Postgame Quotes - UCLA 86, Ohio State 73
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 86, Ohio State 73
T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, Nev.)
December 17, 2016
UCLA Head Coach Steve Alford
opening statement
“Very proud of our guys. I mean, what they have a real knack of is figuring things out, and this is another different style. This was very similar to A&M as far as size. Just guys that were able to play the three and the four spot that had different size and bodies and strength that we haven't seen, and I thought they figured it out in the second half. We were uncharacteristic, more turnovers than assists in the first half, and we end up with nearly 20 assists again, and got our turnovers down in the second half. I think that was the key. I think anytime you can get a double digit win against a Big Ten team, I mean, this team's really good. They're well-coached. They've got some vets on this team, and an awful lot of respect for them. So we had rebounding issues in the Santa Barbara game, and now we come in and play a better rebounding team here and outrebound them by 10, and I think that was a key. So seems like the things we emphasize as coaches with this team, and there is just a great trust factor. We obviously have the utmost trust in them, and I think they've got trust in us, and they've got trust in each other, and I think that shows throughout their play. So very excited to have us at 12-0.”
on seeing everything from his team before conference play
"Well, I know what I have. I've got a really good group of guys to coach, but they're a pretty good basketball team right now. We're trying to become a great basketball team, and that's a process. That's a journey. We've seen a lot of different styles and a lot of teams have done different things to us. I don't know if it's all of them. But I think we've gone against enough that as we've got one more 40-minute task before we get into league play, I think we're best prepared. The nice thing about this, we started the season without Ike, so G.G. and Tom, and TJ got a lot of experience. Then we lost G.G. for a game, and now we've lost Tom for the last three or four games, and that's just giving these guys, these inside guys a lot of experience so that the hope is we eventually get, Alex Olesinksi has missed every game so far. So our hope is we get guys back healthy. The biggest thing is trying to get to the conference season, and trying to get as many of these guys healthy as possible because I think that's just going to make us deeper. I think it will really help our defense, because right now we're playing seven guys, and I think we made strides defensively. I think this was a much different team to try to defend than our last game. We gave up five threes, so the three defense has been a lot better in the last two games and we really came into this game worried about the backboard, because I think this is a big, physical, rebounding team, and we just got kind of hammered by Santa Barbara on the glass. Gave up 24 offensive rebounds and we win this game by ten on the glass. So whatever we end up reemphasizing or focusing on, this team just, there's just a trust factor there it's a surreal group. The IQ they have to play the game is at a high level, and that's fun to coach.
on Aaron Holiday's play
"Well, one, having someone like he and Ike, and again, we hope our bench can get deeper, but thus far through 12 games our bench probably has done more in 12 games than 32 games last year, and that's huge. When you can go to your bench and your starters and whoever is out on the floor can play as hard as they can, and now they have to ask to be taken out. They're trusting the guy that's coming in for them, and the guy that's coming in for them can raise the level of play when their teammates have gotten tired and we're seeing that. Our bench, there is not a drop off. What Ike can do off the bench, if G.G. eventually goes back to the bench as Tom gets healthy, he's going to be more experienced now. And what Aaron brings, we have four elite guards and you have to prepare at a high level for all four of those guards. We finish most halves and finish most games with those four on the floor. So if we can get leads, I like our chances at the end, because those are four high-level guards."
on playing a four-guard lineup
"Well, very, very smart. Outstanding ball handlers, outstanding decision makers, all four of them are tough, not afraid to make a play, make a shot, take a shot. All four of them can make shots, all four made free throws.So when you've got a lead four minutes in, that's what you want. And it's like one play right at the end, for instance, I think it was maybe a minute and a half to go, Zo (Lonzo) gets the outlet, and he immediately fires a cross-court to Brice. He doesn't have to do that, but he knows Brice is a 90% foul shooter, that's just Zo. Zo figures that stuff out.It's never been about Zo. That's what's special about these guys is they're selfless. They really trust one another, and they know whose role, what role at certain parts of the game has to be. I think that's what's really neat about Lonzo. He knows if we've got to go inside, he finds a way to make it a post feed. If we need a three, he finds somebody. Then all of a sudden if Isaac, Bryce, Aaron, they're not on, they're not making it, who steps back and takes one? Zo. This was a big game of influence on board play, and he gets nine rebounds at the point position. I just thought that kind of mindset, the mindset of these guys, they find ways of trusting one another even in the ebb and flow of a game, which is pretty special."
