Oklahoma State University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: OSU vs. South Carolina (Big 12-SEC Challenge)
January 26, 2019 | Cowboy Basketball
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton
Opening statement
"There were some tenuous moments there, some moments of angst but our kids continued to respond, specifically on the defensive end. Even up to the last play where Cameron McGriff switches out on the screen and Isaac Likekele gets caught on to really give us a chance to seal the victory today. I'm really proud of these kids."
On defensive communication
"That was the key to us being able to [defend] so effectively. The kids on the court have to communicate with each other and then they have to communicate within the possession when things get a little whacky. Which happens from time to time because teams find other ways to attack you. Frank Martin did a great job of adjusting to our 1-3-1 in the second half and then our guys made another adjustment to keep them off-balanced."
On keeping Chris Silva out of the paint
"That was a huge key that we talked about. He has got the ability to just really dominate the game. He really put some pressure on our big guys, not that we have many of them. It was mostly Yor Anei, McGriff and a little bit of Duncan Demuth. Our kids just battled and that's what won us the game. We just never let go of the ropes."
On Yor Anei's performance
"His defensive presence. His activity on the glass and obviously his activity blocking shots and changing shots around the rim. It's a big factor for our team."
On making the hustle plays
"When the margin for error is as slim as ours is, we have to make all those plays that you are in control of. Whether it's a loose ball, taking the charge or just making the extra effort to come up with the rebound, we made a lot of those plays today."
On Lindy Waters attacking the rim moreÂ
"I'm very proud of that. I want him to drive the ball and he has that dimension to his game as well. He obviously has got a pretty jump-shot and everybody loves that but the ability to drive the ball and create havoc in the paint is something we need him to do more and he did that today."
OSU junior guard Thomas Dziagwa
On winning the game:Â
"It was big, but coach has been preaching for the past two weeks that we were right there. We were knocking on the door. We broke the door down today, but we were chopping wood and today the tree eventually fell."
Regarding the "tree falling" analogyÂ
We did well on the glass, and as Lindy said, we competed. Coach told us that win or lose to play for the ten and today I think we played for the ten and we honored them as best as we could by competing and playing as hard as we can. That's what helped us win the game, just playing as hard as we could."
Regarding all players contributing
"It was huge. Everybody has a role to play and everybody executed their role to a tee. When guys fall down, other soldiers need to step up and take the load."
Regarding the energy in the second half
"Anytime we make big plays like that, we believe we have the best fans in the country. Not only do we get each other energized, but the fans were huge for us tonight and bringing energy and the whole nine yards."
OSU junior guard Lindy Waters
On his performance
"Today we were just playing for "Remember the Ten." That was our big goal. We came out and played as hard as we can and have in the back of our minds that we're given this opportunity, and whatever happens, happens."
On USC's roster size
"I remember Thomas came out of a time out and the first thing he said was, 'Right here. Right here is where we need to get better.' We did and that's all we focused on. Just playing for each other and finishing the game."
On Cam McGriff's performance
"He stepped up big time. We need someone in the paint that will battle. I remember yesterday, Thomas was talking to him about how physical he was going to be, and all Cam said was, 'You're going to see a different beast tomorrow," and just walked off, so he came in and he proved it so we just need to keep it going."
South Carolina forward Chris Silva
On problems in practiceÂ
"Communication. When practice started we did a really bad job of not talking to each other."
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin
Martin on Mike Boynton
"We live in a time where from afar where everybody says "Oh, they're no good." When you actually study film for a living like I do you can tell which teams are good and which teams are not good regardless of record. I never look at team records. I could care less about records. I coached in this league. It's one of the great atmospheres and great home court environments in the country. They've got a good group of guys that have played a high caliber of games in this league. Unfortunately depth is a problem right now and he's kept those kids together."
Having contact with Boynton
"We've text. I'm not one of those guys that tries to intervene my voice into someone else's problems unless they need me. He knows I'm here. He knows if he needs me he can reach out and I'll be there. We've exchanged texts over the last two seasons just to bounce things off of me, for lack of better works, and I bounce things off of him. Relationships aren't one way. They're two way street."
Defense against Lindy WatersÂ
"We were bad. Scouting report says that he's going to shoot threes from everywhere, so whenever we're in the zone don't let him shoot the threes. How many times did we stand there and watch him shoot? That kid never misses. I call that the "wish defense". That's when you say "I wish he misses." You don't play high level guys that work their butts off. I've known him and his dad since he was a little jet. That young man has a good work ethic. He's not missing shots, and our guys played the "wish defense".
