courtesy of Jack Alden

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"We got off to a great start. I was concerned, because everybody wanted to talk about UCLA and everybody was asking the players for tickets for UCLA, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and all that stuff that's coming up. I said we've got to play a game tonight and challenged the kids to be ready, and they really were. We came out and were making shots (13-15 FG, 6-6 3pt), were doing a really good job defensively. We made two huge defensive errors or I don't think they would have scored but two baskets in the first eight or nine minutes. But we came out and were right on track with what we wanted to do offensively. Everybody was involved, we were having assists for all of our baskets, and it was really fun to watch. I told 'em, if they didn't enjoy playing that, there was something wrong with them, because I surely enjoyed watching it during that stretch. "I am discouraged though that we only shot 38% in the second half, because that is the third straight game we haven't shot a good percentage, yet I think we played all right. But we've still got to shoot the ball in the basket, and we haven't been doing that consistently, but it was certainly fun to get off to such a great start. "We caught Nebraska at a good time. The second straight road game for them and their inexperience. Cary Cochran has just killed us every time, and I think he must have been injured tonight. I almost felt like he was limping around out there a little bit (0-3FG). We did try to focus on him because he has hurt us so much. He's a great kid. I've enjoyed competing against him for four years, and he'll probably make 50 against us up at Lincoln. I really think he had to be hurt in some way, shape, or form, but we are more experienced than they are, and I think all of it showed tonight. "Aaron was 7-0 (assists to errors) in the first half, but he was the only one to have a turnover in that first time period (of the second half). He's doing some good things for us. He can shoot the ball better than he is right now, but he's struggling as to when to shoot and when not to shoot. He doesn't have the good feel for that. But he's doing some really good things defensively. Four steals, 12 assists is a pretty good night for a point guard. "(The next ten days) is a challenge for us. UCLA is a ranked team (#11) in Pauley Pavilion, with all the tradition they have. It'll be a huge challenge for us. Then turn around and two straight conference games against team who are probably ranked in the top five or six in the country (OSU #6, OU #10). But if you keep looking ten days down the road it doesn't do you any good. We're gonna try to have a good practice tomorrow and go to Los Angeles and play well against UCLA, then we'll take whatever is next."

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