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NCAA MEN'S REGIONAL SEMIFINALS AND FINALS: ANAHEIMMarch 26, 2016Lon KrugerRyan SpanglerIsaiah CousinsJordan WoodardKhadeem LattinBuddy HieldAnaheim, California Oklahoma - 80, Oregon - 68 THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Head Coach Lon Kruger and the student-athletes. We're going to open up with a statement from Coach Kruger and questions for the student-athletes. Coach, congratulations. LON KRUGER: Thank you very much. Obviously couldn't be more pleased for this group of guys. They've invested so much. They've meant so much on the floor, off the floor, in the classroom, in the community. Just a special, special group. Obviously played extremely well this weekend. Beat a very good Oregon club. Said many times Coach Altman, Coach Self I think are the two guys that are coaches of the year in the country and they've done such a fantastic job. So to beat an Oregon club today is very satisfying. Yet when your very, very, very good friend is on the other bench it takes a little bit from that because you know how he feels. But still proud for the guys. Look forward to the week of preparation ahead, and, again, couldn't be happier. Q. Buddy, as you look at that box score, what besides the final score stands out to you? BUDDY HIELD: Turnovers (laughing). I got six turnovers. But, no, just how we guarded and defended them. They shot 38%, and when you hold a team under 40%, that's pretty good. Q. Buddy, you hit a bunch of big shots tonight. The one at the end of the half seemed to really stand all the momentum with you guys. Was that your favorite shot of the night or did you have one that you liked better? BUDDY HIELD: Yeah, that was my favorite shot because after that I looked at Kobe, and he saluted me afterwards, so that was the favorite one (laughter). Q. Buddy and Ryan, how important has Isaiah been to what you all have been able to achieve thus far? RYAN SPANGLER: He's very important. I think he sets a pace for our offense. He controls us what we do on offense and if we aren't getting what we like, he pulls it out and starts over. I think he's gotten better all year long at moving the ball and finding people open and getting them shots. BUDDY HIELD: Yeah, Isaiah he's done a really good job. If it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have had all these shots in rhythm, and he gave me good shots in rhythm. He just has a knack, a good change of pace, good change of speed, and he just puts the pressure on the defense, because once he gets past them it's hard to maintain him because they're always helping so much. So he creates so much for this team. Q. Buddy, in the other locker room they compared you to Kobe Bryant. When you hear these comparisons, does it put additional pressure on you to perform as the Tournament continues? BUDDY HIELD: I'm not Kobe Bryant, and they should not compare me. I'm far away from him. I just make shots. It's kind of cool, but me and Kobe are in two different classes and I don't need to be compared with him. Q. Jordan, what's the one thing you think got you guys off to a good start tonight? JORDAN WOODARD: Just coming into the game focused on the ultimate goal, that is to get to the Final Four. As a team we were really focused, and I think we were just playing for something very important. So we just wanted to leave it all on the floor. Q. Isaiah and Buddy, four years ago if I told you, well, you guys are going to the Final Four, what would you have said? ISAIAH COUSINS: I would say, yeah, we're going to the Final Four (laughing), but as last year was, we saw how close we were to getting there with the team we had last year, and then with the people returning, we just set a goal that we could get there. So we just kept practicing and pushing each other each and every day in practice. BUDDY HIELD: For sure, obviously, yeah. No doubt. We knew it was a work in progress, but hats off to Coach. He did a good job of keeping us sound, and he got us prepared each year, and every year was a different goal, and this year it was a Final Four year. So I'm just happy that we all made it here, and we've just got two more games to finish it out. Q. Buddy, obviously 37 points, great game obviously. When you get that hot when you start so well, what's going through your mind? Like what keeps your mentality going just to keep it up and keep making your shots? BUDDY HIELD: Just knowing when the defense slips up and I've got a chance to put it up, I just put it up because my confidence level is so high. Just taking shots in rhythm and taking shots I know I'm capable of making. Q. Why do you think you were able to score 37 points and make eight three-point shots today? BUDDY HIELD: My teammates just found me in open spots, really. Just catching the ball in rhythm and just being confident in every shot I take. I know coming in I had to be aggressive for us to win. So my teammates found me in good shots and I was able to step in and get good shots in rhythm. My teammates did a good job finding me all year, and tonight was another example of how they got me open. Q. Along that line, 37 is an awful lot in the college game. What's it like to have that kind of a night on this kind of a stage to put your team into the Final Four? BUDDY HIELD: Oh, it's special, to be honest with you. As a kid you dream of having games like this. But I just thank my teammates and my coaching staff to put me in the position to score the ball. And they gave me the confidence to put the ball up. Even though I had an off-night last game, I just came in confident, and they gave me the confidence to be aggressive every night. Q. Khadeem and Jordan, you guys wanted to make the Final Four, it's great for you. It also breaks a long drought for your coach; Lon hasn't been to the Final Four in 22 years. What's it mean to you to be the team that got him back to the Final Four? KHADEEM LATTIN: I mean, it's pretty cool. Definitely we wouldn't have gotten to the Final Four without Coach Kruger. He's a great coach, so I don't know if we got him to the Final Four or if he got us to the Final Four, but we're going. Hands down to Coach, and it's just an awesome experience to have, especially