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PACIFIC-12 CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 13, 2015Brandon AshleyT.J. McConnellSean MillerLAS VEGAS, NEVADA Arizona – 70 THE MODERATOR: We'll start an opening statement from Coach. COACH MILLER: I think, first of all, UCLA played a great game. We knew we were going to play in a game like we were going to play tonight. I credit Kevon Looney tremendously for him to play with a facial fracture, a mask on a quick turnaround for such a young player. It says a lot about who he is. And UCLA played their heart out. I thought even late in the game they needed to make some really tough big shots and yet they did, giving themselves a chance. But it's our team's resiliency that allows you sometimes to have not only a win in a game like this, but also a special season like we've had to this point. I told the guys afterwards, we embrace our tradition every day. But what you really hope is that you become a part of our tradition. And these two guys right here, they've won 30 games in back‑to‑back seasons. Brandon, if you consider that he was 21 and O, I think that makes him 51‑3 in the last two years that he's played college basketball. And T.J. never lost a home game. So these players, and their resiliency, and I thought tonight, one‑game type of setting, really I thought represented kind of who we've been really from start to finish. As far back as our Maui championship, our Gonzaga home game, and all the way through our conference season. So very, very proud of this group. And having said that, we've been in a championship game four times in the last five years. And you don't have to ask me how it feels because we haven't won it. We know that. So we'll see what we can do tomorrow. We know whoever we play, Oregon or Utah, it's going to be a great game. But the thing that I love about tonight it's going to help us next week. Tonight's game will only help us prepare for next week in the NCAA Tournament. And so will tomorrow, as we pursue this championship. Q. T.J., is there a little bit of a mental hurdle getting past these guys with the history in the conference tournament, especially the way you got them tonight? T.J. MCCONNELL: Yeah, you know, losing to these guys the last two years has pretty much left a bad taste in all of our mouths. And we were down 47‑40, and we all just said we have to dig deep for this one, whatever heart you have, you have to give more. And we went on a run, and our fans were behind us. And you could say last year we didn't get over that hump. But today we did. Q. Brandon, boy, it seems like you were in the zone today. And there was a time when some of your teammates were struggling offensively and you kind of carried the team for a little bit there. Your thoughts on your performance today. Were you just feeling it? Was it just one of those times you just wanted the ball? BRANDON ASHLEY: I think it was a great overall team performance. I had some big shots at the end of the game. So did Stanley. Rondae made big plays. I think they found me in great positions to score, and I was able to knock down shots. Q. Coach, after playing UCLA twice this year, in your opinion do you feel they're worthy of an NCAA bid? COACH MILLER: I'm not on the selection committee, so they do it by numbers. But quality of team, I mean, no question about it. And I think that the one thing that Steve and his staff knew a long time ago, you can't lose the Wears Zach LaVine, and Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson and all of a sudden next year we're right back. There's going to be a drop‑off. But with UCLA, they were going to get better and better and improve as the year went on. And they have. I think their quality of play and who they are today would be much different than, for example, who they would have been in December, November. Unfortunately, a lot of the judgment comes in November and December. So having said that, I think you look at our conference and four, five teams, they're one of many teams that not only could be in the tournament, but they probably could win a game. It's just it doesn't work out that way because of how tough it is in the parity that exists. And I'm going to just answer one thing on Brandon. Today, in my opinion, I told Brandon this, this was the best game that I've ever seen him play at Arizona. And the reason is every basket and everything he did, I mean, had great meaning. And that was from the start of the game to the end. And to me seeing him play his best basketball this month, it's great to see because he knows this. When you suffer an injury like he did on February1st, you not only are taken out of the game for a couple of months, but Brandon didn't really start playing basketball again until early September, late August. And it doesn't, for a while‑‑ he's had a great season, but he has to work out in the anxiety and you have to get over the fact that you're jumping and landing in a crowd. You don't just again flip the switch and say I'm back. But it makes sense to me now that he's gotten through 25 games, 24 games, and we're six months in, five months in, this is truly who he is as a