Oklahoma Head Coach Lon Kruger ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opening Statement
"A lot of guys made good plays and we knew coming in that Tech was going to be a tough challenge. We opened the ball game well, and then Tech makes a nice run. I thought our guys responded to that run well. Then in the second half it was just a battle. We couldn't quite get the margin we needed, and Tech hung in there and played awfully hard. I thought a lot of our guys made good plays and shot the ball well and kept just enough of a lead to keep Tech from making that big time push."
On this being the best offensive game they have had in a while
"The guys really moved the ball well. I thought they made the extra pass and shot with confidence. They made a lot of good plays for one another. Anytime you put up 17 assists that's a big number. You like to see that, but you have to get good ball movement. And when you make the extra pass, a lot of times the shooter has real good rhythm and shoots it better. I think that happened a few times tonight."
On his impression of Josh Gray
"He is a terrific player, not just a terrific young player but, just a terrific player. He is the kind of guy that keeps pressure on you all the time and he's very quick with the ball. He has a good ability to get in the paint and finish plays and is very tough to stay in front of. He is a terrific young player."
Oklahoma's Sam Grooms ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On what he said to Josh Gray after the game and what he thinks of him
"I think he is good. Obviously his play is tremendous for his team and he leads his team. He makes them go. When we hugged I told him to keep his head up and that just because it doesn't look right, right now, it doesn't mean it won't look good in the future and upcoming years. And I told him to keep playing as hard as he can because, people see that and perception is reality for him right now."
On what he said to Isaiah Cousins to pick him up
"Being a point guard is tough. If he is out there making plays and everything is going right then everyone would have praised him but, I had to explain to him that even though it is tough right now, it is not as bad as it looks. You made a couple mistakes and did a couple things, but now you have to regroup from it and understand that you have tomorrow and you have to get better. I tried to pick him up as much as I can because I have been there before."
On what he saw from Amath M'Baye tonight and him getting his first double, double
"I am excited for him, that's big. He has been down on himself lately and he hasn't been doing what he thinks he should do and as well as he thinks he should. These three seniors right here have been on him too, to play like that. I am really happy for him. He went out there and played hard and he dominated. Although he didn't do it before, tonight he did it. I am looking forward to having him the rest of the year."
Oklahoma's Romero Osby ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On adjusting to playing in the paint tonight with all the fouls called
"It was just something that you have to adjust to. It was a lot of whistles and you have to credit the referees tonight because, there were only 2 of them and they had to work hard to see everything. I think they did a good job officiating the game and I just think it is something you have to get adjusted to. We got into a little foul trouble but, you know we played through it and it ended up working out for us and we got the win so I don't have any complaints."
On Amath M'Baye's playing tonight
"He played great. Sometimes he gets down on himself but, we try to stay in his ear about keep playing because, he is talented enough to do that on a nightly basis and tonight he played really really well and he looked like the old Amath. So we were excited to see that for him and happy for him. And especially going down the stretch he is going to be big for us."
Oklahoma's Steven Pledger ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On having Sam Grooms step up in tonight's game
"It was huge. He is one of those guys who continue to work and we have been on him about keeping his head up because, in his mind he hasn't been playing well and sometimes he just lets things elevate in his mind. So we have just been telling him to keep playing with confidence and keep running the team. And when he gets the chance to shoot open shots for him to knock them down, and he has been doing it and it has been huge for us the last couple games."
On what's working offensively for him
"I am getting my feet right and my mindset right going into every shot. I have been doing a lot of thinking and so I just have to calm myself down and just let it go."