because it's in Houston. JORDAN WOODARD: Yeah, I can't wait to get to the Final Four with this team and this coaching staff. I can't wait to play in the Final Four. Q. Buddy, how satisfying is this moment knowing that you decided to come back? You could have gone pro, but now you're going to the Final Four in your senior season. BUDDY HIELD: It's very exciting. Just battling with Khadeem for two years; me and Jordan for three years, and Ryan and Isaiah for four years, it's been pretty special. We worked all summer. We had a bad taste in our mouth last spring, and we wanted to work hard. As soon as we came back the next week, next day we were in the gym working out. Guys really wanted to get to this point. So we really worked hard. And our coaching staff was on us hard, and Coach was always on us seniors. So hats off to the senior class for leading us. Whether it was me scoring points or Isaiah initiating the offense or Ryan doing the dirty work, we all had a part in doing this. So I'm just happy for our leadership that brought us this far. Q. Ryan and Khadeem, there's been a lot of talk about their front line, big shot blockers, aggressive, athletic. You guys pretty much neutralized them. What worked for you? RYAN SPANGLER: Just being physical and strong in there and making sure we get a body on them. I think they've killed a lot of teams because they used their size and length and athleticism and go up there and get the ball. Today I think we made sure we put a body on them and didn't let them get that many. KHADEEM LATTIN: Yeah, we kind of just imposed our will in the paint. Q. Buddy, can you talk about Coach Kruger's role in this team getting to the Final Four? BUDDY HIELD: Coach Kruger's role? Let me see now? Oh, he's been good for us. The way he draws plays for us, how we exploit a mismatch and how he gets us running plays for us to go downhill and drive and kick, it's always with drive and kick and making a play for your teammate. He does a good job, and he always talks about how he spends a lot of nights watching film. He prepared us and he always talks about how we have to go in there and execute for him. He does a good job in keeping us collected. He's never too high but he's always in between the lines, and never acting too angry at us. He's always mellow. So I'm just happy we've got a coach like Coach Kruger to keep us levelheaded every day. Q. Ryan, what do you hope that the country learned about Oklahoma today? RYAN SPANGLER: I think just keep us in the back of your mind. I think this team has put us on the stage, and I think Coach is going to keep -- after this year Coach is going to keep them going in the right direction, and we've got some good guys coming in. Q. Ryan, you and Buddy could address this, the uniqueness of having the four of you guys for 104 straight games. Is this the kind of thing that's possible when you have that kind of continuity and chemistry? RYAN SPANGLER: Yeah, for sure. We've spent a lot of time on and off the court together, learned a lot about each other. They'll be my friends forever. But I think the biggest thing is we know where each other's going to be on the court. We know what each other's going to do. We can be accountable for each other, and so it's good. BUDDY HIELD: Yeah, exactly what Ryan said. Just being around each other for four years and hanging around each other, doing what we like to do and just having that chemistry. I think that's what's gotten us here right now. ISAIAH COUSINS: Just coming together and making a team camaraderie and just learning about each other really helps in the game, especially in situations where we need each other. When teams go on their run, we just come together and just keep fighting. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Kruger. Q. A few years ago in 2014 you got a call that Isaiah had been shot and was injured. What was your response? What did you feel in that moment, and how satisfying is it to see him standing here now and going to the Final Four? LON KRUGER: We got the news when Isaiah was home that he had been shot. We called right away. Obviously you're very concerned when you don't know to what degree. When we learned it wasn't life-threatening, that was a big relief. That he was going to recover fully. But still his mom said, "Coach, keep him in Norman. Don't let him come back home." But he's responded, he's worked hard. He's recovered. He's doing just a fantastic job. Q. Coach, your athletes performed well beyond the arc and on the boards. As you move forward to the next round, where would you like to see them make improvement before the next game? LON KRUGER: We're always trying to improve defensively, offensively, move the ball better, block out better. Every club can keep getting better. This group has made big strides. They're playing their best basketball, obviously, this week. Playing two ballgames like that and the Sweet 16 is pretty special. Their confidence level is pretty high. They've got a lot of respect, whether it's Kansas or Villanova. We know those teams are great. I know they'll work. That's one thing. They love coming to the gym. They love coming to practice. They're there early, they stay late. They love playing for one another. Q. Buddy's had several games like this. Is this as good as he's played considering the stage? Two, any shot in particular, the one at the end of the half was huge, but what stands out in your mind when you think of his biggest shot tonight? LON KRUGER: Buddy just makes shots. He's just unbelievable in getting the ball up on top of the rim. He shoots with great confidence. Doesn't force many. That's the thing that's been most amazing on the year. He shoots it for such a good percentage. He's not a high-volume shot taker, he just makes a lot of shots. Not surprising that Buddy's concern right off the bat was the turnovers because he doesn't like that part of it. But, yeah, he got it going early and made some big shots there in the second half to keep them from cutting into the lead, too. Q. What's it mean to you personally? 