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MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONALNovember 19, 2018Sean MillerJustin ColemanChase JeterLahaina, Maui, Hawaii Arizona - 71, Iowa State - 66 MEGAN GODFREY: We'll start with an opening statement from coach. SEAN MILLER: We feel really good about our win. You come to this tournament, you don't want to be the team that heads home 0-3. We experienced that last year, and there could be a really good team that is 0-3 when they leave Maui. That certainly wasn't our goal but every win here is a very hard one to get. I give our guys a lot of credit. Chase and Justin, neither one of those guys played in games for us last year, they're our captains. They have been through a lot in their careers and I think they give us some experience and character that we're going to really rely on and I thought both guys did a tremendous job in tonight's game. Also, in terms of Iowa State, when we lost a couple early last year, I know there was a parade that was thrown on a number of different levels because we lost, but we were playing without a starter and a really good player. Look at Iowa State. They're missing not only an all Big-12 performer, but a number of other players that didn't play. And I think it's to their credit that they're as good of a team right now without them as they are. And when those guys get back, I would fully expect them to make a run and be in the NCAA tournament. So for us beating a good team, a team that we really respect, here in Maui and having these two guys with us I think really allows us to feel good and get ready for tomorrow's opponent. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes, please. Q. I just heard it's awfully loud up there. I know you guys had a ton of support from your guys, but seemed like the Iowa State folks were really, really loud. If you could just describe each of you, just describe what the atmosphere in that game was like. CHASE JETER: I think initially the young guys on our team kind of got a little intimidated by the atmosphere, so going into the second half we had to kind of take a step back and look in the mirror and know that we were going to be okay and not to let the crowd kind of take direction of the game. So in the second half it was just the most important thing for us was coming out strong and getting stops and getting buckets. JUSTIN COLEMAN: I want to thank my Lord and savior for the opportunity to play here in Maui, my teammates, great coaches. To answer your question, I played Iowa State my freshman year on the road so I kind of got a feel of how their fans, they have one of the best fans in the country and it was a great experience for our young guys, freshmen and sophomores to get that atmosphere and to get that experience to grow and get better each and every day. Q. Justin, this is for you. You struggled a little bit in the first half but then came out in the second half putting it together, feeling it. What were you thinking about at halftime? How did you get yourself going in the second half? JUSTIN COLEMAN: I just had to get a feel of their defense, what's open, what's not open, how to get my teammates shots. Get Chase the ball, he's one of the best big men in the country. And I was looking for my teammates and things just opened up for me as well so I just took the shots that were open for me and they just happened to fall for me today. Q. You guys trailed by 10 with 11 minutes left. How were you guys feeling in the moment? How did you hold it together in what was obviously a fairly dire situation at that point? CHASE JETER: It was just about getting stops, really. We knew what we had to do defensively, we knew what we had to do from the jump. I think we came out a little bit lax in the beginning and then kind of we got caught up in the atmosphere. But moving forward I know that our biggest goal was just to kind of get stops and take it from there and the offense will take care of itself. Q. Justin, I was wondering if this is the kind of game you envisioned when making that grad transfer move that you could play on this stage and do these things and if so, did that maybe help your confidence level out there tonight? JUSTIN COLEMAN: I put a lot of work in my game and I trusted my teammates a lot, so when I started transferring I just took a leap of faith and Coach Miller was one of the first people to call me and he said he liked my game and trusted my talent. So I decided to take the offer and come to Arizona and it's one of the best decisions I made. Q. Chase, you guys were out rebounded throughout the game today, but can you talk about those two late rebounds with less than a minute to go? You had a timely rebound and so did Luther and players, if you can just comment on just the plays you guys made down the stretch whether it be those two rebounds and also the free throws? CHASE JETER: Yeah, well we had our guys step up big at the free-throw line late in the game. And then those two rebounds you spoke of, I think that was a big turning point in the game for us. We were down two with three minutes left and it wasn't in the game. And after that we kind of just when we, after we left that last huddle we didn't look back. So the defense leading up to those two rebounds and guys being ready and guys being aware is what made that push. Q. For Chase and Justin, what did you learn about your team today? CHASE JETER: Just proud. I'm just proud of these guys. Coming into this we had some good games, 3-0, but we knew once we got to this field that the competition was going to rise. And I think like I said earlier, I think we came out a little bit lax and kind of intimidated a