Nov. 18, 2011

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No. 3 Ohio State 85 (3-0), Jackson State 41 (0-4)
Value City Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Nov. 18, 2011
POSTGAME QUOTES

Thad Matta, Ohio State head coach
On the start of the game

“We got off to a little bit of a shaky start. I thought our guys had a pretty good way about it.  I thought we did a pretty decent job at keeping the intensity and keeping the momentum going.”

On continuing to improve
“I don’t think this team is anywhere near as good as they can be. We have a long way to go. They have a lot they can learn. I think those are the things we have to harp about. We need to find ways to get our guys better through preparation. We made mistakes on things we didn’t want to do defensively. Those are a little bit concerning, either we are not listening or we are not caring if we’re doing it right. Those are the things we need to get better. We need to get skill instruction in with the team. Footwork and passing isn’t right with a couple of guys. I don’t think our defense will ever be exactly where I want it, but I think were making strides in the right direction. We need drill work and great energy in practice to get better every day.”

On the defense
“One of the things we felt we could do tonight was score off of our defense. We were pretty successful at that once we got going. We wanted to get out and get the ball up the floor as quick as we can.”

On the younger players
“We have to be continuing as best as we can to develop all of the young guys. It’s different in the game with a uniform on and playing against an opponent. It was good to get the young guys as many minutes as we could. They were able to get out a lot of minutes out there tonight.”

On the three point shot
“I thought we had some pretty good looks. Quite honestly I think Jordan (Siebert) had a couple that went in and out for him. I like that we only shot 15 out of 71 shots from out there, because we got the ball where we wanted it.”

Aaron Craft, sophomore point guard
On his role in OSU’s defense
“My job is to set the tone on defense. If I’m slacking, the rest of the team has a tendency to not play as hard on that side of the ball. I have to be 100 percent focused on defense at all times.”

On the team generating 41 points off of JSU turnovers
“We picked up our intensity after the first few minutes.  When you are able to create easy points in transition, it really opens up the game. Once we starting forcing turnovers, we got into a flow.”

On his alley oop to J.D. Weatherspoon in the first half
“I’m pretty sure his shoulders went above the rim. It was awesome.”

Jared Sullinger, sophomore center/forward
On being able to relax for the majority of the second half
“I love to watch this team play, especially the younger guys.  Having some extra time on the bench to rest and relax is always nice, too.”

On the play of Amir Williams and J.D. Weatherspoon
“Those guys can play. Amir is a beast on the boards, and J.D. uses his athleticism and energy on both sides of the ball.”

Jordan Sibert, sophomore guard
On OSU’s ball movement
“That’s what we work on every day in practice - making the extra pass, being unselfish and taking the best shot possible.”

On what he must work on to see more minutes on the court
“I have to continue to play lockdown defense, play the passing lanes and pressure the ball. There’s only one Aaron Craft on defense, but I try to mimic what he does to make myself a better defender.”

Tevester Anderson, Jackson State head coach
On the game
“First off, I’d like to congratulate Thad Matta and all of the Buckeyes for their efforts tonight. We have played Florida, we have played Baylor. Coming here, I didn’t see a weakness at all for this team. They are strong, but they have good perimeter shooting. They also have good guard play, which is huge. I thought they were just as good as North Carolina coming into this season and tonight just reinforced that. They executed well and their chemistry is really, really good.”

 
On the Ohio State defense
“They are a team that can turn you over. They seemed to get to every loose ball. They have strong hands. We would go for layups tonight and they would just take the ball away. They have quick hands, but they have strong hands. They are a solid team.”

On Jared Sullinger
“We have a big man at home that’s pretty good. He had to stay back because of an eye surgery, but I don’t think it would have made a difference against Sullinger tonight. He’s strong and he jumps so quickly. He moves like Charles Barkley. I had the chance to coach Barkley at Auburn. Sullinger is something special.”