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BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 10, 2016

Kansas City, Missouri

Oklahoma-79, Iowa State-76

THE MODERATOR: We have been joined by Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm, student-athletes Georges Niang and Matt Thomas. Coach, we'll go to you first for an opening statement.

COACH PROHM: Congratulations to Oklahoma. Obviously, at this point we couldn't finish the comeback at the end. You can look at a lot of different things, but I was proud of our guys' effort and resiliency throughout the game. And now we've just got to get back home and get rested up and ready to make a good run at the tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

Q. Georges, in the second half, you looked like you were playing a lot more aggressive. Did you really feel a sense of urgency that you would have to take over the offense there down the stretch in the second half?
GEORGES NIANG: I just really wanted to get in and try to, you know, pierce through the defense and really try to get them to over-help so I could start finding shooters and making plays and doing that, you know. They gave me lanes to the rim, so I just was going to the rim and was able to finish.

Q. Georges, this is for you as well. I know you're disappointed in the loss. Can you enjoy a game like this where the production is so high and there's clearly a great individual battle going on?
GEORGES NIANG: Do you want my honest answer or do you want me to put on a front for this one?

Q. Let's go honest.
GEORGES NIANG: I'm really, you know, upset. Obviously, being in the Big 12 for four years and, you know, going on like this, obviously stings, but the competition that goes on in the Big 12 is obviously special and something that I'll miss. But this one obviously hurts and stings, but this team will bounce back.

Q. Georges, this is also for you. Playing against Buddy Hield, you two have played against each other for four years at a high-caliber level. What impact will he, looking back maybe ten years from now, what impact will he have on college basketball with you playing against him?
GEORGES NIANG: You know, I think to have a guy that started off as, I wouldn't say, a heralded recruit, but he was a pretty good recruit to come in and then do what he's doing his senior year, I think that's extremely impressive. Throughout this year, his percentages, his games, what he has done, he obviously left his mark.

From a friendship standpoint, I am happy to say that he is my friend and I am proud of him. But from a competitor standpoint, I wish he'd miss a couple more shots (laughter).

Q. This one is for Matt Thomas. You had the assignment most of the night are guarding Buddy Hield, and I know his totals are obviously disconcerting. But do you feel like could you have done anything differently? There were threes he hit with your hand right in his face, and other hands in his face. Do you think there was anything more that you guys could have done?
MATT THOMAS: I mean, he only -- he made two threes, they were both early in the first half, 2-6 from three and I think we had a pretty good game plan set. It was to run him, get him off the three-point line and then contest him when he did get to the rim and he was just making tough finishes. When a scorer like that gets into a rhythm, it's tough. He was making shots and getting to the free-throw line.

But to answer your question, obviously he had -- what did he have? 40 points? Obviously I think I could have done more and as a team we could have done more, but he just kind of had it going tonight.

Q. Georges, as special as this season has been, does this seal you guys and prepare you for the NCAA tournament, or are you guys just kind of emotionally worn out from the rigors of this Big 12?
GEORGES NIANG: I mean, you play this game to compete, so I don't think anybody in our locker room is happy to be going home and rest, or be happy that the Big 12 is over. I think, as competitors, you get a thrill from doing something like that. As a good gymnast would get a thrill from flipping off a beam or something, you get the thrill of competing every night at the highest level and that's what this conference it.

That being said, going forward to the NCAA tournament, I think these guys in our locker room, including me and our coach, we're battle-tested. We've been in every situation there is, and I think when we face the NCAA tournament I don't think it is going to be anything we haven't seen before.

THE MODERATOR: Guys, thank you for coming and good luck next week. Questions for coach.

Q. Can you just talk about the dual between Buddy and Georges?
COACH PROHM: Those two guys, the biggest compliment I can give those two guys is that I think they represent the game the right way and I think they represented their schools and the University the right way. And Buddy was amazing, but Georges his second-half effort was just as good. He kind of willed us back into the game. And, you know, we just couldn't make enough plays down the stretch to finish or to push it into overtime or whatever.

But both of those guys going forward, like I said, I think the biggest compliment I can give both of those guys is only being around them one year, but I think they're about the right things when you look at character, a student-athlete, special players are going to go on and do great, great things and represent their schools the right way.

Q. Steve, how much do you think Monte's shoulder affected his night? What is your concern level with that going forward?
COACH PROHM: I'll talk to him tomorrow, maybe even give him a day totally away and then meet with him on Saturday. I don't know, I can't say. Obviously, you know, 1-9, when Monte only scores 5 points -- he's a guy, he and Georges, that makes us go. I haven't talked to him about the injuries. Obviously the guy's a little frustrated and upset right now and they should be. I will give them a day to be away and rested up more, and I will talk to him on Saturday. But he has been great for us all year, he's a special talent, but we need him full strength for us to be at the highest level we can be.

Q. Independent of the injury, he's had trouble scoring the basketball the last four games. Is there something there that you see that's causing that?
COACH PROHM: I don't know if it's just -- I don't know, I don't know what it is. Obviously I know his numbers aren't -- he went through a stretch where it was ridiculous, his numbers were just off the charts. And I know looking at -- reading different material I know his last couple of weeks his numbers are down a little bit but he'll get it back. I've got worlds of confidence in Monte and he knows that.

Q. Steve, are you almost sick of playing Big 12 teams, and would it be a little bit of a relief to play somebody new in the tournament?
COACH PROHM: No, I'm just disappointed about tonight because obviously these guys have won here the last two years. We have such an amazing fan base that turned out, that you just feel like you're letting so many people down when you don't win. But I have been in this situation before, and so we just have to get ourselves ready going forward. The NCAA tournament will be a new chapter because it is somebody foreign, somebody that hadn't paid us two, three, four times.

But credit Oklahoma, I mean, they're terrific. They're a very, very good team. We just had our first five minutes of the first half, the first seven minutes was tough on us from an offensive standpoint and we didn't get stops either, and that was a big key.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Coach. We'll let you go and prepare for next week.

COACH PROHM: Thank you.

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