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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: COLUMBIA

March 22, 2019

Columbia, South Carolina

Oklahoma - 95, Ole Miss - 72

THE MODERATOR: We have Oklahoma head coach, Lon Kruger with student-athletes Rashard Odomes, Kristian Doolittle, Christian James, and Brady Manek. Coach, if you have an opening statement. After that, we'll have the questions directed first to the student-athletes and we'll allow those individuals to be dismissed and follow with questions for coach.

LON KRUGER: Just really happy for the guys. I thought they were really sharp. A lot of respect for Coach Davis and the Mississippi program. These guys had a good week of practice. I thought they transferred things from practice to the game today from start to finish. Pretty solid. Good communication defensively. That really moved the ball and identified some matchup advantages on the offensive end.

Proud of them. Happy for them. Ready to go watch some ball games.

Q. Christian James, I just want to ask you, you opened up with two threes to start the game. Did you have a really good shootaround, feeling really good opening the game? Because you guys were offensively explosive to start the game.
CHRISTIAN JAMES: We did have a good start. We've been having a lot of good practices, just getting reps up and things like that. The ball felt good today. It felt good today. Trying to give my team a boost.

Q. Guys, just how much momentum does a performance like this give you moving forward looking ahead to Sunday?
CHRISTIAN JAMES: I think it gives us a lot of momentum, just moving forward. Ole Miss is a good team. So we just want to go out there and get momentum and just get as much momentum as possible and just keep it rolling. We're going to watch some ball games and regroup and get ready for Sunday.

Q. I guess, Doolittle, this one's for you. Did you think you could have this kind of dominating performance inside? 15 rebounds, I think 19 points.
KRISTIAN DOOLITTLE: Going into the game, I couldn't have predicted I'd have 19 and 15, but I'm glad to have it. Just doing what my team needed me to do and getting it going early in the first half. Then my teammates took over for the remainder of the first half, and the points were spread out evenly across the board. So just taking what the defense gives me, not really forcing anything, just following the game plan.

Q. Rashard, that was one of y'all's best shooting performances, I think, of the season. Maybe West Virginia was just a tick better. Did you feel like you all were going to have that -- have you had practices in the shootaround and everything? Did you feel like it was going to be that kind of night for you?
RASHARD ODOMES: Yeah. Like Kristian said, the previous practices have been great. We've been having great energy in it. Just locking in and making shots. We felt like what we did in practice really just transferred to the game.

Q. Brady, you guys -- what you guys each do individually, you did today, but you also did some new stuff, like when Freeman posted up and you ran baseline, he hit you with a bounce pass. I don't think I've seen that all year. Did you add some new stuff today for Ole Miss?
BRADY MANEK: I think we were just playing basketball. We came in. We wanted to have a lot of energy. I think we did that, and we just played together and just played basketball. I mean, I don't think that was a set play or anything. We just made a play and went from there.

Q. This is for any of the players. When you get off to a start like that, does that pretty much just loosen you up today where you didn't have any pressure or any nerves and you could go out and play your game?
RASHARD ODOMES: I don't know. I think it just sets the tone for the whole game. I felt like we just carried that momentum throughout the whole game, as well. We just wanted to deliver the first blow. When you're doing things like that, great outcome comes. That's all we wanted to do.

THE MODERATOR: Kristian Doolittle, if you'd like to add to that.

KRISTIAN DOOLITTLE: I guess he said it basically the way I would say it.

Q. This is a question for Rashard. Obviously, you all came out as a team collectively, just really filling up the basket, but you specifically with 20 points. Was it something about your matchup that was just favorable to you or just good sight lines in this gym, or what was it about you for your performance tonight?
RASHARD ODOMES: Just the team really got me going, you know. Before the game, we were all hyped, and it's just the way everyone's been practicing previously. So the team found me for good looks, and I just finished, honestly.

Q. Kristian Doolittle, you guys came out red hot both halves, I think 8 and 9 to start the game and 7 of 8 to start the second half. Played good the rest of the time too. Why specifically do you think you came out of the locker room both times so efficient?
KRISTIAN DOOLITTLE: To start the game off, we knew we had to come out with a lot of energy, be able to hit first, set the tone for the rest of the game. Shooting the ball well really helps do that. We were able to get stops on defense and force them into tough shots and be able to rebound the basketball.

