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NCAA WOMEN'S REGIONAL SEMIFINALS AND FINALS: PORTLAND

March 28, 2019

Aaron Johnston

Portland, Oregon

THE MODERATOR: We have South Dakota State Aaron Johnston.

We'll have you start with your opening statement, please.

AARON JOHNSTON: Well, appreciate it. It's been a whirlwind couple of days from one side of the country to the other, with a quick laundry stop I think for most of us to get regrouped.

But we're really pleased, excited, fortunate, all those good words to be here. Played really well out in New York against two very good teams. I thought our senior group in particular was outstanding and did a good job of helping us through some tough games.

Been a really good year for us. We're really proud of what we've accomplished, excited to be here and try to keep things going.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Kind of a coincidence that Kelly scheduled a trip to your place, you happen to face him here. Obviously you knew they were pretty good when they came to town, but what has it been like having to face them again in the Sweet 16?
AARON JOHNSTON: Yeah, it's certainly a neutral site, but they're going to have a pretty heavy Oregon Duck population here. We come back to Oregon next year to play, so yeah, three times in less than 12 months against the Ducks. That's a tall task for us.

Known Kelly for a while. Played him when he was at Gonzaga. Always done great things. This team they have right now is on a really, really good path, certainly one of the elite teams in the country, not just in this region, but one of the elite teams in the country.

It was fun to have them in Brookings. We played well in that game, not quite well enough. Their offensive firepower was a little too much for us in that game. We'll have to try to find ways to slow them down. It was a great experience for us. Playing teams like that throughout the last several years has I think really helped us get to this point and feel like we at least can put some things together to have a good plan going into this.

Q. Not that you needed a confidence boost, but those two games in Syracuse, what did it do for your team and program going into this round of 16? Do you see a little extra pep in the players?
AARON JOHNSTON: Well, I think so. We've been to the tournament a lot, so obviously first time into this part of the tournament. We've been to the tournament a lot. I felt like the team was really comfortable going out there. Knew what to expect, have an idea of all the extras that go into it.

I think the difference in that first, second round, both of those games compared to some of our previous times in the tournament, we made plays at critical times. Last year we lose an overtime game to Villanova. Could have gone either way with a couple of baskets or stops.

I think the Quinnipiac game, we had it under control, they made a run. We made just a couple of plays there late to pull away.

Syracuse, that game was back and forth, had us down double-digits in the first half, second quarter. We had a good lead going into the fourth. Right away they got control again. But we made a good push at the end.

I think the difference between this year and past years, we're just making plays at the right time. A lot of that goes to our seniors as a group. Syd Palmer, obviously Macy and Madi have huge roles that they play. They were a big part of both of those games.

Comparing where we are now to past years, just that confidence to make those big shots in big moments. I think that's what tournament games come down to.

It was fun to see our team respond really well in those games.

Q. You mentioned cross-country trip, laundry stop. They've only had to drive a hundred miles up the road. Talk a little bit about the disadvantage of your travel schedule. They're talking about a crowd of 11 to 12 thousand. How do you feel about that? How do you think your players will respond in that kind of atmosphere?
AARON JOHNSTON: As far as them playing close to home, they've earned the right to do that. That's a great thing. The way our tournament is set up aspires to be able to do that. We have no problems with that at all. That's how it is for every team in the tournament. They've had the kind of year that gives them that right or that chance. I think that's a great thing.

As far as the crowd for tomorrow, we're excited about that. It will be a big crowd. We play in front of a lot of big crowds, nothing that large, but quite a few big crowds. I know people in this area would follow that Oregon-Oregon State rivalry closely. That's a heated thing. We have some of those rivalries back home where it matters, where women's basketball really matters on that stage on that day. People follow those things closely and passionately.

We feel like we'll be on the other side of that in that game. That's a good thing, though, too. We want to be in an event where it is followed. You don't want to get to this point and play in a half-filled arena. So we're excited about that. I think that will be a good thing for both teams.

Q. A lot has changed since December 12th when you last met them. How has your team grown since then?
AARON JOHNSTON: You go back and watch that film, after four or five minutes of watching it, we're not even the same team. Then after watching them, I thought they're not the same team either. They're better than they were on that day. Both teams have really grown, kind of figured out how they're going to play in tough moments, how they're going to try to stop certain offenses, defenses. I think both teams have really changed and grown.

The key players are still the key players. You have to try to control them, slow them down. They'll have to do that with us.

For us in particular, Madi and Macy were both very good in that game. People would expect that. Since then, I think Myah has grown as a player. Tylee Irwin has grown as a player. So has Tagyn Larson. Other three starters for us, watching them in November and December compared to where they are in March, just a huge difference in their confidence level.

Paiton Burckhard was a freshman then, trying to figure things out, playing against a top team in the country. Now she looks a lot more comfortable and settled.

I'd say the biggest thing for us is how players have developed since then, particularly that group outside of our senior class. I think they've really come a long way and they're a big part of why we've gone this far.

Q. Can you expand a little bit with Paiton. She's nine of ten from the field in two games as a freshman in the NCAA tournament. More than impressive.
AARON JOHNSTON: Yeah, she has been in a ton of big games in high school. I know it's a whole different stage, I'm not comparing. She's used to pressure, she's used to expectations. She just seems to play with such poise and calmness.

You mentioned her field goal percentage. She made shots. She doesn't take shots she's not supposed to or tough ones. She takes the ones that are great shots and she makes them. She also had some really good passes in both of those games, key passes. One of the threes that Madi hit in the Syracuse game came from Paiton. It was a tough zone, tough angle, tough pass. Calmly put it on the money and Madi obviously made the three.

She's defending a position where sometimes she's a little undersized, she plays a five for us. She's rebounding really well, handling that part of it. Her composure has been exceptional.

If you get to know Paiton, you would expect that because she's such a levelheaded, calm, comfortable person away from basketball, I think that really translates on the court.

Yeah, she played as well as anybody in those minutes she gave us in New York. It was a big part of why we got it done.

Q. Did you try to recruit Kianna Ibis? What do you remember about her at all when she was living in South Dakota?
AARON JOHNSTON: Yeah, we did. She would have been moved down to Nebraska when she really got into it and going. She was a really good player. We absolutely did. Yeah, we would have loved to see her in yellow and blue.

She's had a great career at Arizona State. She's a big part of what makes that team go. Her versatility is exceptional. She can be inside, outside. Left hand is tough for people to sit on.

Yeah, no, we were really aware of her, family ties to South Dakota for sure.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you very much. Good luck tomorrow against Oregon.

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