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March 19, 2015
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
NORTH CAROLINA STATE - 66
LSU - 65
MODERATOR: Once again, we'll start with an opening statement from Coach Jones.
COACH JONES: Thought our guys did a terrific job of getting off to a great start in their first opportunity to be playing in an NCAA tournament. I thought they played extremely hard there in the first half. Thought more of the same in the second half. I thought they gave a gutsy effort against a very good basketball team. I thought NC State did an excellent job of making some plays down the stretch. Unfortunately, even right there at the end, making a big play. Unfortunately, we came up short. But really proud of our team and the effort that they displayed tonight.
MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.
Q. Jarell, can you explain sort of what happened on offense down the stretch? Was it emotions or were shots just not falling for you guys there at the end?
JARELL MARTIN: We weren't able to convert on the offensive end. We did a great job of moving the ball around from side to side, but we just couldn't get the ball to fall in.
MODERATOR: Other questions for the student-athletes?
Q. For both guys, just put into words the heartbreak of this. You see so many of these buzzer beaters, but to be on the wrong end of it, just talk about what it's like.
TIM QUARTERMAN: It's heartbreaking just to come to the tournament, we were up for most of the game. We played good. We played as a team. Those final seconds, they made a play and we just didn't end up making enough plays tonight. Our team worked hard during the season. We had a good season. We got to this point. I think just to lose like that is just a heartbreaker.
JARELL MARTIN: Like Tim said, it definitely was a heartbreaking moment, very emotional. We wasn't ready for our season to end right now. We worked real hard and felt like we had a great shot. North Carolina State, they did a great job of executing their plays down in the stretch.
Q. Guys, during the first about three quarters of this game, you're man-to-man defense was really effective against them. What were they able to do to finally break the man-to-man and get their offensive opportunities?
TIM QUARTERMAN: I think they hit some fast break shots. Their big man made some plays and they just made some plays that made a run. We knew they would make a run. We tried to withstand it. We got a couple stops. We just couldn't convert on the offensive end down the stretch. That's just what happened at the end of the game.
Q. I know this is a tough question at this stage, but taking this step going to the NCAA tournament, what does it do for this program going forward and the next year with you guys having such a young team?
JARELL MARTIN: It does a lot for this program. One of our goals during the season, we were saying we wanted to make it to the tournament this year. We did that. But we definitely wasn't ready for it to end. It says a lot about this program and building this tradition back up.
Q. Tim, could you talk about the timeouts? They were long timeouts in the second half. Long periods of play, but then long timeouts. It seemed to kind of stymie your offense there. Did you feel that?
TIM QUARTERMAN: It's just different from what we're used to. Like you said, the longer breaks, I just think it ices a player just sitting over there, just waiting, anxious to get back on the floor. I mean, that's no excuse. You've got to go out there, as we did, we just played hard tonight as a team. We just wasn't able to make enough plays at the end.
Q. Jarell, when will you make a decision about your future in the NBA?
JARELL MARTIN: I don't have a time period on it right now. When I get back to Baton Rouge, after a few days, I'll get with Coach Jones, my parents and we'll come to a conclusion, but I don't have a time period on it.
Q. Jarell, could you discuss Jordan's play? Seemed like he couldn't find the touch down the stretch there. Nothing was dropping. Does it become psychological at some point, mental?
JARELL MARTIN: I knew it was pretty tough for Jordan coming into this tournament. He'd been playing through a lot of pain and a lot of injuries. He'd been down for the last couple games. We knew how tough it was on him. We tried to encourage him as a team and keep him motivated and everything and make sure that he'd come out playing comfortable. But it was just tough for him at the end. I know he's hurt right now, but as a team we're going to go out there. We're one big family. We're going to make sure we encourage him, keep him lifted.
Q. Tim, could you talk about the prospects for next season, whether Jordan and Jarell are there or not, you guys have a lot of valuable minutes and quality guys coming with you.
TIM QUARTERMAN: It's something to look forward to. Knowing we took this step early as sophomores, getting to the NCAA tournament, the strides we made this year. It's something to look forward to if they come back, the recruits we got coming in, whatever happens, I'm just looking forward to next year, making another impact and having a big year.
MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you. Questions for Coach Jones.
Q. Coach, what do you say to your players down the stretch when the free throws just aren't falling for them?
COACH JONES: Fortunate for us, those guys are very capable free throw shooters, been shooting around 70, a little over 70, most of the year. Unfortunately, stepping up to the line tonight, they didn't go down for them at a crucial part of the game, but they have to understand that it's a team game. It was a team effort. They gave a lot of positives in a lot of other areas. Unfortunately, it didn't execute at the line, missed ten free throws tonight. At the end of the day, it could have been a difference maker in the game.
Q. Coach, did you have a sense that maybe the players were playing not to lose, rather than playing to win, considering the fact they hadn't been here before and hadn't gone through this experience?
COACH JONES: No. I thought they did a great job of staying extremely aggressive. Unfortunately, shots didn't go in. We missed some shots right there around the basket. We were playing very physical around the rim. Even late, they got there close enough to shoot layups. Didn't fall for us, and then we had some other looks. I thought they were very aggressive in terms of playing to win and don't want to discredit what North Carolina State did. They made some huge shots, some timely shots to put themselves in position to win the basketball game.
Q. What did you see on the last play?
COACH JONES: I wasn't sure exactly how far the ball came off. I thought Tim did an excellent job of playing one-on-one defense. They had one of the -- the leading scorer with the ball in his hand, looking for a shot, had to turn it down. Awkwardly made a tough pass inside, the post guy, because the time was clicking down, tried to get the shot off. After he got it off, I'm not sure exactly where it played around the rim. I'm not sure exactly who wound up getting the tip. I just know we didn't get the offensive rebound and they won the game on a tip-in. They only had one offensive rebound in the first half and it's unfortunate we gave up, I guess, there in the second half, was it nine opportunities for them.
Q. Coach, Tim had a really great 30 minutes or so, made some big shots in the second half to sort of fend off NC State's runs. Did he just get tired late in the game? Looked like maybe some of the other guys, fatigue might have been a factor.
COACH JONES: He played 39 minutes against a team the quality of NC State. I thought he played some quality minutes. He had a real tough assignment defensively. The guards do a great job of running off of screens. He did a great job of chasing them and he was possibly a little bit winded down the stretch and tired, but I thought he gave a great effort.
MODERATOR: Anyone else for Coach Jones? Coach, thank you.
COACH JONES: Thanks.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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