BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2021

DaJuan Gordon

Kansas State Wildcats

Postgame Press Conference

Baylor, 74 - Kansas State, 68

Q. DaJuan, how far does has it team come?

DAJUAN GORDON: We came a long way. Come from being one of the worst in the country to pretty good. Feel like we can compete with anybody in the country right now.

Q. How does this give this young team some momentum going into the off-season?

DAJUAN GORDON: Just need to keep working, show everybody we can compete with anybody. They No. 2 in the country, one of one of the best of the best right now. Show everybody that we're good and just got to go work, play basketball.

Q. How hard was it? You guys lost 13 in a row and a lot weren't even close. How hard was it to stay the course and stay focused and finish strong like this?

DAJUAN GORDON: It's hard. It was hard to not give up. But everybody on the team love the game so much we couldn't give up, give up on each other. We all love each other.

We just continue to come every day ready and focused and just want to win the next game. It was never a day which we came in and was like let's just survive. Every game we thought we could win.

Q. When you're going up against a team like that when the first two matchups hadn't gone well at all, how do you stay confident and how do you go into this game with a mindset that you can compete with a team like that?

DAJUAN GORDON: Well, the winning that we been doing helped a lot. Just to know that they still human. At the end of the day they're good, but they're human. We all work hard at what we do, and today it shows like we can compete with anybody in the country.

Those two games was the past. We are in a new headspace now, so...

Q. You got obviously a pretty young group, but for you personally, when you look at your teammates and how far you've come, what do you think the next step is? Where do you see this team going next year?

DAJUAN GORDON: I see this team being the No. 1 team in the country next year. I know we all work and I feel like if we had to start over right now and start from today we would be one of the best teams in the country and NCAA contender.

Q. One or two things you regret letting slip away that were the difference in the game today?

DAJUAN GORDON: Just little small turnovers that lead to them getting pick 6s. The turnover I did to try to hit Davion because he was doing pretty well in the paint. That one, went to a layup and we were there the whole game.

The small one that -- they was fouling Nijel, he threw it in air, tried to get a shot for the foul or whatever. That one hurt us, but we all mess up. It is what it is. We can't do nothing about it right now, so just continue to keep working and get ready.

Q. If there is one thing you think this team and you can work on over the off-season, what is it?

DAJUAN GORDON: Just making shots, you know. We got what we wanted. Just making shots and rebounding. You know, sometimes -- that was one of the biggest things today, too, rebounding. Those offensive rebounds they got was momentum changers. You know we guarded and they get the offensive rebound and kick it out and get a three, things like that. Those are things that kind of hurt us this year -- I mean, this game.

So I think our biggest thing is just experience will come with it. Rebounding and just taking care of the ball, making shots. That's our biggest thing.