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BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 13, 2015Buddy HieldKevin KrugerTaShawn ThomasKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI Iowa State – 67 THE MODERATOR: Okay we're joined now by the Oklahoma Sooners, Coach Lon Kruger, his student‑athletes in the interview room are Buddy Hield and TaShawn Thomas. Coach, an opening comment? COACH KRUGER: Third time we've played Iowa State and it's been three really good battles. Tonight was a good battle. I thought both teams played really hard. And when you know each other a little bit after a Big 12 season, it gets to be a little bit of a grind. But I thought guys really fought and battled, and obviously didn't get it done but we will learn from it and get better. Congratulations to Fred's group, he always does a great job, but we got to get our heads up and get ready to play next week. Q. Buddy, talk about struggling from the shooting for you tonight and how frustrating it was to lose in the last second. BUDDY HIELD: It's tough. Got a great look, feel bad for Ryan for what he's going through right now, but we've got to find a way to pick him back up. But we got to go into the NCAA Tournament and we got to make a big run and stick together no matter what. Win, lose or draw we got to stick together as a group. Q. TaShawn, you guys staved off their runs tonight by going inside, was that game planning? TaSHAWN THOMAS: I kind of felt like me and Ryan, especially myself, wasn't that physical and wasn't aggressive in the first half. So when Coach‑‑ Coach said something to me in the second half and it made me just change my mind saying just attack. I felt like that's what kept us in the game. And then our guards were able to knock down shots later on. Q. For both of you, how can you use this maybe frustration, this loss, going into the NCAA Tournament as fuel for that? TaSHAWN THOMAS: Kind of feel like it could make us hungry, make us want to work hard. At the same time we can look at it and be, like, we were that close. If we would have done this one thing at the end of the game, we could have went to overtime. But at the same time, you can't look back and dwell on the negative things and just look at the positive things. I feel like if we do that we can keep on striving. THE MODERATOR: Guys, we will let you go back to the locker room. Good luck next week. Q. Coach, what is it about this match‑up where both teams seem to go on runs in the same game? Every time you play 'em, big runs. COACH KRUGER: That's the way it's been in the three ball games. I think both teams have various options, a lot of different guys that can score, both teams attack aggressively. The pace is general‑‑ seems like there was more action today than there was productivity, but both teams were still attacking and swinging away. And I think there is great respect from our guys for Iowa State and we know they're good and I think our guys look forward to that challenge, too. Q. Coach, can you talk us through that last play? Was the idea to get it in Ryan's hands or what were you looking for there? COACH KRUGER: Looking to just push it, get Jordan loose going to the bucket, had shooters in each corner. Kind of a bobbled around there a little bit, and all of the sudden no one knows how much time is on the clock. And Ryan probably felt he needed to get it up there quickly, but, again, that's not the play that would have sent it into overtime. But we had other options, like Buddy said, throughout the game to make a difference as well. Q. Lon, do you wish you could play Iowa State in a seven‑game series based on the way this stuff has gone down? COACH KRUGER: Well, if we can play 'em deep in the tournament. We don't really want to meet 'em early. It's been a good series, Big 12 games, a lot of them have been like that. Again, a lot of respect for how they play and how hard they play and Fred does a great job. They have been good battles. Q. Coach, same question, how can you use this loss maybe as fuel for the fire going into the NCAA Tournament? COACH KRUGER: Just a play or two away from playing in a championship game as we would have been here. That's always disappointing. And kind of you go back to the value of each possession, competing harder for the result, each possession, not taking any loose ball for granted or any second shot opportunity for granted, just trying to do things better. That's how games are decided. And all of the sudden, you know, the next time you lose, it's over. This group has responded great all year to‑‑ after winning, after losing, they have bounced back and practiced well and I have no doubt that they will bounce back with a couple of good workouts next week. Q. Lon, Ryan is pretty dejected in that locker room. Do you worry about getting him ready for next week? COACH KRUGER: Worried for Ryan, but, hey, he'll get over it. He's the heart and soul for this club, his emotion, his blue collar work ethic, he's our identity in that regard. Everyone appreciates that and certainly everyone feels for him that he missed that shot, but, hey, we'll pick it up and play again and he'll bounce back. He's a gritty competitor and no one feels worse about it than he does. But, again, he's been at the heart of everything we have done and he will have all the support he needs to bounce back well. THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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