|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
NCAA MEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS REGIONALS: DENVERMarch 19, 2008Moses EhambeRobert JarvisYemi OgunoyeScott SuttonDENVER, COLORADO THE MODERATOR: We're going to go ahead and begin with Oral Roberts. We'll begin with the student-athletes. Q. It's been written that Sam Young is going to be a tough matchup problem for you guys. Who is going to cover him? How have you been game planning to try to stop him? YEMI OGUNOYE: First of all, Marcus Lewis is going to start on him. Most of the night, coach already said I'll have him most of the night. Pretty much, you know, he's a big, strong guy. I guarded guys like him before. So play him straight up and make sure, you know, we box out because he can crash the glass real hard. Q. Yemi, three times is a charm. Is that the point of this trip? YEMI OGUNOYE: Yeah, hopefully (laughter). That's what we're looking for. But, you know, it's going to be a tough one. Anybody we play, we know is going to be tough. We got to come out, everything got to be on fire for us, play hard. Q. Moses, how important is it for you to come out and shoot the ball well? MOSES EHAMBE: I think it's really important, extremely. When the ball goes in, it's always good, you know. It brings energy to the team. The confidence just goes way up. I mean, when we're hitting, not only myself, but Robert Jarvis, the rest of the fellas, no telling what could happen, you know. Q. Your comments on taking on a team like Pittsburgh? MOSES EHAMBE: I mean, it's a major challenge, man. Pittsburgh is a real well team. Big East champs. They really base their team on toughness. Whoever plays the toughest on Thursday afternoon is going to win that game. They're really physical. They can really score that ball. I mean, we'll see what happens on Thursday. ROBERT JARVIS: It's going to be a tough task. I mean, we've got to come out and match the intensity and everything. YEMI OGUNOYE: I mean, we can't have no breakdowns. Everything's got to be going good for us. Playing a Big East team like that, being a mid-major school, we just got to come out and play harder than them. Q. There's been a lot of talk from Scott about taking the next step as a program. This is your third trip to the Dance. What will it mean for Oral Roberts if you could pull off an upset and get a win here? MOSES EHAMBE: I mean, it will mean the world to Oral Roberts University. We've been through a whole lot of stuff as a university as a whole. But, I mean, if we come out here and take care of business, it will be like a shining light over there at our university. ROBERT JARVIS: I think finally we'll get a little more respect than we have right now just 'cause we beat the Big East champs. It will put us on the map also, as well as the program. YEMI OGUNOYE: I think it will be a huge steppingstone for this program. Once you do it once, it will be not easier, but you'll have the confidence you can do it again and you can go deeper. Q. Moses, a lot has been made about your guys' toughness over the year. I hear that's one of Pitts' strong suits, too. It's going to be two tough teams. Can you talk more in depth about how being tough tomorrow is going to be important. MOSES EHAMBE: Being tough is going to be extremely important. I mean, it's going to be a battle out there. There's toughness physically, yeah. But I think most importantly it's being tough mentally. Coach was really stressing that in practice, you know, having the scout team guys beat us up while we were practicing and stuff. That's gonna help us lot. But being physical, physically tough, and mentally tough, is going to be a huge key for the game tomorrow. Q. Moses, you mentioned some of the things that have gone on on your campus. How much of that do you pay attention to and also do you get any razzing when you go on the road? MOSES EHAMBE: When that stuff was happening, coach told us to keep our nose out of it, concentrate on the season. That stuff that happened, we love the Roberts, they're wonderful people. We don't pay no attention to it. We just play games and win. That's what we're here to do. Q. Christian school. Trotted out all of the clichés, David and Goliath, expect a miracle. Do you also think about the challenge you have? What about your ladies team with No. 1 defending champion Tennessee? MOSES EHAMBE: That's going to be a game right there. I think they'll play really well. They played really well in the conference tournament going into play Tennessee, I think they'll match their intensity. We'll see what happens with them. On the court, it says expect a miracle. I'm going to say that right now: expect a miracle. We're here to shock the world, nothing less. I mean, why not? We made it here this far, so why not? ROBERT JARVIS: I mean, yeah, the girls got their hands full (laughter). They have to go out and play basketball extremely well. YEMI OGUNOYE: They'll have to play extremely well. They'll have to play extremely well. Q. Can you talk about the importance of staying out of foul trouble against their big players and also balancing that with continuing to be aggressive. YEMI OGUNOYE: Yeah, I mean, it's gonna be real tough to try to be aggressive and stay out of foul trouble. Some of the guys, because of the matchup problems, will be a lot different. If it was just one guy getting in foul trouble, we'd have to try to change it up over the course of the game. I think it will be very important for us to play tough but play smart at the same time. ROBERT JARVIS: Definitely play smart because, I mean, we're going to need our bigs because they got big men. They go deep into the bench also. We can't go out and play smart like we have in the summer league. So that's going to play a major role tomorrow. Q. How much have you watched Pittsburgh this year? They're on TV a lot. Did you see them? Do you feel like you maybe have a little advantage because you almost