player. And it's great to see him play that way. And it's one of the big reasons our team has played its best basketball the last month because I think he has played his best basketball as well. Q. Obviously Stanley Johnson is the Pac‑12 Freshman of the Year. But that 3 there in the final minute, what does it say about him, that he's able to hit a shot like that on a stage like this? COACH MILLER: These guys will tell you, one of Stanley's gifts is he can forget something bad that happened real quick. I mean, it's not like he's hard on himself over there, like I can't believe I screwed something up. He can go from screwing something up to saying, bang, 3. That's what happened, if you think about it. He probably had a judgment call and should I push the ball off that steal or not. He elected to push it. It didn't work out. It was a huge swing for UCLA. And you know what a freshman, you would think that maybe he would be gun shy. But he's the furthest thing from that. I think that's what we love about him. That was a huge shot. Maybe the biggest shot in the game. Q. For all of you, seemed like there was a funny scene unfolding behind the bench, Nick Johnson standing up, directing plays. Were you hearing him at all during the game? Seemed like he was telling you what to do. T.J. MCCONNELL: Nick wasn't directing plays. He was just being a goof, cheering us on. It was good to see him and Jason Terry, to have players that have played in the past, to show up and support us like this is great. And we appreciate it. COACH MILLER: You know, our former players are amazing. I know there are other programs that have them and they feel great about that fraternity, that family. But what Coach Olson established at Arizona, we reap the benefits every day. Jason Terry doesn't have to come at this point who he is on his one day off, fly here, bring Nick with him to Vegas to see us play UCLA. And the fact that they both are here, Nick and him, it's a testament to our program, everything that's happened prior to us being here and also Pac‑12. We truly have an amazing tradition. And that doesn't happen everywhere, certainly. Q. Brandon, as Sean was saying, Arizona has played in an awful lot of championship games over the years but they haven't won. It's a long dry spell. How excited are you for the chance to end that and is it something that's on your mind? BRANDON ASHLEY: To be completely honest, it's not anything we're thinking about. It's definitely exciting to be able to end that streak, to be able to win that game and take the championship home with us. But at the same time it's just another game for us. And we want to take it one day at a time. Q. T.J., what had to happen on that 3‑pointer by Stanley when you got the ball out front? T.J. MCCONNELL: You mean at the end? Q. Made it 66‑61. T.J. MCCONNELL: We kind of called a play and Brandon set a great screen. I got to the middle and I think it was Norman Powell that went to the block to take away Brandon. And Stanley was wide open and I found him and he just made a big shot. Q. I know it's not decided who you'll face next, but looking at a team in Oregon that's behind you guys obviously the most, the hottest team in the conference right now. What they've been able to do in their last six games and how well they've been playing offense. How do you look at‑‑ how would you approach the Ducks and Joseph Young going into tomorrow should they win? COACH MILLER: Your first point was the most important one, and that is that we could play Utah as well. So it's hard to really answer. But I'll answer with both teams. What Oregon's done, Dana Altman is so deserving of the Coach of the Year because bringing his team from early in the year to how well they're playing is amazing. They have a lot of young players. And Joseph Young has carried that team. We're well aware of how well they've been playing. But Utah has been as consistent as anybody in our conference, really from start to finish. And every time that we've played them has been just, feels like an epic game, kind of like the game we played here tonight. And I think no matter who we play and it's going to be a great game. We have a tremendous challenge. So these guys and all of us have to put this behind us, quickly move forward and try to be an even better team tomorrow, after playing such a hard‑fought game here this evening. Q. Brandon, back to what Sean talked about earlier, your game tonight and the magnitude of it. Did you struggle with your confidence at all in the last few weeks, or do you feel physically, talking about the mental side, do you feel like you're all the way through that, pushed through it? BRANDON ASHLEY: At this point I'll definitely say I've gotten through it. Early on in the season it's hard to find that rhythm, you haven't played for so long and it takes a while to get adjusted to the game, to get back used to the speed of the game and everything like that. But at this point I have the most confidence in the world in my teammates and my coaching staff have done a great job instilling that in me. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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