Here are the remarks from the Ducks heading into today's game.
Oregon Rhode Island quotes
Q. Good afternoon, everybody. I would like to introduce Payton Pritchard and Casey Benson from the University of Oregon. Fellas, what have you seen and heard about Rhode Island and what kind of situation do they present for you that you might not have seen in the Pac-12 conference?
PAYTON PRITCHARD: Rhode Island is a very talented team. The starting five can all score, so that's a hard task for us to handle. We just really gotta come ready to play, defense has to be our priority that game.
CASEY BENSON: We know Rhode Island is a hot team. I think they've won 8 or 9 winning their conference tournament. Team coming in with a lot of confidence, so we got to match the intensity. It's win or go home, obviously. We will be ready to go, focused and looking forward to it.
Q. Can you contrast how different of a match-up this will be compared to yesterday?
CASEY BENSON: Sure. We know that they're athletic, kind of a different team, Iona shot a ton of threes, while Rhode Island goes to the basket, so in that sense it's contrasting. Got to be ready to fight the dribble on defense and contain them.
Q. You guys shot ball really well the other day, yesterday. I know defense is your concern, but you guys made 35 field goals. What is it like shooting down there on that court and blowing it up like that? Plus I know you want to be more consistent tomorrow with it as well.
PAYTON PRITCHARD: Obviously, we would like to shoot like that every game. I think it starts with ball movement, not taking tough shots early.
In the Pac-12 Tournament we started the game taking tough ones, and it took us out of the rhythm and didn't get us in the flow of the game. But when we take good shots everybody is capable of hitting those and it just gets us in the flow.
Q. Is there one player in particular that you guys have maybe seen a lot of video on or has caught your eyes from the URI Rams?
CASEY BENSON: Not necessarily. I think they're balanced from what we've seen, different guys that can make different plays. So it's a matter of everybody guarding their guy individually and also collectively making it tough on them, and they get out in transition. That's a big focus for us defensively. I think it's a team that anybody can get-goin'. So you gotta be ready for everybody.
Q. What's it been like -- what was it like yesterday adjusting without Chris Boucher and what do you have to think about tomorrow?
PAYTON PRITCHARD: Obviously, it's a big loss. Chris Boucher in my opinion is an All-American-type player. But as far as our team goes everybody has to step up now. We can't dwell on his injury. We've gotta move on and try to make a run at this so everybody has to fill his role in some way. Kavell stepping up, Keith, Roman, you know, guys that had lower minutes during the year now are playing a lot more. They're going to step up huge for us. Me and Casey need to step up defensively more for him and everybody needs to.
Q. It's a rare team that blocks shots almost as well as you guys do. How much do you go against Jordan, Chris when he was healthy, to go against a team that is so active to try to block shots as you guys are?
CASEY BENSON: Obviously, in practice every day playing with or against Jordan and Chris you see that. It's obviously when you see Jordan and Chris two of the best shot-blockers in the country that helps. They're going to be flying around and we've got to get the best shots possible knowing that they're coming and making plays for each other to get open looks and get drives to the basket.
Q. What is it like playing under Coach Dana Altman's leadership? He's won everywhere he's been.
CASEY BENSON: Absolutely. Coach has done a great job at every single place he's been at. He's done a great job with us. My three years here it's been a blast playing for him, being in our third NCAA Tournament is just a testament to the type of coach he is. Putting us in positions to be successful every night out, and, you know, getting the best out of each of us is something he does great. I think you've seen his job of coaching every year, whether it was two years ago when we were picked, I don't know, ninth or tenth in the conference, whatever it was and ended up getting second. Last year we were picked fourth and we won it, and this year obviously in a good position, but every year he's done a great job. So it's been a blast playing for him.
PAYTON PRITCHARD: Coach, like Casey said, he's a great coach. A lot of us came here because of his winning history. For me, personally, throughout this year I've learned so much more from Coach growing off and on the court. It is just a testament of who he truly is as a coach.
THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you.
We are now joined by Coach Dana Altman, head coach of the Oregon Ducks. First question, obviously you and your staff have spent time looking at tapes of Rhode Island. Do they show you anything that you don't see in Pac-12 competition?
DANA ALTMAN: Their athleticism is very good. They get out and pressure and are very physical, similar to Arizona in our league. I like their group. I like their depth. They're making with tremendous confidence. Nine-game winning streak will do that for a team. Very impressed with what I've seen, especially here of late. Early on, you know, they were trying to find their way. But if you watch the last four or five games, they've put together something special and they're shooting the ball with tremendous confidence, playing with tremendous confidence, and they beat a very good Creighton team yesterday. So we know we've got our work cut out for us.
