SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 14, 2021

Javonte Smart

LSU Tigers

Postgame Press Conference

Alabama 80, LSU 79

THE MODERATOR: We have Javonte with us. Questions.

Q. This game, gave it everything you had. You fought them to the very end.

JAVONTE SMART: Say the last question again.

Q. Y'all lost to this team by an average of 24 points during the regular season. You have to feel like you fought this one to the very end, gave them everything.

JAVONTE SMART: Yeah, this is a hard one to take. Losing by one, that means opportunities to win the game. It's just pretty hard. We gave it all we got, all the guys. We really wanted this win, just get this win under our belt.

Felt like we owed it to them what they did to us the last couple times we played them. We just really wanted this win. It hurt that we lost, but we have to move on and get ready to play the big tournament.

Q. Aundre's shot, did you think it was in? Did you think, That's going in?

JAVONTE SMART: I thought it went in, but that's crazy, rimmed out.

I want to give it all to Alabama. They played hard. Dre had his chance to score. I guess he just couldn't get it to roll.

Q. Being a team a couple years ago that made a deep run in the NCAA tournament, do you feel like this team is ready to do the same even with the loss today?

JAVONTE SMART: Yeah, I think once we get situated to where we're headed this afternoon, I think the guys will lock into what we have coming up. After this loss, it's tough. A lot of guys down 'cause that's a tough loss to take. I think we'll go pretty far in the big dance.

Q. Could you just kind of walk us through what that play design was supposed to be for those final 7 seconds there. Was it trying to get Trendon the ball? What were y'all trying to do there?

JAVONTE SMART: The play was supposed -- Trendon was supposed to go to the outside, from Days, and then he hit me. I kind of threw it too far. It went past his hands. That's the look we got, Trendon shooting a three again, the two shots at the end.

Q. Kind of hard to hear you up here, but it was almost like a heavyweight fight, especially during the second half. Can you put into words what it was like back and forth.

JAVONTE SMART: It was one of them games that you live for. Like I said, the last game versus Arkansas, the type of games you come to college for.

I love being in these type of moments. Sorry to my guys that we couldn't put it through. These type of moments, growing up as a kid, you live for. I'm just happy to be in this position. I know that we are going to push forward coming Thursday.

Q. What happened in the pregame scuffle with the two teams? What happened at mid-court?

JAVONTE SMART: I'm not sure what started it. Between us and 'Bama, it's always a heated environment whenever we play. We just wanted to come out and start with an edge, I guess. I don't know how it started. It just helped us going into the game, both teams was pumped up to play each other. The type of game you need in a championship, a game like this.

Q. In terms of keeping pace with Alabama, what was the biggest adjustment? How did you feel like you could keep pace with them knowing how well they could shoot from outside?

JAVONTE SMART: Just guard them individually, one-on-one, just guard them. We both can score the ball, they can score the ball, we also can score the ball. Came down to defense, guarding one-on-one, contesting all the shots.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.