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NCAA MEN'S FIRST FOUR: DAYTON

March 18, 2019

Dayton, Ohio

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by student-athletes from Belmont, Kevin McClain and Dylan Windler. Questions?

Q. There was quite a wait between the end of the conference tournament and Selection Sunday. What was that like for you guys? Did you guys follow all the bubble talk? Did you purposely stay away from it? What were those days like for you?
KEVIN MCCLAIN: For us, we just kind of -- we followed the bubble talk and kind of rooted for different teams and whatnot so that it would help us give us a better chance to get in.

DYLAN WINDLER: It was tough. Obviously it was a lot of waiting around. We're one of the first conference tournaments out there. So it's a full week of just waiting around. It was our spring break. So we got a few days off, which was nice.

But it was hard just because you're out of control at that point. You can't really control your own destiny, which kind of stinks. But it's watching a lot of basketball, like you said, rooting for certain teams that you wouldn't normally have to. So we had a lot of that to do and just try to stay patient and stay optimistic and that's what we did.

Q. There were a couple games in other places where there was an upset, so one more spot went off the bubble. You're watching that, is it going to make it harder?
DYLAN WINDLER: For sure. The one that stood out to me the most was Oregon winning late because I knew we were right on the edge at that time. With that upset, I knew that hurt us for sure.

But I think a lot of things overall went in our favor. Just the upsets are what stand out in your mind. But I think a lot of things went in our favor which might not usually happen every year. So I think we got very fortunate.

Q. Not knowing if you're going to get in until Selection Sunday, what was the feeling like when they finally announced your name?
DYLAN WINDLER: It was just pure joy is all I can say. It happened very fast in the Selection Show. So a lot of guys were caught off guard. Some of them weren't even looking at the screen or paying attention, it happened so early. To be truthfully honest, a lot of guys weren't expecting it.

So everything that you saw or videos of our reaction was just pure joy and excitement, just having the chance to get in.

KEVIN MCCLAIN: Yeah, for me it was, like, I was one of the guys that didn't expect it at all. It happened so quick that I was just like, what? And just full excitement. It was a joyful day.

Q. It was a pretty quick turnaround for you guys with the travel, the bus, the plane, then hotel, practice and here. Have you guys been able to really take it in, like, this is March Madness; you guys are finally here? Have you been able to take it in with that huge turnaround?
KEVIN MCCLAIN: For me, I feel like we just wanted that chance to be in here in the tournament. And for us no matter what time it's good for, us we're going to be ready.

DYLAN WINDLER: Yeah, to me it hasn't really sunk in yet, I don't think. I think once we step out on the floor and get in that atmosphere that we're going to be in tomorrow, I think it's going to sink in. But as far as the traveling and practice at a local high school today, it doesn't really feel like we're in that March Madness feel yet.

I think once we step out in full today, shootaround and kind of get that vibe and atmosphere, I think it's going to sink in that we're actually dancing, we're in this thing right now. So especially if we win a game or whatever, or two, it's really going to start getting the thing rolling and it's going to be a lot of fun.

Q. In the last 24 hours, could you tell me what you've seen of Temple in the last 24 hours of studying film of them?
DYLAN WINDLER: Before we got matched up with them after the Selection Show, I hadn't seen them play once at all this year. So right after the show I got on ESPN+ to watch a full game -- didn't really have much else to do -- so watched a full game, learned a little bit about their guys and what they do.

Obviously they have a really good back court, and their three perimeter guys all averaging over 15 points a game. So they run a lot of pick-and-roll actions. I think at times they kind of just play very free and just play ball dominant with their guards and just try to play free and confident and come off those ball screens and just make plays.

So it's going to be hard to guard for sure. But I think for our sake, I think, we have a better chance of guarding good perimeter players than getting beat up inside by big post players. So I think it's a good matchup for us.

Q. Both teams are in the same position where you're cramming for an exam and you don't even have enough time to study?
DYLAN WINDLER: Yeah, it's hard. I have a pretty big group project going on this week that I was planning to be in this week, and obviously I don't think it's going to happen now. So fortunately my group that I'm with is covering pretty well for me. So I'm fortunate on that part. But, yeah, it's definitely tough coming back from spring break. This is our first week of classes again. There's a lot going on right now.

