-9 performance
"I was just shooting, and it was going in. I wasn't trying to prove
anything. We were just trying to prove a point today and send a message to
A&M. I think we did."
Guard Joe Adkins
On his performance
"I don't really concentrate on doing one particular thing. When the ball's
going in, everyone seems to play better. The ball hasn't been falling for me
a lot, but lately I've been shooting the ball a lot better. I just try to do
the things I'm supposed to do and do what it takes for my team to win."
On the players shaving their heads
"We're going to be a unit. It's all about unity. We feel that we had to
become more of a team and be more together. This was just a statement to
make. I don't think some of the guys should have cut their hair."
Oklahoma State Locker-Room Quotes
Desmond Mason
On playing 40 minutes of good basketball
"I think everybody contributed to the game and played hard on the defensive
end. We kind of relaxed and they had a couple of spurts hitting the jump
shot. Overall I think we played pretty close to a 40-minute game, and I'm
proud of all of the guys for playing like they did today."
On how the last game effected OSU's play today
"We were really motivated to play these guys. That loss really hurts us. We
could have been undefeated in the conference and in the top-10 in the
nation. We made that slip up but you can't take anything away from them,
they played their butts off down there. We just took it to heart that we
were going to come out and play better than we did last time.
Brian Montonati
On the team's performance
"We were all looking forward to this game, especially since they got us down
there so we had to go out and show some heart. We all shaved our heads to
become one, so we're going to stick together and keep working hard the rest
of the year and hopefully not have any more let downs."
On the play of the big men
"It's big time because that means we don't have to play as many minutes. We
don't get that tired at the end of the game when the people who belong in
there are in. Fred (Jonzen), Alex (Webber), Andre (Williams) and Jason
(Keep) are coming into practice every day just battling. We have got to work
a little harder on our defensive boards, I think we gave up 19 offensive
boards. But we are going to get better and better as time goes on and
hopefully we'll be ready at the end of the year."
Texas A&M Coach Melvin Watkins
On Oklahoma State playing with more purpose than they did in College Station
"They're a top-20 team, and that's what top-20 teams do. They were back on
their home floor, and they were surely on a mission. They came out and did
all the things that they needed to do."
On playing in Gallagher-Iba Arena
"The rims are the same size and it's the same court. That's not even
something we talked about. We just knew that the emotions and the crowd
were something that our young kids hadn't been exposed to. It's often been
said that this is maybe the toughest building to play in, so those were the
kinds of things we talked about. I didn't want to dwell on that too much
because it's tough enough to come in here, and when you start putting that
stuff into the kids heads, then you know what you're going to get."
On OSU's three-point shooting
"I think they were pretty hot today. We may have contributed to that, but
they were shooting the ball like they had to shoot it. That's been a
problem for us. Once again, we have to mix in some zone and some things
like that to try to disguise some things until we get our full complement of
players. It's causing us not to defend that line as well as we will
eventually."
On getting into foul trouble
"It would have been tough enough if we had all of our guys helping. It
would have been tough enough to come here to play. And then being not at
full tilt with Jerald Brown with a broken hand. We haven't played very good
since then. Our rotation is off now. We have different guys doing some
things. We just have to make it through this season, and these young kids
are giving us the best they can right now. They won't be freshmen forever."
Texas A&M Players
Forward Aaron Jack
Opening statement
"Obviously, I haven't seen the stats, but they shot the ball really well and
came out with a great deal of emotion and fire. I am sure they wanted a
little bit of revenge on us. I think we were a little shaky at first and
weren't knocking down the shots. I thought we played really hard. I thought
we competed really well. They just made their shots and we didn't."
On his performance
"I am just trying to do anything I can to help the team. I am one of the
only experienced guys on this team. We have a bunch of freshman. I just try
to come out and play my game. I am just trying to play hard and help my team
out."
On Oklahoma State
"This is probably one of if not the toughest environments to play in. It is
the first time for our young kids to get a taste of that. They are as good
as, if not better, than anybody we have played, especially when they hit
their shots like they did tonight. They have some really talented guys. They
have a chance to go quite a ways. I am really impressed with those guys."
