Oklahoma State University Athletics
Postgame Quotes
November 16, 2014 | Cowboy Basketball
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Postgame Quotes
Oklahoma State vs Prairie View A&M
Sunday, November 16, 2014
OSU head coach Travis Ford (from postgame radio show)
On today's win
"I'm not very happy with our performance. We played some good defense. We had stretches of very good defense throughout most of the game. When you hold a team to 32 percent (from the field) and 18 percent from the three-point line, that's decent defense. The rest of the game, we weren't very good. I didn't like our approach. This was a great learning lesson because if we have this kind of performance and approach, we'll struggle. This was addressed to veterans and new guys. Some should know better, but it's a quick turnaround. For whatever reason, they did just not come out (to play). We had a very good preparation day yesterday, but the mental approach was not there today."
On how the team responded in the locker room after the game
"We'll see, but this was a one-way conversation. How we played today was bad, and no coach would be happy with how this team played. I was always ready to play. I didn't always play well, but I was always prepared. I couldn't wait for game day. I didn't care who we played. I loved practice and I did all that, but when those lights were on and you tied those shoes a little bit tighter, you were ready to go. For me personally, I can handle a lot of things, and I probably let too many things go, but I don't accept not being ready to play. I told them that they were ready to go. Our coaches did their job and gave them everything they needed to go, but they didn't get themselves mentally prepared as a team like they should. We have seven or eight new guys, so they're learning, but I told them that if we would have played a little bit better team toda, we wouldn't have won. We learned a valuable lesson and still won a game."
On preparing for Monday's practice
"I wish that we could practice right now. If the NCAA allowed us to, we would be out there in about an hour. When I played, that's what we did. With Rick Pitino, if we didn't play well, we practiced two hours later. Tomorrow, unless I cool off, they need to have their ankles taped and their shoes tied tight because we're getting after it. We need to learn and we need to get better. We need to win Tuesday's game and it's going to be tough. I told them that there are no easy games at this level. There's no such thing. Some teams are better than others, but there are no easy games. You look at Kentucky. They were down five at halftime today. If you don't come ready to play, anything can happen. I might cool down between now and tomorrow. We do have a lot of games, but right now, I'm ready to practice. I might not leave this office. We're better than what we showed tonight. We aren't a great team right now, but we're better than what we showed today."
OSU junior guard Phil Forte
On OSU's slow start
"Give credit to Prairie View, they came out and executed their game plan and were really aggressive from the start. We came out and did not execute our game plan, and luckily we had a couple guys step up and give us sparks throughout the game and allow us to push the lead in the second half."
On cold shooting
"That's the game of basketball, sometimes you're going to have shots that rattle in and out and don't fall for you. It's a team sport, you have other guys that stepped up today and made some shots, that's when we had to rely on our defense to create some offense sometime. Give them credit; they came out and played a good game."
On halftime adjustments
"We basically just had to pick up our intensity, and really just pick up our effort is what we did at the start of the second half. We started (Jeff Carroll) and (Anthony Allen) gave us a lot of blocks and rebounds, we were able to get out in transition a little bit. Guys made a couple of big plays that got the lead up, got the momentum going and that's what stretched the lead out in the second half."
On addition of Anthony Allen
"He does a great job of protecting the rim, getting us rebounds and blocking some shots. With (Michael Cobbins) out, we haven't had a rim protector like that, so he's done a great job of coming in and giving us energy. When he gets his blocks, that allows us to get out in transition. He's done a great job of protecting the rim, if one of us gets beat, he has our back. If he doesn't block it, he'll alter the shot, so he gives us another look defensively that we haven't had in a while.”
OSU junior post Anthony Allen
On his performance
"To be honest with you, I was really disappointed in the start of our game, but I give credit again to Prairie View because they came out firing, they came out with a fighting spirit. We kind of took the first punch in the mouth and I just wanted to be right there fighting. Everybody else was having a slow start to their game, in one way or another. You know our shooters, that's what they do, they shoot. They were just having a bad day today, so me as a big man and our other big men had to pick up the slack. If they shoot and miss, we'll get the rebound and give us another chance to get a basket."
On his first start
"I found out yesterday. It was a great feeling, to be honest with you. I'm just trying to come in and fill the void while (Michael Cobbins) is out, and play as best as possible until he makes his comeback, so that's what I'm trying to do.”