Q. This probably isn't something you're thinking a lot about right now, but not a lot of schools like Belmont have gotten at-large bids through the years. Did this send a message at all? Is there an inspiration for other teams from other leagues, like the Ohio Valley, that they can get from this from the fact that you did get the at-large bid?
DYLAN WINDLER: I think it gives a lot of hope for mid-majors. I think it's going to help for the future as far as the committee, the way they value mid-major teams. And it just gives hope for those mid-majors; at the start of the year we have a chance at a at-large bid. You want to start off those early-season games trying to win every single game that you can because it can pay off end of the season.

So being focused on every single game, knowing that that could be that one game that puts you on or off the bubble at the end of the season. Definitely gives a lot of hope to play more consistently throughout the season.

KEVIN MCCLAIN: I agree with everything he just said right there. Just working hard and getting a good rap sheet for your team means a lot for your team. And it proves in our part and you see that with us.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

We're joined by Belmont head coach Rick Byrd.

COACH BYRD: We're glad to be here. Obviously it's a real thrill for our players. And I think it's maybe, hopefully another step for our program. It's just been 20 years or so since we went Division I. And we've been fortunate to play in this tournament seven times previously.

But to be good enough to be selected as an at-large team is a compliment to our kids and everybody who helped this program succeed. So it's a big deal. And we're excited about it.

Happy to be playing Temple in the sense that I have so much respect for Coach Dunphy and the kind of coach and person he's been. And I'm really happy that in his last year he's made the NCAA Tournament. And if we don't go further than this, I'll be glad that Fran Dunphy is going further than this.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Is there a larger message, the fact that Belmont got that at-large bid to other Belmonts, to other mid-majors, the fact that the committee looked at what your work was and put you in?
COACH BYRD: You know, I don't know what goes on in that room. I said from the beginning that we weren't going to campaign. Certainly I wasn't going to campaign and Belmont didn't campaign for this spot. I think you have to trust that those men and women were selected because they've got integrity and they're going to do the best job they can.

There's no question that over the past two, three, four years there's been a lot of discussion about the Power 5 middle-of-the-pack teams being chosen over some -- what people thought were worthy mid-major teams. I don't come down on either side of that equation even though we're solidly on the mid-major side of things.

I think what they're doing is right in terms of trying to find the best teams. And I don't think they really ought to be categorized. It's very hard to compare -- let's just throw somebody out -- Clemson or North Carolina State or Indiana -- with Belmont or Greensboro or Furman or Lipscomb or any of the other people that were mentioned.

It's just very difficult to know how we would have done in that league or how they would have done in our league. And so I can get why it's tough for the committee. As much as -- maybe we were the beneficiary of some of this discussion about mid-majors not making it, I don't know. I still don't think -- I think you just try to find the best teams. I'm not going to take one side or the other kind of -- is that a long answer to a short question?

Q. During that week, there were a lot of -- I don't know if you followed it on TV, but all the discussion about -- there were a lot of voices who came out strong for Belmont and said this team deserves to make it. How satisfying is that to hear other people talk so glowingly about your program?
COACH BYRD: You know, it means a lot that -- I think they meant it. Like I say, I didn't call anybody, any of those guys, you know, that you're talking about, whether it's Dick Vitale or Jay Bilas or Matt Norlander or Seth Davis. I think it's what they really thought.

Hopefully we've been around long enough and we've done things in a way that there's respect for the program. It's supposed to be about what did the team do each year and it's not supposed to be about anything else. But maybe this program's earned some respect from people like that who really care about college basketball.

Q. Want to get your impressions on Temple, what you've seen studying them over the last 24 hours.
COACH BYRD: I wish I had more time. Again, Coach Dunphy, it's fun to watch his teams play. It's fun for me to try to figure out what he's telling them, how to defend this, how to defend that.

Obviously they're a very perimeter-oriented, great guards, hard to guard one-on-one. Hard to guard off ball screens. Guys that can make tough shots. It's going to be critical for us to find a way to get between our man and the goal and stay there and make them take as tough shots as we can and block people out and go get the rebound.

So I'm obviously impressed. They're just -- they're a team that's good on both ends of the floor. They're a good team that's in transition offensively and they're good in transition defensively. We like to run; we like to get some easy scores, but I think it's going to be hard against them.

