Porter Moser Feb. 23, 2024
Porter Moser talks to media Feb. 23, 2024.
Transcript
00:00 Reporter, obviously after several weeks of Big 12 play, you guys were able to get some rest this week.
00:05 Just how needed was that and what was the focus this week?
00:08 The focus is we were just intentional about we wanted to get better this weekend.
00:14 We wanted to get better this week. We wanted to get fresh, fresh legs, fresh mind this week.
00:20 We worked on skill. We worked on shooting. We got recovery.
00:26 And it was about us getting better the first couple of days.
00:28 And then obviously turn our focus to Oklahoma State and what we have to do to play well against them.
00:35 But that was it. Everybody goes through it. It's a grind.
00:41 But we're the last team in Big 12 to get that bye week and it was coming at a good time.
00:46 I felt that, you know, it's every three days since Christmas for these guys.
00:51 And so about us getting fresh legs, fresh mind, skill work, free throws, shots, reads on ball screens,
01:00 a lot of skill, work in practice, not as taxing on your body.
01:05 And then we went the last couple of days, it'll have been about Oklahoma State.
01:09 You mentioned John's surgery last night.
01:11 How important was this week maybe in terms of knowing that, being able to game plan and figure out what to do?
01:18 Yeah, we weren't sure. At first we were waiting to see if he could recover without it.
01:22 And then the decision was made to move forward. It went great.
01:25 So there's, we don't know the exact timetable.
01:28 They were hopeful about that. But there's clarity. There's clarity.
01:32 And so, you know, opportunity for the other guys to step up.
01:37 We have some guys that we really want to step up in his absence.
01:42 To piggyback off of that, you mentioned last Saturday, it's up to you to try to get Luke back to where he needs to be.
01:49 With the clarity of John, how much does that help maybe to pour that confidence back into Luke?
01:53 Absolutely. Like Luke's the guy that our whole team pulls for.
01:58 He's a freshman. Trying to pour in confidence with him.
02:01 He's got a tremendous shot, but he can do some other things really well.
02:04 He can pass. He had three assists in the last Oklahoma State game.
02:08 So it's just getting his confidence back.
02:09 You know, I think now knowing that like John is definitely out, there's no him coming back in.
02:15 And I thought we're going to need him to play.
02:18 Yaya, Yaya's a defense, rebounding. He's a physical specimen.
02:23 So maybe have some minutes with Yaya. His attitude's always been good with it.
02:28 So those are those are the things we're thinking about.
02:30 Tom, last night you mentioned Waldo's going to be day by day.
02:35 Just this week, how much progress has he made and how much optimism is there?
02:37 It was a bad spring like we all saw it.
02:40 So we're not going to do anything that jeopardizes it.
02:41 It's hard because we talked to Waldo. He's like, I'm playing.
02:45 And he said that at the last game. So we just, you know, we miss him.
02:50 I mean, he was playing great on both ends, but, you know, we'll see.
02:53 It's day by day. We still got today and tomorrow.
02:56 We'll see. But that's kind of where we're at with it.
03:00 Mason, for a second time around against OSU,
03:02 what did you like from last time that you want to keep and what are some things you maybe want to tweak?
03:07 I like the final score. What we want to tweak, I mean, obviously it was it was almost like a rock fight.
03:12 Both of the defensives going at each other and they're playing a lot faster.
03:18 They've added Keller to the rotation. He kind of started playing a lot of minutes in our game.
03:21 And in the last two, he's playing tremendous. But they all are.
03:25 I mean, I've said this all along. Their guards of Wright and Small, Williams and now Keller's in that mix.
03:33 I think Brandon Garrison's playing really well.
03:35 You look at their last since our game, they beat BYU and on the road to Cincy playing very well.
03:41 So, you know, they're playing faster. They're really athletic.
03:44 They guard you. So you've got to be tougher offensively.
03:47 And we've got to have some emotional control in this game.
03:51 We didn't have as much emotional control last game for a lot of reasons, whatever that encompasses.
03:59 And, you know, we got to understand that there are I really think they're playing really hard,
04:05 really well right now and their guards just get it going.
