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NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT

March 27, 2018

New York, New York

Utah - 69, Western Kentucky - 64

Q. Coach, how did that feel? How did that feel here in New York?
COACH LARRY KRYSTKOWIAK: That was a great experience. That was awesome. Nothing like it.

Q. For both Justin and Dave, what do you feel like early on, was it just a matter of getting into the flow of the game and what changed as you guys went along for you to get going offensively and tighten up defensively?
DAVID COLLETTE: I just feel like we came out flat with no energy. Biggest thing was just getting our guys going, getting some more energy, flying around out there. That's all we needed.

JUSTIN BIBBINS: Just like Dave said, we came out flat, I think just to get the jitters out a little bit. Once we got going, it was fine and we played our type of basketball and we knew, you know, if we kept chipping away, we'll be fine.

Q. Justin, you came up huge at the end with the offensive foul you drew. Have you felt like you've had to take the team on your shoulders?
JUSTIN BIBBINS: No, I wouldn't say take it all on my shoulders because the Saint Mary's game, Sedrick had a big game, and I didn't play that well.

But late in the game, I just, you know, was trying to make a play. Coaches was telling me when I drove on the paint, people were opening on the outside, and I looked out and Ty was wide open and I just tried to make the right play and I was happy he knocked it down.

Q. Did you guys do anything different on the Johnson kid there, or was it just a matter of executing a little bit better because it seemed after the first quarter, you had like ten and then you guys were able to tighten up a little bit and make make it a little more tougher for them.
DAVID COLLETTE: Our game plan was kind of the same on him but we decided to be a little more aggressive with him and work on not letting him get the ball more. We were letting him get too much touches down there, so we were trying to be a little bit more aggressive and keep him from getting touches.

Q. Justin, 12-for-12 from the line, can you talk about hitting key free throws down the stretch, too.
JUSTIN BIBBINS: They were fouling. You know, the new rule, you get two shots. So I was happy to go to the line and get those two and just take my time, and once I got into the flow and made four in a row, I tried to get there more because my shot wasn't falling on the outside. I just went to the basics and knocked them down.

Q. For both you guys, what does it mean to know that you're going to be playing for an NIT Championship in a couple days here?
JUSTIN BIBBINS: It means the world to us. We're seniors, this is our last go-around playing with the guys, and you know, I love this team. I keep wanting to play with them every day, and to extend the game won more day. And to do shootaround and another game with them, this just means the world to us.

DAVID COLLETTE: Yeah, I mean, just excited, couldn't go out any better way, you know. Disappointed, obviously, wanted to make it to the NCAA Tournament, but making it to the NIT Championship, I'll take that any day.

Q. For either player, how do you prepare for tomorrow's game? You don't really know the opponent yet. How will you prepare? Will you watch or how will you get ready for tomorrow's game?
JUSTIN BIBBINS: Just like any game, we're going to enjoy this win and get some good food in us. Just like any game, we're going to prepare the same way and take it one game at a time and watch film on them, whoever wins, and just focus on what we can do to win the game.

Q. Dave, before you left Salt Lake, you said you were going to bring a trophy back home. Can you talk about being one step closer? It was a battle, wasn't it.
DAVID COLLETTE: It absolutely was a battle. That's the whole goal we've had the whole time is come to New York and enjoy ourselves and we thought the whole time we could win this thing and bring back the trophy, and we're there. We stick by our word this time.

Q. You got the win a little differently than normal, you out-rebounded your opponents and didn't really hit a lot of threes. Do you feel like you're diverse enough that you can do whatever you need to to get that W?
JUSTIN BIBBINS: That felt good that we out rebounded a team and found a way to win. We're trying to find different ways to win games, and that was huge for us to outrebound them. They are a great rebounding team and you know, threes aren't falling, that just shows the maturity of this team that we can find a different way to win the game and go inside and, you know, hit free throws. We're piecing it together now and for the final game and it feels really good.

COACH LARRY KRYSTKOWIAK: Fire away, I think I know your question.

Q. Considering, I think Josh mentioned, out-rebounding them, and then the key charges at the end. To win in that sort of fashion, does it mean anything different? Does it have anything more on it, just the way you guys won that?
COACH LARRY KRYSTKOWIAK: Well, it's interesting because there were some key components I thought. You know, and to get -- to answer your first question about the slow start, we gave Johnson two threes, which we knew we couldn't do. That's six points. And then I think they missed five shots and they got all offensive rebounds.

