Jan. 4, 2011
Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery 
Ohio State Head Coach Thad Matta
Opening Statement
“Iowa did a tremendous job tonight. We didn’t match their intensity in the first half, but in the second half our guys finally came out. We were able to get stops and rebounds and we took a lot better care of the basketball which was a huge thing for us. As I told the guys in the locker room after that first half, `A lot of guys made some great plays here and there but it just wasn’t as consistent as we needed it to be’. With that being said, the goal was to come in and get a win and fortunately we were able to do that tonight. “
Is your defense concerning at all for you?
“It is because there were times tonight that it was really good, but then we gave up four or six points just on transition layups and that, to me, is nothing more than effort and understanding. Those are the things I think we need to get ourselves back in line with. Statistically we were pretty good tonight but standard-wise it wasn’t good enough.”
What impressions did [Melsahn] Basabe leave with you?
“He was very good tonight and he has been throughout. I thought that, going into the game, I liked what I’d seen and he was very good tonight.”
How did [Aaron] Craft help you coming off the bench?
“With Aaron, for a freshman, I’ve been very pleased how he’s played, how he understands and how he competes. He’s a very competitive kid and he loves to win. I think that any time he’s out there with four veterans he has a good idea of what needs to happen. To see him make a couple big plays down the stretch was big for us.”
Iowa Player Postgame Quotes
F, Jarryd Cole
On Jared Sullinger
“He’s a pro. He’s a big body, he’s tall, and he knows how to move. I think he fits in really well with the Ohio State offense as well as defense, for that matter. He’s a great player and he finishes around the basket and is a decent ball handler, so I would definitely say he is a pro.”
On Basabe and Cole’s performance carrying the team
“We knew that in order for us to be successful we had to be able to stop Sullinger and also be a threat ourselves. One of those things happened. We were able to use our ability and be successful on the offensive side, but we couldn’t do enough to stop Sullinger tonight and that’s credited to their win.”
On the quick lead Ohio State took during the second half
“I think they outworked us in the stretch. You can’t have that kind of stretch if you are trying to win basketball games, especially in the Big Ten. Day in and day out you are going to have teams doing that kind of thing. We want to be the team doing that, not the opposition. “