Post-Game Quotes
February 07, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2008
Head Coach Lorenzo Romar
General Statement: "I don't really have much to say to open. They did a tremendous job on our two top scorers. We weren't able to convert and too many lapses overall by us allowed ourselves to get buried in a hole. One of the keys with our team with this game was `be solid.' You've got be solid because every possession that you're not, they're going to make you pay. That's what happened, we weren't solid."
On USC's Zone Penetration: "Because we weren't doing a good job. I wish I could give you some complex answer but we just didn't do a good job of keeping them in front of us."
On O.J. Mayo: "I think he scored a couple of three's in the zone and then he got some transition stuff. He's a great all-around player, he just kind of got going a little bit."
On the 19-0 Run: "When we came back, we were able to get deflections, we were able to get stops and we were able to get in transition a little bit. When they went on the 19-0 run, we missed some shots and I just thought we were negligent. We didn't rotate defensively and we're able to sustain a solid effort on the defensive end for the entire shot clock. We turned the ball over and it just began to unravel at that point. I probably waited too long to call time outs in that situation, I though we could've called a couple."
On Team Morale After Three Losses: "We'll see. They'll be back as they always do. They'll come back tomorrow and I'm sure they'll be feeling upbeat. We can't hang our heads. That's when it can get bad."
Senior Tim Morris
On the 19-0 Run: "We couldn't get the game going on offense and we couldn't get any stops. Mainly we missed a lot of shots and we couldn't get a flow going. They were doubling Brock, I missed a few shots and they face guarded Appleby."
USC Head Coach Tim Floyd
General Comments: "We had a five minute stretch there that kind of reminded me of the Oregon State game at Oregon State. We had a five minute stretch at the end of the half where we didn't play particularly well and we gave up six transition baskets, where we got tired and didn't get back. I thought we really played poised at the beginning of the second half, particularly on the defensive end with defensive boarding. Really everybody, Taj (Gibson), a year ago couldn't have started like he started the first half and then play like he did the second half. He played very well. Davon (Jefferson) took great shots and really did a great job defensively - he was on Brockman to start the second half - because Taj had three fouls and he did a great job on him. Dwight (Lewis) got it going the second half, which he couldn't have done a year ago after struggling in the first half. O.J. (Mayo) was outstanding, was terrific. We got great minutes from Cromwell and that was a real key in the game. That was the best he has played the entire year."
On O.J. Mayo: "He was outstanding. Every shot was a great shot. He played with a lot of poise. He is a freshman, people forget that, and as the year has gone on he has gotten better and better. He was special tonight. I think he is understanding the college game and he is understanding what teams are trying to do to him defensively. He was differing and he was taking great shots. I just think he has been terrific defensively - that is where he has made tremendous strides. He is as good a defender as there is in the league right now, and he is priding himself on it. I don't know how much he ever played before he got here on that end, but he is enjoying it."
On Playing on the Road: "We understand the road. We got to the line tonight and kept them off it. We took the kind of shots that get you to the line, and then played with purpose defensively without fouling. We had a stretch where we couldn't guard the dribble, but in the second half we got out and guarded their drives with Dentmon and Morris. "
On Daniel Hackett: "Daniel (Hackett) has such a settling effect on our team. He seemed to always make the extra pass and make the right pass and don't turn it over. Defensively, we seemed to gameplan better and he had five defensive boards in the first half. He was just really solid tonight."
