NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - OKLAHOMA VS GONZAGA

March 22, 2021

Lon Kruger

Hinkle Fieldhouse

Oklahoma Sooners

Postgame Media Conference

Gonzaga 87, Oklahoma 71

LON KRUGER: Yeah, I thought after the second half -- after the first 20 minutes, I thought we bounced back a little bit. Gonzaga is good. They're really good. They cut hard, move the ball well. Mark does a terrific job. A lot of guys that play unselfishly and play the game the right way, and I thought we got a little better feel for the pace of things in the second half and cut into it a little bit, couldn't quite get back to make them too nervous.

But proud for our guys. Our guys had a great year. They battled, worked hard, and couldn't be more proud of a group.

Disappointed of course right now, and we'll learn from it and move forward, but congratulations to the Zags and to Mark and his group.

Q. It was 33-30 going into the last five minutes of the first half. How tough was that situation when they really kind of pulled away going into halftime?

LON KRUGER: Well, they did. Like you say, first few minutes was back and forth, I thought both teams scored pretty easily at that time. The last five minutes of the first half, they widened it to 12, and again, they're good. They just keep the pressure on you, they keep coming at you, and if you turn it over carelessly or if you take a shot that leads into transition for them, they make you pay for it. That happened a couple times, and again, we ended up fighting from behind the last 20 minutes.

Q. You lost Austin after two fouls, but just his overall play and the way he was pretty resilient, didn't back down, is that how he's been throughout his career at Oklahoma?

LON KRUGER: He was fantastic, yeah. He just competes like crazy and keeps going downhill and keeps working at it. Again, I thought he got his third foul early in the second half, thought he did a good job of playing through that, two fouls early in the first half or midway in the first half hurt him a little bit, but he got back in there and played well with the two fouls.

But yeah, he had that type of year. Just terrific production and competed like crazy.

Q. When you look around, it was a great effort and all that, but it looks like inside your two big guys, Brady of course one of them, it looks like a combined, if I'm looking at it correctly, five points. Looks to be one of the areas, and the free throw disparity. What are your thoughts on those two things?

LON KRUGER: Yeah, their big guys keep pressure on you on the offensive end, and then when you go to the other end, Brady has had a terrific career, obviously didn't make the shots today that he would like to, and Kur I thought did a great job protecting the rim, not much on the offensive end in general.

But yeah, those guys, they're two seniors that worked hard and appreciate their efforts, and again, wish they could have gone out on a little better note individually as well as the group, but what a great career Brady had, and Kur has just gotten better and better, and we'll keep doing that.

Q. On the free throw disparity --

LON KRUGER: Well, they're attacking.

Q. Most of the calls were good?

LON KRUGER: Well, I didn't see the film or the replay, but they're attacking all the time. They keep the pressure on you and they're getting downhill and they put that pressure on you.

Q. Can you just talk about like coming into the game you said that you guys needed to work offensive possessions, get good shots, tons of passes, keeping to the clock. Did you feel like you did that well enough in the first half even though the shots weren't always falling toward the end?

LON KRUGER: Well, like I said earlier, we started out shooting the ball well and getting good looks and making shots, and it's kind of back and forth there through the first 10, 12 minutes, then they got away from us a little bit.

Any time that happens, you look back, and we turned it over nine times I think in the first half. You just can't afford to do that. I think their pressure hurt us a little bit in terms of tempo and rhythm, three-quarter court.

But yeah, just got to take a little better care of the ball than we did.

Q. When you look at the switches that Gonzaga made on Austin, seemed like they were throwing different defenders at him just to try to slow him down at any stretch, even Timme playing him at one point. What did you see about how he was able to adjust and the respect they were showing defensively against him?

LON KRUGER: Yeah, Austin has done that. He's got the ability to get into people's bodies and get to the paint and finish plays, and made a lot of tough shots today. What was he, 11 for 17, I think, on the stats sheet. So yeah, he was aggressive and terrific. Again, he's a tough matchup, and he's had that type of year.

Q. The fact that he was setting on the bench there at the end when you took him and Elijah were out, he just looked like he had given everything. I think about so many guys that their season is not going to end with a victory, but he ended with an empty tank it seemed like. Is that one of those things that you kind of hold on to in moments like this?