Â
Opening statement
"There were some tenuous moments there, some moments of angst but our kids continued to respond, specifically on the defensive end. Even up to the last play where Cameron McGriff switches out on the screen and Isaac Likekele gets caught on to really give us a chance to seal the victory today. I'm really proud of these kids."
On defensive communication
"That was the key to us being able to [defend] so effectively. The kids on the court have to communicate with each other and then they have to communicate within the possession when things get a little whacky. Which happens from time to time because teams find other ways to attack you. Frank Martin did a great job of adjusting to our 1-3-1 in the second half and then our guys made another adjustment to keep them off-balanced."
On keeping Chris Silva out of the paint
"That was a huge key that we talked about. He has got the ability to just really dominate the game. He really put some pressure on our big guys, not that we have many of them. It was mostly Yor Anei, McGriff and a little bit of Duncan Demuth. Our kids just battled and that's what won us the game. We just never let go of the ropes."
On Yor Anei's performance
"His defensive presence. His activity on the glass and obviously his activity blocking shots and changing shots around the rim. It's a big factor for our team."
On making the hustle plays
"When the margin for error is as slim as ours is, we have to make all those plays that you are in control of. Whether it's a loose ball, taking the charge or just making the extra effort to come up with the rebound, we made a lot of those plays today."
On Lindy Waters attacking the rim moreÂ
"I'm very proud of that. I want him to drive the ball and he has that dimension to his game as well. He obviously has got a pretty jump-shot and everybody loves that but the ability to drive the ball and create havoc in the paint is something we need him to do more and he did that today."
OSU junior guard Thomas Dziagwa
On winning the game:Â
"It was big, but coach has been preaching for the past two weeks that we were right there. We were knocking on the door. We broke the door down today, but we were chopping wood and today the tree eventually fell."
Regarding the "tree falling" analogyÂ
We did well on the glass, and as Lindy said, we competed. Coach told us that win or lose to play for the ten and today I think we played for the ten and we honored them as best as we could by competing and playing as hard as we can. That's what helped us win the game, just playing as hard as we could."
Regarding all players contributing
"It was huge. Everybody has a role to play and everybody executed their role to a tee. When guys fall down, other soldiers need to step up and take the load."
Regarding the energy in the second half
"Anytime we make big plays like that, we believe we have the best fans in the country. Not only do we get each other energized, but the fans were huge for us tonight and bringing energy and the whole nine yards."
OSU junior guard Lindy Waters
On his performance
"Today we were just playing for "Remember the Ten." That was our big goal. We came out and played as hard as we can and have in the back of our minds that we're given this opportunity, and whatever happens, happens."
On USC's roster size
"I remember Thomas came out of a time out and the first thing he said was, 'Right here. Right here is where we need to get better.' We did and that's all we focused on. Just playing for each other and finishing the game."
On Cam McGriff's performance
"He stepped up big time. We need someone in the paint that will battle. I remember yesterday, Thomas was talking to him about how physical he was going to be, and all Cam said was, 'You're going to see a different beast tomorrow," and just walked off, so he came in and he proved it so we just need to keep it going."
South Carolina forward Chris Silva
On problems in practiceÂ
"Communication. When practice started we did a really bad job of not talking to each other."
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin
Martin on Mike Boynton
"We live in a time where from afar where everybody says "Oh, they're no good." When you actually study film for a living like I do you can tell which teams are good and which teams are not good regardless of record. I never look at team records. I could care less about records. I coached in this league. It's one of the great atmospheres and great home court environments in the country. They've got a good group of guys that have played a high caliber of games in this league. Unfortunately depth is a problem right now and he's kept those kids together."
Having contact with Boynton
"We've text. I'm not one of those guys that tries to intervene my voice into someone else's problems unless they need me. He knows I'm here. He knows if he needs me he can reach out and I'll be there. We've exchanged texts over the last two seasons just to bounce things off of me, for lack of better works, and I bounce things off of him. Relationships aren't one way. They're two way street."
Defense against Lindy WatersÂ
"We were bad. Scouting report says that he's going to shoot threes from everywhere, so whenever we're in the zone don't let him shoot the threes. How many times did we stand there and watch him shoot? That kid never misses. I call that the "wish defense". That's when you say "I wish he misses." You don't play high level guys that work their butts off. I've known him and his dad since he was a little jet. That young man has a good work ethic. He's not missing shots, and our guys played the "wish defense".
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Players Mentioned
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