NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL FINAL: USC VS GONZAGA

March 30, 2021

Mark Few

Lucas Oil Stadium - Equality Court (North)

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Elite 8 Postgame Media Conference

Gonzaga - 85, USC - 66

THE MODERATOR: Thank you all for participating. We will now begin with an opening statement from Coach Few. Coach, please give us a brief opening statement, and we'll go to those questions.

MARK FEW: Man, just an awesome, awesome feeling to be able to fight our way back to another Final Four. Guys came out, just played with just tremendous energy and toughness on both ends of the floor.

I really thought we got after them defensively. I haven't seen the stats yet, but fought hopefully an even battle on the boards against all that great size. Then we played with great pace on the offensive end.

The first half, we got all the way through it with just one turnover, which I thought was huge, and when we were doing that, that means we're really, really good on that end too.

Couldn't be happier. Happier for the players, obviously, the staff -- the Gonzaga community, Spokane, everything to just get all the way back here to another Final Four. It's pretty cool.

Q. Coach, could you speak to what the excitement level is right now? Is it more of a soaking-it-in type of thing or focusing on the goal ahead?

MARK FEW: Everyone wants us to keep moving forward, but that's not how we roll. This is a heck of an accomplishment. We're going to take it and savor it for what it is. That doesn't lessen our desire to win this game the next game or win two more games. We're wise enough to know these are really, really special times. These are great accomplishments, and they need to be celebrated. That's how we're approaching it right now. Enjoying the heck out of it.

Q. Mark, you obviously had to do a lot of things and seen a lot of things in your career. When Bert Smith, the official, went down, what was that like? Kind of how did you get your team kind of back to the game?

MARK FEW: First of all, I've heard he's doing okay. I mean, I could use an update. He's a great official, great person. I mean, I was just shocked and scared for him, but I was able to stick my head in there a little bit and see that he was talking and coherent and tried to say a quick prayer for him and just wished him the best.

Just told the guys we need to keep doing what we were doing prior to that. I think they did a good job, not only after that pause, but at halftime to keep it on and to keep that intensity. I thought that was the key to the whole game for us.

Q. Mark, congratulations, first of all. You talked about enjoying the accomplishment, and of course you're going to do that, I understand it. There is obviously an expectation. You guys aren't what you used to be. There's an idea of what you're supposed to be accomplishing in this tournament with your record and everything else. How do you balance the two, sort of the pressure and the expectations that you want to achieve, but also enjoying that moment?

MARK FEW: That's just how we roll. You know me, that's how I roll. This is something that needs to be celebrated, and we need to take the time to enjoy the heck out of it because I think you're just missing the whole point in life if all you're doing is going to the very end game and that's the only way you're going to celebrate and feel good about anything.

That's not how I roll. That's not how Drew Timme rolls, Corey, Joel, Jalen, the whole group.

We'll enjoy the heck out of it tonight. Obviously, we'll need rest tomorrow. We'll do film and get down to business. It's a shorter week than usual. But, again, the fact that we're savoring this and really seizing the moment anybody, don't misconstrue that for a lack of desire to keep this thing rolling. I think it's just the proper perspective.

Q. Mark, the first sequence of the game, Drew switches on to a small guard, strips him, goes down to the other end. What kind of tone did that set for you guys, and what kind of tone did that set for him the way he played the rest of the night?

MARK FEW: I think that's a great call. He does that a lot, quite frankly. He really kind of enjoys those moments when we go to our switching defense like that, and he moves his feet very well for a bigger kid. I really think you're right, it did. It set the tone that, hey, we're going to be aggressive. This thing's going to start with defense, and he was aggressive all night.

I know some people were worried about how he's going to handle the size in there, but I think our staff and Drew and his teammates knew he was going to be fine. He's faced many, many, many big lineups and shot blockers and such. He always figures out a way to get to his shot. It's not the same shot every time watching him. It's a different move, different shot each and every time.