04:08 And then obviously Garrison's playing really well. Josh.
04:13 Yeah, you talked about a little bit of the game on Saturday, but Mox kind of picked up a lot of those minutes with Waldo out.
04:18 If that's the way it goes again, is he someone you imagine you'll be leaning on again tomorrow?
04:22 You know, Mox got some minutes in that first half and it didn't work out the second half.
04:25 But man, I thought he did some good things reviewing it, looking at it.
04:28 He had a great paint touch kick out for a three.
04:30 So, yeah, definitely talking about Mox in the mix with Waldo being out and he got a lot of reps in practice.
04:37 So especially he got he got in the flow of the last game a little bit early.
04:43 Like to see him do that again. We'll do that again. But he's got to he's got to be ready.
04:48 Holden and Chris Porter. I know you and Mike have talked about keeping this rivalry going in future years,
04:55 but maybe it's a neutral side or whatever.
04:57 Is there anything you know, getting to play a Galagrava for potentially the last time that you kind of,
05:02 you know, you take that in a little bit more or just, you know, knowing what it would mean to this fan base to get the win?
05:09 I personally don't think this is the last time we play.
05:12 I see a world where this great rivalry continues.
05:15 Don't know when that is based on a lot of logistical factors, but I see a world when this great rivalry continues.
05:22 Chris, coming off of bye week like this,
05:24 is there anything you do different or any discussion with the players about how they need to come out fast,
05:29 even though they haven't played a game in a few extra days?
05:32 No, not an emphasis. We feel like we always got to come out and defend and get our pace going early,
05:38 but nothing different based on having a bye week. We haven't really addressed that a little bit.
05:43 I mean, I haven't. They might have talked about themselves, but for us,
05:47 we've been really focusing on what we got to do to get better.
05:53 And especially, I think it gives us a pause to like just, all right, you know, John's out.
05:58 Waldo hasn't played. Waldo's out. Depending. So let's go.
06:03 You know, there's no end. I thought they had that against Kansas.
06:06 I really did. I mean, we were up 11 with two minutes left to go.
06:09 What some of you, maybe it was you, one of you guys asked me.
06:11 Tammy? Yeah, it was about the last two minutes of that Kansas game.
06:14 And I said, you know what? I think you're right. I'm going to look at that.
06:17 Holy cow. Those last two minutes of that Kansas game, we were up 11.
06:20 We went in at five and we felt like it was almost a loss.
06:24 Right? Like we went, man, we had that opportunity.
06:26 And so I say that with our guys didn't go in there thinking like, man, we're down two.
06:33 They went in there believing. And that's the way we are too.
06:35 And I think this bye week, to be able to just, you know, decompress and let all that absorb,
06:43 you know, I think our guys had a great focus this week.
06:45 And but we know, I mean, make no mistake about it.
06:48 They all watched the game at Cincinnati. They've seen a ton of clips from the BYU game.
06:52 They know that Oklahoma State's playing as good as a lot of people in this league as anybody.
06:57 And they got a lot of respect for them because they played them once.
07:00 They know how good they are and how good they're playing.
07:05 Back to Holden. Porter, I know we still got a little bit until the tournament,
07:09 but you know, this is kind of a crucial stretch for it.
07:12 Is there a mindset to that just playing in this league and just how you guys are,
07:17 that all you need is just to get in and, you know, what we're playing, you know, all along.
07:23 We've talked about playing maneuver ourselves to try to win a championship.
07:26 And then obviously the games come close. But, you know, our guys, you know,
07:30 I think they started bracketology in September. So, you know, for us, we've got to continue just to,
07:35 I mean, what can we take care of? What can we can control? And that's the biggest thing.
07:39 And it's hard nowadays with all the outside noise.
07:42 But I think for us, it's what we can control, what we can do to get better.
07:45 And, you know, I think the whole country saw there's no better league in the Big 12.
07:50 They should take 10 teams. And there's no question about it.
07:54 I mean, what we have to go through, there's not a down night. And it's just different.
08:01 Just look at the numbers. So we'll address that when it comes.
08:04 But for now, control we control. That's the game in front of us.