Matt Kiefer Quotations

Whenever you have the type of shooters (Ohio State has) and the inside play in (Terence) Dials, its tough to defend them. They do a lot of good things as far as being active and getting their hands on loose balls on rebounds and things of that sort.

I don't know what to say about that play. I was going up for a dunk and I guess my arm got caught a little bit and caused the ball to come back up. I guess it didn't go all the way through the net. It's just one of those weird plays that the basketball gods ... they didn't let the ball go through. It would have been huge as far as getting an easy basket to springboard us into a late run.

From past experiences I know that Terence Dials does a good job of scoring with his back to the basket. And they have some good shooters, so they're going to be a handful for us.

From a win-loss standpoint it is because we put together two good games as far as playing hard and doing what coach Painter asks us to do and we come up short both games.

He was the guy who gave me the opportunity to play here. Anytime I see him, it's awesome.

He had a long rehab. Ever since he could play (again), he has been a leader. A vocal leader.

I thought we did a good job of playing against the zone. We moved the ball really well and got the ball into position where we could score. They just didn't go in.

I think that thought process will go through my mind whenever the season is over with, (then) I'll get to that. I'll have a lot of time on my hands without basketball, so I'll be able to reflect on that.

Marcus is doing a good job as far as brining energy and athleticism and doing things we need him to do. He's done that the last three or four games.

Marcus is doing a good job as far as bringing energy and athleticism and doing things we need him to do. He's done that the last three or four games.

That zone really threw us for a loop. We didn't run our offense like we should. Then Horner just went off. He was on fire. There's nothing we could do.

That zone really threw us for a loop.

We just didn't come through as far as taking care of the basketball and rebounding. That was a big thing for us.

We probably should have worked the ball a little more and tried to wear them down, especially on the road. Instead, we took quick shots.

We should have worked the ball more and worn down the defense. We took quick shots. We weren't patient.

This was a big game for us as far as playing our rival, IU, on our home floor and they came in here and beat us. To finish last in the Big Ten is something nobody ever wants to do, but I'm happy with our team due to the fact that they stuck with it and played hard through everything that's happened to us this year.

Every game, coach Painter wants us to win. So, just because it's IU, it's not going to be any different, I don't think; as far as in terms of his nature, how he's going to coach, how he's going to motivate us, how he's going to prepare us for the game.

As the season wears on, your body starts to wear down more and more. It's just a matter of doing things off the court, making sure you eat right and get enough sleep.

Once their offense gets rolling, the transition game gets going and they hit 3s and doing the little things, it just energizes them I think. You have to do as much as you can to try and stick with it.

As far as Marcus White goes, he did a good job for us, getting the ball in the basket and getting in good position down low.

That shows that they had to work for all their points. We put them into tough scoring positions, which is something they were not used to. Our guards did a good job of staying tight and trailing them.

They do a good job of penetrating into the defense and kicking it back out for someone to hit a three. They are a good basketball team.

They're our rivals. Our team is not going to let someone just come in here and beat us.

It's one of the biggest games we have. It would be huge for us to win.

It's our rival. For me, I've always liked Purdue, always watched this game and wanted to play in this game.

It's tough when you jump in after everybody else has played seven or eight games. He's gotten into the flow and really helped.

Anytime you get to play at home you should feel more comfortable and relaxed. Being here in Mackey Arena with the fans behind you only helps.

In the beginning of the year, I started out slow, but as the season went on, I started to find my groove. Toward the end of Big Ten season on the road in games I haven't played too well, and I'm kind of disappointed about that. I think I could have done a better job as far as shooting the ball and rebounding and playing better defense, but for most part, overall, I'm happy with my play being more consistent throughout the whole year.

Horner just went off and did a good job, he was on fire, and there was nothing you could do about it. It was just his night.

I'd rather score eight points, get like six rebounds a game and us win 20 games and go to the NCAA Tournament. I mean, there's still a chance we might be able to do that. The odds are against us. But as far as the wins and losses goes, I would rather have those than statistically having my best year.