Oklahoma Postgame Quotes

Nov. 21, 2007

Head Coach Jeff Capel
Opening comment:
"I think we are really fortunate to get this win. I think we did some good things offensively as far as shooting the ball. Defensively, it is good to hold a team to 30 percent shooting. We had too many turnovers. We got off to a really good start and then it went down after we took some of our starting group out, specifically Blake (Griffin) and Longar (Longar). We had no movement on offense and we allowed Morehead State to gain confidence and get back in the game. Morehead State played hard. They keep coming at you; have to give them credit for that. We are glad to get the win and have a little break."

On having more turnovers than assists:
"It is ridiculous. No disrespect, we shouldn't have 20 turnovers against anyone, let alone Morehead State. I said to our guys at halftime, `You realize Longar is 6-11 and Blake is 6-10? Stop throwing the ball to a 6-5 guy.' They were just very careless. That is something that we have to correct. When we had the ball we were getting shots; we shot 54 percent in the first half. We should have had 50 at halftime. I know the guys understand that the strength of our team is inside, but we have to do a better job of getting the ball in there. We got really careless and really sloppy. We started trying to hit home runs instead of singles. Singles were working. We were moving guys around the bases and then all of a sudden we started swinging for the fence. We can't do that. We are not a team that does that right now."

On whether the team has developed an identity:
"I don't think so. I still think we are learning. I don't know that anyone in the country has, but I know we haven't. But our team understands that our strength is in our post guys, Blake and Longar especially. If Tony Crocker plays under control he makes good shots. We need Taylor (Griffin) and Moose (Keith Clark) to play at a high level, too, and for David (Godbold) to be steady. We are still trying to figure things out, but it feels good being 5-1 going into USC rather than where we were at this time last year."

Sophomore Guard Tony Crocker
On tonight's game:
"I thought we did real well at the beginning of the game. We started slacking a little bit and it showed. They were able to pick it up and get the game within 10. Then we got it going and were able to blow it open. We started to get after them and not let certain guys touch the ball. Once we did that we kind of disrupted their flow."

On Oklahoma turnovers:
"We had a lot of turnovers. A lot of them were unforced, too. That's just something we have to work on taking our time with."

Freshman Forward Blake Griffin
On facing different defenses:
"They were doing a couple of things a little different. It's going to be like that all year. Teams will double-down in the post and you have to kick it out to the guards and let them do their thing."

On the change in the second half:
"We started out so well and then we slacked off. In the second half coach challenged us to come out and play good defense and let the offense come to us. Then we kind of blew it open a little bit."

On the variety of starting lineups:
"Each game we play we will start to get more and more comfortable. I don't mind changing the starting lineup as long as everyone is playing together and is playing well. Who ever gets it done should be playing."

Morehead State Head Coach Donnie Tyndell
Opening comment:
"I think Oklahoma is a very talented team and they are well coached. They will certainly win their share of games this season. I was at LSU for four years and we had Stromile Swift and Jabari Smith. Those are two guys who ended up in the NBA and got us to the Sweet 16. Oklahoma's line of Blake Griffin and Longar Longar remind me a lot of that front line. They are a good team and will win a lot of games if they continue to get good guard play. They are going to be tough in the Big 12."

On forcing Oklahoma to 20 turnovers:
"I think one thing we are fairly decent at is we double the post, post-to-post a lot. It is a huge emphasis for OU to pound the ball inside. I think we caused six straight turnovers when we doubled the post. They struggled with that a little bit by traveling or throwing the ball away. They hurt us some as well, but I think that is one way we kind of kept them off balance. I think that was a key tonight in forcing 20 turnovers."

On struggling offensively:
"You have to credit OU's defense for that. I think they are a physical team and do a nice job defensively. Our two best shooters, Jamyron Steward and John Lamb, go 4-for-18 combined from the floor. (Maze) Stallworth, who shoots the ball very well in practice every day, struggled and went 0-for-4 from three tonight. Again, you have to attribute some of that to OU and their physical presence on the perimeter. They have long, athletic guards. We had some open looks and just didn't make them. Hopefully we will balance that out as the year goes along."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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