Jan. 16, 2010

Recap | Box Score | Notes

Coach Greg Kampe

Opening Statement
I was really pleased obviously to win a conference game by that wide of a margin doesn't happen very often. We have struggled with Southern Utah in the past and I think our kids understood that and they came to play. One thing I really like about this team is that they love to compete. I think that is the greatest thing you can say about a kid is that they love to compete and we have a group of kids that like to compete and we came to play. I think Larry did a great job of setting the tone early defensively at the beginning of the game. They could not get into their offense because of the pressure he applied on the ball at the top. I think we would be remiss if we didn't talk about Derick Nelson, he has taken game and after game he has taken very good players in this league and shut them down. He did a very good job on Davis Baker tonight. Now he gets help like Larry's pressure at the top but holding Davis Baker to 10 points and Derick didn't get to play a lot of the second half obviosuly. It was just an outstanding effort on Derick's part and we played outstanding team defense and wew are very please with the win.

Depth of the team
A lot of people thought we were going to be good, and we should be good but what you have to understand is that we lost Erik Kangas, one of the best players in Oakland University's history and we lost Waterstradt who played 25 minutes a game for us. Our team changed. So we had to learn early on in the year how we were going to play. We didn't know who was going to take the shot at the end of the game to win a game and we didn't know who we were going to run our offense through. Well, we knew it was going to go through Keith but how we were going to do that. Then what we were going to do when teams double and triple team him like you are seeing happen so it has taken time for the team to figure it out. What I like about our team is our depth. We can go deep, we've got tonight 13 guys played and 13 guys scored but realistically we can go nine, ten deep and feel comfortable. I have never felt uncomfortable when someone is on the floor unlike in past years when someone gets in foul trouble and you are down to your ninth man and they don't have experience. I think we have a group of kids that can play. One of the reasons Ledrick has been playing and people think 'wow where did he come from' is because he has gotten a chance to play. I think if Drew Valentine got the minutes that Ledrick has gotten you would see the same thing with Drew Valentine. You would be saying 'wow he is one of the best freshman we have ever had here.' He is really good he just hasn't gotten the minutes. You know, we are pleased with how things are going, we are pleased with the rotation we have and I am very comfortable with substituting. I can take J.J. off the floor now for the first time in four years. I can take him off the floor and I don't get hives and it's really reassuring that these guys can play. But we haven't accomplished anything we are just playing pretty good in January.

The home crowd and the atmosphere
We talked to them at halftime about it. Over the years our crowds have grown and it is quite an atmosphere. They are here because of our players. They are here because you are good, exciting to watch, you are a good basketball team, you're unselfish, you play together and you give maximum effort. Just because we are up 30 points now, let's go out and give these people who paid to see you play the maximum effort that they came to see. So we talk about that, I think it fuels our fire I really think it is important. We have won 22 out of our last 23 home games we have won so many straight home league games I mean we are a pretty good product and I think we are worth the value as long as the kids play hard I think that's great and it really helps us. Makes us a better team

Four game road trip coming up

We have done what we had to do. I don't know about momentum or anything like that. That could freeze in the cold of South Dakota. What I do know is that we are a very confident team, we are a team that lives on our defense so that we can survive offensive droughts which has been some of our problems in the past on the road when we were more of an offensive minded team. So we feel very comfortable about ourselves, we like what we are doing. It is very difficult to win in the Dakotas. We may be the only team to have swept the Dakotas since they came into the league two years ago when we swept both games but we might be the only team to have ever done that, I could be wrong but I think that is the case. So we know we can have success there, so we are just worried about getting ready for North Dakota and if we win that one we will get ready for South Dakota. Everybody in the league plays nine road games and nine home games that fall different for you. We have four straight road wins if we can do it than we are sitting at the beginning of February with seven games left and five of them are at home and I like our chances then. We have been awfully good in February in the history of this program I think the last time we lost a game in February was 2008 so if we can get into February we will get a little more excited.

Junior Guard Larry Wright

Having quick starts and team defense
As a team we love to bother people. We knew that Southern Utah was going to shoot as a team. We all looked to put pressure at the top to not allow them to get good looks. We got Kito back there so even if we do get beat he is back there blocking shots for us.

Chemistry of the team
I just feel like we are getting to know each other more, what every person can do on the court. Where people like to catch the ball, where they feel comfortable, who drives, who kicks.We know what everyone is going to do on this team and it is helping out a lot

Junior Center Keith Benson

Hitting 1,000 point plateau
I think it is a great group of players in OU's history that have that and I'm just happy to be up there. I want to thank my teammates for getting me the ball and sharing the ball to help me get my points

Reassuring feeling after 7-0 start in conference
We knew that we were playing a tough non-conference schedule and that when we played in conference it would all come together. But we are trying not to get too happy about this win streak we are just trying to stay focused for the tournament so we can win the games that matters.