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AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 16, 2019Gregg MarshallSamajae Haynes-JonesMarkis McDuffieMemphis, Tennessee Cincinnati, 66 - Wichita State, 63 COACH GREGG MARSHALL: I think our inability to score at the beginning of the second half -- obviously Cincinnati did some nice adjustments at half-time and we went into a lull there and couldn't get a good look. And that was the difference in the game, that run. You know, there were some -- we were one play short against a very, very good team, against a well-coached team, against a team that is going to go to the NCAA tournament and go very deep. I'm proud of my guys, how far they've come and how far they continue to grind every day, to try to find a way to get better. And it's been very rewarding to watch just the individuals as well as the team collectively improve to get to this point where we were one play shy of playing for a Championship. Q. Coach, heading into next season, how do you use this run as in the AAC Tournament as a positive and how do you run off of it? COACH GREGG MARSHALL: What we'll use as an impetus for us going forward is what I just touched on, the improvement of our team. We were -- we played some ugly basketball at times early this year. Our first game, we lost at home to Louisiana Tech, they came in with a bunch of seniors, we played awful and they played very well. And they, it wasn't even a one-possession game. They just beat us. It wasn't close. I mean, even when we lose at home, usually -- and we have lost at home -- we lost to Cincinnati last year on Championship Saturday or Sunday. But usually it's a one-possession game just like today. But that didn't happen. They beat us soundly and then we start the Conference play 1 and 6, but they didn't throw in the towel. They continued to work, they continued to believe that we could get better, and we wanted to be playing our best basketball in March. So I'm going to leave it up to my guys. There will be some type of post-season play. There may be multiple offers to play in post-season. And if they want to do that, we'll do it. If they want to hang up their shoes this time of year, that's up to them. But it's been fun coaching them. They're a great group. And these two seniors to my left have been dynamic leaders. They never quit on the young guys. They always were positive, despite the fact that there were times when we didn't really see much to be positive about. They led by example. But they were the impetus for us turning this thing around, just continuing to grind and teach the young guys what can be accomplished through hard work, effort, energy, passion and toughness. Q. I got two questions. You started talking about it at the end. In a year with a lot of roster turnaround, Markis was the only returning player. What has it been like to have Markis? And what legacy have you left looking back on your years here? COACH GREGG MARSHALL: Markis was a tremendous recruit from us, he had a lot of good offers. He was a long way from home. Almost didn't make his recruiting trip because of some plane issues. I think they were stranded in Cleveland or Chicago. They almost turned around and went home; almost didn't make the trip. We begged him to fight through those travel issues. Markis never has a bad day. He's amazing and his joie de vivre is incredible. He is fun to be around. He can engage anyone. He's got a huge heart. And it's been a joy to coach him. I've watched him transform from this skinny 17-year-old freshman that resembled Gumby to a guy who has muscles in all different places. He's become a better athlete and is ready to take his game into the next level. I'm excited for where that is going to lead. So he's been a joy to coach and never one time has he given us half effort. He's always given us complete effort, so coachable, and he's got a very, very bright future and I'm going to be excited to watch where that goes. MARKIS MCDUFFIE: Like you said, I just want to be remembered as someone who -- you know, as a role model pretty much to all the guys, all the people who support me and appreciate me and just, you know, fans favorites. Even the guys that I've led -- me and Samajae this year. I just want to be remembered as someone who is always positive, always worked super hard and never let anything get to me, you know. And I just continue to work and continue to overcome adversity and just my enthusiasm and my energy pretty much. And who I am as a person. Q. Coach, at the end of the season, how do you look ahead to next season? Who is possibly going to be your leader heading into the 2019-2020 season? COACH GREGG MARSHALL: I don't want to assign captains or anything like that. I like to let that naturally happen. Everyone will figure out who the leaders are when that leader emerges. It's going to be a whole lot different. We won't have these guys, but we've got a lot of returning talent. And these young guys have got a lot of -- just like Markis was the Rookie of the Year in the Missouri Valley Conference, we have a lot of guys that have played a ton of minutes and I think we have a bright future. We're going to add several pieces to our nucleus returning and -- again, I don't know what post-season play holds for us, but these guys will get back in the gym at some point this spring, and we're going to go to work. We're going to try to change their bodies and change their games and improve them as individuals, and I look forward to what we've got coming back. Q. Markis, as I have mentioned in a previous press conference, sounds like there's a lot of Wichita State fans out there supporting you guys. What message do you have to the fans who have made the trip out here to Memphis? MARKIS MCDUFFIE: I want to say thank you so much. These fans are amazing. In my four years, I don't regret anything, you know. These people have supported me and this basketball team since I stepped down here and since Samajae stepped down here. They are so amazing and we appreciate them, you know. And no matter whether it's away or home, every game is like a home game to us because they come out and support us. And that's one thing I'm going to miss, and so is Samajae, just that unconditional love and unconditional support. And we thank them every single day. Q. Coach, can you talk about the depth of this league and it is getting greater and greater each and every year? Can you talk about that? COACH GREGG MARSHALL: This is a tremendous league. For us being in our second year -- obviously it wasn't ideal with all the turnover that we had in our roster last year. But I think we -- it turned out okay. It looked dim and that's why I'm so proud of this group because they kept fighting and grinding and coming to work with the right attitude every single day. But this league, there's no night off. I mean, we go down to Tulane on the last weekend of the season and they haven't won, but they gave us all that we could deal with. We win on a buzzer-beater by Dexter Dennis and I was amazed at how Coach Dunleavy had kept his team positive, through a 0 and 17 Conference record to that point. It was just outstanding. And east Carolina with Joe, they're going to get better. And the top of the league right now is Houston, Cincinnati. UCF is like playing an NBA team with their size, Temple, Temple Basketball stands alone. All you have to do is say "Temple Basketball" and you've -- when we went in their place last year, they are certainly in the top ten in wins all time in college basketball. And all the Elite Eights they have been to with Coach Chaney and Coach Dunphy. And you have the guys like Memphis that's going to get better. They've had a heck of a run this year as well with the new coach, and they're going to get better. They're signing unbelievable talented players. South Florida was emerging this year and doing better. SMU's coming off their probation and they'll probably now be fully scholarshipped and Jank will get them better. Coach Haith and Tulane, that is a tremendous basketball program. I don't know who I'm leaving out at this point. It's a great league. You can't have a night off. You can't take a night off. And I think the middle has gotten better and the bottom has gotten better. The top has always been good. You know, UConn won a National Championship. But Coach Hurley will have them back there in short order, so that is one I didn't talk about. Obviously, they're the only ones who won a National Championship in the league, so it's just -- it's a great basketball league with tremendous coaches and tremendous players and some very nice venues. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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