But I do think it's two teams that are pretty evenly matched. And we haven't been in this tournament against anybody other than a Top 25 team in the seven times we've been here. So it's a little nicer feeling like you can go into a game and you're playing somebody in your same neighborhood in terms of how good each team is.

So we've got to prove we belong. I'm sure there's plenty they think they've got to prove too. And I'm just -- I just always enjoy coaching against guys that I respect. And that's going to make this game more fun for me.

Q. They have two minutes of NCAA experience. I believe you have zero, unless you have any transfers or anything. How about that? Neither team really --
COACH BYRD: I didn't realize that. I'm just trying to learn their names still right now. Don't ask me their names. I know their numbers.

For us that's the first time since we went in 2006 that you could say that about one of our teams. And one of the real gratifying things about making it this year is our two seniors, who have been on really good teams for four years, three conference championship teams, but no NCAA Tournament appearances until now, that they get to go, because when we recruited them, we were going pretty regularly. And one of the reasons they came is, I'm sure, so they could go to NCAA Tournaments and so that's good.

I think about a few years ago when Mercer beat Duke or maybe even last year -- Maryland-Baltimore County -- those teams hadn't been to the tournament until they did that. And so who knows what's advantage, disadvantage? In this case I don't think their two minutes is an advantage over our zero. So we'll say it's pretty even.

Q. Just wondering when you have a team that is expected to finish near the top of your league, do you try to put a schedule together anticipating that you could be in an at-large position? And how difficult is it to get games that could potentially get you here?
COACH BYRD: I've never scheduled that way partly because it's just really hard to schedule. It's just really hard to schedule. And sometimes you've got to take what you can get. I do believe in playing good teams and playing a difficult schedule. I think it makes your team better by the time you get to January and you're playing your conference season. So, for years we played Middle Tennessee State home-and-home, not the same year, but we played them. We played Western Kentucky for five years in a row now.

We opened this year with Illinois State. We always have to play two or three guaranteed games. And then all of a sudden Lipscomb gets real good and we play them twice in the same year. So we haven't backed away, but I guess I never -- I don't think I've ever gone in the season thinking, hey, this team could get an at-large bid. I go into it thinking we've got to be good enough in March to win the tournament.

A good example of what I'm talking about is you can really think you're doing that well, and then all of a sudden you play Middle Tennessee in the first year they've been down in a long, long time. And Western Kentucky didn't turn out to be as good this year as everybody thought they were going to be. We had those teams on our schedule that we thought would be a real asset if we won.

And nothing against them, gosh, those guys have all beaten us and all had really good years. But that sounded like good planning, right? But it didn't necessarily turn out that way.

Yet when we -- Lipscomb every year home-and-home, turns out to be two great wins for us this year. So it's really hard to plan and get that done.

Q. Curious about Nick's status for tomorrow?
COACH BYRD: He's going to play. He practiced today just a little bit ago for the very first time full speed, 5-on-5. He was a little rusty and he was a little tentative like you would be if you hadn't really gone full speed since you turned your ankle pretty bad.

I'm hoping in another 24 hours -- our trainer would not let him be out there if she thought he could hurt it any worse. I hope on another 24 hours with treatment and a little adrenaline that you get when you play in the NCAA Tournament is going to help him be the player he was before it got hurt.

But it's still a little iffy. It's just hard to know. But he's going to play. And he's excited about it. We'll just have to see if he's as full speed as we hope he is, want him to be.

Q. As a mid-major and an at-large, do you feel any additional pressure to justify putting more mid-majors in at-large positions in future tournaments?
COACH BYRD: A little bit. Like we just talked about, there's been a lot of people that have been promoting our cause, and I don't know if it's about carrying the mid-major flag as much as it is the Belmont flag. And just playing like those guys said we could play.

They said we were a good team and that we deserve to be here and that we could win games in this tournament. And so I feel a responsibility to those folks for standing up for us and hope that we play like we have many, many times. We've had a lot of great wins and beat good teams and had a 14-game winning streak where we beat, I think, 13 of those teams by double figures.

We've had a really good year and have been a very good team much of the time and that's what we want to look like tomorrow night.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you.

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