Head Coach Lon Kruger |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opening comment:
"It is a good experience to be in the Field House. I thought the crowd was great and the folks worked awfully hard to get the word out and encourage folks to come. The students were terrific. It was a good opportunity for these guys to get in the old field house and see some of the players come back and it was very good of them. From a game standpoint it was good. It was an exhibition game that we will get a lot from. Most exhibition games there are things that are good and some things we need to work on. We moved the ball well. Our effort and intensity was good. I think they need to be more aggressive to the boards especially in the first half and for loose balls. We will get better from it and that's what these games are about."
On a lot of players getting a chance to play:
"We will definitely play 10 or 11 guys here in the early portion of the non-conference schedule. I hope they play the minutes well enough to continue to have that type of depth in the Big 12 play. Guy know we want to play a lot of people so if they step in and do the things necessary and get the production necessary there is no reason to shorten it up. They will determine that by how they're playing and their production and the little things meshed together."
On the experience of playing in the Field House:
"I thought it was great. Of course my perspective is a lot different now too. At that point everything was loud and it was. Those teams were good back then. Oklahoma was good with Bob Prichard, Scott Martin, Mike McCurdy, Ted Evans and all those guys were very, very good. It was good to get back in here."
On rebounding:
"I think that continues to be an area we have to work on. We have to be more aggressive with five guys going more aggressively at the ball and be more physical in there. We have to emphasize a lot more and this will be a priority in practice for sure going into Sundays. So we have our work cut out for us rebounding the basketball. We should, we are athletic enough and should be aggressive enough to hold our own on the boards."
On Amath M'Baye, Jelon Hornback and Buddy Hield:
"They guys play with good energy and that is one thing for sure that these guys are going to bring every night. They are very competitive and enthusiastic in their play. They are just about getting better every day so it is exciting with these guys."
Junior Forward Amath M'Baye |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On the McCasland Field House fans and environment:
"It was a lot of fun, to be honest with you. It was very packed. Everyone was around us and we could hear everything. It was fun, and I'm glad the crowd showed up. That's something I would like to do again."
On former OU players who were at the game:
"We hear their names around all the time because of their legacy here. We know who they are, even if we don't see them much. But we were glad to see them come back here, back in the Field House."
Freshman Guard Buddy Hield |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On shooting at McCasland Field House:
"No, It wasn't easy shooting. Coming in from a different gym, shooting in the practice gym and then the Lloyd Noble -- and then you come in here and shoot, it was a lot different. I had to adjust to it quick. It was a good adjustment tonight."
On coming off the bench:
"I just want to help the team, do what is best for the team, win every game and do what Coach Kruger wants me to do; be prepared every time he calls my name."
Freshman Guard Je'lon Hornbeak |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On shooting at McCasland Field House:
"It is always a little different coming into an (unfamiliar) gym. We didn't really get to warm up here -- shoot around here -- like we normally do, but I feel like we shot the ball pretty well."
On the former OU players at the game:
"I didn't get a chance to talk to them, but I think a few former players did come to practice this week and we got to chat a little bit with them; just thank them for coming out and supporting the team."
UCO Head Coach Terry Evans |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opening comments:
"First of all, coming into the game we knew how good Oklahoma is. We knew they returned five starters and brought in four or five pretty good studs to go with those guys and that makes them pretty good. They're deep. They can play different this year. They pressured us and pressured us and we didn't handle it real well. I think at halftime we had 14 points off of turnovers that we gave them and ended the game with 25. That's just something you can't do against a good team. But they're a really good team. They're athletic, they shoot well, and we tried to even mix in some zone there and they moved the ball, found some opening, and made some shots. So you have to take your hat off to Oklahoma. Obviously we need a lot of work and I'm disappointed we didn't compete, but they're good."
On the McCasland Field House atmosphere:
"We wanted to play Oklahoma, it didn't matter where we played them. I guess be careful what you ask for sometimes. But it was great. It was a great atmosphere. Sometimes a game like this when you know you're not going to get a gym full is good to play. It was a great atmosphere, I know it meant a lot to some of the older people who used to watch games here and play. Some of the former players, it meant a lot to them and it was great. I guess I'm getting old -- somebody asked me if I played here."
