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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: COLUMBIA

March 22, 2019

Columbia, South Carolina

Oklahoma - 95, Ole Miss - 72

THE MODERATOR: We have Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis, accompanied by Terence Davis, Devontae Shuler, and Breein Tyree.

KERMIT DAVIS: It was a really disappointing day for our team. Just right from the start, Oklahoma, give them all the credit. They totally outclassed us, out-toughed us in every area. Give Oklahoma a lot of credit. They played really, really well. This is not going to define who we are, based on when we took the program over a year and how much progress we have made in a year. I'm so proud of these guys, these three guys. They were unbelievable all year long. Obviously, we didn't play like we wanted today, but to be with this group the whole year, extremely excited about our future. But just give Lon and Oklahoma a lot of credit. If they play like that, they'll have a chance to win in next round, Game 2.

Q. Terence, that's your last game as an Ole Miss Rebel, and you went out playing really well. Just what was it like out there in your final game. Going out there, was it tough for you?
TERENCE DAVIS: Definitely going out that way was tough for me. They jumped on us quick. I think it was like 11-0 I looked up. You've just got to give them all the credit, man. They made the tough plays. They exploited mixed messages and things like that. But, yeah, it was pretty tough.

Q. Breein, last couple games for you, two tourney games, really struggled there offensively. What was it that kind of you struggled with as far as getting your shot going? Were you frustrated with that?
BREEIN TYREE: Just couldn't make a shot. It's unacceptable. I've got to become a more consistent player over this off-season and just got to be better.

Q. Terence, they got off to a particularly hot start in the post with Doolittle in there. What did you see? I know you weren't matched up against him so much early on, but what allowed them to be so effective with him in the post early?
TERENCE DAVIS: That's part of his game. I would say he got better throughout the season this year. I think it's like most improved player in the Big 12. He just went, exploited mixed messages, that's what Oklahoma does. That's what they did with Doolittle.

Q. Breein, I know this probably didn't end the way you guys wanted it to, but as a player, are you able to process the step you guys made as a program this year?
BREEIN TYREE: Of course. As a player and as a competitor, you want to win every game, especially our first time being in March Madness. I know, when we take a step back probably a few weeks from now and look at what we did this season, we had a great body of work. We all got better as people and as basketball players on and off the court this year. So there's a lot of positives, but never happy or satisfied with losing like that.

Q. Terence, rather than just dissecting this game, having a full year with head coach Kermit Davis, I just want to expand on what he's meant this year, coming in and flipping a program from 12 wins to 20. Just comment on how your relationship has been with Kermit so far this year.
TERENCE DAVIS: The first time meeting Coach, he looked me in the eye and said it wasn't going to be a rebuilding year, and I believed him. We all believed him. He brought so much success upon me, my teammates, and this program. They're going to do great things here at Ole Miss.

Q. Bree, you talked Thursday about just how you guys have maybe a lot of basketball experience but not a lot in the tournament. How much do you think that factored in, especially the first ten minutes. Nerves? Experience?
BREEIN TYREE: They got out to a really good start. Oklahoma is a really experienced tournament team. I think they made it like four of the last five years. Got to give them all the credit. In my matchup, whoever I was guarding was exploiting me for most of the game. I know it. Everybody saw it. I'm not happy with it, but back to the drawing board we go.

Q. Devontae, with T.D. gone, Kermit's already said he thought you were the most important player on the roster this year and what you did. Do you anticipate taking another step as far as leadership is concerned and establishing yourself in that way?
DEVONTAE SHULER: Definitely. Me learning from T.D. and practicing with him every day, I learned a lot just from him being tough on the court and his mindset off the court. I learned a lot. I'm just trying to work on myself getting better.

Q. Devontae, turnovers for you guys in the first half, was that a part of nerves or their toughness, or did you guys just not start like you wanted to?
DEVONTAE SHULER: We didn't start like we wanted to, but I think the main thing, we weren't really running offense, we were just shooting the ball on the first side. We usually have a high percentage getting on the second and third side. I think that was the most thing. They just out-toughed us on rebounds. Like Breein and T.D. said, they just explored on mismatches.

Q. You guys came out with a lot of energy in the second half. Looked like you guys cut it down to about 12. What were they able to do offensively that just threw you off again in the second half.
BREEIN TYREE: We did make a pretty good run to start the half. Coach was trying to tell us at halftime, just get it down to a manageable game and see what they do. Credit to Oklahoma. They stayed with it and kept moving the ball in the zone or in the man. We were throwing at them, and they were making shots and making plays. They expanded the lead back out; and you saw what the outcome was.

Q. This is for Devontae. Being a hometown kid, obviously, does it make it easier or harder for you to take this loss, maybe in the same town that kind of helped you?
DEVONTAE SHULER: I don't think it really was a hard loss for me. I think me just coming back home and playing in front of my fans and family for the most part, that was the main thing. The fact that we lost is not what I wanted to happen, but it's nothing I can really do about it. Just keep working.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you guys.

