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NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPSMarch 16, 2012Jordan OliverST. LOUIS, MISSOURI THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jordan Oliver. Q. You entered that match hot. So did he. Were you concerned about the fact that both you guys had pinned all your guys before this match? JORDAN OLIVER: Not at all. I mean, he was rolling going into there, three pins. I also had three pins. But, getting up and ready for every match no matter what the conditions are, no matter if I'm feeling bad and he's feeling good, or if he's feeling good and‑‑ or he's feeling bad and I'm feeling good. Looking at it, I didn't really look at his match results with three pins going in. I just knew what I had to do: go out there and execute my offense and put pressure on him like I did. Q. Jordan, takedowns seemed to be very important in this match, especially early on. Is that something you feel you can beat anyone with? JORDAN OLIVER: Takedowns are very important. Right off the get‑go, I'm looking to put points on the board and open guys up. One thing Coach Smith preaches to us a lot is not letting matches materialize, letting guys sit around, almost steal a match. I like to get out there, put points on the board, open it up right away. As soon as that happens, action picks up, the tempo picks up, because now they're down and losing. They have to come back instead of letting sit around on a 0‑0 lead. Looking to steal a match or take it from top to bottom. Q. Jordan, you said coming into the tournament that you wanted to wrestle your style, to be attacking. It looks to us like you've done that. To your satisfaction, have you attacked and gone as forward as you would have liked to? JORDAN OLIVER: Yes, I'm putting pressure on my guys. I'm actually hitting some attacks I've never hit all year. Things are opening up for me. I'm falling into shots. I'm being able to execute my go‑to shots. But shots I've been working on all year that I haven't felt, I'm finally starting to feel them. As for pressure, I feel I'm putting a lot of pressure on my opponents, faking, getting them to react and wrestle me, like I said, not letting the match materialize. Q. How are you feeling this year relative to last year? JORDAN OLIVER: Feeling great. I mean, last year I was undefeated coming into national finals. This year I have one loss. To say the least, that was the best thing that ever happened to me so far this year and I would say my college career just because it opened up my eyes and really motivated me. It made me think. That match, I didn't like it at all. I didn't display the Jordan Oliver that is capable of wrestling. I should have been building pressure and stuff. It made me realize if I don't wrestle my style and my pace of match, let things fall on the other guy's hands, letting almost matches materialize, not getting after it right away, I can be beat. That just kicked me in the butt and made me realize I need to go out there and wrestle my style a full seven minutes, and 20 minutes if needed. Get out there and just putting pressure on my guy. I feel good. Real excited about this next match. I wrestled Logan once before. But it's a new day. It's a new match. Anything can happen. Just looking to go out there and get action started right away, and scrapping a full seven minutes, having a good match. Q. Jordan, to whom did you lose to this year and when was it? What was it about that match? What happened in that match that made you realize you had to do things differently? JORDAN OLIVER: I dropped a match this year to Tony Ramos, I think it was in December. Just made me realize, like I said, if I'm not wrestling my style, competing a full seven minutes, I can be beat by anybody. Things I learned during that match was making him feel my pressure at all times, not sitting and relaxing, throwing fakes, snapping him, clearing ties. I was more hanging and almost waiting for shots to come to me instead of going and attacking, going to my offense, getting to my shots and my offense that I needed to go to. Just made me realize that no matter what the score is, who I'm wrestling, I have great defense also. I just need to go out there, put pressure on my opponents. If they get to my leg, they get to my leg. If I drop a takedown, I give the first takedown, I'm behind, not to worry about it because I'm capable of going hard a full seven minutes, putting pressure on guys. I'm confident if I drop down five, I can come back and win a match. Q. Jordan, any words for the people back home in the valley watching you? JORDAN OLIVER: Well, I always love all the fans back at home, all the support they show. Even though I'm so far away, I still hear about me being in the press at home multiple times a year. Everybody is following me. It's just awesome to know that I still have that much love and support, even though I'm so far away and I'm gone. It's definitely a good wrestling community. It's just comforting knowing that when I go back home that I still have those fans and even more fans for what I'm doing. It's really motivating. THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Jordan. JORDAN OLIVER: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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