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NCAA MEN'S REGIONAL SEMIFINALS AND FINALS: NEW YORKMarch 24, 2017Greg GardEthan HappNigel HayesBronson KoenigNew York, New York Florida - 84, Wisconsin - 83 THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from coach and then take questions for the student-athletes. GREG GARD: All right, thank you. Obviously a very gut wrenching game, but as I told the team, the last 45 minutes are going to sting and hurt for quite awhile as we move forward and appreciate these three, obviously, up here with me, but also we have two other seniors in the locker room that have helped push us forward, this program forward, and it's in good hands and a good position as they exit. I can't thank those guys, specifically the four seniors, enough for their time and dedication and commitment that they have made to our university and our program. This is a tough way for them to go out. And how they battled back, came from 12 down, it's kind of a microcosm of how they have navigated through the program. They have fought back at adverse times and tonight was a great testament to their Will and never give up attitude. So, proud of them, obviously this is hard to say to watch it like this, but in time it will get better and we'll appreciate even more the contributions those four specifically made. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes? Q. From your perspective, just were you surprised that he was able to run the length of the court on that last shot? BRONSON KOENIG: He's extremely quick, we knew that coming in. One of the quicker guys we have faced all year, so not really surprised that he got to the other end of the floor in the time that was left. So, yeah. NIGEL HAYES: I need to do a better job of making him change directions, he's extremely quick with the ball and he was able to put it in one hand and kind of outrun me. I need to do a better job of taking a better angle to at least make him take one extra crossover dribble. But he made a good shot. Sometimes that's what happens in this tournament. Q. In the closing moments of the second half were you confident you were going to come back or did that comeback even surprise you guys? NIGEL HAYES: Yeah, we are extremely confident. We should have been up, we had a good stretch going in the first half, first 10 minutes, we kind of got away from it. And in the second half we had spurts where we did what we needed to do and then spurts where we gave it away. But we knew if we buckled down on defense we knew that we were able to score and get points, but we just ran out of time tonight. ETHAN HAPP: With our last game being down seven to Villanova with four or five minutes to go, we came back and won that one, so we are definitely confident in the same regard. THE MODERATOR: All right, we'll excuse the student-athletes and take questions for coach. Q. How do you unpack something like that what happens there in the last few seconds when you go into the locker room and have that conversation or is that something that it's sort of impossible to process in that quick of time? GREG GARD: We touched on it a little, but more importantly I talked about and thanked the seniors for their contributions and what they have meant to the program. And then talked to the younger guys about going forward. But this is, obviously, it's a little bit, you're in a little bit of a shock, obviously, you talk about things that could have been better, to put it in better position, put us in better position down the stretch, not have it get to overtime. We made a heck of a comeback to get to overtime. So you touch on a few of those things, but you address more big picture things in terms of what these guys specifically the four seniors the impact they have had on the program and show your appreciation for them. Q. Can you talk about the two critical plays, first was the three-pointer that Showalter was able to make in the final seconds of regulation and then your defense on the last possession, four seconds left, for Florida? GREG GARD: Well, Showalter hits -- obviously we hit a desperation three and they hit a desperation three. So we were going with something else and they took it away on Showalter's play and he was able to get loose and have it go in. On the last play there, the end of overtime, we needed to turn him one more time, we allowed him to -- the little bit of a replay I've seen, he obviously caught the ball in stride and going towards his rim. And with four seconds, I mean he can get rim-to-rim in four seconds, let alone get to the three-point line. But we need to do a better job of making him have to come back to catch it and then once he does catch it, change direction. And we didn't and I don't know if we got him to change it at all or if he came with his left hand completely the way up. I was looking up the floor to see what else was happening, as he came up the floor. And then he hits that one-legged runner, so but we needed to have him alter change, go side-to-side, to eat more time. Q. 37 seconds left, you guys are down two, Iverson slips behind the defense, hits him with the pass. If you could coach him in that moment and been in his ear, would you have told him to dribble it out? GREG GARD: No, you got to take the two points when you get it like that. It's too much time to try to dribble that out. Barry made a heck of a play, I believe it was Barry that caught him from behind. He needs to recognize he's coming behind him, finish out in front of him, not try to dunk it, but, no, you have to take the two points, there's too much time to let that, to not take a clean look at the rim. THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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