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NCAA MEN'S 2ND & 3RD ROUNDS: SPOKANEMarch 20, 2014Cameron ClarkLon KrugerRyan SpanglerSPOKANE, WASHINGTON North Dakota State – 80 THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get started with an opening statement from coach and then take questions for the student‑athletes. COACH LON KRUGER: Well, it was a tough ball game to not win. Credit North Dakota State. I thought Coach Phillips and his guys did a terrific job and did what they needed to down the stretch and credit to them for that. Our guys fought like crazy, last 25 minutes of regulation, to get back and finally get into a position to win the ball game. They hit a big shot to get it into over time. But tough, tough one to lose. Tough, proud of our guys, they have done a terrific job and as much as it hurts here in the short‑term, there's not much to help them with that. But, in time we'll look back and see this group, for the program, that took a big step and first of many more we need to take. But proud of the guys. THE MODERATOR: Take questions for the student‑athletes. Q. For the players, before that 3‑pointer they hit, can you describe what happened before that 3‑pointer on that play, that sent it into overtime? CAMERON CLARK: I really don't recall. I don't know who was on the ball, but he made a big shot, a big three. We thought we had him contained, he stepped up and made a big shot and tied the game. Q. You guys had three shots at the end of regulation to try to win the thing, how deflating was it going into overtime after that? RYAN SPANGLER: It's upsetting to miss them three shots, but we were still pumped up to go into overtime. We gave ourselves a chance to win at the end and it didn't happen, so we got more time to do that. Q. Cameron, your offense averaged around 80 points a game throughout the season and they held you down to 66 points in regulation. What gave you guys the most fits on your offensive side of the ball? CAMERON CLARK: I think that they did a good job just controlling the defensive end. They played great defense. I feel like we sped up and sometimes just rushed shots. But, the second half I feel like we came out and did a better job offensively. But credit them, they got the win. Q. Ryan, can you comment on the amount of 3‑point shots, the lack of penetration, the lack of free throws, especially early on in the game, 1 of 2, I think at halftime. Can you comment on how that ‑‑ I don't know it's been your guys mode lately. But, coming out of Kansas City it looked like you guys were wanting to get out of that mode? RYAN SPANGLER: Most games we hit 3's. We hit 3's. And we won doing that this year. I don't know why we would change it now. If we're not hitting, we need to realize we need to get to the rim, get some fouls, but we have been doing it all year, so why would we change now? Q. Cameron, whenever you look back on your career what will you remember about playing at Oklahoma? CAMERON CLARK: It was great, I learned a lot from the University of Oklahoma. Coach did a great job of coaching me. I feel like he's the best coach I ever had. And it's been a great four years. Just looking back on it, I loved playing with these guys and I'm just looking for them to do great things in the future. Q. Anything surprise you about North Dakota State? CAMERON CLARK: Not really surprising, they just did a great job. They fought, kind of out hustled us on rebounds and things like that, but overall they're a great team and we didn't do the things we needed to do to win, so credit them. THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll excuse you to the locker room and take questions for coach. Q. When it's 66‑63 inevitable question, did you consider fouling somewhere and creating a free throw situation or were you content to try to play 3‑point defense? COACH LON KRUGER: We would have fouled if it got later in the clock. We talked about if it got down six or seven seconds remaining, then we would foul. I thought our guys did a good job ofhaving a clear picture of everything that happened prior to the shot. But, I thought our guy got there and contested it pretty good and Alexander made a big shot. But, if it was a little later in the clock, if it got down to six or seven, we were going to foul. Q. Can you talk about the play of Alexander? Did that surprise you at all? COACH LON KRUGER: He's a good player. We watched lot of tapes of him being a good player, so not that it was a big surprise. He made big plays and did a great job. He's done that for them at times throughout the year and certainly did that today. Q. Same question about Dupree, number 13, that came in at the end of the game and made a couple of free throws and made a big basket for them. How much of a surprise was that? He hadn't even played the whole game. COACH LON KRUGER: Well, it's a young guy that stepped up at the moment and delivered. The two free throws there, not easy for a young guy to come into a situation and make two at that point and he did it. And makes a little run around the baseline a little bit later, as well. So, yeah, it's a tough role to be in and he took full advantage of it. Q. I don't want to ask this question, it's been beat to death with the 12‑5. But your comment on the 5‑12 seeds today with Harvard and North Dakota State winning. COACH LON KRUGER: Oh, I think that there's so many good teams in the tournament, obviously not a lot of difference. The depth and the quality of the depth is I think as good as it's ever been and obviously, Cincinnati Harvard, it looked like a close ball game. Ours was a close ball game, not much difference in those ball clubs. Q. Your post‑season record now is 0‑5. You've gained a reputation as re‑builder of programs and such a steady coach. That's two incongruent things, it seems like. What do you think that is? Your guys just not getting the message? COACH LON KRUGER: No, they're doing fine. Obviously, disappointed that we haven't won in conference tournament or here. This group's done a heck of a job. They have made a lot of progress and we got to keep getting better, keep making progress as a program and as a group and they will do, they will do that. Q. Did anything surprise you about North Dakota State? COACH LON KRUGER: Well, you see so much tape on them and you watch tape and you recognize they're a really good basketball team. So, they were a really good basketball team today, so in that light, not really a big surprise. The depth of good players is such that different guys can step up at different times and I thought they did that today. Q. When you look back on this team later down the road, what will you remember about these guys? COACH LON KRUGER: They took a big step this year. They made a lot of progress from the start of the year to the finish. Again, in the short‑term this is extremely disappointing and hard to experience, but they like to play, they will continue making progress and we'll get back to work and try to get better. Q. What specifically will you miss and remember about Cameron and Tyler? COACH LON KRUGER: Cameron and Tyler were two guys that came every day to practice, gave us great leadership, playing their best basketball at the end of their Senior season, great to see that out of two guys that mean so much to the program and gave so much to the program. So, two outstanding young people that represented very well. Q. Wanted to ask about the last play of overtime. What the play call was or what the design was there? COACH LON KRUGER: Regulation? Q. Yeah, of regulation. Sorry. COACH LON KRUGER: Got exactly what we wanted. Isaiah was a little iso for that wing and get to the rim and make a play. I don't know if he bobbled it there when he got to the rim or didn't quite feel comfortable finishing there, but we had two or three looks at it. We just iso on Isaiah and getting him to the rim and he did a good job of getting there. THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you. COACH LON KRUGER: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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