Oregon State Post-Game Quotes
November 25, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2012
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
Oregon State 78, Montana State 65
November 25, 2012
Gill Coliseum
Corvallis, Ore.
Head coach Craig Robinson
Opening Comment...
"I will start out by saying given the week we had, this is a nice win for us. I told the guys in the locker room, and I did not talk about this prior to the game because I did not want to call attention to it, but you have me dragging them to New York, then back and then back out to the East Coast, missing two days of practice and only having two days to prepare for this team. I thought they responded really well. I thought there was a little lull there in the beginning and then once we got it out to 15 or 14 in the first half, I felt like, `okay we are back to our old selves again'. That enabled me to, as you guys will see, what I'll do because we need to figure out what we are going to do now that is Angus is on the shelf. That is which one of these freshmen we can put out in the real part of the game. So I was real happy that I was able to kind of throw those guys in there for more than just junk time at the end there."
On whether Montana State shooting 30 percent for the game can be credited to the Oregon State defense...
"I would look at the tape to be completely certain of this, but I thought we were playing some good defense, especially given the amount of second shots they got. I think if you cut down on the 20 offensive rebounds it might have even been worse than that. I liked how we stayed in front of our men but then they flipped the ball up and then the rebound we mistimed it or they just outhustled us for it. I have to say that happened more than a couple of times but it has been a point of emphasis for us since we've gotten here and started playing man-to-man, to sort of get better at it and it feels like we are getting better at it."
On whether Oregon State may have been a little tired from their recent travels...
"I didn't want to give them an excuse beforehand and I certainly did not see the sluggishness at practice. What I saw was a group of guys who enjoyed their trip and didn't want to have any negative repercussions for having gone. So they worked really hard at practice. When the lights are on and you have a great student section like we had, and I was so pleased with the number of students that were in the student section, there was a little bit of a sluggish start. But once we got going I liked what I saw other than the second chance points and the turnovers in the second half."
On the significance Joe Burton and Eric Moreland playing well with the loss of Brandt...
"It was really important because after it had been evident for a week-and-a-half now that he (Angus Brandt) is not going to be with us, everybody feels the pressure of having to do a little bit more. To see both Eric and Joe and Ahmad (Starks) step up from a rebounding standpoint, just shows that we still have a little bit of wiggle room there. Not much as you could see when they (Montana State) started playing that zone. It would have been nice to have been nice to have Angus out there to bang a couple of shots. Then you throw Olaf (Schaftenaar) in there and he makes his first shot, misses his second one and makes his third that gives you a little bit of confidence from that standpoint. We have to meld some pieces together to see exactly where we are going but it was very nice for Joe to have a good game the first day without Angus."
On what he learned about his freshmen...
"That they are still freshmen no matter who you are playing. They are freshmen and they are green but we have to throw them in there so they get some experience so they are ready by the time conference starts. The second thing I noticed is that there is no drop off in athleticism and, as a matter of fact, we may be more athletic with those three freshmen, not including Olaf. Olaf is not unathletic; he is just 6-11. The biggest and most important thing is, I think they are going to be fine. I think that once they get some real playing time and not sort of end of the game minutes, they will be fine. They all did some real positive things which just let's you know once the nerves are behind them, they will do a good job in there."
On Jarmal Reid starting the game but only playing seven minutes...
"It is a little bit of a testament to you don't know what you are doing yet, but then he twisted his ankle. Coach (Brad) Huse (of Montana State) knows how to manage a game as a mid-major, playing against a high-major, so there was a lot of different defenses going on out there that you need a little bit of experience to know exactly where to be at the right time. He would have played more in the second half had he not twisted his ankle and with the fragile nature of the line-up, we wanted to make sure that he was okay and I think he is going to be fine."
On whether Joe Burton played at higher level because of the N7 game...
"I don't think Joe plays better in these games than he normally does. I really think that he's evolving as a player and just getting better. I am hoping that this isn't just the first time you are going to see him get a double-double and get 20 points. He is capable of doing that and is just so focused on helping others out. He had a great line here and was 8-for-11 (from the field), that is very efficient. He passed up about four shots just trying to get somebody else going and that is a nice trait to have when you have Angus (Brandt) in the line-up. When you don't have Angus in the line-up we need him to instead of being 8-for-11, it would be nice if he were 12-for-16."
Senior center Joe Burton
On the absence of Angus Brandt...
"It's a big loss because Angus is a big part of the team. He brings a lot of energy, even off the court. Eric (Moreland), Devon (Collier), Jarmal (Reid) and I have to step up and make up for the rebounds and points. He was a double-double guy and we have to spread out the points and go hard. It was kind of weird without him by my side running down the court. It was hard seeing him on the sideline with crutches and knowing that I am not going to get to play with him this season."
On the incentive of wearing the turquoise uniforms and playing in the Nike N7 Game...
"I get a lot of incentive from everyone wearing it in the student section and supporting the cause. I loved how everyone was cheering and that a lot of people know about N7 now. It gave me the extra boost and the team the extra boost to win."
On playing well in the Nike N7 Game...
"There are a lot of people watching and a lot of Native families that have the PAC-12 network that are watching this game. Doing well brings happiness to my family and the team. A win is always good. We are 4-1 now and there is something about the turquoise. I should wear it under my regular jersey when I play next game."
On whether a lot of people at his reservation were watching the game...
"Yeah, there were a lot of people from my reservation and a lot of people hitting me up on Facebook and Twitter saying they were going to watch the game and were having family over to watch the game. It was pressure, but it was good pressure to have that motivation to do well for the Native people out there watching me."
Sophomore forward Eric Moreland
On taking a three-pointer in the game after making one in the last game against Purdue...
"Well, with Angus gone, we are going to have to start spreading the floor a little bit. Obviously, he is a big piece missing and everybody has to do a little bit more. I am not saying I am going to start jacking three's but I am not going to be so timid to shoot. If it is open, I will shoot it."
On what the Beavers miss the most with the loss of Angus Brandt...
"It is hard to point out just one thing because he brought so many things to the team. I would probably say his leadership because he is a four-year guy and he knows what Coach Robinson wants and he knows how we need to go about each and every day. I have to say his leadership, the fact that he can spread out the floor and his defensive presence. There are a lot of things and you can't really name one, but if I had to, I would just say his leadership. We are really going to miss that."