LON KRUGER: Yeah, no doubt. I mean, he left it all out there. That's what you want for each of your guys, and certainly he did that. He battled and did fight foul trouble a little bit, and yeah, just what a great year. What a great year he had. He certainly left it all out there today.

Q. You've mentioned so much about the fight that your team has had. It's been pretty rare that you've lost by double digits. Do you see that effort maybe culminate today as far as a team that didn't ever seem to quit on itself?

LON KRUGER: Yeah, this group is like that, all year long. Again, most all the games were tight, as you know, in Big 12 play, but when we did get down at times during the season, Big 12 year, they fought back, got back in the ballgames, had good runs.

Even today, I thought there midway in the second half, last five minutes, I thought they really scrapped to make it a ball game, and they've done that all year. So not surprised by that out of this group.

Q. Just wanted to clarify something in an answer you gave earlier, talking about Brady. Has he made up his mind over whether he's coming back or if he's done? Sounded like you were --

LON KRUGER: No, I haven't at all talked with any of them about that, no. We'll do that here in the next few days, week, and especially the seniors, we'll have a meeting with everyone, of course, but especially the seniors with the COVID rules and all that. We'll have those conversations.

Q. Early in the game obviously y'all had a lot of success offensively. When Austin picked up his second foul and you had to sit him for about five minutes, how much did that change the dynamic of what y'all were able to do early offensively? Seemed like it was hard to get that rhythm back even after he got back out there.

LON KRUGER: Austin had it going early, of course, and again, when he picked up his second foul, that's going to change things up a little bit. But that's part of the game. You have to make adjustments and, as a group, get back into it.

I thought Austin went back in with two in the first half and played those minutes pretty well. Again, it wasn't -- it's not ever easy to play when you're concerned about that third foul, but Austin is a smart player. He's got a good feel for it.

Q. You obviously said they haven't decided they're returning or not, but just in case this is Austin's last game, could you reflect on his career and how much he's meant to this team from coming in as a transfer and becoming one of the best players on the team?

LON KRUGER: Pretty much as we said earlier, just what a terrific competitor, wants the ball in late-game situations, wants to be at the line in late-game situations. Just an outstanding career, First Team All-Conference, just got better and better from his redshirt year right through to the last ball game. He's worked at it, and he's earned it. He deserves it, and certainly just a terrific career.

Q. I just wanted to ask about Alondes, obviously in a game where you don't have De'Vion Harmon and Brady was only able to get up the one shot, just how important his minutes were and getting 15 points up for you off the bench?

LON KRUGER: Yeah, Alondes was great. He's quick off the dribble, he's powerful at the rim. Yeah, did a good job. Did a really good job, got in the paint for us, finished some big plays. Yeah, he played well.

Q. Also about Kur Kuath, didn't score a lot, but he was blocking shots everywhere. I guess just thoughts on his night and how much of a presence he had defensively?

LON KRUGER: Yeah, that's what Kur has done for us, protected the rim, and a little bit inconsistent offensively in terms of scoring points, but his function out there is to do what he does well, and that's protect the rim and block shots and change shots, and he was a big key in that today.

Q. You played in one of the toughest conferences in the country in the Big 12. I was just curious, you talked about Gonzaga just briefly, but how does Gonzaga compare to some of the best teams you've seen, especially Baylor which is obviously still alive in the tournament and a No. 1 seed, as well?

LON KRUGER: Yeah, they're a special team, no question about that. Baylor is a special team. We had a really deep conference, obviously. But those two, through the course of the year, have separated themselves, I think deservedly so, and correctly. I think both those guys are really good and special guys, and both coaches do a great job. Would be an interesting final game if it turns out that way for sure.

Q. One more on Austin: Do you see a pro or NBA future for him? Do you have a vibe or feedback even from personnel professionally that he's going to have a shot to be on a roster, should he choose to go that route next year?

LON KRUGER: People are inquiring a lot about Austin. Obviously they've watched his career. They know he's got a special skill set. He's a big point guard in terms of size, can score, can distribute.

Yeah, he's definitely going to play somewhere, and hopefully it's the NBA. But yeah, he's a guy that people are always asking about.