Q. Kermit, you went into this matchup saying that Dom and Bruce guarding Doolittle in that front line was probably the biggest match of the game. They struggled there. You've been talking about front line help all year. Do you anticipate this off season being really important as far as adding up there and trying to get bigger and longer and more athletic?
KERMIT DAVIS: It's got to. When I started watching Oklahoma the first five minutes, I knew it was going to be a problem. We were playing two five men, and Doolittle, you're trying to guard him at wide post areas at 15, 17 feet. They've got big guards. James and Odomes are big, big physical guards. Kind of puts you in matchup problems at 16, 17 feet. It's kind of a one-on game. It's not something we've been great at all year.

We did get exploited right there with Bruce and Dom. You're right. We've got to improve the guys in our program and improve our team with a couple of guys in the spring for sure.

Q. Kermit, you called a time-out with less than two minutes into the game. What was it that you saw right then and there that showed you something wasn't right with your team?
KERMIT DAVIS: It just seemed like we wouldn't contest a shot. We would guard, and their hands were down, and it was just so easy for them. I saw kind of a different look on our team, and I just wanted to call a quick time-out and just kind of sell into our team. It didn't do a lot of good because they went on another 8-0 run. But I just saw a different look, and I was just trying to get our guys' attention to kind of settle in. Obviously, we never really did until the first maybe four or five minutes of the second half.

Q. Just like I said with T.D., rather than just dissecting this one game, season as a whole, Coach Kruger has said you did a phenomenal job, when I asked him from Oklahoma saying how well you developed these players, to flip a program from upside down. So I just want to ask you what have these boys meant to you? Obviously, very emotional with T.D. being his last game. But just from an emotional standpoint, how great has the season been for you and those players?
KERMIT DAVIS: It's really been probably one of the most rewarding years I've ever had as a coach, as far as a team maybe overachieving. Our staff did a great job. These guys did a great job. I know it wasn't the last couple games. Breein Tyree may have been the most improved guy in the SEC. Went from a no team preseason, averaged 9 or 10, to second in the league in scoring. Devontae Shuler has never played point guard in his life, played point all year long. And T.D. had a great year. It was, but we'll reflect back. I think it's what they said, in about a week. The biggest thing I take away is just so appreciative of how the players and the fan base connected, how we grew there. We've got a lot of work to do. There's no question about that.

But what Ross and Keith and just the people in the administration, the opportunity they gave us, it's going to be hard for me for about two or three days. Then we'll get right back on the road recruiting, and there's a lot of positive things to think about.

Q. Kermit, you made a late switch to start Dom instead of Bruce. What did you like about that matchup with Dom early?
KERMIT DAVIS: Dom had been better in practice than Bruce. We always reward guys on practice. I told Blake or K.J. who had the most rebounds, and then the four or five practices leading up to the start, and Blake had more rebounds than K.J. I knew it was going to be a tough matchup for both of them, and Dom didn't get off to a great start defensively.

Q. Kermit, do you feel like this year expedited the process of what you're trying to build at all? Does it change your outlook going forward at all?
KERMIT DAVIS: It expedited fan interest. I think it hopefully expedites recruiting, just from a national level, just because of what people saw -- not today, but just the tournament, so our fan base and those nationally televised games in the pavilion. I really did. We've got a lot of work now. We've got a lot of holes to fill, and we've got to get guys better, but I do think it sped up the process.

Q. Kermit, now the year's over, how much of this team looked like what you would like it to look like down the line? Did you ever get close to molding it into your image? How far along do you need to come, where does it need to get fixed?
KERMIT DAVIS: From an emotional standpoint, it's almost like we got it together and won at Missouri to kind of get us in the tournament, get us 10-8 and 20 wins. I think the Tennessee and Kentucky games, we played as well as we could play, one-possession losses at home, and the crowd was unbelievable. Then in the Alabama game, we were up 16, and the thing kind of took its toll.

It didn't ever really look like what I really wanted it to look like. I was really proud of their improvement, but for us to really be a contender in the SEC, bodies have got to change. We've got to develop a lot better depth. There's still a lot of work for us to do.

Q. Coach, you brought a team in here that had never played in the NCAA Tournament. How much do you think that that kind of factored into it, especially how they opened the game? And how much does that experience in the tournament help moving forward?
KERMIT DAVIS: You know, I just -- I don't know how much experience mattered, or is it just Oklahoma was just better? They were just better. And they got their head up, and then they made a couple tough shots. I mean, James probably has made -- for the Big 12, probably had a little disappointing year in the Big 12. He wasn't shot making. And today, boy, he got off to a great start, and then like I said, Doolittle made shots.

I think it probably -- it has a little effect. I just really think Oklahoma was just better in all phases today.

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