March 18, 2006

Head Coach Thad Matta
What is the difference between being the hunted instead of the hunting?
"Not really. I think as you study the tournament and the past history of the upsets I don't think it is any different going into the game. I have been a three seed before and at this stage your focus is just on trying to get your team ready. We knew playing Davidson with seven seniors we had a tremendous challenge in front of us. We were probably more consumed with stopping their three-point shooting and trying to score against them. I really didn't feel any different going into it."

On Terence defending the Georgetown post players
"I think if you look at Terence's improvement over the course of the year has been his ability to finish around the basket. It will be a bit more of a challenge with that size and his (Georgetown's) length around the basket. Hopefully he (Terence Dials) can get some angles to score and go after it. We are going to do what we do and find an angle here an there to get to the rim."

On Georgetown's style of play being similar to LSU or Northwestern
"I think how they look with their size length and athleticism. LSU might be the best team we have played this year. I think the challenges are that you have to be patient on offense. They run the same offense but it is a bit different because of their athleticism. They can drive the ball more. They have a post up guy. Northwestern doesn't really post the ball much."

How does the attentions span of a team change from the First Round to the Second Round
"I don't think it changes a whole lot for us. We really try to stay very steady with our approach. We haven't changed any of our film or our practice or scouting reports or anything like that. We do that intentionally. The one thing that does change is the heightened awareness of what is going on around you. You sit around the hotel and watch the games. They may feel more of the heightened awareness of the NCAA Tournament. We are in a two game tournament. That's how we have identified what we are here for."

On the pace of Sunday's game
"If you dissect their stat sheet and our stat sheet the similarities are ridiculous. The one glowing difference is the possessions we had versus the possessions we had. Their guys can play both ways. You have to be careful in telling your guys one thing because they can push the ball up the court."

On Ron Wilson
"When he sent us his release on the fax machine I didn't know who Ron Wilson was. I asked my assistants, `If this guy was this good, why didn't we recruit him at Xavier.' As you talked to him more and you see what a great person he is and we knew we had a great kid coming in. He had one of the best first step I have every seen but has improved defensively."

On the officiating in Friday's game and addressing it with his players
"We are all set. It was no problem. As we always talk about we have to adjust. I didn't notice it as much as everybody else did."

What were your thoughts during Friday's Georgetown/Northern Iowa game
"Honestly I didn't know who we were going to play until there was two minutes left to go in the game. I looked at more in an overall aspect. Most of our preparations took place at night after the game. When Georgetown won I said `Here we go again another team I don't want to play.' Just as it was with Davidson. When you find out that you are playing Georgetown as a coach you immediately begin to ask yourself how you are going to defend and how you are going to score against them." Ohio State Senior Forward/Center Terence Dials
On facing a big man the size or style of Roy Hibbert
"He's definitely going to pose some problems for us, being 7-2 and pretty skilled. We're just going to try to keep the ball out of his hands, and try to play as aggressive as possible - nothing more than we've done all season with other great big guys that we've played."

On how to defend Hibbert once he gets the ball in his hands
"That's just the feel of the game. I find out once the game starts. We haven't gone head to head, so I really don't know what to expect."

On if they followed Georgetown growing up or if they were Georgetown fans
"They were on TV a lot growing up. We know that they're known for developing big men. Growing up watching basketball Georgetown and the Big East was always on TV. They were always one of the elite teams in the Big East."

On if he will be more aggressive facing Hibbert
"I'm just going to play my game. Just because he's 7-2, you have alternate how you play defense all year long. I've gone against good big guys all season long in the Big Ten. Tomorrow's match-up won't be any different, he's just taller."

On Georgetown
"Having their coach come from a Princeton style offense, and we've gone against that in the Big Ten with Northwestern, but Northwestern isn't nearly as athletic as Georgetown. Other than that, we are just going to play Ohio State defense and hopefully that will work tomorrow."

On any rivalry between the Big East and Big Ten
"We don't feel like the Big Ten is riding on our backs. We are worried about Ohio State and Ohio State only. As far as competition between the Big East and Big Ten, I haven't heard anything about that. We're just trying to get to the Sweet 16 right now."

On the team losing their composure a little bit in the First Round game vs. Davidson
"I think guys were a little more frustrated early on because things weren't going our way. At halftime we made some adjustments and things started going our way a little bit, and things started to get better during the game. We can't wait until halftime tomorrow to react, we just have to go out there and play aggressive from the start."

On if he things referees tend to call more fouls on big guys
"That could be said to be true. I joke with my teammates. They always tell me to stop reaching, and I said that it's the same thing you guys do and get away with it. It probably stands true. We're just a little bigger and noticeable, I guess. You just have to stay away from the ticky-tack stuff and play within your game as a big guy."

On the biggest guys he has played against
"I can't recall too many seven footers. He's probably the biggest guy I've played to this point."

On the tools he has to play someone with a height advantage
"I've played 31 games this season. I've played the same way all season long. I'm not going to change my game because he is 7-2. I'm going to continue to play basketball the way I know how to play. That's the only way I know how to be successful."

Ohio State Senior Guard Je'Kel Foster
On what the offensive strategy after watching the Davidson tape
"We'll do a combination of both. When we went against Davidson we got great looks, but we've just got to attack the basketball more and got to get Terence involved a little more in the game."

On his shooting and if there is more emphasis on the first shot
"A lot of shooters do that, try to base a game on their first shot. I try not to do that, I try to shoot every shot the same and just try to hold my follow through."

On if his father was at the game and if he offered any coaching on his shot
"He watched the game at home, my mom was here. (My dad) told me that the shot looked great, just keep shooting it, he said it will fall for me."

On Georgetown
"Georgetown is a great team. They play within their system. They do a lot of great things on and off the ball on defense. They are just an all-around great team."

On the great fan support in Dayton on Friday
"We have great fans at Ohio State. Wherever we go they seem to be there. We try not to get too focused on the crowd, we have a game to play and we focus on the opposing team."

On playing in his first NCAA Tournament game
"I wasn't expecting the refs to call a close game. Now we have a feel for how the game is going to be played, so we're just going to come out and play Ohio State basketball."

On the team losing their composure a little bit in the First Round game vs. Davidson
"A lot of guys on our team never had experience in the NCAA Tournament. We were just trying to feel our way through the game and see how the game was going to be called, and just see how the crowd and everything was going to react to the game."