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BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 11, 2015Sterling GibbsKevin WillardNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK Marquette - 78 Q.  Kevin, did you feel like your focus was there tonight? COACH WILLARD: I think the first couple shots they hit took a lot of wind out of our sail. We've been getting off to tough starts. We get off to a tough start, and we didn't just bounce back, to be honest with you. Q. Kevin, how can you summarize the path this team has taken and what's happened over the last couple months? COACH WILLARD: I'm so proud of these guys. I'm so proud of the way they've played all year, the effort they've given all year. Our tank was a little bit on empty the second half, but so proud of all those kids in that locker room. I think that's what made it tough for me for them to go through that and kind of end the year that way. You've got to give Marquette credit. I thought Carlino and Fischer, who played terrific the last game against DePaul, played great. It's a tough way to end the year, but I can't say enough about those guys. The amount of freshmen that played and the kind of stuff they've had to go through, very proud of them. Q. The production out of (inaudible) is that part of it? COACH WILLARD: Yes. We became very fragile the second half of the year, and that's what happened. When guys bank shots in on you a couple times, their fight and their grit is still there. They're just not mentally able to get over that hump. That's kind of what we fought the whole second half was we just couldn't get over the hump when something went bad. Q. Coach, especially early on, it seemed like the perimeter defense was struggling a little bit. What happened that they were getting so many open looks? COACH WILLARD: They do a good job of running Carlino off screens, and he just‑‑ he played a hell of a game. I've just got to give him a lot of credit. He came off screens. He hit some tough shots. I thought, again, we had Isaiah on him a little bit. We had Dino (Carrington) on him a little bit. Sterling was on him a little bit. But trying to guard a fifth‑year senior, sometimes that fifth year senior is going to win. Q. Is Brandon all right? COACH WILLARD: Yes, he's all right. Once the score went up, he had hyperextended his knee. He did the same thing in the Providence game, in Providence. At that point, you're not going to put him in danger. Q. Kevin, was the success this team had early on, was that too much to assume it was going to continue. COACH WILLARD: Yeah, I think that was a little bit to do with it. I don't think‑‑ again, I really look at this season as we were all playing at a very good level. We lost a very important key to the team at the start of the Big East season. I thought the team did a great job of fighting through losing somebody. And then when that piece came back, it was very hard to readjust roles. Plus, again‑‑ I know it's not an excuse, but I knew the second half of the season, the second nine games was going to be brutal just because of the schedule. I think we had six of eight out on the road. These guys, it's tough for them to end the year this way because they deserve a little bit better, they've earned a little bit better. They've worked hard. Their attitude has been great. We just got really fragile toward the second half, end of the year. Q. I know it's asking a lot to look ahead to next year, but looking ahead to next year, all these guys will be a year older; freshmen will be sophomores. Do you expect these guys to make a significant jump and attempt for postseason next year? COACH WILLARD: Yeah, get a little refreshed, get a little bit stronger, kind of get a better understanding. I even look at Sterling, and I look at the jump Sterling took this year. He went from being a very good player‑‑ I guess his sophomore year‑‑ to this year he's one of the best guards in the country. You can't look at his numbers the last three games. He's coming off a concussion. I just don't think he's‑‑ he came off that concussion and just didn't have the same zip in his step, but I look at the jump he took this year. He went from being, like I said, a good player to one of the best guards in the country. So I think the guys will take big steps. They always do. It's frustrating, but I know what kind of jumps they can take. I saw his hard work and what he did. Q. Building on Adam's question, how much does that have to do with age and how much do you have to work with and manage as a coach? COACH WILLARD: I think, when you have as many young guys who have never really had to go through what they went through, playing great competition every night, going against older, stronger kids every night, I just think experience counts. I think it's one reason the league is so good right now. I think the league is so good because it's very senior‑ and junior‑laden heavy. I think we have great young talent in the league, but you look at the guys who are playing really well right now, and they're all older guys. I think that's one of the reasons the league is so deep and so good. Q. For Sterling, is there any way you can just sum up where you guys were when you made that shot against Creighton, that was 60 days ago, and where you are now? Is it shocking to you that it's gone this way? STERLING GIBBS: Obviously, we were on a high at that point, but we just took some bad turns. We had a couple tough breaks. Like Coach said, we're a little young. Guys getting a little fatigued, fighting through injuries, fighting through different things. It's tough, but I think we stuck together and battled it out. Q. Sterling, you've been through a few of these seasons, and every year you don't win a championship is always a disappointment. This year you guys have had such highs and lows. As you kind of were with everyone in the locker room after the game, is there anything you said or can say to the young guys that kind of help transition and build off of this for next year? STERLING GIBBS: Right after the game, everyone's kind of down. So there's nothing to really be said at that point. When we all meet up as a team, I'll definitely tell them to work hard in the off‑season, got to make gains, got to make sure that we're stronger, make sure that we're all together. I think the fact that they have this season underneath their belts, I think it will help us a lot moving forward. Q. Coach, how frustrating has it been for you over the past five years in conference play? COACH WILLARD: I think the thing I'm frustrated most of is I think the only year I went into Big East play without anybody hurt was my second year. Last year Eugene (Teague) had a concussion December 27th, and he was out pretty much eight games. I actually don't think Eugene ever really got back. This year Isaiah. Jeremy broke his wrist the first year. Patrick broke his foot the second year. Patrick broke his foot again last year. I think that's my frustration level. I think we've always gotten to a pretty good point, and once you're going into the toughest part of your season, we just haven't been able‑‑ now all of a sudden we're adjusting, and we're constantly adjusting. I think that's the only frustrating part. The rest of the part, like I said, I've been extremely proud of their effort, battling through. It's not easy when you're a young guy‑‑ 22, 23, 21‑‑ trying your hardest, and things aren't going your way. They gave me everything they had this year. I just can't ask for anything else. But the frustrating part is we've never gone into a Big East season fully healthy. Q. Coach, why did Whitehead only take one shot in the first half? Was he hesitant to get going? COACH WILLARD: Again, we have to get an X‑ray on his hand. Battling a bad thumb injury that he got two weeks ago.  Isaiah is a little‑‑ going in, he's just not as confident as he was at the beginning of the year. He just hasn't had enough time to practice. Hasn't had enough time to play. He's coming off a stress fracture. Again, he's part of the fragility. Is that the word? STERLING GIBBS: I'm not sure. COACH WILLARD: He's part of the fragile group. Again, he was guarding Carlino that first three. He worked hard on it, and he took a tough shot, and I think it kind of hit his confidence a little bit. Again, these guys need a good break. We'll get one, and we'll get back together, and we'll get working. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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