Portland-Oregon Postgame Quotes
12/28/06 | Men's Basketball
Oregon Head Coach Ernie Kent:
"We didn't have the 'big names' on the schedule, but we have put out a good product on the floor and the fans have responded tremendously. We managed our schedule just like the UCLA's and many other top teams and that is the most important thing."
"We needed this game to get our legs back after the holiday and it was importnant for us to get our rythym back. The Beavers have been off since the 22nd and this game helps us because we were able to shake off some of the holiday rust."
"These injuries have kind of been a blessing in disguise because they have allowed us to play our bench more and get more guys playing time. This has shown what a deep bench we have."
"[Freshman center Joevan] Catron would have had the same sort of immediate impact that Tajuan Porter had, had he not had to have that surgery. He is a attacks the boards, is a great passer for a big man and can also shoot the outside ball. He just hasn't had alot of opportunities to show that outside shooting ability."
"Maarty Leunen will get shots outside because he will always be matched up against a big man who he will force to come out and guard him on the perimeter. Hopefully he keeps shooting it as well as he did tonight."
Portland Head Coach Eric Reveno
"Their defense was good, Oregon anticipated our ball movement and demonstrated their athleticism. We were worried about their ability to create turnovers, and our need to protect the basketball. We did get good looks inside early in the game but they didn't go down for us."
"To be dominated by Oregon was a surprise, and the Ducks played with early energy and got amped up early on. We were up on them in the opening 12 minutes but then our offense broke down and we were unable to regain the tempo of the contest."
"Oregon has the defensive ability to take teams out of games and their offensive sets. They force you to turn the team game into more of an individualized style of play, and then their intensity allows their defense to force turnovers."
Oregon guard Aaron Brooks
"We are ready to begin Pac-10 play and I am looking forward to playing Saturday against Oregon State. I have never won in Corvallis so that is a great challenge for me personally and our team will be ready to play. It is an exciting time of the season for us, as we prepare for the start of our new conference season."
"Maarty is an excellent scorer and it was fun to watch him tonight, and he was finally able to play his game of basketball and raise his level of play tonight."
Oregon forward Maarty Leunen
"All my shots came from the offense, just making plays and taking my shots. Our team did a good job of moving the ball and getting off the line on defense, while causing turnovers and working to score points in transition and create open shots for our team."
"The Pac-Ten season is totally different and we will get the chance to step up our game a couple of notches in the next several weeks. We are more experienced and our team has more leadership than in previous years. It was good to get Chamberlain (Oguchi) and Tajuan Porter back tonight."
