Dale Bonner and Zed Key on Their Big Performances on Senior Day
Seniors Dale Bonner and Zed Key discuss a dominant defensive performance, including a season-high 14 steals, against Michigan.
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00:00 >> Congratulations on the win.
00:03 The other day when we talked to Coach Deibler after the Nebraska game,
00:07 he said that he knew who you were playing on Sunday and
00:10 that would be kind of handled in a certain way.
00:12 You guys would be ready to play Michigan on top of Senior Day and
00:15 all the other things.
00:16 What did it mean to prepare for this Michigan team?
00:19 What did it feel like to then beat Michigan on Senior Day?
00:22 >> I mean, it was a rematch.
00:23 We lost to them, had their place.
00:26 And all week leading up to this game, remember,
00:30 we gotta come out with aggressiveness, with the fire.
00:33 Cuz they're gonna come out with the same intensity.
00:37 And to that's a heart,
00:38 we had great practices leading up to Michigan, the game today.
00:41 So guys bought in and we got the W today,
00:45 we played well on both ends of the floor and we got the W.
00:48 >> [INAUDIBLE]
00:55 >> What were the emotions like on Senior Day for both of you guys?
01:01 >> I think it's a little different for me cuz I hadn't seen you here last year.
01:04 But I know it's gonna use my last year eligibility.
01:07 But as far as coming home, it's a dream come true for me.
01:10 So I was excited to go out there and just compete with my team.
01:15 >> I mean, it was a lot of emotions today.
01:17 Even yesterday, just thinking about the game, time has flown so fast.
01:22 I've been here for four years.
01:25 I've been through every senior night and
01:26 you never think that it's gonna be you until it is you.
01:29 So I'm grateful that I'm really and
01:33 grateful that I still chose Ohio State for my college decision.
01:37 Love the program and just gotta keep going, just keep rolling at this point.
01:41 >> What was it like to see the crowd raise the roof so many times tonight?
01:46 >> It was great.
01:48 >> [LAUGH]
01:50 >> Every time I turn around,
01:51 everyone's raising the roof.
01:53 But it brings energy, it gets the guys into it, the crowd into it.
01:56 And yeah.
01:59 >> Can we expect to see more drives from the perimeter to flush with one hand
02:02 from you?
02:03 >> Yes, it may not be a flush.
02:06 It may step over, it may be a little floated.
02:08 But yeah, just take what the defense gives you last fall.
02:12 He was running out pretty quickly and just spread the game.
02:16 I didn't think I was gonna talk to you, really.
02:21 I'm being so thrilled, I didn't think I was gonna talk to you.
02:26 >> Dale, 22 to 2 in terms of past break points for you guys in this game.
02:29 What was working so well in transition?
02:30 >> I was getting stops on defense and just getting on and running.
02:35 And just reading the defense when they give us and
02:37 just playing to our best of our abilities.
02:38 That was it.
02:39 >> Jay, you guys led the whole game.
02:46 They get down five, six, seven, whatever.
02:49 And then finally, you guys just really blew them out.
02:52 What changed the feel of the vibe of the game at that point,
02:55 where you just really just knocked them out?
02:59 >> I mean, we came into halftime, Coach Lee were yelling on us and
03:03 said, look, we need to play better, we need to come together as a team.
03:06 And we did, and we got stops, we made the right plays on the offensive end.
03:11 And we opened up the lead.
03:14 Yes, they're a good team, yes, they were able to get on some runs, but
03:17 we were able to handle the runs well on the defensive end.
03:20 We gave them stops, and we converted on the offensive end.
03:23 >> Dale, this is for the whole backboard, I guess, but
03:27 it seemed like whenever Doug McDaniel had the ball, especially in the second half,
03:33 he was really just taking it to the basket.
03:35 Did that put a lot of pressure on you guys?
03:37 How did you guys jump into that hole?
03:38 >> He's very fast, so all of us buying in and
03:45 trying to stop him as a collector, I don't think one person can really guard him
03:50 because of his speed, so we just tried to stick together and
03:54 stop him as a collector.
03:56 >> Was the game plan coming in to start off and press in the second half?
04:01 >> I think just how the game was going, honestly, we wanted to slow them down and
04:06 not press up as good as we did.
04:08 >> You said you just gotta keep it rolling at this point with the guys.
04:12 What does this feel like, winning four or five?
04:17 >> I mean, we're not gonna lie to you, it's a great feeling to win four out of five,
04:22 but we also have another game.
04:24 >> When do we play again?
04:26 >> Sunday.
04:27 >> Sunday, yeah, we have another game in a week.
