BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2021

Jase Febres

Texas Longhorns

Postgame Press Conference

Texas Longhorns 67, Texas Tech Red Raiders 66

Q. They were getting every 50/50 ball, Texas Tech was doing everything right in the second half but still y'all guys pulled it together and pulled it out of the fire. What do you think was the key in the last six, seven minutes?

JASE FEBRES: Our response, we knew coming into the game, we knew playing against them I'm pretty sure every Big 12 team knows, playing against them it's going to be a scrap; it's going to be a fight. They are going to be aggressive on every 50/50 ball, and Coach is getting on us about not getting to those and sometimes you don't get it you have to keep pushing through and that's all we can do is keep on responding and that's what we did.

Sometimes the cards kind of fall in your hands but just got to keep pushing, keep fighting.

Q. How much do you think -- the first one is always the hardest and y'all looked out of sorts the first eight, ten minutes and then y'all finally settled in. Was that the case?

JASE FEBRES: Yeah, I mean, we got to get out the habit of trading baskets with teams because when you get into the tournament, you are playing a really good team, they are going to capitalize off that and we pride ourselves off of defense and that's something that we have to really amplify these next couple games coming up. We know that and that's just going to be our goal.

Playing a team like Tech, it's hard to just keep things flowing, you know what I'm saying. I have to jump within because they are aggressive on defense and they play really good on defense. Sticking with it and continuing to drive within the paint and making them converge and kick out. That's the best option for us.

Q. What was the conversations like amongst you guys? As I'm watching from home, I keep looking at the score like I don't know how they are only down by this. What allowed you to not get to down on yourselves and hang in there?

JASE FEBRES: Just like you, I'm not going to lie, when Matt hit that three to get us down one I was confused because I didn't know we were so close. It's our fight and our response and in the present moment we can't do anything but continue to fight. We could have cracked. We could have folded plenty of times out there and got discouraged, but our coach continues to instill confidence into us and we just feed off that.

Q. I think you were down ten early and you made that three that helped settle everybody in a little bit. Was that a big shot for you and the team? Seems like confidence-wise you changed after that?

JASE FEBRES: We were down a little bit going into shoot around, pregame, my stroke felt really good. When they gave me open looks and I'm able to come in and make an impact off them, make a big momentum swing like that making a three, it's a really big thing. And it's a big shot for me, it is.

Q. Do you feel like you're back where you were? You started every game last year till you got hurt. Do you feel like you're back to that kind of form and now you're a full other weapon for this team?

JASE FEBRES: Quite frankly, I still personally don't think I'm all the way back yet. I probably won't until I get time in the off-season to really focus in on my knee, but I'm good enough to go out there and play as hard as I can and that's what I'm going to do every single day. The biggest thing was being able to get equal lift off both legs of my jumpshot and I'm able to do that now.

As far as me like into the paint and being explosive off one, I'm still a little shaky there but the jumpshot, it's good.

Q. Everybody keeps saying you're going to go with your three starting guards is, are y'all dispelling that whole theory?

JASE FEBRES: Guys have to step up and everyone is not going to have a perfect game and great game every single night out. It's our job to pick up the slack for our brothers when they are not playing well. Sometimes shots don't fall. Sometimes guys aren't getting in a groove like they need to but we have to be the next person ready, so whenever your name is called, you've got to be able to go up there and produce and that's what I think is such a good thing about us being a mature team is that we understand that.

Getting guys like, you know, our younger guys to understand that completely is going to be when we are going to be really scared.

Q. What happened with Greg?

JASE FEBRES: He's young. Emotions just get the best of him. That's what I was referencing to, just getting his head right. He wants to do well so bad for the team, and sometimes that works against you because you end up getting in your own head and you know, the biggest thing is leaning on our teammates whenever we do get upset. We're going to continue to be in his ear. He's young and he has to continue to learn and grow. He's 18 years old and I've been in his shoes before and just got to continue to help him.

Q. Y'all have seen Matt do it a few times this year and over his career, but what's it like to have that guy that you can hand the ball to late in that situation and you feel confident that he's going to do the right thing?

JASE FEBRES: Yeah, I mean, I came in with Matt as a freshman, so I'm rocking with him you know, till the day I die. He comes out and he gives his heart and his soul to the game every single night out. We need that. When I'm able to come in and help him out, relief some pressure off him, stretch the floor for him a little bit, it's great. I couldn't be more proud of him, this entire year just his fight and his will and getting us together. He's the real reason why -- we could have lost our heads but he brought in and told us early, especially early like the refs, we can only control how we play and he really locked us in.

Q. What do you think about the nickname "Matty Ice" for him?

JASE FEBRES: That's been his nickname since he's been here. He's ice cold. That's how he came in. We're sticking with it. We love it. Ice the game.

Q. Do y'all call him anything?

JASE FEBRES: Really we call him Matty Ice. That's his nickname.