Oregon State Post-Game Quotes
November 15, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2012
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Alabama 65, Oregon State 62
2K SPORTS CLASSIC benefiting WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
November 15, 2012
Madison Square Garden
New York, N.Y.
Head coach Craig Robinson
Opening Comment...
"First off you can't give them 12 more possessions like we did and expect to win a game like this. I'm going to take the blame for not getting us off to a good start. It just seemed like at the beginning of the game that we were in sand and we weren't flowing like we were capable of, like we showed in the second half. You can't turn the ball over against a good SEC team and expect to win a game like this. Also, we didn't have very good guard play. I really love the way we battled back. It's too bad the game didn't go to overtime. It's too bad I called that timeout when Ahmad (Starks) took that shot, where he actually took the shot after I called the timeout. I usually let us flow into it but it didn't feel right and then he bangs it."
On the improvement of his team...
"I talked about last year when I was in New Jersey about changing the culture of the program and I think we have done that. Now it comes down to execution. These guys typically do a good job but we just got started late. But when it comes to our frontcourt, I am as happy as I have ever been with this team in the frontcourt as well as the backcourt. I am really excited about what we can be this year and we talk as a team we talk about opportunities. This was an opportunity lost but this might be a lesson for us that come the end of the season, we can say it's a good thing we got a slap in the face early on."
On Alabama's play...
"I just want to give credit to Coach Grant's team. I think they played a great game. They made shots when they needed to make shots, they handled our pressure, and we didn't handle theirs. I think the extra possessions were the key. The way we play if we give opponents 12 more possessions and start off as slowly as we did it's hard to play well."
Junior forward Devon Collier
On returning to New York to play...
"It was great to be back home especially because my family got to see me play in person. It felt great just being around my family and the atmosphere was great. A lot of my family, old coaches, and programs I have played for in the past came down to support me and it felt good...I wanted to win this game a lot because we don't have a chance to play on the east coast too much and my family is not used to seeing me in person so winning this game would have meant a lot. It was just a tough loss...We just can't turn over the ball and have the slow start like we did in the beginning."