04:30 So we gotta close this game out quick, and watch for him.
04:36 But we're gonna celebrate this win, definitely for sure.
04:40 >> J.O., you talk about defense right now as a collective effort,
04:43 but you were talking about connectedness on defense.
04:46 What does that feel like when everything is flowing as a group defense?
04:50 >> It's great, it makes our offense a lot easier to get transition records.
04:55 So I would say we don't have to work as hard when we get stopped on defense, and
04:59 it's all buying us a collective, and it makes our job easy.
05:02 >> Yeah, so you kind of touched on that before about you're dominant in
05:07 the first play.
05:07 It seemed like it really set the tone for the whole night, the whole game.
05:11 So for you personally, what was that kind of like for
05:14 you to really set the tone for your team on senior day with an emphatic talk like
05:18 that?
05:19 >> I mean, that's a good question.
05:20 I mean, it's just, I just really just took what the defense gave me at that point.
05:26 And that's, you don't wanna rotate over, so I can jump a little bit.
05:31 >> [LAUGH] >> A little bit, but it's just a great play.
05:35 It's not playing, but it definitely could set the tone.
05:38 Like, look, we're here, we're not going away.
05:41 We're a tough team.
05:43 >> Yeah, and then for both of you guys, maybe Dale can touch on this.
05:47 You have a week until your next game.
05:49 So I guess, what's it gonna be like for these next couple games,
05:52 for the next couple days?
05:53 Like, you guys obviously are rolling right now, but
05:56 need to keep momentum going, but there's also play for another week.
05:59 So what's that, maybe the mentality for
06:01 you guys heading into this next week of practice?
06:05 >> Just lock in, move on to the next game, we got Rutgers next.
06:09 So we're gonna lock in and work on that personnel and just continue to do it,
06:14 and just come in every day just ready to work.
06:16 >> Is that true?
06:18 >> No, I don't think so.
06:20 >> This is for Peter, you guys.
06:21 After the Purdue game, Bruce said, all we've got is us, all we have is each other.
06:27 And since the coaching changed, you guys are four and one.
06:30 Do you think, is it what's going on in practice?
06:32 Is it mentally?
06:33 Like, what mindset has changed since that, I guess,
06:36 switch was made to think of turn around so drastically, do you think?
06:40 >> I mean, I think it was just guys just got re-locked in, guys just bought into it.
06:46 I guess it was a tough time for us, the coaching change and stuff, but
06:49 I guess guys were just tied up just to media and
06:52 just other aspects around that surrounded that whole thing.
06:56 But we just came together, as I said, as a unit.
07:00 And we just said, look, we're gonna play as hard as we can, and
07:04 we're gonna live with the result.
07:04 >> And then, when you burst around that dunk,
07:08 it looked like you ran about half court, but you passed half court.
07:11 Deidre had to come grab you.
07:13 What did he say to you when you were floating out there almost on the Michigan side?
07:18 >> I can't do that, yeah, yeah.
07:19 >> [LAUGH] >> Just go sit back down,
07:21 you can't do that.
07:21 >> [LAUGH] >> I didn't realize how far it was.
07:24 >> [LAUGH] >> I'll finish up last two years and
07:27 then we'll drop.
07:28 >> You talked about your high emotions on team, you're ready.
07:30 You shared a special embrace in the opening ceremony with Coach Deidre.
07:35 What was that like to you?
07:36 What does he mean to you?
07:37 >> I mean, Deidre included me.
07:39 He was the guy that first saw me at the top 100 camp back in high school.
07:47 But he's my guy.
07:51 He's a great person, great coach.
07:54 Go over to his house, great family.
07:57 So just great all around, just love people there.
08:01 He's just a really great guy.
08:03 >> Awesome, good job.
08:06 You guys played up there, I think you had a 16-0 run and
08:09 weren't able to finish it off.
08:10 And that's been a little, was a little bit of an issue of closing out games.
08:14 Now you're doing it.
08:15 Is it fair to say you're playing a little looser than you were maybe a month ago,
08:19 not taking it easy?
08:22 >> Yeah. >> If that makes sense.
08:24 >> Yeah, I see where you're going.
08:25 But I think guys, it's a yes or no question.
08:30 It's a yes or no answer, by the way.
08:32 Yes, I feel like guys may be playing a little bit more free.
08:36 But Deeb was still a great coach.
08:39 That's an end.
08:40 And we got guys that will listen to him.
08:43 And Deeb was gonna have us play extremely hard the whole game.
08:46 So I think guys have just took that and ran with it.
08:51 >> Well, that was the next question, I guess.