Nov. 14, 2009
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Oakland
Oakland Head Coach Greg Kampe
Opening Statement
"It's a disappointing way to start the season. I think that there was a lot of talk and speculation about how good we are and all that kind of stuff. I think a good Eastern Michigan team showed us today that we're not that good and we have a lot of work to do. This brought everybody back to reality that you've got to play the games; go out, execute and defend and we did not defend very well. We'll talk about that later. They played a good game and deserved to win. We battled, hung in there and had a chance at the end and we weren't able to finish it."
On the atmosphere in the O'Rena
"I think historically, our crowd has been a big game crowd late in the season. I don't think we have ever opened the season with a full house like this. I am disappointed that we weren't able to win the game, but I am happy people think we have the chance to be good. I think they need to stick with us. I think we're going to be a very good basketball team. It was a disappointing night, but it was the first game and it's going to be a long, long season. I think we're going to be an exciting team to watch, but tonight Eastern Michigan played a better game than we did and they deserved to win."
On the three-point shooting
"We were getting what we wanted and I don't think at any time that we struggled on our offense. We struggled to make shots, but I think Larry Wright took a couple of contested shots because he was frustrated and the ball wasn't going in and I think Cushingberry took a couple of early shots. Nelson a few times drove a little too early and I think there were a lot of jitters for Nelson and also for Larry Wright for not playing in two years. I think that came out and I think would have rather not have played a team that played as well as Eastern Michigan for our first game tonight. All the players had to get that first shot out and I thought we got great looks. Even that shot Larry Wright took at the end of the game was a wide-open three pointer right at the line, not five feet away. He had one rattle in and go out just before that and he could have gone and checked the wind. The ball was not going to go in for us. When that happens and you still battle back, there's a lot of good that I saw there. Obviously, our post defense is not where it used to be and the loose balls didn't go our way, batting at them instead of grabbing them and a lot of other little things. Nobody can beat anybody if they are 9-20 from the free throw line and I don't know how you're going to win a basketball game. I've coached a long time and I don't think I have ever seen that before."
On Johnathon Jones' offensive burst in the second half
"I don't what JJ was talking about there because down the stretch, we got every shot we wanted. Think about that. Larry Wright comes off, ball rattles in and out, goes out, gets the rebound, makes one, misses one on the foul. Next time down, we come out, get one on the inside, we score. Next time we run down, the play's not there and we give the ball to JJ because he's wide open and he makes the three. Now, we get the stop and give it to Benson on the block. He goes into traffic, whistle doesn't blow and he doesn't convert. We foul, they go down, we get what we want with the free throws, we come down and get the wide open shot. So, I'm not sure what that was. I think JJ was trying to be nice to you for the question that you asked. I don't agree with the question and I don't agree with JJ's answer. We got what we wanted, we just didn't convert."
On whether fouls will be the big thing they focus on in practice
"No, we're going to start focusing on free throw shooting. In our exhibition against Hope, we were 22-25 or something close to that. Against Bowling Green, we were 21-26 or something like that. We're a good free throw shooting team and we don't have one bad free throw shooter on our team. Drew Maynard maybe last year, but he's gotten better this season. I expect Derick Nelson to shoot 75 percent from the free throw line, Benson shot 68 percent last year and I think he'll be at that point again. It's just one of those things and one of those nights."
On playing a larger rotation in the first half tonight
"That will happen in the early part of the season. I should have played more of them in the second half, but we were trying to catch up and you go with your veterans in that case. I thought we needed to try and win a game, not figure out what Ledrick Eackles or Drew Valentine could do in those circumstances. I really want to get those two minutes and Ilija Miluntinovic will get more this season. The game just didn't go the way we thought it was going to go. The substitutions changed in the second half because we were struggling and down nine or 10 points the whole second half trying to catch up. Larry Wright needs to play in that circumstance and Derick Nelson needs to get back into them."
On Derick Nelson's play and if it was reassuring to see his strength
"I don't know about reassuring. I see him every day in practice. I said earlier at media day that I knew he was ready physically, but he also needed to be ready mentally. I think tonight proved what I am talking about. He's not quite sure if he's ready to play, 1-9 from the free throw line, he's struggling on his jump shot, he wanted to flip the ball instead of taking it strong. Once he got tired and didn't think about all that, he started to get to the hole and score. He's a tough matchup and I think he'll have a great season for us. I have no qualms about that."
Senior guard Johnathon Jones
On taking a while to find their offensive groove
"I think we had jitters settling in. We have a lot of players playing different spots and once they got there, we were able to run the offense well."
On his scoring rally in the second half
"I just choose my spots for when I can attack. I don't like to force things and I don't like to put pressure on myself. When I see an opening, I try to take advantage of it."
On where he feels the team has improved compared to a year ago
"I would say our intensity. We played pretty well on defensive end and picking the ball up a lot. But we have to run the key plays. We had the chance to tie it up and we didn't execute right. I put that on me; I should have gotten people into position and to play right. On the defensive end, we have to pick that up."
Junior center Keith Benson
On how he felt Oakland matched up with EMU defensively
"I thought I did my job with them defensively, but I had problems with the weak side. There's always room to improve."
On working against EMU's defense
"There was some contact, but it wasn't about what they were doing. It was just me concentrating on what I was doing and made some mistakes on where I was going."
Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan Head Coach Charles Ramsey
Opening Statement
"First off, we feel very fortunate to come in and beat a very good Oakland ballclub. When you get to March we are going to look back and this victory is going to be a big one because I think they are going to do big things the rest of the year. Second though, I am very proud how our young men came in and battled an Oakland win on the run. We had a little adversity, we figured out, we didn't break, we bent a little bit and the kids brought it on home. Huge win for us but it is just game one not we have 29 more and we got to get a little better every time out."
Not having to start a freshman this year
"For the first time in our five-year tenure we hit the floor without having to start a freshman. But let me tell you something I couldn't be prouder of the two freshmen that got on the floor tonight Matt Balkema and Jamell Harris. Their minutes were well earned and when it got on them they played with composure and gave us good minutes. You know for a freshman to play in an environment like this first game in the collegiate career I'm very proud of them."
On things to work on going into next game
"Well, no, that's why we play. We are early on, we will go back and review film but for the most part I was very happy with probably 36 minutes of the ball game. We had a little meltdown but we came back, recovered and those are the things we will learn and grow from."
On how was it coming out and playing against a highly hyped Oakland team
"You know you are right that other paper did a half page spread and they gave us three lines. Number one, hats off I love this environment they have done a terrific job of getting it to where it is. One of the things we really sell our kids on is to really embrace, no matter where you play, enjoy playing in front of crowds. That's what we preach, embrace you know, the fans. But we play pretty well, despite our horrible record last year, but we play well on the road. You know no matter where you play embrace the fans don't worry about the other stuff just embrace it."
Junior Forward Brandon Bowdry
On preparation in the offseason
"All around just put myself in a position where I had to be all the way in on the leadership side so for the off season and the preseason I just worked my butt off towards getting better in shape, progressing and getting better at situations I knew I had to get better in."
On where the success against Oakland came from
"It was more so my team, they gave me more opportunities by opening things up, penetrating, dishing and the team having to open up and help out and they gave me opportunities on the post which is one-on-one opportunities to take advantage of."