The start of the second half, they came out with a lot of energy. They made a couple of their first shots. So as far as us on the offensive end, we were able to take our time and be able to get the looks we practiced on. Going through all of our reads and getting the matchup that we wanted and be able to execute.

Q. Kristian, on those fast starts, they threw a lot of different guys at you, a lot of different guys guarding you, but you were able to really just kind of have your way. What were you seeing defensively from Ole Miss?
KRISTIAN DOOLITTLE: We were planning on them to double the post whenever I got it going in the post, but they didn't do that. So whenever I have a one-on-one matchup, it's pretty much my world, whatever I want to do, be able to make the right play, whether that's to shoot it or pass it or to keep the ball moving. So I felt like I did a good job of that.

Q. Coach, talk a little bit about your balanced scoring. You had two players with 20, one with 19, one with 18. That's pretty good.
LON KRUGER: We've had different guys different times in the year step up and be key scorers for us, not always the same guy. Today they kind of all hit on the same date. But the guys moved the ball. They got good looks, like they said. Duke played great out of the post. Christian James making shots early, Brady, I thought Rashard, perhaps one of his better games of the year. A lot of different guys stepped up and played well.

Q. Never gets old for you, does it? The fifth time to the playoffs and the Final Four, and just like you said, on Odomes, he came in and was averaging a little over 6 points a game, he goes, runs for 20. You just went crazy out of the game. Ole Miss made a run, and you're still up 15 or so. So great defensive effort. What goes into all of that?
LON KRUGER: Like the guys mentioned, they've been sharp in practice, really focused. I thought they really transferred the things they've done all week to the game today. Got off to a good start. That always helps reinforce confidence, reinforce the things they've been working on in practice. Again, just happy for them. It's a special opportunity to win tournament games. They're hard to win. Any time you can do that, it's a good memory for the rest of their lives.

Q. Lon, you had a good inside presence today. You shot well from the outside. Is that the kind of thing you need to do when you face who you're probably going to face in the second round?
LON KRUGER: Of course. To have a chance against, if it is Virginia, they're one of the best teams in the country. You've got to get everyone playing well and make shots. That's probably the biggest thing against good basketball teams, making shots. Easier said than done, but, again, if it is Virginia, we know hands will be full.

Q. How different is it coaching this team compared to last year's team with Trae Young?
LON KRUGER: Usually different. Any time you've got a player like Trae that led the country in scoring and assists, a lot of things revolve around him. Pretty much everything did. Here you've got a situation where we need more balance, need more guys contributing, and that's kind of the other extreme, if you will. So different guys at different times throughout the year have stepped up and been our leading scorer.

Kristian Doolittle, Christian James, Brady Manek certainly at the core of it, but different guys, like Rashard tonight. He's worked awfully hard and very happy for him.

Q. Coach, what will the next couple of days look like for you and the staff, watching games, getting ready, scouting? And should you face Virginia, what stands out about them offensively with the way they've shot the ball, as well?
LON KRUGER: They're terrific. They've got a lot of terrific players. Tony does a great, great job. They're very secure in what they do. They do it as well as anyone in the country, defensively and offensively. So they're fantastic.

Q. Coach, Ole Miss threw a lot of things at you man-to-man, one-three-one, two-three, and you guys were able to seamlessly pick that apart. What went into that, and how were you able to just easily dissect them on the offensive end?
LON KRUGER: In the end, making shots makes it look good for sure. I thought guys recognized things well, again, transferred things from practice to the game today. When you do what you work on and then shots also go in, it works out pretty good.

Q. Coach, as you saw Kermit Davis transform a program from how they did last season, just some comments on what you think Kermit Davis has done. Despite beating them today, what do you think he's done with the program?
LON KRUGER: I think Kermit is fantastic. Everywhere he's been, he's done a fantastic job to go in and get a team immediately to the tournament, it's amazing. It doesn't happen very often. He's got good players, but I think his ability to get everyone working together and doing things that they do well individually and trusting one another. I think that's the strength of Coach Davis and the great job he's done everywhere he's been.

Q. Lon, what do you think it meant to your guys that Trae showed up, and were you surprised that he made the drive?
LON KRUGER: That's great. Not that far from Atlanta, I guess, but still the middle of his schedule, it's not easy to take a few hours out of any day. And Trae's playing so well. He's playing great, especially in the last month to six weeks, fantastic to see what he's doing, and certainly our guys appreciate it a lot.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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