PAC-12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2021

Evan Mobley

USC Trojans

Postgame Press Conference

USC - 91, Utah - 85

Q. After not being able to play much in the first half and the way that the second half ended, just what was your mindset entering the overtime, scoring half your points after regulation?

EVAN MOBLEY: Well, I just tried to stay focused. Some of those calls I can't really control. The game is the game. So I just stayed locked in, tried to encourage my teammates while they were playing without me for the time being. And then the second half, I just tried to come in and attack. I was well rested because I was out for awhile, so that was my main focus.

Q. As the two overtime periods went on could you tell that fatigue was becoming a factor for either Utah or even your teammates?

EVAN MOBLEY: Yeah, it was a long game, a hard game. That's what March Madness, the post-season is. There's going to be a lot of big shots, a lot of overtimes, hard games. So you just got to push through, stay tough, and stay focused.

Q. It looked like you felt were you going to try to take over the game, particularly in the second overtime. Did you have that sense?

EVAN MOBLEY: Well, the main focus was to get me the ball and I play-make out of it. The guy who was guarding me had four fouls, I'm pretty sure, so I was just trying to go at him and attack him, hopefully get a foul and foul him out or just get layups. And if they double-team, kick it out to my teammates.

Q. What did you think of the way that the team played in the first half after you had to sit?

EVAN MOBLEY: I think they played great. When I came out we went up a little bit, they were playing great basketball, playing great defense, coming down on offense, still scoring. So I feel like they played really well without me.

Q. How would you say that their defense adjusted to you in the three games through out the season?

EVAN MOBLEY: The very first game, every time I touched it, it was a double-team right away, so I would kick it out. Second game it was double-team sometimes and then the rest were sometimes one-on-one. And then this game it was double-team every once in a while, but it was mostly one-on-one and I saw that and so I just started attacking more and more as the game went on.

Q. How do you expect Colorado to defend you tomorrow, assuming that's who you play?

EVAN MOBLEY: I expect when I get the ball to probably them in heavy gaps, deep gaps. That's what they did the second time we played them. So I'm going to have to drive hard, kick out, and trust my teammates or just get through the lane and finish over the big. So a lot of the times they play gaps with us.