PAC-12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2021

Mark Fox

California Golden Bears

Postgame Press Conference

Colorado - 61, California - 58.

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from coach.

MARK FOX: Well, I thought that our team played super hard and really gave an effort to compete. I thought that the fatigue of back-to-back games showed a little bit in our offense. I thought our defense was very good. It's disappointing when the last shot goes in and out like it did tonight versus a very good Colorado team, who we wish well in the NCAA tournament.

But under the circumstances of the season and all that these players have had to endure, which I don't think most people have any idea, it was an effort that I was proud of, but we came up short.

THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for coach.

Q. For much of the game they were trapping Bradley every time he got the ball near the top of the key. How should you guys have responded differently to that?

MARK FOX: Well, I don't think you're accurate in that it was only at the top of the key. They trapped him only ball screens on the wings as well, and so we went to some isolations for him, and I thought that a couple times we didn't come, on the pass out we didn't come meet the ball. I think that he finally got a little bit of rhythm in the second half. I probably played Matt, 38 minutes last night was a lot, and in hindsight I probably should have tried to save a couple minutes on him last night because I thought he looked a little fatigued today. But I won't be critical of our players. Execution in that situation wasn't as clean as we wanted, but I thought our intent and our decision was the right way.

Q. Can I ask you about Brown's defensively play against McKinley Wright. It seemed like he did a pretty good job of staying in front of him making it difficult for one of the best players in the league.

MARK FOX: Well, I thought our defense was terrific. The foul situation was frustrating and, but I thought that we hold them to 61 points and 38 percent from the field, I have little complaint with our defense. I thought Joel gave us a really, really good effort.

Q. You sort of touched on it a little bit in your opening remark, but could you talk a little bit just about what you told your players after the game, considering how well and hard they played tonight and considering how hard this season has been for, as you said, for all of them?

MARK FOX: I told them that a year ago we didn't have a chance to experience this pain because we didn't get a chance to play the game. I thought we played our best basketball of the year yesterday and then today our defense was terrific again. We weren't as good offensively tonight but these kids have been away from their families, some of them, for over a calendar year, but most of them for nine months and not, haven't been allowed to even see their parents or their brothers and their sisters and they haven't had them come to any games until yesterday. I mean, they haven't been able to go to the barber shop. We have been cutting each other's hair, and they haven't been able to watch film, they don't have a locker room. They showed up every day and dressed on the sidelines. And they don't have a film room, and it's been an unbelievable ask of us, of these young people. And because they love to play, they signed up for it, they didn't complain about it, and we went through thousands of COVID tests without one positive. And so what I told them was I was proud of them because there's going to be hard times in life and you got to get through them. And sometimes you got to get through them before you can start succeeding. But I think what they have endured in the past several months is something I have a lot of respect for.

Q. First off, it was a 24-20 edge for Colorado, and then in the second half you guys actually outscored them 38-37. But a lot more scoring in the second half than the first half. What do you think accounted for that?

MARK FOX: They difference in the first half is they had seven free throw makes and we had one. That was the difference in the first half. So that essentially was the difference in the game.

And obviously in the second half usually the scoring's a little higher in the second half than the first and the difference in the game was the free throw differential in the first half. Both teams shot 38 percent, both teams played terrific defense, but that was the difference in the game.