BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 10, 2021

Jalen Coleman-Lands

Iowa State Cyclones

Postgame Press Conference

Oklahoma, 79 - Iowa State, 73

Q. Jalen, what was Coach Prohm's message to you guys after the game?

JALEN COLEMAN-LANDS: It was a mixture of a lot of stuff. You know, it's our last game in the regular season, so it was a mixture of farewells. First of all the game, how it went, how the season went. Kind of a recap. So he touched on a lot things.

So it was a lot.

Q. Did he mention anything about his future at Iowa State with you guys?

JALEN COLEMAN-LANDS: I mean, it was a mixture of a lot of things. Just kind of hard to say. Just on a lot of different topics.

Q. Jalen, you mentioned Steve went over the year. From your perspective when you look back, what stands out to you?

JALEN COLEMAN-LANDS: Just kind of, you know with this -- although, yes, it was my first year playing at Iowa State in this conference, but it was abnormal year for me just playing college basketball. The cancel -- even with preps before the cancellations with the summer and having to work out in pods and not being able to build synergy, camaraderie with my team.

It kind of started weird from the beginning of the year in the summertime before the non-conference even started. So it was abnormal to say the least, but I felt like I learned a lot about myself individually and as a teammate and a man. I feel like it allowed me to grow and build character, so I'm appreciative of it. I learned a lot.

Q. You guys talked a lot all season about getting over the hump and getting that first win. Now that you're at the end and that didn't happen, what are your thoughts why?

JALEN COLEMAN-LANDS: I mean, I look at it from an individual each game standpoint, and I felt like looking at each game it was always some type of thing that I could have done better individually. Looking at it from that standpoint I feel like as a team, obviously if everybody looks at it from that standpoint like we all do a little bit more to get over that hump.

But unfortunately that is not how it works. You can't live in retrospect. I feel like the effort we put forth today was good and I felt like it was good as we capped off the year. It was just details, focus things strategy-wise. We could have done better.

Q. You already had a longer college career than 99% of the guys. What is your plan with the extra year of ever eligibility? Do you plan on using it?

JALEN COLEMAN-LANDS: I will figure it out, talk to my parents, ask my family about it. Like I said, although I played a lot, I been playing for a decent amount of time, I haven't actually really been playing due to injuries. I transferred from U of I, University of Illinois and had to sit out, and then the following year, the year I was able to play getting hurt.

So it hasn't been like I've been playing, even though from the outside looking in seems like I've been playing for a long period of time. I was out for a lot of my time, so I'm grateful for being healthy now this last year to be able to play. I'm going to build off kind of my progression at the end of the year, from the beginning to the end, from just playing, having repetition under my belt, and I'm going to continue to get better as I play more.

Q. Just way off beat here, what did you think about the Illini, by the way, the way they're doing?

JALEN COLEMAN-LANDS: I mean, I still got -- I got a lot of good friends and mentors from U of I and I can only commend them. They play hard, they gel well. I got a lot of good relationships, even staff.

So I commend them. They work for it, they earn it. So I hope all is well.

Q. Just curious if you personally, I guess what emotions do you feel now that either the season is over? I know you said you're not decided if you'll come back next season. Just that the season is over what are your emotions in general?

JALEN COLEMAN-LANDS: You know, it's just a lot. I'm not really too much of an emotional guy. I look at it from a black and white kind of standpoint of what I could do to get better, did I leave it all out there, even with losses?

One thing I don't like to live with regret and I don't like to play -- I don't like to leave games where I feel like I could have done more from an effort standpoint. Yes, I'm going to miss shots. Yes, I am going to do some things that may be kind of out of my control or I can tweak a little bit, but the effort, playing defense, taking charges, leaving it out there, and I feel like I've done that throughout this year and I can live with that.

That's why I'm going to continue, and I feel like I progressed individually. I try to be as efficient as I could. That was one of my goals coming in, Iowa State, be efficient. Be around like 45, from 2, around 40 from 3, and shoot 90%. That was kind of like my goal for the team, and play defense and be a great leader.

So I try to look at it from that standpoint and continue to build, and that's kind of what my mindset is. There are a lot of things I probably could have done individually this game that I felt like I could've done, but from a holistic standpoint I feel like my effort was there, and still continue to be there.