little bit by the atmosphere maybe. But once our guys, we took a deep breath and guys we got our feet under us, I think I'm just really proud of my teammates and how we performed out there. Especially the way we finished the game. JUSTIN COLEMAN: I can say the same as Chase. I'm just proud of our guys. I feel like today just showed how we loved each other as brothers. I'd go to war for Chase, I'd go to war for any of those guys. Down the line even the managers and the coaches. So it just shows the connection we have as a team because like you said, we got out-rebounded, we got down 10, but it showed the effort and the togetherness we had through adversity to get back and win the game. MEGAN GODFREY: Take questions now for coach. Q. What did you learn about your team in those final 11 minutes after y'all were down by 10? SEAN MILLER: Well we didn't panic, we hung in there. Listening to Chase say maybe coming out at the beginning of the game that we were tentative, that's what happens to a team that hasn't been in this environment before. Everybody who is out on the court, including those two guys, didn't play for us a year ago. So we're very new to each other and in an environment like this, a game like this can really bring you closer together. I think you learn what it takes. Each of these guys is in a brand new role. Some things as simple as free throw shooting. Lonzo Trier, he's one of the best free throw shooters late games that I've ever coached. You take it for granted in the three years that he was with us, late in the game and the ball got to him and he made them 90 plus percent of the time. Well even tonight who is going to be that player that you're going to want to put on the foul line. And you saw Brandon Williams as a freshman go 9-10 from the line. So there's always things that you learn in November, but you can't learn them unless you really are challenged. If we would have lost tonight we would have learned a lot. The fact we won is great, but I think more than anything it's just us having an opportunity to grow, keep getting better and if you can win while you're doing that, then obviously that's what we all want to do. Q. It looked like your defense and ball handling kind of held up against this competition and did that surprise you at all, or did you think that that and maybe the heart this team kind of showed maybe made a difference? SEAN MILLER: Well, I believe in our heart. I think that we learned that we got a group that really cares about winning and I've mentioned that almost in every interview that I've done. It started in the spring, through the summer, and certainly this fall that we practiced very hard. We have great leadership with Chase and Justin and I think we got a really hungry group of guys that are trying to prove that maybe we're a little bit better than people have given us credit for. That remains to be seen, but I think that motivation has been really healthy. And when you're around our team every day you really get the same look. We have very few ups and downs and that consistency, if we can keep that up, that will take us as far as we can go. And that's really what we're trying to do, can we become the best team that we can be. This isn't a year ago, three years ago, five, six, years ago, when we were here fours years ago, all that we were asked about was National Championship, Final Four. And I think we were 33-4 and lost in the regional final game. That was much different. For us right now it's can we get better, what will we be like tomorrow, and can we stay on the right track. Q. Obviously you don't know yet who you're going to play officially tomorrow, but if it is Gonzaga, what kind of challenge do they present? What do you see in their squad? SEAN MILLER: Well we have had some great battles during my 10 years here at Arizona with them. And before I showed up, Arizona and Gonzaga had some real epic games. So they're one of the premier programs in the country. Mark Few and his staff are the best of the best and what you see is what you get with them. From one year to the next it doesn't deviate a whole lot. The faces may change but their style, their system, it's really held up for a couple decades. So we know that they love to push it in transition, they're going to be very well coached. But I also know Illinois is really tough, they play in the Big Ten, they pressure the ball and force a lot of turnovers, and so either game when you come here you know you're going to be tested. So I know that we're not going to be 0-3, so I'll take that off the plate. Q. One what are the advantages and disadvantages of having 24 hours, if that, to prepare for an opponent in a tournament like this? SEAN MILLER: Well one thing about our team this year is we're not like an iron five. We do like to play our bench. We didn't play our bench as much tonight because a couple of the guys, they didn't seem to be as confident as they had been. I'm hoping that now we have got one under our belt here that they can return to form. But part of what we like about our team this year is guys nine, ten, six, seven, and eight have really contributed. They have a role and we can play through long stretches because we're going to sub. So I hope that helps us. That's what we're going to do tomorrow. But that's college basketball. If you get into a PAC-12 tournament you're going to have to win three games in three days. The NCAA tournament, sometimes you play an evening tip and then with the one day in between and noon tip. So I think all of us have gotten used to that and we'll do the best we can. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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