Quick quotes from OKC

In the scramble from Oklahoma City to Dallas to D.C. to College Park, Mexican food and beers in Dallas took priority over writing any preview piece after the Saturday afternoon press conferences in OKC.

I am probably in big trouble with the boss. He might even dock my paycheck.

That’s OK. The guacamole was sublime, the beer was cold and I still have 30 minutes before the start of the Holy Cross women’s game to lash together some quotes from OKC.

Wisconsin’s Alando Tucker, on Bucknell and this afternoon’s game:
Bucknell has beaten some top notch teams. If you look at the (Kansas game), Kansas did not play that bad. Bucknell played good.

You can’t underestimate teams. Bucknell felt they had a chance to beat Kansas and they went in and did it.
On Wisconsin’s offensive plans:
That depends on their guards. If they double down low, we need to get movement from our guards. (Mike Wilkinson and Tucker) are going to draw attention when we get the ball down low. We’ll rely on them to knock down shots.
Mike Wilkinson on the same thing:
If we can knock down shots it will be of benefit to us.

Our goal will be to do what Kansas was doing, getting the ball inside.
On Bucknell’s defense:
Their guards do a good job, a lot of pressure. Their guards are really active. They are very active. They have got quick hands.
Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, on his friendship with Bucknell coach Pat Flannery and the game:

I get a chance to go against a good friend, a guy that coached in Division III also. There’s a kinship between guys from Divisions with different Roman numerals.

It is interesting. It is somebody you know, somebody you root for.

For the next 40 minutes, I hope he is not successful.

Bucknell a 14 seed? C’mon. They are a great team.
On Abe Badmus’ 11 assists against Kansas:
I don’t know if he can have 11 every night, but he did it against a very good team.

He had assists in a lot of different ways.
On Chris McNaughton:
The big guy, that young man is getting better. He has a nice feel in the paint.


More on Bucknell:
They have fot good shooters. They have got quickness. They have played a tough schedule. I don’t think there is a big weakness in their personnel.
Bucknell’s Kevin Bettencourt:
We packed to be here all weekend. I know it sounds crazy, but we expected to win that game.
Chris McNaughton on being the underdogs:
I like being the Bucknell, th eteam that comes here and beats a team here. . . . Situations like last night don’t happen to teams in the Top 25.
Pat Flannery:
Our feet have touched the ground. But just barely.
On Bucknell’s matchup zone:
It’s nothing original. It’s a bunch of kids working very hard and communicating. It’s more of a switching man-to-man with some zone principles.
Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton on the Bucknell-Kansas game:
I think if Bucknell played Kansas 10 times, they win one. But that is what makes basketball a beautiful game. It can happen to you if you don’t play you’re A-plus game.
Oklahoma State point guard John Lucas:
When you see Kansas lose to Bucknell, a team I never really knew about until the tournament . . . (you know) that any team could beat you in the tournament.



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