on Isaac Hamilton's play
"He's a throwback and I told him that. When I first got him, he had to sit out his first year, so he was a practice guy, and that was a really good team. We were playing about seven, eight guys there, and that was a great rotation. Yet those guys were playing against Isaac every day, and Isaac could score just about on anybody. And he drove people nuts because he'd go off the wrong foot at times and shoot it. He'd have a step back that was awkward. He just, he's a throwback, and even from year one, he was wearing the short shorts, and I told him, I said, you're bringing back the '80s, and I love it. You just stay with it, because it's going to come back, and now you're seeing it come back. Players are rolling their waistline two and three times. They're wearing the tights underneath, but the shorts are getting shorter, and I give Isaac a lot of credit for that. Again, Isaac emulates what I'm most pleased with and blessed as a coach, the highest character you could ask of. Just a tremendous individual. I mean, he's the guy that checks into the hotel room and refolds the towels. That's what he does. He's just a special individual and a joy to coach."
UCLA Sophomore Guard Aaron Holiday
on four-guard lineup
"I think we did that all year. We finished with four guards. So it's obviously better to get the ball moving and just be quicker out there, so most guys like them, big guards can't really guard us."
on seeing flow of the game before coming in
"Yeah, I just tried to get my mind right on the bench until my name was called, pretty much. Obviously, I could see different things that the defense aren't doing and are doing so I can go out there and help that way. But I'm always just trying to help my team any way I can. Tonight it was scoring and trying to play defense the best way I can. So that's what I try to do every night."
on cleaning up turnovers in second half
"Just moving without the ball pretty much. We get into the paint very easily, so it's just kickouts and making sure guys are in the right spots at the right time."
on rising to challenge in close games
"I think we just really trust each other no matter what. No matter how far down we are or how far up, we're going to trust each other to get the job done."
UCLA Freshman Guard Lonzo Ball
on four-guard lineup
"Just a different look. That's the beauty of this team. We've got a lot of different things we can go with, and it's just another way we can get five on the court and play together."
on cleaning up turnovers in second half
"In the first half we were standing too much coach told us at halftime. Came back out got some movement, picked up the pace, and things fell into place."
on rising to challenge in close games
"It's just the will to win. Every night, having a different task, have a different opponent, to stay together and go in there ready for battle and come out on top."
UCLA Senior Guard Bryce Alford
on balanced scoring
"The defense has got to take somebody away at the end of the day but it's hard to take all five guys away so we just figure out who it is."
on Isaac Hamilton
"I was joking around on the bench in the second half today. He had a wide open three and shot faked it and went to the basket and was going two miles an hour. Some people would be like what are you doing but we trust him that he is going to make the plays. My dad always jokes about him bringing the short shorts back. Isaac has just been a joy to play with for four years."
on rebounding during game
"That was an emphasis going in. We knew that they were a big, physical team. They play big and played four forwards at times tonight so that was a big emphasis and that was a big game plan for us and we executed."
Ohio State head coach Thad Matta
on message to team
"Well, we've got to take things we did well, and build on them. We've got to take the things we do well and alleviate them the best that we can. When you're playing a team like UCLA, the one thing you can't do is give them the basketball back. We had some possessions at key opportunities in the first half that you can't do that, because percentage says they're eventually going to score. We had a couple outlet passes that gave it back to them. We had some transition errors. Those are the things that have to be alleviated. I thought for stretches there we did a really, really good job defensively on a great offensive team. And the thing that they do is if you make a mistake, they're going to make you pay for it. And we had a couple of mistakes which was probably the difference in the game."
on momentum plays
"There were a lot of swings of momentum in this game, and we were a little bit of a role there. But those are the ones that we sort of have to alleviate. We felt like we could run great offense against them and felt like we could get the shots that we wanted to get. But once again, our guys are struggling from the three-point line right now. Quite honestly, I thought we had some phenomenal looks, so somehow, someway we've got to knock those shots down."