have a scouting report that maybe they don't have on you guys? ROBERT JARVIS: Definitely. I mean, the Big East, that's my favorite conference. I watch it all the time. I watch them. I know their style of play. I study their players also. So, I mean, it will help us a lot. Q. Moses, you said "expect a miracle." Why are you so confident going into this game? MOSES EHAMBE: 'Cause, I mean, we've gone on a three-game winning streak. Win the conference. We're feeling really good about ourselves. We have tons of confidence in the way we're playing right now, taking pride in defense and just getting stops. We'll see what happens, you know. Q. Are you comfortable in the underdog role? Are lower-seeded teams comfortable going into the NCAA tournament because we've come to expect first-round upsets? ROBERT JARVIS: No, I mean, being an underdog is really no pressure on you. You just go out and play basketball. I mean, just play the way that you know how to play really. Being the underdog is also fun, too. Q. Robert, you said the Big East was your favorite conference. You grew up in Big-12 country. How did you become a Big East fan? ROBERT JARVIS: It's competitive. There's really no dominant team out there in the Big East. Every night everybody just go out and play tough basketball. It's a lot of fun to watch. There's a lot of different styles of play. THE MODERATOR: Guys, thanks very much. Good luck tomorrow. Now joined by Oral Roberts head coach Scott Suton. We'll take questions for Coach Sutton. Q. Talk about the challenge your team faces here, your scouting report on the Panthers. COACH SUTTON: Great challenge. Pitt is probably playing as well as anybody in the country. What they did last week in New York City was pretty amazing. Not only to win four games in four days, with you to beat the likes of Louisville, Marquette, beat a great Georgetown team. Of course, Cincinnati is a team that's played well this year. But, you know, we know -- I think we know what we have to do. I think the biggest key, the guys talked about, we have to match their toughness. Pitt's program, ever since Coach Howland was there, has been built on toughness, playing good, sound, halfcourt defense. We're going to have to match it. They talked about it. We've tried to get our guys ready for it, not only physically but mentally, fighting through some things. That will be a big, big key tomorrow, is how our guys respond to the toughness of Pitt. Q. Moses said you used the scout team to beat up the regulars a little bit. Can you talk about what you've done overall to get the team ready for the physical toll that Pittsburgh takes on their opponents. COACH SUTTON: We just told them to do whatever they wanted to do to the starters (smiling). Grab 'em, hack 'em, push 'em. That's basically what they've done the last three days. I don't know if it will work or not. But it was about the only thing we could try. Q. You talked earlier in the season about taking the next step with this team. You've been here three years in a row. What would it mean for Oral Roberts to win a game in the tournament? COACH SUTTON: It would mean so much for so many different reasons. I mean, the exposure you get is great when you get to the tournament. But you win a game, especially when you're a 13 seed, beating a team like Pitt, you would get so much exposure not only for your program but for your school. Obviously it would help recruiting. So I think that is the next step. I've talked bit. I talked about it last year, that, you know, it's great to get here. It's our goal every year. But if we want to elevate our program, we need to have success in the NCAA tournament. Again, we have a great, great challenge tomorrow. But it would mean an awful lot if we could pull an upset. Q. What is it about this group particularly that might make you think this could be the year? COACH SUTTON: Well, I told people before, you know, I thought two years ago against Memphis, I thought we had a shot at winning. I'm like these guys: I think I'm very, very confident any game we play. But, you know, I think this year, the experience of being here now three years in a row, I think we have a balanced team. Last couple years with Caleb and Ken, I think team could say really key those guys. This year we have five or six guys that could score points for us. I think we're a better defensive team than we have been in the past without question. I think you look at our holding opponents to under 40% shooting, 61.5 points per game per game, I believe. I think that gives you a better opportunity to win a game 'cause most times in the NCAA tournament, they're going to be low-scoring games and you're going to have to play good defense. Q. I notice your father was here. What's that like? Do you guys talk a lot of hoops? Is he going to be on the bench? COACH SUTTON: I don't know. I wonder if we could get him on the bench (laughter). Q. What do you get out of that? COACH SUTTON: He beat Pitt four years ago. I think that's Coach Dixon's, Jamie's first season. It's great to have him around. As a kid growing up, this was the best time of year for me, getting to go to the NCAA tournaments, watching practice, filling out your brackets, predicting who's gonna win. I've got so many wonderful memories of that. But to have him here is awfully special, him and my mom. Yeah, we talk almost every day. We talk about after games. He was at my semifinal game and championship game. As a matter of fact, he said at halftime he wanted to go down there and give us some pointers at the IUPUI game, how to defend the ball screen. We talk at length. But, you know, he'll suggest some things. Obviously he's one of the best. Should be in the Hall of Fame. Q. You talk about being 8, filling out those brackets. A lot of times underdogs, they say they have to play the perfect game to win. Do you need a perfect game tomorrow to beat Pittsburgh or are you past that point? Can you match up with