Q. I don't think I've ever seen an undefeated team force a ten-second violation before. My question was it just to see that you guys could do it or make sure you can do it if you need it this weekend or something else?

MARK FEW: Are you talking about when we're pressing or something? We've pressed all year, and that's part of kind of our defensive package. I mean, it's just something that we do. We've had many of those throughout this year. I think the guys did a good job of -- there's varying levels to our presses. Sometimes we heat them up a little bit. Sometimes we back off and just tempo press. That was one of the instances where we wanted to heat it up.

Q. Congratulations, Coach. Corey didn't even shoot that well today, but he still picked up 18 points. Of course, you had other guys step up. How much does that say about your team and how dangerous you guys can be?

MARK FEW: That's kind of who we've been all year. Probably our greatest attribute is our balance. We have several guys or even more than several that can get 20 in an evening. If one guy's having an off night or maybe the matchups or better for somebody else, nobody else has a problem with that. That's definitely been one of our strengths.

I really liked Corey's aggressiveness tonight. I loved how he's going downhill and attacking their bigs. I thought he did a great job with that. His threes looked, as usual, dead on. He had a couple popcorn out. By and large, took a bunch of good shots.

I mean, end up on 18 on theoretically somewhat of an off night is pretty damn impressive.

Q. I know you have bigger things on your mind than this, but I'm just wondering, just with the way the schedule for tonight, this was like -- the kind of season you guys have had. This is a 4:00 tip-off on the West Coast. Were you disappointed at all that you didn't get the later start so more of your fans could watch?

MARK FEW: Trust me, our fans, they're not at work. If you think they're at work, you don't know the Zag fans. Everything's shut down, and everybody was watching. No, not at all. Heck, I was happier to have the earlier start so I didn't have to wait around and get anxious all day.

Listen, we don't lack for any more viewership or fans. They have their priorities in line. They stop work early or stop whatever they're doing and cheer for the Zags.

Q. Hey, Mark, that first half in particular, the defense was as high level as you can get, and really this whole tournament. I know they're obviously dialed in to the scouting report, but what else do you think has gone on at that end that's just made a jump?

MARK FEW: I think the respect. I mean, the respect and a little anxiousness about our opponent, whether it's Creighton, who's a terrific offensive team, or USC, who's had a great run. You know what, probably -- and, again, I haven't seen a stat sheet. One of the things we wanted to do, they've been shooting the heck out of it from the three line, and we did a great job taking away those, especially in the first half. I think we continued to do a good job in the second half.

They've just been really, really dialed in to not only the scout, but also just the effort and fight and aggressiveness that's needed. I think they're watching these other games and seeing how physical and intense they are and respond to that. You know, you've been with us every step of this way. We've played pretty darn good defense all year. It's just taken a backseat to our offense because it's been almost historically good in NCAA standards.

Q. Mark, you guys obviously played a loaded nonconference schedule, and then you get to this tournament in a different season, in a different NCAA Tournament than we've ever seen. Is there anything that's surprised you? Or maybe, if not surprised you, what are you most gratified about the way your team has played through these first four games?

MARK FEW: Hey, I'm just most gratified we're playing really, really good basketball. We started with Norfolk State. We didn't let our guards down there, played very, very good. We got challenged by Oklahoma and played great, especially down the stretch in that one. Played terrific defense against just a dynamic and really talented, especially on the offensive end, Creighton squad. Then to come out and put this together on both ends of the floor against a really red hot team.

Gosh, I watched these guys against Kansas, and they looked like an NBA team or something. So I'm just really proud. I mean, they're in a good place, and we'll continue to build on that. These steps get harder and harder, and the next one's going to be really hard, whether we have UCLA or Michigan, it will be extremely hard. You've got Baylor, who looks amazing, and you've got -- I mean, Kelvin's team is so darn tough and so dialed in and so resilient. It's going to make for just an amazing Final Four.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach, for your time today.