NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - ORAL ROBERTS VS FLORIDA

March 21, 2021

Kevin Obanor

Indiana Farmers Coliseum

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

Postgame Media Conference

Oral Roberts 81, Florida Gators 78

Q. You guys didn't show any panic at all, ten minutes in the game, down 11. Can you take me through what was going on in the huddle and how important was it to stay poised during that time?

KEVIN OBANOR: It was very important to stay poised at that specific moment, even throughout the entire game. Our coach was very hard on us, told us that this is March. You know, this is when players make plays. Just thank God we just came out victorious.

Q. Can you just take us through at halftime you guys are down five, what was said, and just the adjustments that you made in the second half?

KEVIN OBANOR: Halftime, we were in the locker room, we were getting killed on the glass. Our coach was telling us we had to box out more and play with more physicality. He looked us in the eyes and told us this is our game and we've got to win and we just all believed on the team. We just all believed that we could win and we just came out victorious.

Q. Kevin, when your coach has confidence in you all like that, how much do you believe in yourselves in those crucial moments?

KEVIN OBANOR: We believe in ourselves a lot. It helps when your coach believes in you, when your brothers believe in you, and the energy spreads, once you love each other, you just want to play good and come out victorious.

Q. Do you have an appreciation for the history you guys made? You're only the second 15-seed to advance to the round of 16. Have you digested that and appreciated it?

KEVIN OBANOR: I'm very grateful, even with this crazy year of COVID, nothing was promised. The fact that we even have March Madness and we are able to win a couple of games, we're just very grateful, very humbled, very honored.

Florida is a good team. Last time we won a game in the NCAA Tournament was 1964, and now we're in the Sweet 16. It's just mind-blowing. We're happy and grateful we got the win.

Q. You had those opportune moments, the ball seemed to find you. How do you prepare yourself for moments like this mentally? Did you envision yourself making these shots? What was your mental preparation going to a game like this?

KEVIN OBANOR: I just tried to meditate, just let the game come to me. Just worry about playing defense and just pray. I can't say I just imagine me going off with 50, I just let the game happen naturally. Just played it out, and I'm just very grateful for the opportunity.

Q. I know you can't see it when you're there, how do you feel knowing that you're making all the people back home go crazy right now?

KEVIN OBANOR: It's an honor. I'm grateful to please the fans and please the people that supported us. A lot of people didn't support us, but at the same time a lot of people did support us. It's such a good feeling to know that you have family that just want to see you succeed, and we're just happy to keep going and just keep pushing, so it's an honor.

Q. What does it mean knocking off two Power Five teams, and now you're going to take on Arkansas?

KEVIN OBANOR: It means a lot. But at the end of the day, they are a team. We put our shoes on just like they put their shoes on. We don't look at, okay, they are ranked No. 2 or they have higher standards so they are better than us. We come out with the mentality that you feel like you're better than us, just prove it. We just came out victorious. Both good, very good teams, but we just had our favor and we are just honored to play Arkansas and just may the best man win.

Q. After getting the win over Ohio State and now Florida, does it give you extra motivation to be referred to as Bracket Busters going forward in the tournament?

KEVIN OBANOR: Yeah, you could say that. We just have that mindset of it doesn't matter who we play. We just have to win. I know a lot of people didn't believe, but we are here making history and we're very grateful. Still hasn't even sunk in yet that we are headed to the Sweet 16. This is something a kid can only imagine, and it's finally coming to pass. I'm very grateful for the opportunity. But you could say we are the Bracket Busters for sure, for sure.

Q. This is a basic question for you, but Oral Roberts has really gone viral around the country right now and has really taken the nation by storm, but how far can this team go?

KEVIN OBANOR: It can go however far God wants it to. At the end of the day, we're just happy to score that glorifies God, deserves to be on a higher pedestal, and we are happy to play for Him, and we're happy just to being that spotlight at the highest for college basketball and to keep winning. It's God's plan. We're going to come out and compete, play to the best of our abilities and just let God handle it, and everything will happen naturally.

Q. You, over these last two games, have gone crazy, and you have been a critical part to helping Oral Roberts get to the Sweet 16. What kind of pride do you take knowing you will be one of the key players on this team?

KEVIN OBANOR: It means a lot. At the end of it, I know all the work I put in in the dark, it must come to light. That's written in the Bible. All my teammates, we work hard and we put a lot of work in the dark, even when people didn't believe in us. And we have the opportunity to explore our game in a higher platform, and we are grateful to show up it. Means a lot to me. But we're not done yet. We've still got unfinished business.

Q. On Friday, I mentioned the term "big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games" to you. But not just you, the team overall. Can you speak about the team and why has it been so confident and played so great during these two days?

KEVIN OBANOR: We just a resilient team, very gritty team. We have a lot of dogs on our team. We're not just satisfied with the bare minimum. We don't let people put a number behind our school and just let them tell us that, you know, we can't do this and that. That's not what gritty people do. We are going to prove people wrong, and we just have that mindset. And we won two games. Looking forward to playing Arkansas, and whatever happens after that game, happens.

Q. What did guys do yesterday to prepare for today's game?

KEVIN OBANOR: We just start off a recovery, just doing the next right thing, regardless of the circumstances. So recovery, making sure we eat right, just sleep. Getting eight hours of sleep. So just like the little things that a lot of people would neglect but plays a big part and just making sure we stay fresh for the game.

It's our coaches. They had a great game plan, and we came out and executed it. We can't really take all the credit. I know I can't. It was the coaching staff, my brothers, the GAs, the staff, the fans, we all played a big part in this accomplishment. I'm very grateful.

Q. I heard that you were recruited by Arkansas, so how close did you become to becoming a Razorback? And considering you had a double-digits lead in their building, do you think you can make history?

KEVIN OBANOR: I was recruited by Musselman, so we had a pretty solid relationship. And things didn't play out, but it's all God's plan.

What was the second question?

Q. If you would be able to be a 15-seed to win in the Sweet 16.

KEVIN OBANOR: I mean, that's the plan. We don't come to a game thinking we are going to lose and just be content and satisfied. Of course we want to win. But at the end of the day, if we just play hard, play gritty, play grimy, we can live with the results and whatever happens, happens.

Q. Weaver was open in the corner, and he's 0-for-5. What does it say for him to hit that shot in that moment and take it?

KEVIN OBANOR: It says a lot. Our coaches always say we have to stay ready so we don't have to get ready. I can just say for all our teammates, they play a big part to our success. It's not just me and Max. It's the little things that our teammates do.

D.J. played a big factor. That was a big shot that we needed, and he came close when we needed it to be clutch, and very grateful for him and very happy that we all get to experience this opportunity to play in the Sweet 16.