on shooting three's
"It wasn't twos or threes; it was more we knew we had to be as sound as we could defensively and do both in terms of taking the shot and guarding the basketball. Offensively, we just wanted to execute. We tightened things up in the week leading into the game. And I thought we had pretty good possessions, but it's those empty possessions that cost you in a game like this."
on allowing run early in second half
"No, it's funny, because we had in that stretch three great looks. I mean, couldn't draw it up better on the board and go out and execute. The looks we had that didn't go down. I thought that tightened us up a little bit on the defensive end, we panicked a little bit. And that was something we had talked about. They're going to go on the runs. They're a high-powered, offensive team, they're talented and well coached. You can't panic with the shots. I thought we did a good job of that in the first half. Especially the run we went on to end the half. There was no panic to us. We stuck to our game plan and did what we were supposed to do."
Ohio State Junior Forward Jae'Sean Tate
on 3-point shooting
"We're still liking the shots. They're eventually going to fall. I mean, we work on those shots the majority of practice coming in this week. But we've just got to keep taking them and eventually they've got to fall."
on 7-0 run to end the first half
"We felt connected. We shot pretty well. We were playing Buckeye defense and executing our offense. We regrouped, but we didn't come out with that sense of urgency. That's happened in the past, but we have to learn from this and figure out how to stop that from happening over and over again, and get ready for Tuesday."
Ohio State Senior Forward Marc Loving
on difference in final six minutes
"I feel like it was just a sense of urgency. Our huddles weren't as energetic and vocal as they normally were, and I feel like that carried over on to the court in certain instances where, like I said, just a sense of urgency wasn't there. The loose balls ended up bouncing their way and long rebounds. The mental aspect of turning the ball over two or three times in a row."
on what worked for him offensively
"I just happened to be in the right spots. My teammates were really looking for me, and spacing was pretty good in the first half for the most part. And I was just able to get my legs going and knock some drives down."
on what worked defensively
"I feel like we did all right for the most part, but they shot 48%, which is, I mean, it's hard to beat a team shooting that well. So just, I mean, trying to make their shots as tough as possible, but we gave up too many open transition threes and they started to float a couple of them back-to-back."
UCLA 86, Ohio State 73
T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, Nev.)
December 17, 2016
UCLA Head Coach Steve Alford
opening statement
“Very proud of our guys. I mean, what they have a real knack of is figuring things out, and this is another different style. This was very similar to A&M as far as size. Just guys that were able to play the three and the four spot that had different size and bodies and strength that we haven't seen, and I thought they figured it out in the second half. We were uncharacteristic, more turnovers than assists in the first half, and we end up with nearly 20 assists again, and got our turnovers down in the second half. I think that was the key. I think anytime you can get a double digit win against a Big Ten team, I mean, this team's really good. They're well-coached. They've got some vets on this team, and an awful lot of respect for them. So we had rebounding issues in the Santa Barbara game, and now we come in and play a better rebounding team here and outrebound them by 10, and I think that was a key. So seems like the things we emphasize as coaches with this team, and there is just a great trust factor. We obviously have the utmost trust in them, and I think they've got trust in us, and they've got trust in each other, and I think that shows throughout their play. So very excited to have us at 12-0.”
on seeing everything from his team before conference play
"Well, I know what I have. I've got a really good group of guys to coach, but they're a pretty good basketball team right now. We're trying to become a great basketball team, and that's a process. That's a journey. We've seen a lot of different styles and a lot of teams have done different things to us. I don't know if it's all of them. But I think we've gone against enough that as we've got one more 40-minute task before we get into league play, I think we're best prepared. The nice thing about this, we started the season without Ike, so G.G. and Tom, and TJ got a lot of experience. Then we lost G.G. for a game, and now we've lost Tom for the last three or four games, and that's just giving these guys, these inside guys a lot of experience so that the hope is we eventually get, Alex Olesinksi has missed every game so far. So our hope is we get guys back healthy. The biggest thing is trying to get to the conference season, and trying to get as many of these guys healthy as possible because I think that's just going to make us deeper. I think it will really help our defense, because right now we're playing seven guys, and I think we made strides defensively. I think this was a much different team to try to defend than our last game. We gave up five threes, so the three defense has been a lot better in the last two games and we really came into this game worried about the backboard, because I think this is a big, physical, rebounding team, and we just got kind of hammered by Santa Barbara on the glass. Gave up 24 offensive rebounds and we win this game by ten on the glass. So whatever we end up reemphasizing or focusing on, this team just, there's just a trust factor there it's a surreal group. The IQ they have to play the game is at a high level, and that's fun to coach.
