Zack Novak, Stu Douglass, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke discussed their feelings after winning a Big Ten Championships thanks to some help from Ohio State’s two-point win at Michigan State.
Zack Novak
- On what it was like to watch the end of the OSU-MSU game: “It was way worse than playing. I’ve never been that nervous on the court, just helpless. It was crazy.”
- On what this means for the seniors’ legacy: “First Big Ten Championship in 25 years, I think just for everybody on this team, you see the reunions. Guys will come back, this is the Big Ten Champions from this year, this team won the Championship. We’re going to be able to do that.”
- On whether or not he thought this was possible after the Purdue loss: “It was possible. I was kind of more hoping, but some stuff had to go our way. It’s just unreal.”
- On the bus ride back: “I was going crazy. I was probably crazy man No. 1. I was standing in the video room with my shirt off on my head, screaming, jumping on chairs, going crazy. On the bus, I told the bus driver to drive fast. He was driving too slowly. It was nerve-racking.”
- Shirt on the head? “Rally cap, I was feeling it. I think they needed to go on a run. I was just feeling it in the moment. Way to go William (Buford).”
Stu Douglass
- On the bus ride: “Josh (Bartelstein) had to bring the score up on his computer, they were trying to have a contest of who could track it fastest. I was just sitting in my seat because I knew it was going to be yelled out every single point. I was just trying to remain as calm as possible.”
- On the emotions of watching the game: “We were talking in the locker room after the game at Penn State, thinking there’s not much you can do, whatever happens happens. And then you get in the middle of it and you Ohio State go down early and then you start to get angry, and then they start to come back and then you’re hanging on for dear life with every basket. So your emotions really start to take control.”
- On rooting for the Buckeyes: “You can’t help but root for Ohio State. I think we’re all equally deserving, so I think it’s turned out alright.”
- On when it will sink in: “Probably when I see the banner go up. We’ve got so much work to do, and if we lose in the tournament early, it won’t be where we want to go or what we want to accomplish. Ultimately we want to make a tourney run.”
Tim Hardaway Jr.
- On whether or not it’s sunk in: “It’s definitely sunk in. This is great and everything, but we know we got a long road ahead of us. We accomplished one of our goals this season to be Big Ten regular season champions. To bring a Big Ten championship back to Ann Arbor is a great blessing for us.”
- On his improved play over the last six games: “We definitely bonded together. I wouldn’t want to be on any team other than this team. Just the dedication and the heart that everybody puts in, just going out there and just playing ball. We’re behind each other 100 percent, and that’s what makes a team.”
- On watching Buford’s last shot: “I think everybody held their breath. The room got quiet real quickly. Everybody just froze for like a half a second, and then once the shot went in, the place just erupted. It was great just to see all of that and just to be in there and experience it.”
- On whether or not Hardaway thought this would happen: “Never, I thought we would be home watching the game. We though Michigan State was going to blow them out at home. Draymond Green is one heck of a player. I’m just happy that we’re just sharing a part of this Big Ten Championship with Ohio State and Michigan State.”
Trey Burke
- On rooting for Ohio State: “We had to root for them to pull that game off. It’s fortunate for us that William Buford hit that shot. It’s just a blessing. God is good. Being my freshman year, playing with a great group of guys, it’s just great.”
- On the flight and bus ride back: “It was crazy. As soon as we went in the locker room, a lot of people didn’t know what time the game was. So a lot of people were asking what the score was. Once we got on the plane, there would be an update like every 10 seconds. Then once we landed, every time Michigan State scored, everybody would get all down and then when Ohio State would score we’d get all happy. It just worked out for us.”
- On watching the final seconds of the game: “It’s indescribable. As soon as he shot it, the ball was in the air. It was silent the whole time the ball was in the air. Before he inbounded the ball, they had showed Buford, and he had a look in his eye, and it just looked like he was going to take this last shot and he was going to hit it. Once he got the ball, went left and shot it, Appling played great D. Once it went in, everybody just flooded the hallway, jumping up and down. My biggest fear was that they were going to hit a half court shot or something, but once they missed that, it was great.”
