Dec. 7, 2008
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Oakland vs. Toledo
Post-game quotes
Head Coach Gene Cross
Opening Statement
"They executed and made shots in the second half. In fact, they scored on 13 of their last 14 possessions, which was the key to the game. Not to mention that they were aggressive and went to the basket and got to the free throw line 22 times. We went to the free throw line zero."
On whether the loss was because OU got a larger lead or Toledo didn't make their shots
"They were very methodical with how they played for us defensively. They forced us to stand around and not break into open areas at first. Kampe's a good coach and he's been doing what he's been doing for a long time. He's successful for a reason. They played their zone the way they play it and we were passing, which is what a zone can do to you. We took jump shots and didn't get the ball inside. They did a good job with making us pass."
On not being able to make a run
"I thought we got the shots that we wanted. But we tried to do a little too much in the second half and what it boiled down to was them [Oakland] getting some big shots. We didn't score and didn't get stops, and that's the game." On Erik Kangas "We knew he was going to get hot sometime. He's a really good player and his statistics show it. We were hoping he wouldn't get hot against us, but they did what they had to do to get their best player shots. They executed offensively and we didn't execute defensively."
On not making free throws
"It was us being passive and Oakland being aggressive defensively. Their zone matchup is always very hard to scout. If you don't see it everyday, then no matter how much you practice it, when you see out there, it takes some adjustments and getting used to. We made adjustments in the second half and not the first half."
On OU coming out with energy after 15-day road trip
"I thought after being on the road for so long, it would have been very easy for them to be jacked and excited. They were happy to be playing in their gym for their home opener and it's a great feeling coming off the road and being in front of home fans. We truly played like we were on the road."
Oakland Head Coach Greg Kampe
Opening Statement
"We got back Friday and Saturday morning, and when I woke up at 8 a.m., there was no way that I wanted to go to practice, so there's no way I could imagine what it was like for the players. In 31 years of coaching, I had never felt that way before. Yesterday's practice was pretty ugly, as you can imagine. But I hope the enthusiasm of playing at home for the first time would get us through and I think it did the first half. But we didn't shoot the ball well and if there's one thing I know this team can do, it's shoot. We let them stay in the game in the first half because we couldn't make shots. I thought we defended with tremendous intensity. As the game went on, I think the tired legs and mental fatigue began to wear in and thank God Erik Kangas hit a couple of shots. We got the enthusiasm back and we got back in the game. We won because we were home and that's the home court advantage. We scored on 13 of our last 14 possessions, that's amazing. There's two amazing statistics in this game: scoring on 13 of the last 14 possessions for us and I didn't even realize that Toledo didn't shoot a freethrow. I have never seen that before. That means we probably won't very aggressive, but that's what won the game for us. Kangas banging down a couple of threes and getting us excited and Keith Benson was outstanding. He played very well on Thursday and it was the first time in his career he's out two good games together and he's only a sophomore. They get better in leaps and bounds and he's going to be a special boy. I thought Matt Samuels really helped us off the bench and Maynard scored some points for us. But I think the biggest shot of the game was Cushingberry's three. He's been struggling and he didn't hesitate and had the confidence to shoot it. From a coaching stand point, that's very good to see."
On Kangas hitting 1,000 points
"I think what's important is to look at is how he scored tonight. There was a day in his career where all he would score is three-point shots. He made some tough runners and some turn-around jumpers and that play where he split the defenders at the top of the key and made the basket. That shows how hard he's worked at his game and how much improvement he's made."
On Benson's performance
"Keith is a guy that's hard to coach in that we're trying to figure him out. He's such a quiet kid and we wonder what motivates him. When I go after kids, I wonder how I am going to coach them. He really needs time and to work his way through things. He needs to mistakes and figure it out and show him on tape. He's a very intelligent kid and he's a thinker, not a reactor. When he first got here, he'd a get a rebound and go, `Oh, I got the rebound and my next move is to outlet.' Now, he's to a point where he can get the rebound, outlet and not think about it. That kind of thinking has been a problem for him because basketball is a reactionary game. He has all the ability in the world. He's worked very hard at getting physically stronger, even though he's nowhere near where he needs to be. But he's only a sophomore and our kids our starting to believe in him. We gave him the ball down the stretch and this is the first time in his career that, in a close game, the players believe in him enough to give him the basketball. He had a huge game Thursday night for us and they we've spread our offensive out has really helped him because it allows him to get away from contact and he's by himself a lot. He's starting to blossom and I'm sure there's going to be some setbacks in there, but he's come so far. He's improved more than any player I have ever coached in two years. He could end up being the greatest player in Oakland history or he could just end up being Keith Benson or never play another minute after the last game--it's a crapshoot. But, he's very talented and the think I like about him is that I am finally starting to see some emotion from him and see that he really wants to become good. He's finally found out how to release his emotion and become a good player. He's very well-liked by his teammates."