on Aaron Holiday's play
"Well, one, having someone like he and Ike, and again, we hope our bench can get deeper, but thus far through 12 games our bench probably has done more in 12 games than 32 games last year, and that's huge. When you can go to your bench and your starters and whoever is out on the floor can play as hard as they can, and now they have to ask to be taken out. They're trusting the guy that's coming in for them, and the guy that's coming in for them can raise the level of play when their teammates have gotten tired and we're seeing that. Our bench, there is not a drop off. What Ike can do off the bench, if G.G. eventually goes back to the bench as Tom gets healthy, he's going to be more experienced now. And what Aaron brings, we have four elite guards and you have to prepare at a high level for all four of those guards. We finish most halves and finish most games with those four on the floor. So if we can get leads, I like our chances at the end, because those are four high-level guards."
on playing a four-guard lineup
"Well, very, very smart. Outstanding ball handlers, outstanding decision makers, all four of them are tough, not afraid to make a play, make a shot, take a shot. All four of them can make shots, all four made free throws.So when you've got a lead four minutes in, that's what you want. And it's like one play right at the end, for instance, I think it was maybe a minute and a half to go, Zo (Lonzo) gets the outlet, and he immediately fires a cross-court to Brice. He doesn't have to do that, but he knows Brice is a 90% foul shooter, that's just Zo. Zo figures that stuff out.It's never been about Zo. That's what's special about these guys is they're selfless. They really trust one another, and they know whose role, what role at certain parts of the game has to be. I think that's what's really neat about Lonzo. He knows if we've got to go inside, he finds a way to make it a post feed. If we need a three, he finds somebody. Then all of a sudden if Isaac, Bryce, Aaron, they're not on, they're not making it, who steps back and takes one? Zo. This was a big game of influence on board play, and he gets nine rebounds at the point position. I just thought that kind of mindset, the mindset of these guys, they find ways of trusting one another even in the ebb and flow of a game, which is pretty special."
on Isaac Hamilton's play
"He's a throwback and I told him that. When I first got him, he had to sit out his first year, so he was a practice guy, and that was a really good team. We were playing about seven, eight guys there, and that was a great rotation. Yet those guys were playing against Isaac every day, and Isaac could score just about on anybody. And he drove people nuts because he'd go off the wrong foot at times and shoot it. He'd have a step back that was awkward. He just, he's a throwback, and even from year one, he was wearing the short shorts, and I told him, I said, you're bringing back the '80s, and I love it. You just stay with it, because it's going to come back, and now you're seeing it come back. Players are rolling their waistline two and three times. They're wearing the tights underneath, but the shorts are getting shorter, and I give Isaac a lot of credit for that. Again, Isaac emulates what I'm most pleased with and blessed as a coach, the highest character you could ask of. Just a tremendous individual. I mean, he's the guy that checks into the hotel room and refolds the towels. That's what he does. He's just a special individual and a joy to coach."
UCLA Sophomore Guard Aaron Holiday
on four-guard lineup
"I think we did that all year. We finished with four guards. So it's obviously better to get the ball moving and just be quicker out there, so most guys like them, big guards can't really guard us."
on seeing flow of the game before coming in
"Yeah, I just tried to get my mind right on the bench until my name was called, pretty much. Obviously, I could see different things that the defense aren't doing and are doing so I can go out there and help that way. But I'm always just trying to help my team any way I can. Tonight it was scoring and trying to play defense the best way I can. So that's what I try to do every night."
on cleaning up turnovers in second half
"Just moving without the ball pretty much. We get into the paint very easily, so it's just kickouts and making sure guys are in the right spots at the right time."
on rising to challenge in close games
"I think we just really trust each other no matter what. No matter how far down we are or how far up, we're going to trust each other to get the job done."
