Oklahoma State University Athletics
Quotes: Oklahoma State vs Texas Tech
February 15, 2020 | Cowboy Basketball
Postgame Quotes: Oklahoma State vs Texas Tech
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Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton
On what changed in the second half when you were down by eight:
"It's all about these kids. Always. When we get things going, they made the decisions out there and helped each other. We had to refocus in a timeout and guys made the commitment, that hey, were not going to lose this game on the defensive end. We are going to get stops and rebounds, and then they went out there and executed."
On Cam [McGriff] and Isaac [Likekele] keeping guys in front of them when TexasTech tried to get to the rim:
"We did something a little different. We switched a lot more than we usually do. They want to get you in space, rotate and put you on your heels, and our switching helped us. It kept us in front of the ball for the most part and didn't give them a whole lot of openings. Cam McGriff was terrific. Jonathan Laurent was really good, but I can't say enough about what Kalib Boone did today to help us win. Yor [Anei] just wasn't Yor [Anei] from the other day. It's good to have a guy step up and play well."
On Kalib [Boone]'s knack at being at the right place at the right time:
"He's pretty natural, especially inside. He's got good hands. He's got pretty good feet, and he's pretty quick. Even though we talk about his weight all of the time, he uses it to his advantage because he can outrun people. He's had his best practices consistently over the last week and a half or so, and it has translated into games. What we have to do now, is get him to be mature enough now to not be satisfied with playing well. There is another level he can get to, I believe, and hopefully we can get him there before the end of the season."
On importance of the win and it coming in front of the 1995 Final Four team:
"There's no doubt. I had a tremendous honor last night with our current team, in visiting with many of our former players, a lot of the players from the last Final Four team of 1995. I told those guys that we were going to play this game in a way that would make them proud. We didn't know what the result would be, but I think our guys have those guys going back to their homes really, really proud that they once put those uniforms on as well."
On not settling for threes and attacking the rim:
"Yeah, we talked about it at halftime. We had seven attempts, and we told them that was one short of what we shot for the whole game in Manhattan, Kansas. We don't want to get back to where we are shooting 20 threes. We need to continue to attack. We thought we could get to the offensive glass. [TJ] Holyfield being in foul trouble helped because then they played a lot of small guys. Our guys took advantage of it and got second chance opportunities, and we got ourselves to the free throw line and made them."
Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard
Opening Statement:
"I just want to congratulate Oklahoma State. I've got a lot of respect for Coach Mike Boynton. You learn a lot about a guy's character and toughness when his back against the wall. This is three of the last four games they've won; the only loss in that stretch was a one-possession game at Baylor. That's the mark of a team that has a lot of heart and character. There's a lot of season left. We understood what we were getting into today. Under no ounce of truth did we underestimate these guys or anything. This is a team we have a lot of respect for; one of the best starting fives in the Big 12. A team that's really rallying and been playing their best basketball when it matters most: February with March close. Congratulations to Oklahoma State. The better team won today. They outrebounded us, you know, 15 offensive rebounds; credit to them. They made us turn the ball over 15 times; credit to them. The got to the free-throw line twice as much as us; credit it to them. They were the more aggressive team for most of the game and they made their free throws. The story today in Stillwater is the better team won, that was Oklahoma State today."
On Texas Tech's gameplan being thrown off by OSU playing more inside:
"It didn't throw off it at all. We were prepared for that, they've been doing that for the last two or three weeks. Their best shooters obviously still have the green light, and they're really making an emphasis of feeding the post and driving the ball. It was show today, right? They get to the free throw line almost 40 times. They fed the post time and time again. Credit to them."
On the plan for the final minute of the game:
"Well, when there's less than thirty seconds left in the game, you have to foul because the other team will just hold the ball and the buzzer will go off and you'll lose. So, you give yourself to get a steal or trap or foul the guy that you want to foul. Then, when you don't get that done, you have to make the play. It's all about time and score. We had two or three chances to make the play to win the game today and we just didn't make it. Credit Oklahoma State, they made the plays down the stretch and we didn't."
On Texas Tech's warm up shirts honoring Coach Eddie Sutton:
"It's one small way we can show respect to one of the best coaches that's ever coached our game. There's a lot more important things than a basketball game. One thing that's important is that the forefathers, the ambassadors of our game, the best people that have ever coached our game should be in the hall of fame. I'm not on that panel and I really don't have much of a voice, but you asked the question and I'll proudly answer it: I think it's one of the worst things about our game. It's just wrong that Coach Eddie Sutton is not in the basketball hall of fame. He's won everywhere he's been, he's a gentleman, he's a coach's coach, his players have gone on to graduate and be productive people. Simply stated, he's one of the classiest guys I've ever known and he's a damn good basketball coach. There's nobody in the hall of fame more deserving than Coach Sutton. Today, for our team to show some respect, I'm glad that we did that."
On the 1995 reunion and the crowd's emotion having an impact on the game:
"I don't think that's what happened. I'll be real clear: I think the better basketball team won the 40-minute game today. They guarded better than us, the rebounded better than us and they made better plays when the game was on the line. They play with great poise. I think they did have a great crowd. Today was a great environment. I don't why you wouldn't want to get behind this team. Mike's got them playing great when it matters most. He's a guy that I have a lot of respect for. Today, the better game won the game."
