Oregon State Post-Game Quotes
March 01, 2012 | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2012
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Oregon State 77, Utah 67
March 1, 2012
Gill Coliseum
Corvallis, Ore.
Head Coach Craig Robinson
Opening Comment...
"We needed that win and we needed to play the way we played in that first half. That was an impressive start for this team. One of the main things of our existence this season has been slow starts. The start tonight sort of set the tone for the night and I couldn't be happier for our guys. After every single weekend where we haven't had good results, our guys come back out and play hard at practice and they are prepared. This is the time of year where guys can stop preparing and that just showed that our guys have not stopped preparing. It is a really good feeling."
On holding their two leading scorers to zero points in the first half...
"We thought if we could contain those two it would be hard for them to score a lot of points. They were our focus. (Jason) Washburn is just really good and if he gets the ball, he is going to score, which he did in the second half. We knew (Chris) Hines, watching him on tape, that he could really go off. Jared (Cunningham) did a good job on him at their place and then he came out and did another good job on him here. I think that he got most of his points when (Challe) Barton was guarding him."
On if they had an edge with their athleticism tonight...
"We feel like we have great athleticism in spite of who we are playing. I mean in the heat of the moment I wasn't thinking 'oh, wow we are more athletic than them.' I was thinking we are making aggressive plays like we were earlier in the season and it was really nice to see our guys playing with that kind of zest and confidence. Eric (Moreland) was trying to get every single rebound and was trying to tip it around for our guys to get. We have guys that need to know how to take advantage of that."
On the first half defense...
"I was really pleased. How I feel that the psychology works behind that is when you hold a team like that in the first half, it is hard to come back no matter how well you are playing in the second half. They played well in the second half and our defense up into the second part of the second half got bored playing defense. We took a couple of chances on offense that we shouldn't have and we allowed them to get a couple of easy baskets. But I think that is what happens when you have such a big lead and you feel like the other team can't catch you. I think we were feeling that way and I had to let them know in couple of timeouts that any team in college basketball can catch up with you if you aren't playing defense."
On Joe Burton's performance...
"It is a nice feeling for us because he does so many things for us, both offensively and defensively. It was really nice for him to have a good game. I am going to be right on him though because you can't have one every five games. You have to play that way all the time and I think that he understands that."
On if the N7 uniforms had an effect on Burton and the team...
"It could have played a part. This initiative that we have gone into with Nike with the N7 program, bringing awareness and support to Native American and Aborigine communities, is really important to Joe and he takes it extremely seriously. I think not only Joe, but the entire team feels that way. So we will be packing those uniforms next week when we head to Pac-12 Tournament."
On Jared Cunningham looking to pass the ball more...
"You guys have been around Jared almost as long as I have and I don't know if you have noticed but there was a non-Jared look on his face over the last two or three weeks. I think the pressure of everything has been weighing on him. We just thought that we needed to have a chat with him. We said 'listen your views as an elite player is not going to change.' No matter what happens, he has made his mark and people know who he is. Now you have to go back to having fun playing. Jared always had more fun playing earlier on in his career when he wasn't worried about how many points he scored or who saw or who was watching him play. He wasn't worrying about anything else besides playing with his friends and winning games."
Junior guard Jared Cunningham
On how it feels to end the five-game losing streak...
"It feels great. We put in the work this whole week; it was great to see it show out there. Everybody's happy and we got the win on our home court."
On Utah scoring 52 second half points...
"I think we got a little relaxed on the defensive end. A couple of their shooters got open and knocked down shots when they needed to. In the first half, we did a really good job with our defense and we have to carry it over to the second half."
On having six assists tonight and looking for his teammates more...
"I sat down and watched film with the coaches this week and they told me a lot of my shots were being forced. I saw that some of my teammates were open in the film, so once I got the ball and created some space, I saw them and was passing it off. That helped me today to get going and helped them get going, too."
On Joe Burton and the importance of him playing well tonight...
"These turquoise uniforms definitely mean a lot to Joe. When we put them on, he is a different player. He plays hard in these uniforms, so I think we have to keep wearing them if we are going to keep winning like this. He's been in kind of a slump and we've done a great job of trying to help him out and get him going. He showed up early in the game today and he played hard. When we wear these turquoise uniforms, he's definitely going to play hard. He played hard today and that is what we needed."
On looking forward to Colorado...
"We definitely did a great job today, but we have to forget about this one. Everybody did great and played well and we got the win; that is what our goal was. We have to come out tomorrow and practice and be prepared for Colorado. They are going to come out hard. It's going to be on senior night, so we have to prove that we can win another game and just play hard."
On the importance of jumping out and getting on a team right away...
"It was very important. We used our athleticism and size to score early on. Once we got into transition, we made a lot of great plays and finishes at the rim. To see that, and keep on doing that, that is what Beaver basketball is all about."
On one of his big dunks in the second half...
"Joe Burton does a great job of passing the ball when I'm open. We set it up. He told me to come around and call it out and just fake it. I went back door and he found me. From there on, I just try to jump as high as I could and put the ball through the rim."
On what the Beavers did to contain Utah guard Chris Hines for a majority of the game...
"Just denying him the ball, finding him in transition and limiting his touches. He is a great shooter but we did a great job of finding him and limiting his touches. He really couldn't get that many shots off as he wanted in the first half. They kind of got going a little later in the second half, but that was bound to happen. He is a good shooter and he is going to make some shots. But we did a great job on him this game."
On Rhys Murphy getting a technical for hanging on the rim...
"I feel like when you are a dunker and you get momentum, you're going forward and you really can't let go or you're going to really fall on your butt. But the refs called it and we had to live with it."
Freshman forward Eric Moreland
On his aggressive play in the first half...
"I had to sit out of a couple practices and got to watch a little bit, so when I got back on the court I was happy to be back and had a lot of energy."
On the Beavers' advantages inside...
"Well, (Jason) Washburn got in some early foul trouble, so we were actually physically bigger in the first half. We did a good job of getting the ball down low and getting some easy buckets inside."
On snapping the losing streak...
"We have been working hard on defense this past week. We brought it to this game, and we will take it to the Colorado game and then go on to the (Pac-12) tournament."
On Jason Washburn sitting with two fouls in the first half...
"No, I wasn't surprised, it is two fouls. That was their coach's decision, so we took advantage with our height and got it down low to make some easy buckets."