UCLA Freshman Guard Lonzo Ball
on four-guard lineup
"Just a different look. That's the beauty of this team. We've got a lot of different things we can go with, and it's just another way we can get five on the court and play together."
on cleaning up turnovers in second half
"In the first half we were standing too much coach told us at halftime. Came back out got some movement, picked up the pace, and things fell into place."
on rising to challenge in close games
"It's just the will to win. Every night, having a different task, have a different opponent, to stay together and go in there ready for battle and come out on top."
UCLA Senior Guard Bryce Alford
on balanced scoring
"The defense has got to take somebody away at the end of the day but it's hard to take all five guys away so we just figure out who it is."
on Isaac Hamilton
"I was joking around on the bench in the second half today. He had a wide open three and shot faked it and went to the basket and was going two miles an hour. Some people would be like what are you doing but we trust him that he is going to make the plays. My dad always jokes about him bringing the short shorts back. Isaac has just been a joy to play with for four years."
on rebounding during game
"That was an emphasis going in. We knew that they were a big, physical team. They play big and played four forwards at times tonight so that was a big emphasis and that was a big game plan for us and we executed."
Ohio State head coach Thad Matta
on message to team
"Well, we've got to take things we did well, and build on them. We've got to take the things we do well and alleviate them the best that we can. When you're playing a team like UCLA, the one thing you can't do is give them the basketball back. We had some possessions at key opportunities in the first half that you can't do that, because percentage says they're eventually going to score. We had a couple outlet passes that gave it back to them. We had some transition errors. Those are the things that have to be alleviated. I thought for stretches there we did a really, really good job defensively on a great offensive team. And the thing that they do is if you make a mistake, they're going to make you pay for it. And we had a couple of mistakes which was probably the difference in the game."
on momentum plays
"There were a lot of swings of momentum in this game, and we were a little bit of a role there. But those are the ones that we sort of have to alleviate. We felt like we could run great offense against them and felt like we could get the shots that we wanted to get. But once again, our guys are struggling from the three-point line right now. Quite honestly, I thought we had some phenomenal looks, so somehow, someway we've got to knock those shots down."
on shooting three's
"It wasn't twos or threes; it was more we knew we had to be as sound as we could defensively and do both in terms of taking the shot and guarding the basketball. Offensively, we just wanted to execute. We tightened things up in the week leading into the game. And I thought we had pretty good possessions, but it's those empty possessions that cost you in a game like this."
on allowing run early in second half
"No, it's funny, because we had in that stretch three great looks. I mean, couldn't draw it up better on the board and go out and execute. The looks we had that didn't go down. I thought that tightened us up a little bit on the defensive end, we panicked a little bit. And that was something we had talked about. They're going to go on the runs. They're a high-powered, offensive team, they're talented and well coached. You can't panic with the shots. I thought we did a good job of that in the first half. Especially the run we went on to end the half. There was no panic to us. We stuck to our game plan and did what we were supposed to do."
Ohio State Junior Forward Jae'Sean Tate
on 3-point shooting
"We're still liking the shots. They're eventually going to fall. I mean, we work on those shots the majority of practice coming in this week. But we've just got to keep taking them and eventually they've got to fall."
on 7-0 run to end the first half
"We felt connected. We shot pretty well. We were playing Buckeye defense and executing our offense. We regrouped, but we didn't come out with that sense of urgency. That's happened in the past, but we have to learn from this and figure out how to stop that from happening over and over again, and get ready for Tuesday."
Ohio State Senior Forward Marc Loving
on difference in final six minutes
"I feel like it was just a sense of urgency. Our huddles weren't as energetic and vocal as they normally were, and I feel like that carried over on to the court in certain instances where, like I said, just a sense of urgency wasn't there. The loose balls ended up bouncing their way and long rebounds. The mental aspect of turning the ball over two or three times in a row."
on what worked for him offensively
"I just happened to be in the right spots. My teammates were really looking for me, and spacing was pretty good in the first half for the most part. And I was just able to get my legs going and knock some drives down."
on what worked defensively
"I feel like we did all right for the most part, but they shot 48%, which is, I mean, it's hard to beat a team shooting that well. So just, I mean, trying to make their shots as tough as possible, but we gave up too many open transition threes and they started to float a couple of them back-to-back."