ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2021

Kam McGusty

Miami Hurricanes

Postgame Press Conference

Georgia Tech 70, Miami 66

Q. I know the result was not what you wanted today, but you said before the tournament started that the six of you who are scholarship players became closer. Just talk about the run you guys had in this tournament despite the fact being shorthanded?

KAM MCGUSTY: You know, for the first time in a couple months -- not a couple months. But for the first time in a couple weeks, I just felt everybody's good energy. I felt us having fun out there again. We had a long stretch where we lost six or seven games, and it was very tough for us mentally and draining for us physically, having to adjust to play with six guys. It would be a little different if we had a whole season to prepare for -- a whole season to prepare for that. We kind of just -- it just happened.

Like I said, I couldn't be any more proud of us. We fought. We brought good energy. You can ask anybody in here, we were the loudest ones the last two, three days, warming up and through the hallway. I couldn't be more proud of our guys. And when it comes to bonding, we definitely bonded on the court, off the court, all the traveling. It's only six of us, not a lot of us, so we were talking to each other a lot. We love being together. I'm definitely going to remember this year for sure.

Q. With you guys having such a tight rotation of available players, and also in the tournament playing three consecutive game days, at the end of the game, what did it take out of you just to be able to get those shots to go with those tired legs? Do you sense the other guys were really affected by fatigue and you had to pick things up for the team at the end?

KAM MCGUSTY: I feel like it was more of our turnovers. Yesterday one of the big things that I was asked coming into the game was how to beat Georgia Tech. If it's not going to be defending, it's going to be taking care of the ball. They are one of the top teams in the league in forcing turnovers, and I feel like we had a stretch -- a three, four-minute stretch where I don't think we got up a shot. We were just giving them the ball, and they were running in transition, getting easy buckets. That's their game. That's what they like to do. I definitely think that's what set it off for us today.

Q. Can you just take us through the final minute there? You guys were still just down by two, you hit a big shot, you were just down by two with 30 seconds to go or something like that. If you could talk us through from your perspective the last 30 seconds of that game.

KAM MCGUSTY: I think we had them in the backcourt for a good amount of time, and -- yeah, the first time, I don't know -- the first inbound they had, I don't know what happened, but they had a second inbound. I think they called a time-out or something. And I had tipped the ball, Alvarado went and saved it, and it was just -- we're trapping, we're in scramble defense, so they just executed, I guess.

We didn't get a steal, and we left someone down the court open. That's kind of what happens when you trap. There's two people on the ball so someone is open. They did a good job of executing, and it just wasn't our luck because if he would have stepped one wrong way, Alvarado was out of bounds and he wasn't able to make that pass to Usher for the dunk.

It's unfortunate, you know. Sometimes you lose some, you win some. Sometimes they don't come your way.

Q. I'm wondering, how much temptation there is with this great run this week as you look back to wonder what might have been if you guys had been closer to full strength?

KAM MCGUSTY: Man, I mean, I'm sure y'all ask the same question. We made it all the way to the quarterfinals without six players. We're missing, five, six players? Five players, and some of these guys are rotation guys. Obviously Chris Lykes, returning best player, pre-season all-ACC, so it just goes to show the promise that we had coming into the year.

We go from being projected as one of the best teams in the ACC to having to play one of our walk-ons big minutes. Don't get me wrong, Willie does a great job when comes out there. He's very productive. I always tell him he's best walk-on in the country. So I appreciate his effort. But things just took an unexpected turn. And it's unfortunate but you can't dwell on it. That's life. Life isn't fair. You've got to find a way to dig yourself out of the hole, and I think we just started to figure it out a little too late.

But I'm proud of my guys, I'm proud of the coaches. There's been some very, very, very low days for us, know what I'm saying? It's just good to be around those guys and have our energy up. I enjoyed this last -- we've been here since Sunday, so the last four or five days. It's been so fun to be here with my guys. It just sucks that it happened the way it did, but that's life.

Q. Going into the off-season, Coach L said he would give you a couple weeks to figure out what your plan is. Do you have an idea what your plan is going into this off-season?

KAM MCGUSTY: Honestly, I don't. I've been focused on the season, trying to get some wins and trying to help my team. So it's definitely something I need to think about within this next week. I've just got to see what's best for me.