On mental and physical toughness
"I'm a coach that my whole career is built on trying to make a team tough. I'm a football player that got into coaching basketball. This team is really is showing tremendous stamina to do this and that. They have to or we wouldn't be sitting here where we are now. I don't know another program in the country that's had to what to do what we did. I could be criticized for doing that and I should be, a little bit. But we also go stuck, with our league putting a schedule out with us playing Southern Utah and UMKC in December. We never do those things, but I had already signed the contract to play in the tournament in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. Part of it is my fault, but we were on the road from Nov. 14 to Dec. 6 and we played some good teams. It's not like we were out there, flying around. We drove to Cleveland, flew to Oregon, flew to Detroit to be home for a day, flew to Syracuse, flew to Iowa, bused to Kansas State, bused two hours to Kansas City, flew to Las Vegas for five days in the Western time zone, drove up the mountain to Utah, then drove down to the mountain to play Kansas City and flew home, only to play Toledo two days later. Think about that. I'm serious, I didn't want to go to practice. I thought, `Maybe I should call it off." (laughs). Imagine what they felt like. I'm on their butts all the time and everything has to be done right. They are being made to do things and they can't take breaks and that's a long stretch. I'm really proud of them and I told them after the game, "I think we're as proud of a group of kids as I know."
On Oakland scoring on 13 of last 14 possessions
"Now, think about what I just said. They day before we left, we lost our leading scorer, rebounder and defensive stopper in Derick Nelson. You have go to give these guys all the credit in the world. This group is amazing for what they have done. We beat Oregon at home and played some very close games. They've done some amazing things and we get to rest. I told them, `The hard part is over.' Now, we come back and play for the Michigan State Championship and in a few weeks, we enter the league. Nothing they do for the rest of the year will be as hard as what they just went through."
On how the freshmen have matured in the last few weeks
"That shot Cushingberry made; the fact he even took it--I wouldn't have ever taken that shot as a freshman. Maynard, Cush, Samuels and Ilija have all stepped up. Ilija is a very good player, he just needs to learn how to play American basketball. I really like our freshman. We're playing nine guys and six of them are freshmen and sophomores." On whether the freshmen are further along than Kampe hoped they would be "They have to be. If Derick was healed, they wouldn't be getting those minutes. We've got to make a bad thing a good thing and when, and if, Derick comes back, they'll be farther along than they would have been."
On the latest on Derick Nelson
"He has an x-ray Wednesday and they're going to determine one of three things: They'll look at it and say it's healing and that he can try, he'll be out for six to eight weeks, which is what we said originally, or he won't play this year. We don't know which of the three he'll be at. Obviously, we think we can win without him, but also obviously, we're better with him. We'll make the decision based on what's best for Derick Nelson. He wants to play right now. It's killing him."
Senior guard Erik Kangas
(Kangas hit the 1,000 career point plateau in tonight's game)
On difference between tired legs offensively and not to so tired legs defensively
"There's certain plays in the game that get you going, such as thre-pointers and Benson's dunks. Those plays get you going and helps put, but as the game goes on, the fatigue wears on a little bit."
On OU's scoring run at the end of the game
"We made big shots and when you do that, it gets your defense going."
On playing at home for the first time this season
"Coach Kampe said I looked good in white. (laughs)."
On playing on the road for so long
"It's good we came out of that road trip with a few wins. We weren't shooting the ball really well on the road and I hoped that playing at home would fix that and we came out and shot a little better tonight. That was good to see."
On having confidence and shooting so well
"I think this is the first game where I've shot 50 percent, so that's a huge confidence boost."
On hitting 1,000 points
"That was really one of the goals I wanted to reach this year and I had no idea I was getting that close to it. So, I was kind of surprised when they said that. It makes me feel like I made my mark here on the program and that I'll be remembered here."
On driving to the basket
"Kampe doesn't want me to be one-dimensional, so I've been working at it and working at it. It's a work in progress, but I feel like I've improved a lot."
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