Oklahoma State University Athletics
Postgame Quotes
December 11, 2010 | Cowboy Basketball
Dec. 11, 2010
Oklahoma State Postgame Quotes
vs Missouri State
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010
OSU Head Coach Travis Ford
“I'm proud of the effort our guys played with. I thought this was going to be one of our most challenging games up to this point for a lot of reasons. The first is the respect we have for Missouri State. They had 24 wins last year, are returning everybody and are essentially starting five seniors, one of them a redshirt junior. They had a whole week to prepare for us and after reading their comments in the newspaper it sounded like they used the whole week to prepare for us. We've been on the road a long time. We've had a lot of road games lately. We just came off a game in Tulsa that was an exciting game and took a lot out of us. This was a good win against a good team. I thought we had some guys step up tonight. Markel (Brown) and J.P. (Olukemi) had one of their better games. And offensively it might have been one of our best executed game in a while.”
“Production off the bench is key and what we've been looking for and what we think we're capable of getting. Before the season we anticipated that we might have (production) and we've been looking for it. Hopefully these guys will stay very humble and learn rather than think they've accomplished it because it's taken a little while for these guys to see what it takes to succeed at this level and how you have to play within a team concept and all these guys have been the best guys on their teams. Hopefully they've enjoyed the success they had and how it helps our basketball team. Individual points don't matter, it's what you're doing to help our team be successful. These guys have learned the hard way a little bit.”
“J.P. is 6-6 and a physical player and he has a very good knack for getting fouled. That's a strength of his and that's something we want him to play to. He can make open threes. He's a good slasher and a guy who can get to the basket on a fast break.”
Junior Guard Keiton Page
On the play of the bench
"That's something Coach Ford has been talking about lately in practices is we need more production. Some guys needed to step up tonight. I think that's what we did. J.P. had an amazing game. Markel came out there and showed what he could do. Tonight, that was a big difference for us."
On not having to rely on Marshall Moses
"Marshall knows he's going to have great games. He knows that teams are going to come out and double him, and that's what they did tonight. They came out and trapped him real hard when they had the opportunity to do that, and he did a great job of finding open teammates tonight."
On making three-point shots
"We know that's crucial because we know Marshall is probably going to see that every night, so it's something we've been working on a lot in practice is when Marshall catches down there, and they do send a double team at him, then our guys need to relocate and get in positions to help him out."
Sophomore Guard/Forward Jean-Paul Olukemi
On his role coming off the bench
"I'm OK with any role on the team; any way to help my team win. If that was running through water to help them win, that's what I'd do. Whatever role coach wants me to play, I'm fine with."
On Markel Brown
"I think he's getting a better feel for the game and just playing much harder and just focusing on right now and not the play before. Going out there and playing in the flow of the game, as you can see, is a lot easier for him. He's coming along really well."
On his dunks
"Like coach said, 'You act like you've don it before. You dunk and get back on defense. Two points is two points.'"
Missouri State Head Coach Cuonzo Martin
On the game
“I thought OSU did a good job of protecting their home. They played well as a team. Some of the guys off their bench gave them big minutes, big production and they made some big shots. They did a good job of rebounding the basketball. I thought their transitions hurt us, especially late in the game.”
On when OSU took the lead
“It wasn't just one thing that happened, there were a couple of things that took place. We had a few missed shots, OSU's transition basket, us finding a key guy and getting a foul. When you foul like that and you have key guys on the bench it loosens your defense up and you're not as aggressive as you'd like to be. They did a good job of finding their big guys and finding their shooters.”
On Missouri State defense
“I thought we did a poor job in our transition defense. We weren't getting those rebounds and attacking like they were. We couldn't find their shooters on a few three-point occasions. Our transition defense just wasn't where it needed to be tonight.”
On OSU players
“I thought (Keiton) Page played well. He's their guy that averages about 13 points per game. He did a good job of really controlling the game for his team on both ends of the floor. He helped keep his player's composure and executing what they were trying to do. Those guys on the bench gave him great production. (Markel) Brown came in and gave him a few threes and helped get his confidence up. I think those guys do what they need to do and they did a good job of pressuring the ball as well.”