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Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton
On what changed in the second half when you were down by eight:
"It's all about these kids. Always. When we get things going, they made the decisions out there and helped each other. We had to refocus in a timeout and guys made the commitment, that hey, were not going to lose this game on the defensive end. We are going to get stops and rebounds, and then they went out there and executed."
On Cam [McGriff] and Isaac [Likekele] keeping guys in front of them when TexasTech tried to get to the rim:
"We did something a little different. We switched a lot more than we usually do. They want to get you in space, rotate and put you on your heels, and our switching helped us. It kept us in front of the ball for the most part and didn't give them a whole lot of openings. Cam McGriff was terrific. Jonathan Laurent was really good, but I can't say enough about what Kalib Boone did today to help us win. Yor [Anei] just wasn't Yor [Anei] from the other day. It's good to have a guy step up and play well."
On Kalib [Boone]'s knack at being at the right place at the right time:
"He's pretty natural, especially inside. He's got good hands. He's got pretty good feet, and he's pretty quick. Even though we talk about his weight all of the time, he uses it to his advantage because he can outrun people. He's had his best practices consistently over the last week and a half or so, and it has translated into games. What we have to do now, is get him to be mature enough now to not be satisfied with playing well. There is another level he can get to, I believe, and hopefully we can get him there before the end of the season."
On importance of the win and it coming in front of the 1995 Final Four team:
"There's no doubt. I had a tremendous honor last night with our current team, in visiting with many of our former players, a lot of the players from the last Final Four team of 1995. I told those guys that we were going to play this game in a way that would make them proud. We didn't know what the result would be, but I think our guys have those guys going back to their homes really, really proud that they once put those uniforms on as well."
On not settling for threes and attacking the rim:
"Yeah, we talked about it at halftime. We had seven attempts, and we told them that was one short of what we shot for the whole game in Manhattan, Kansas. We don't want to get back to where we are shooting 20 threes. We need to continue to attack. We thought we could get to the offensive glass. [TJ] Holyfield being in foul trouble helped because then they played a lot of small guys. Our guys took advantage of it and got second chance opportunities, and we got ourselves to the free throw line and made them."
Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard
Opening Statement:
"I just want to congratulate Oklahoma State. I've got a lot of respect for Coach Mike Boynton. You learn a lot about a guy's character and toughness when his back against the wall. This is three of the last four games they've won; the only loss in that stretch was a one-possession game at Baylor. That's the mark of a team that has a lot of heart and character. There's a lot of season left. We understood what we were getting into today. Under no ounce of truth did we underestimate these guys or anything. This is a team we have a lot of respect for; one of the best starting fives in the Big 12. A team that's really rallying and been playing their best basketball when it matters most: February with March close. Congratulations to Oklahoma State. The better team won today. They outrebounded us, you know, 15 offensive rebounds; credit to them. They made us turn the ball over 15 times; credit to them. The got to the free-throw line twice as much as us; credit it to them. They were the more aggressive team for most of the game and they made their free throws. The story today in Stillwater is the better team won, that was Oklahoma State today."
On Texas Tech's gameplan being thrown off by OSU playing more inside:
"It didn't throw off it at all. We were prepared for that, they've been doing that for the last two or three weeks. Their best shooters obviously still have the green light, and they're really making an emphasis of feeding the post and driving the ball. It was show today, right? They get to the free throw line almost 40 times. They fed the post time and time again. Credit to them."
On the plan for the final minute of the game:
"Well, when there's less than thirty seconds left in the game, you have to foul because the other team will just hold the ball and the buzzer will go off and you'll lose. So, you give yourself to get a steal or trap or foul the guy that you want to foul. Then, when you don't get that done, you have to make the play. It's all about time and score. We had two or three chances to make the play to win the game today and we just didn't make it. Credit Oklahoma State, they made the plays down the stretch and we didn't."
On Texas Tech's warm up shirts honoring Coach Eddie Sutton:
"It's one small way we can show respect to one of the best coaches that's ever coached our game. There's a lot more important things than a basketball game. One thing that's important is that the forefathers, the ambassadors of our game, the best people that have ever coached our game should be in the hall of fame. I'm not on that panel and I really don't have much of a voice, but you asked the question and I'll proudly answer it: I think it's one of the worst things about our game. It's just wrong that Coach Eddie Sutton is not in the basketball hall of fame. He's won everywhere he's been, he's a gentleman, he's a coach's coach, his players have gone on to graduate and be productive people. Simply stated, he's one of the classiest guys I've ever known and he's a damn good basketball coach. There's nobody in the hall of fame more deserving than Coach Sutton. Today, for our team to show some respect, I'm glad that we did that."
On the 1995 reunion and the crowd's emotion having an impact on the game:
"I don't think that's what happened. I'll be real clear: I think the better basketball team won the 40-minute game today. They guarded better than us, the rebounded better than us and they made better plays when the game was on the line. They play with great poise. I think they did have a great crowd. Today was a great environment. I don't why you wouldn't want to get behind this team. Mike's got them playing great when it matters most. He's a guy that I have a lot of respect for. Today, the better game won the game."
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Players Mentioned
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