Texas Tech University Athletics
Postgame Quotes
March 13, 2004 | Men's Basketball
March 13, 2004
TEXAS TECH
Head Coach Bob Knight
Opening Statement:
"One of the many really good things about Oklahoma State is their ability over a couple of minutes to explode. They do something defensively, hit a three. We got off to a really good start, we didn't want to come from behind, and we got off from the kind of start that enabled us to be in the game. Toward the end of the first half, it was like a bomb when off. Now we're down 12. I had to be please with our team that we were able to cut into that and get it back into a position in the last ten minutes a couple of times where if a couple of things happened, we could be in a chance to win. This OSU team really knows how to win. I think they've done a great job with that team. From our standpoint, we play the game with just 8 turnovers and that's pretty good against that kind of defense. What we have to do is shoot better. We have not been a good three-point shooting team all year, and certainly weren't today. We needed to get to the half like we did yesterday against Colorado where it's a 20-minute game and whoever plays the best in the second half wins it. They had played so well and so much better than we did in the first half, we couldn't get into a point like we did yesterday."
On Oklahoma State:
"They are really tough to play against. They work together well and have good on-the-court leadership from the players standpoint and are really well coached. They will be difficult to play against. They just have a determination to win. It might not be a unique characteristic today, but it's a rare one."
Senior Forward Robert Tomaszek
On Team not being a full strength:
"It was really tough not being able to play at full strength against a top team like Oklahoma State. With Graham and McFarlin in the post it made it difficult for us to guard them, since I was not at full strength. If your not at full strength it makes it tough to compete against anyone."
Senior Guard Mikey Marshall
On Today's Game:
"We showed a lot of heart today against OSU, and they are one of the top teams in the conference which shows how far we have come along. To play as well as we played today I think that should show the selection committee a lot on where we get seeded."
On OSU going to a zone defense:
"We started getting some easier buckets on them and getting our offense up higher, I think that's one of the main reasons they went to zone and it was tough to get some buckets, but they just came out and played tough all night."
On the end of the first half:
"They had their guys in, and they got some quick easy buckets. We didn't respond to the buckets, and went up on us in double digits. We did have a little bit smaller line up in there, so when most teams see that, they're going to exploit that. We really didn't respond too well to that run they made."
OKLAHOMA STATE
Head Coach Eddie Sutton
On halftime conversation with Coach Knight:
"Texas Tech is a really good basketball team, and we couldn't cover them so we went to a zone. When I walked by I said 'I know Mr. Ivan is probably frowning down right now. He [Knight] said "If you go to zone and you see me doing this [pointing up], you know I'm talking to him and telling him he ought to be ashamed.' "
On the game plan:
"We felt like we could go inside to Ivan and Joey, that was really part of the game plan. Once we started scoring, Coach Knight made an adjustment. He started dropping another man and doubling up, and that's when it opened the outside game and we got some three point opportunities."
On using the zone:
"We really knew going into this game that we might have to play zone because we had great respect for their man offense. "
Junior Guard John Lucas
On Daniel Bobik:
"It was a big thing for him to hit those. He's such a good shooter, when you go through slumps like that it's a matter of you staying in confidence with your shot. It's starting to come back to him, and he's getting more and more confident. For him to step up like he did is just going to make us more and more dangerous."
Senior Forward Ivan McFarlin
On the perimeter players:
"Coach Sutton told us if we get the ball inside, a lot of things could happen. When we got the ball inside, the press from the perimeter traced the ball and we kicked it back out to the perimeter players. They hit big shots."
Senior Guard Tony Allen
On Playing Zone Defense vs. Texas Tech:
"We were having some match-up problems with them, and a few of us were in foul trouble. So we had to make the switch, and it worked out well."
On Difference Between Last Year's Team and This Year's:
"We just have so many athletes on this team. We play together and play hard, and that's the difference. "
On Playing for the Conference Championship:
"It feels great to get the chance. I don't know when the last time it was that OSU won a conference title, but it would be great to take one back home this year."