them? COACH SUTTON: I don't think you have to play perfect, but I think you have to play awfully well. Hopefully Pitt is off their game a little bit. You know, again, they're a great, great team. I think we're a very good basketball team. We've had great challenges in the past. We went to Allen Fieldhouse last year. I'm sure no one gave us a chance to win that game when they were second or third in the country. Won that. We've been to tough places this year, like Texas, which I think is a team that could win it all. I think they're that good. Been to A&M, been to Arkansas. I don't think this team will be intimidated. That's taking nothing away from Pitt. I think they're a great, great team, playing as well as anybody. But this team will be confident. I think they're be comfortable in the setting. Again, we're just going to have to play well. We're going to have to play awfully well to have a chance. Q. Coach, can you talk a little bit about Yemi, what makes him a strong defender, his potential matchup with Sam Young? COACH SUTTON: Smart, great feet, long. You know, he's older, he's experienced. I just think when you get a guy that's that long, who's athletic, who understands the game, and he wants to be the great defender, he accepts that role, then that's a great weapon to have. He's done an amazing job this year. He's a guy that can guard a five foot ten point guard, he's a guy that can guard a guy like Sam Young. There's very few people in college basketball that can do that. Q. (No microphone.) COACH SUTTON: No, I don't think it's a factor. I mean, we've been in Southern Utah every year. I don't think there's an advantage either way. I don't think that's a factor at all. Q. Does it go without saying that you guys have to shoot the ball to win? COACH SUTTON: We have to make shots, without question. They're going to make it hard for us. For us to be successful, Moses and Robert are going to have to shoot the ball well. We're going to have to hit some threes tomorrow. Q. When people talk about the Pitt team, they don't usually start by talking about the players, they always say they're tough, mentally and physically. What does that mean and how do you see it from this Pitt team? COACH SUTTON: Well, number one, they're physical. They bang on you. They don't let you do what you want to do. Big, strong guys. You look at Fields, point guard, looks like a fullback. Blair is a man child. I'm sure it started with coach Allen. They've just instilled that toughness in their kids that no one is going to go out there and physically whip 'em. I think when you have that edge going into games, it can really -- you can really use that as an advantage. Q. Can you go back to shooting, specifically as it pertains to Moses. How important is it for him to have an up game tomorrow? COACH SUTTON: Again, it's going to be huge. I think we're going to have to make some threes 'cause I think it's going to be difficult for Marcus and Shawn to get a lot of easy baskets around the goal. You look at our team, when we play our best is when we're making shots. We're not a team that shoots a ton of threes, but I think when we're playing well, our guys -- I'm not sure how many threes we made in the championship game, but Mo hit seven by himself. That will be a key. I think the key -- one of the biggest key, I talked about, matching their toughness. We have to do a great job on the glass. We can't afford for them to get 18 offensive rebounds like they did against Georgetown. And I think we have to make shots. It sounds pretty simple. You make shots, your defense is going to be better. Doesn't allow them to get out and transition. Hopefully Robert and Mo will have one of those nights. Q. Is the journey to this point any more enjoyable than the last two because these guys weren't expected to do this and maybe you didn't have those superstars? COACH SUTTON: No, I think it's been much more enjoyable. Started back -- you know, people didn't think we could get back to this point. People doubted us. People thought without Caleb and Ken we didn't have enough talent to do what we did. To go 16-2 in our league, win 24 games, it's been a special ride. Give a lot of credit to our players. They used it at motivation. When people started saying, Hey, you lost Caleb and Ken, this program is going to go back, can't get back to this level, they accepted that challenge, they worked hard, came together as a team in late November, and we've been pretty consistent ever since. Q. Have you had a chance to talk to Sean after getting knocked out of the NIT in the first round? Your thoughts on Sean and the situation at OSU? COACH SUTTON: Well, he shouldn't be under pressure. That's ridiculous, in my opinion. I didn't talk to him last night. I talked to him before he left. We talked about Pitt, since they had played them the last couple years. Sean has done, in my opinion, a heck of a job. That team easily could have folded when they were 1-6. They lost some heartbreaking games during that period. Got them back to win five or six games in a row and I thought were playing awfully good basketball down the stretch. They didn't play well last night. A lot of times you never know how a team is going to respond in the NIT. Disappointed in not making the NCAA tournament, some teams are fired up about playing in it, some teams aren't. But for him to have -- if there's still any speculation about his job, that's in my opinion ridiculous. Q. How hard are these last few hours before you actually get to take the court? COACH SUTTON: Hasn't been hard at all. We've had a busy day. Moses and I were on ESPN this morning. Had to rush over to practice at Regis University, Regis College. We got here, got to talk to you guys. We'll relax tonight, get a good meal. We'll be excited about playing tomorrow. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach. COACH SUTTON: Thanks. End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|