Oklahoma-Indiana Postgame Quotes

March 30, 2002

Junior Guard Quannas White

(On Indiana going 6-for-6 from three in the second half):
I think we just didn't get a hand in their face like we should have.

(Reflecting on the season):
We had a great season, but we didn't accomplish our goal. We'll be back next year though.

(On whether his ankle hindered him or not):
I didn't know it was going to hurt me like it did, but you've got to play through it. And I didn't. I don't think I had a good game. I didn't play well at all.

(On the play of the guards after the big men got into foul trouble):
We just have to step up. We have stepped up every other time our big guys got in foul trouble, we just didn't step up today in one of the biggest games.

Junior Guard Jason Detrick

(On whether or not Oklahoma had a dream season):
Yes we did, but we didn't accomplish what we came here to do. They played well and made the plays that we didn't.

(On the Sooner seniors):
I feel sorry for them, because we didn't accomplish what we came here to do. And I wanted to do it for them so bad. They were a big part of this, and I wanted to do something so special for them because I love those guys.

Junior Guard Ebi Ere

(On Indiana in the second half):
The game went their way in the second half. That's how the game goes, sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't.

(On the play of teammate Hollis Price):
Hollis had a great season. He did a lot of things to help this team win 31 games. He did a lot of things in that game today besides scoring. He made a couple steals. He passed the ball.

(On whether Indiana surprised him):
We know how competitive they were. They're a tough team. They're not a very athletic team. They have a couple athletic players, the two big guys on the inside, but that's a tough team. They come out and play and give it all they have every time they step on the floor.

Senior Forward Daryan Selvy

(On whether OU overlooked Indiana):
We really didn't overlook them. Like I said yesterday, we can't take anybody lightly and I don't think we took them lightly. They played good ball today. They played better than we did.

(On not playing their "typical" game):
We went out there and tried to play relaxed and to play hard. If our shots were falling, everything would have went well. Things just didn't go good for us today.

(On his defensive play):
I didn't play good defense today. I think I could have helped my team out more with my defense.

Indiana Postgame Quotes:

Senior Forward Jarrad Odle

(General):
We are going to go home tonight and enjoy this with our parents at the hotel and sit back and realize we are 40 minutes away from being the best team in college basketball.

(On tenacity of the team):
That type of team if you keep battling them eventually they are going to bust and that is what we kept doing, we kept going at them. They are a real good rebounding team. They play hard and tough and it took a lot for us to stay with them in the second half. You could just feel the game turning towards our direction.

(On Oklahoma forward Aaron McGhee):
He was hitting some shots tonight that Michael Jordan doesn't hit. He was playing unbelievable in the first half. We basically wanted to limit his touches and limit the moves he could make to the basket. He is a very solid player and luckily we drew some fouls on him and got him out of the game.

(On Indiana's inside game):
I think I had 11 points in the first half and did not score in the second and so that is (Jeff) Newton stepping up in the second half and getting more points. Our inside game is pretty good and that's what we were tonight. We didn't hit many threes again tonight and it is good when you can do that and still win the game.

(On Jeff Newton):
I told him he could not have picked a better night to have a season high. He has picked his play up all year long. Every game he has gotten better on the offensive glass and defensive rebounds and scoring. He has a bright future ahead of him.

(On poise of team):
That is what we preach every night is poise and that is what our guys did tonight. They did that without playing nervous or jittery and we executed our game plan and when we do that we win basketball games.

Freshman Guard Donald Perry

(On being a freshman in a big game):
I don't really think like that. Basketball is basketball. It does not matter what age you are. You just have to go out there and play your game ... I was in control (of my nerves). Before the game I prayed and asked God to give me strength and not be nervous. It does not matter if there are 5,000 or 50,000 people out there. It is still basketball.

(On when the feeling will sink in):
Probably sometime tonight in the hotel it will sink in. Right now I am just trying to enjoy this moment.

(On the team's defense):
The team defense played well, especially Dane (Fife). He has been doing it all season. He has been holding the top guys under their scoring averages.

(On the amount of players contributing):
That's what a national championship team is about. It is a team game. You cannot do it with just one or two guys. You have to have a whole team playing together. I think we have a good team and if every one plays well in their role then we win.

Sophomore Guard A.J. Moye

(On shocking the world):
I don't think that we shocked the world. We may have shocked some sports analysts, but I don't think that we shocked the world. Just look at this place, three-quarters of the gym was wearing red. We have no quit in us and no we have only one game to go.

(On having the feeling sunk in yet):
It has, but the level of focus is still there. Everyone keeps telling us that no number five seed or team with the amount of loses that we have has ever won the NCAA Championship, but it doesn't matter. We have made the championship game and now we are only 40 minutes from winning the NCAA Championship.

(On what teammate Coverdale has gone through):
He has gone through some really intense training. Me and a few of my teammates would be shooting around late at night and he would still be getting iced down around ten at night. He was not going to just sit down and watch this game, win or lose.

(On what beating Duke meant):
It gave us as individuals more push and more confidence. We beat Duke and it was definitely a confidence boost and something that we had to do to get to this point.

Junior Forward Kyle Hornsby

(On the chances of winning with Coverdale scoring 3 and Jefferies 8):
If someone told me that was what those two were going to score, I would have thought that our chances were pretty slim. It just shows the depth of this team. I thought that Coverdale was about 75 to 80 percent tonight and he was missing a lot of his explosiveness. I think that explosiveness was in that other 20 to 25 percent that he was missing.

(On being an underdog):
It is something that we are starting to like. We beat a number one in Duke, a number two in Oklahoma, and we will end up facing another number one in either Maryland or Kansas, so I don't mind the underdog role anymore.

(On Oklahoma coming back from down seven):
We just knew that we had to try and pull it out. It was going to be tooth and nail all the way to the end from that point. We pulled together though and finished it out as a team. (On the three pointer at the half) It did give us some momentum. They were up seven and we made that three going into the half and it really helped change the momentum of the game.

(On the feeling of winning):
It is incredible to get a chance to put up a banner. You come here with the goal of winning it all at the beginning of the season, but it seems so far off at the beginning of the season, but now it is only 40 minutes away.

Senior Guard Dane Fife

(On the difference of the regular and post season):
We made adjustments after the regular season, including our style and technical play. The coaches really emphasized the finish of the games. That is a credit to our coaches to be able to show us and explain to us how to keep our poise under pressure. They told us to just settle down and finish the game strong. They told us to remain calm. Really that's all it took for some us was to just sit down and talk about it.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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