22 years, going back to the Final Four as a coach. LON KRUGER: Always it's about seeing the feelings of satisfaction on the players' faces, seeing their hard work, their investment rewarded, seeing them feel good about this right now. But they'll feel even better about it years from now. Regardless of today, they would have been looked at as a very, very good team in Oklahoma basketball history. But now they've got a special spot with four other teams. Just unbelievably proud for them and happy for them. Again, the way they've handled it all in terms of representing well and remaining -- the humility that they've taken from it, the way they've handled it, just unbelievable across the board. Q. Why do you think your team won today? LON KRUGER: I thought they opened the ballgame with good focus. I thought defensively really did a good job early, created some turnovers that we converted to points offensively. Moved the ball well, I thought we rebounded the ball well in the first half. Anytime you can get out on a club like that by halftime, you have to like what you're doing. In the second half there were moments there we didn't quite have the flow, but they regrouped pretty quickly and made shots when we needed to. Q. Coach, the players commented on that amazing 104 number. What are your thoughts on that? LON KRUGER: I can't imagine that ever being done, quite frankly, because of whether it be an injury or illness or whatever. These four guys all from different backgrounds, very, very special in their own right. I think a big story is the job that our assistant coaches, Coach Crutchfield, and Coach Henson and Coach Hill have done in identifying those guys and having a vision of their ability to mesh them together to give us a chance to do this. They've been remarkable as a staff. High-character guys, good work ethic, again, unselfish, all those things across the board. So proud for the staff and proud for those guys. Q. How does this Final Four appearance differ from maybe the last time you took a team to the Final Four? LON KRUGER: Y'all talk like you should be going back more frequently. I don't know. It's hard to get there. So to get there a second time, we're very pleased. It's a result of these guys, of course. Technology is just so different now than it was in '94. I mean, how grand the event has become even from '94. We go every year as a coach, and now couldn't be more pleased to be taking the team. But it's changed a lot. It's changed a lot. I made a comment to Joe Castiglione, our AD, that these guys have no idea what lies ahead. And I probably said, and I probably don't either because things have changed so much from the standpoint of just how grand it is and all the demands. I want our guys to enjoy it and yet focus on preparing for the next game. There is a fine line there that we'll try to walk. Q. Coach, the rebounding game, you outrebounded Oregon 38-32 including 14 offensive boards. What was the key to keeping Oregon's bigs off the glass today? LON KRUGER: They're a really good rebounding club. And our guys have had the ability on the year, when we prioritize going into a ballgame, we've been able to focus pretty good on those biggest priorities. Rebounding, of course, transition D in this game were the two things of greatest concern. I thought our guys did a pretty good job in the first half in both of those areas to kind of set the tone. Got back pretty well. Got to the ball pretty well. Didn't give up too many second shots, so good first half. Q. Could you comment on -- I mean, Buddy is Buddy, but you got timely buckets. I mean, Jordan goes on a run, Isaiah goes on a run. Just kind of comment on that. I guess that's your coaching. LON KRUGER: Yeah, you're right. Buddy has been at the core of everything. But you think back through the year, and Jordan's had great stretches, Isiah's had great stretches, Ryan has. Khadeem's becoming more aggressive offensively. The guys off the bench, I thought Christian James, 10 rebounds today, that's a great job out of him. He's getting more and more comfortable all the time. Dante Buford's getting comfortable. Jamuni McNeace backing up Khadeem in there. So lot of guys producing. Certainly Buddy's at the core of it, but Buddy's the first one to tell you he was the happiest guy in the gym on Thursday when he saw all those other guys playing well and being productive. Buddy was the first one to say he wants and needs everyone to do that. So nice to see. Q. Coach, in 1994 did you fully appreciate how difficult it would be to get back to the Final Four? And what have been the most meaningful events for you on the road back? LON KRUGER: Probably didn't quite understand. I remember in '95-'96 after having gone, it's different and not playing all of a sudden. I realized then how special it was. Again, I didn't understand how tough it is to get back. Some people do it a lot, not many people do it a lot. But we're happy to be doing it a second time. Again, that's because of these guys. So it means a lot. It means a lot. Again, it's memories forever for these guys, their families, the fans, spirit squads, band, all of that. It really is something special for everyone involved. The impact on the culture at the University of Oklahoma will always be affected by these guys. So, again, very happy for them. Q. Was there a time, Lon, where you thought you knew this team was going to be special? Was it sometime last year? Was it when you beat Villanova in Hawaii? Was there a time where you go, wow, this team can be pretty good? LON KRUGER: This team's had some really, really good stretches, for sure in games. The Villanova game was certainly one of those. The battle at Kansas, the triple-overtime game, it took a special group to stay there for that and have a chance to win and not quite. Different times I think in the last four weeks we've had a lot of good stretches. We've had a couple where we didn't play as well and we kind of focus on those. But for the most part when they've played really well it's been at a very, very high level. And high level primarily because they make shots. That covers up some other things sometimes. Went through a stretch or two where we didn't make as many shots. Yet they've done that pretty consistently on the year. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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