Oregon Rhode Island quotes
Q. Good afternoon, everybody. I would like to introduce Payton Pritchard and Casey Benson from the University of Oregon. Fellas, what have you seen and heard about Rhode Island and what kind of situation do they present for you that you might not have seen in the Pac-12 conference?
PAYTON PRITCHARD: Rhode Island is a very talented team. The starting five can all score, so that's a hard task for us to handle. We just really gotta come ready to play, defense has to be our priority that game.
CASEY BENSON: We know Rhode Island is a hot team. I think they've won 8 or 9 winning their conference tournament. Team coming in with a lot of confidence, so we got to match the intensity. It's win or go home, obviously. We will be ready to go, focused and looking forward to it.
Q. Can you contrast how different of a match-up this will be compared to yesterday?
CASEY BENSON: Sure. We know that they're athletic, kind of a different team, Iona shot a ton of threes, while Rhode Island goes to the basket, so in that sense it's contrasting. Got to be ready to fight the dribble on defense and contain them.
Q. You guys shot ball really well the other day, yesterday. I know defense is your concern, but you guys made 35 field goals. What is it like shooting down there on that court and blowing it up like that? Plus I know you want to be more consistent tomorrow with it as well.
PAYTON PRITCHARD: Obviously, we would like to shoot like that every game. I think it starts with ball movement, not taking tough shots early.
In the Pac-12 Tournament we started the game taking tough ones, and it took us out of the rhythm and didn't get us in the flow of the game. But when we take good shots everybody is capable of hitting those and it just gets us in the flow.
Q. Is there one player in particular that you guys have maybe seen a lot of video on or has caught your eyes from the URI Rams?
CASEY BENSON: Not necessarily. I think they're balanced from what we've seen, different guys that can make different plays. So it's a matter of everybody guarding their guy individually and also collectively making it tough on them, and they get out in transition. That's a big focus for us defensively. I think it's a team that anybody can get-goin'. So you gotta be ready for everybody.
Q. What's it been like -- what was it like yesterday adjusting without Chris Boucher and what do you have to think about tomorrow?
PAYTON PRITCHARD: Obviously, it's a big loss. Chris Boucher in my opinion is an All-American-type player. But as far as our team goes everybody has to step up now. We can't dwell on his injury. We've gotta move on and try to make a run at this so everybody has to fill his role in some way. Kavell stepping up, Keith, Roman, you know, guys that had lower minutes during the year now are playing a lot more. They're going to step up huge for us. Me and Casey need to step up defensively more for him and everybody needs to.
Q. It's a rare team that blocks shots almost as well as you guys do. How much do you go against Jordan, Chris when he was healthy, to go against a team that is so active to try to block shots as you guys are?
CASEY BENSON: Obviously, in practice every day playing with or against Jordan and Chris you see that. It's obviously when you see Jordan and Chris two of the best shot-blockers in the country that helps. They're going to be flying around and we've got to get the best shots possible knowing that they're coming and making plays for each other to get open looks and get drives to the basket.
Q. What is it like playing under Coach Dana Altman's leadership? He's won everywhere he's been.
CASEY BENSON: Absolutely. Coach has done a great job at every single place he's been at. He's done a great job with us. My three years here it's been a blast playing for him, being in our third NCAA Tournament is just a testament to the type of coach he is. Putting us in positions to be successful every night out, and, you know, getting the best out of each of us is something he does great. I think you've seen his job of coaching every year, whether it was two years ago when we were picked, I don't know, ninth or tenth in the conference, whatever it was and ended up getting second. Last year we were picked fourth and we won it, and this year obviously in a good position, but every year he's done a great job. So it's been a blast playing for him.
PAYTON PRITCHARD: Coach, like Casey said, he's a great coach. A lot of us came here because of his winning history. For me, personally, throughout this year I've learned so much more from Coach growing off and on the court. It is just a testament of who he truly is as a coach.
THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you.
We are now joined by Coach Dana Altman, head coach of the Oregon Ducks. First question, obviously you and your staff have spent time looking at tapes of Rhode Island. Do they show you anything that you don't see in Pac-12 competition?
DANA ALTMAN: Their athleticism is very good. They get out and pressure and are very physical, similar to Arizona in our league. I like their group. I like their depth. They're making with tremendous confidence. Nine-game winning streak will do that for a team. Very impressed with what I've seen, especially here of late. Early on, you know, they were trying to find their way. But if you watch the last four or five games, they've put together something special and they're shooting the ball with tremendous confidence, playing with tremendous confidence, and they beat a very good Creighton team yesterday. So we know we've got our work cut out for us.