And then we're sitting there at halftime, we turned the ball over eight times and they scored 15 points off of our turnovers, so they basically got two points for every turnover; we really felt like if we would quit turning the ball over, those pick-sixes are impossible to defend if the half ended.

And then once we got rebounds, and had a little bit better idea with personnel, gave ourselves a chance. You know, you make enough shots with the lead changes back and forth.

This time of year, it's funny, because you watch NCAA games -- and I've told our team since the beginning, you watch NCAA games, NIT games, whatever it is, and the concept in my mind is that there are no little things. You'll see a missed block-out, free throw block-out, something that everybody perceives as little, that ends up changing the trajectory of the entire outcome of the game. It could mean a team advancing to the Final Four with their first game.

So the thing that was cool is we take a lot of pride in taking charges, and this was a team that got a little thirsty to get their feet in the paint at the end, you know. Not necessarily a big three-point shooting team, but to have two guys. We had two charges in the last three minutes. It wasn't just Justin's at the end.

So that's one of those things that on the outside, everything thinks, well, that was a little thing, but that was a key point in the game.

And then Justin's ability to make 12 free throws. I don't think there's a college team -- I may be wrong -- that shoots more free throws in practice. We have fun little competitive games with our teams and we talk about how we wanted to lead the Pac-12 in free throw shooting. You know, that's a little thing, right.

But if you don't practice it and find your rhythm; we've got some guys that really shoot a high percentage of free throws. You know, Justin goes 9-for-12, we're not sitting here at the podium. We're in consoling each other.

It was neat, a couple of the key elements, the rebounding, obviously is a little thing but it's been a big thing for us. So those were real keys in the game.

Q. Seems like Justin Bibbins is a really tough player. How much does that rub off on the team not just tonight but the entire season?
COACH LARRY KRYSTKOWIAK: It's pretty neat. There's a lot of different ways to lead, and Justin has led the -- the best leaders are the guys that do it through actions. He's a very vocal leader, as well, and very upbeat kid, mature, understands it.

So I don't know how it can't help but rub off. I always think point guard position is such a key offensively and defensively. When you see somebody out front that's really the head of your unit, you know, and how it couldn't be contagious.

You know, he's a kid that's undersized but has really, you know, in the old saying, his heart is as big as anybody's. You know, he's a point guard that I think our players I know, and most players, would want to play with. He stands for a lot of what's really positive about college basketball and it's been a thrill for us to have him for the period of time that we have him.

Obviously a sense of urgency with the game Thursday to try to finish this up on a high note. There's only, in my mind, there's really two teams -- and I've said it for many years before we were involved in the NIT. In my mind, there's two teams that end their season on a note that they are really happy about. There's a lot of disappointment along the way, and I consider this tournament one of extreme value, and to be able to go on a little streak at the end of the season would be special for us. So that's what we're shooting for.

Q. It's Utah's first NIT Final since 1974, and I'm sure you've seen the banner, the 1947. Can you expand on having this opportunity?
COACH LARRY KRYSTKOWIAK: It's pretty neat. I got an e-mail last night from Arnie Ferrin, who my office is named after, 1947 Champs, and there are three guys that are still alive from 70 years ago that have that banner and that's back when the NIT was the banner. That was the one you wanted to have. Not that it's diminished anyway but things have changed.

I mentioned to our guys at breakfast this morning and I wore a shirt that said, "Play for more" and that's one of those things, I quizzed everybody in the room, and I had about eight things: Who could we play for? Who could we play for? And they don't need any motivation at this point because they are pretty self-driven, and I went around and guys threw out past players.

I said, "Well, here's the text, here's e-mail from Arnie." We could play for Jas who sprained his ankle in practice yesterday. He couldn't play today but if we win, there's a chance he could play on Thursday.

You know, Dr. Hill, our athletic director, longest tenured athletic director in college sports of 32 years has been a basketball guy through and through and he just coincidentally come back home for the NIT.

As you know, we've had a big emphasis in really committing and dedicating our season to Jon Huntsman, who is one of the best individuals I've ever met on the planet for many reasons, and we've talked about, go big; let's go big like Jon did. We heard that message at his funeral. So that's been a bunch of things that we're trying to gear up for and trying to make it a special ending.

Thanks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297

NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT

March 27, 2018

Larry Krystkowiak

David Collette

Justin Bibbins