Otzelberger reflects on Cyclones' triumph over Wisconsin
Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger looked back on a five-point upset victory over Wisconsin that put his team in the Sweet 16, covering the defensive effort, work done by guard Gabe Kalscheur and how point guard Tyrese Hunter still managed to contribute on an off-night offensively. Here's everything the first-year ISU head coach had to say in his post-game press conference.
Opening comments:
“I’m so proud of the young men in our program and everybody that came out to support us. Our guys have done a great job embracing the work habits that we set in front of them. They started it in June and carried it on in September. We kept talking about it in our huddles over and over…let’s trust our habits and trust each other. Tonight, our guys certainly did that. I’m really proud of them. From start to finish, it was a great team win. I’m excited for what’s next.”
On his thoughts on a historical season like this following a two-win season last year:
“We’re thrilled, but like our guys said, we trust our habits and the work we’ve done. We didn’t set out for a certain win total or to do anything based on what transpired in the past. What we did set out to do was restore pride to a program that I love so much. Our players do. Our program has a rich history. I’m really happy for everybody. I’m happy for our alums, our former players, these young men. It’s just a team win across the board. It’s a surreal feeling. I’m thrilled to be part of it.”
On being on the bench as an assistant the last time ISU made Sweet 16 and this team being different and getting back to same point:
“These guys have gotten back to this stage by their work habits. The leadership that Brockington and Kalscheur brought in from the start was really important. To get here, you’ve got to have the work habits, but you’ve also got to have low ego, guys that are production-driven, and that they buy in. What I saw out there today was a group of guys who believe in our defense, believe in our toughness, who are willing to take charges. We did a great job of turning them over and disrupting their offense. That led to our opportunities to score. Never this year did our guys get away from what we could be and what our identity was.
“That last team I was a part of when we went to the Sweet 16, they were a terrific offensive group and could really shoot the three well. We’ve embraced our identity pretty well. Our guys have bought in. We’ve just got to keep being who we can be and take great pride in that.”
On importance of keeping the Badgers to just 2-of-22 from 3-point territory:
“Number one, it was really important. The ball pressure took away the shots that they normally get in the flow of their offense. They weren’t the normal shots they get in the flow of their offense. They weren’t in rhythm. That helped us. It caused them to take some really tough ones.”
On how his voice is faring the two wins in Milwaukee:
“As far as my voice, I’m looking forward to resting. Hopefully, my three young ones who are all under seven can help cooperate with that. If anybody can, make sure they’re doing all the right things so their dad can save his voice a little bit and get better.”
On how he got players to buy into a team that was not going to average a ton of points:
“We evaluated guys in the transfer portal and the guys that would return and those that we wanted to bring in…we wanted to make sure they knew what we were going to be about. That they knew what they were signing up for. They knew what our identify would be. We believe that if you play hard defensively and you dictate, you can control the game. Again, I go back to these guys being very low ego, high producing guys that are great teammates. That’s important you bring in the right type of guys, so they know what they’re signing up for. They take pride in it. They understand how we do things. Certainly as we continue to move forward, it’d be nice to not have such lulls offensively. I’m proud of our guys. We’re not going to apologize for how we have to win. We’re not going to apologize for aesthetically how it’s going to look. They’re winners. I’m proud of them. We’re just going to keep being who we can be.”
On what Tyrese Hunter was able to do to still impact winning on a bad shooting night:
“Certainly, Tyrese was terrific and had his best game of the season against LSU. We needed every one of those plays he made the other night. It would be almost superhuman for him to come back and do that again today. Obviously, they also watched that game and knew that he was hot and feeling good. So, they did some things to disrupt his rhythm offensively, as well. At the end, to be handling the ball for a majority of the game for 35 minutes, to have five assists and three turnovers shows me that he’s commanding the game. We talked a lot about rebounding and how important those plays were, and he had six rebounds. He’s one of the better defensive guards in the country, in terms of getting steals.
“Even though his shooting numbers weren’t what we would love for them to be tonight, he impacted winning in so many ways. He comes into every time and every huddle with such a command and such poise that I get asked a question all the time about him being a freshman. For all of us, it’s something we’re not used to seeing. That’s Tyrese Hunter. He’s a leader. He’s a winner. He impacted winning in a lot of ways here today.”
On how much of a role his coaching staff has had in this season’s run:
“We’re fortunate we have a really good coaching staff. Those guys put a lot of hours in. They’re very skilled. They know our team. They know what our team can do well. They put them in great position to be successful. Our players also have a tremendous amount of focus. The ego part of it…we’re asking our guys to do really hard things all the time and give multiple effort. It’s not just pressure the ball, it’s pressure the ball, sprint to the gap, block out, rebound down, continually. We’re asking of our guys to make four or five effort-based plays a lot of times defensively in a possession.
“You learn about your team when you come to practice and see their level of focus. At this time of the year, there can be many distractions, but our guys energy, intent and focus…they were really dialed in. This thing really mattered to them. Those are the type of teams and players that have success.”
