MOUNTAIN WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 10, 2022

Ryan Odom

Justin Bean

Thomas & Mack Center

Utah State Aggies

Postgame Press Conference

Colorado State - 53, Utah State - 51

THE MODERATOR: Okay. We are now welcoming Utah State to the podium. We'll begin with an opening comment from our coach. Then we'll take questions for our student-athlete, who will then be dismissed to the locker room, and then we'll finish up with questions for the coach.

So Coach, your opening statement, please.

RYAN ODOM: I just want to give credit to Colorado State, Coach Medved. I thought it was a really good college basketball game overall. Points were hard to come by. Defense was pretty solid. The intensity was, you know, what you would want, you know, in a tournament, you know, setting.

You know, I wrote something on the board before the game. We always have kind of, you know, a few things that we kind of highlight. And one of the things that we wrote on there, connectivity, execution, you know, determined.

You know, these are all words that we use from time to time, you know, that we want our players to kind of emulate or show as they play the game. I think you could certainly see all of those, you know, today, from both teams.

And then the last thing I wrote was, "Go for it." And, you know, it's weird when you're in a hotly contested game like that, it goes right down to the wire and there's, basically, a last-second shot.

You know, the emotions are really high. And sometimes anger can come in, sometimes a lot of these things can pop up that aren't very productive.

And for me, I was eerily calm, honestly. I think that's the term that I used with the players. And the reason I was eerily calm is because they did everything that we asked them to do all season. They went for it all season. And that was really all that mattered.

You can't control the results and how things end, you know, in a given game. But you can control your effort, your attitude, and how you play for one another, and your love for one another.

And this team certainly opened its arms, you know, to our staff, you know, when we first got here to Utah State from back east. And, you know, it starts with Justin.

What an amazing example, you know, of what college basketball is supposed to be all about. Great student, great family man, loves his immediate family. He cherishes his wife. He loves his teammates. He comes to work, all right, in our program every single day and he sets the example of how a Utah State player should behave, how a Utah State player should respond when you don't get what you want. (Coach tearing up.)

I didn't cry in there. I'm talking about him. He's just a special guy. And he's not the only one. He's not the only one. And, you know, I hate that we're not going to continue on in this tournament, but we'll see what else is out there for us. We'll wait and let the chips fall, you know, as they may. But I'll turn it over to Justin.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Justin?

Q. Justin, you left it out on the court tonight. Just, kind of what are you feeling right now?

JUSTIN BEAN: Yeah, a lot of emotions, obviously. It felt like there was a lot of lead changes there late in the second half. Just really back and forth.

But I was proud of our guys, obviously, for how we competed. Certainly, we left it all out there, you know, on the glass. We were crashing the glass really hard there at the end. Both teams were. And ultimately shots just didn't fall like we wanted to, especially from three. But like I said, that's basketball. And we have to live with the results and move on and learn from it.

And like I was telling the guys in there, the basketball, it's just a game at the end of the day. But everyone that came in there and played and competed, you know, they treated it like it was more than that. They treated it like it was their life they were playing for.

And so I'm just proud of the effort from everyone that got out there and the guys that were on the bench. And unfortunately, we didn't get the win, but that's just basketball. So...

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Over here.

Q. I just wanted to ask you: Take us through that final few, I guess, sequences in the final minutes of that game.

JUSTIN BEAN: Yeah, it was -- it happened really fast. It seemed like everyone was trying to talk to the refs about a call and then the ball was being thrown in, and so you didn't really have time to adjust.

But, yeah, when we got the steal down two, first thing I thought was just get up the court, sprint and try to get to the rim, get a layup. Saw two guys come in front of me and I tried to split them. And I thought, you know, I had the angle and they were -- I thought they were late. But, again, that's just basketball. You can't blame the refs, obviously.

And so then we got an offense -- or got a rebound off the free-throw, free-throw block-out and was able to hit those free-throws. And, again, we were set, we were ready. They were coming at us, but thought we had five guys out front, ready to play defense, and they made a great play. I still don't know exactly how it happened. I haven't watched it yet, but credit to them. They got a bucket when they needed to and made some big plays down the stretch.

Q. Justin, can you talk a little bit about this game, just back and forth? It just seemed like every possession became so important. I mean, the lead changed back and forth. How do you as a player out there go through those up-and-down emotions?

JUSTIN BEAN: Yeah, well, Brock Miller, actually in the locker room, talking about the season as a whole, you know, he said we -- you can't get too high and you can't get too low in terms of a season.

But I thought, you know, in a game like that, you also, you can't get too high and you can't get too low, you just got to move on to the next play. And I thought we did that.

I thought we were connected out there. We were huddling after time-outs or loose balls and we were connected. You know, we battled and it was like you said, an up-and-down game. But that's just a quality opponent out there and two great teams that were just fighting for their lives.

Q. Justin, you passed a thousand career rebounds today. You're the third ever Aggie to do it. How's that feel?

JUSTIN BEAN: Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, I wasn't aware, really. I was just trying to play the game. That's a really awesome accolade for sure. Very humbling. There's a lot of Aggie greats that have gone before me, certainly. And so, just to be in that company is an honor. So I'm just grateful.

Q. Obviously, you're going to want some time to think about it, but can you tell us about what your plans for your future are right now?

JUSTIN BEAN: Yeah, I mean, it's -- I know there's a lot of speculation out there. And, I mean, that's going to be a conversation that my wife and I, obviously, have and, obviously, involving Coach Odom as much as we can. That's going to be something that we discuss for sure.

But while I've got him up here, I just can't say enough about Coach Odom and who he is as a person. And I've only played for him for one season, but I feel like I've known him a lifetime. And that's just the type of person that he is. He welcomes all of us, you know, with open arms. He always talks about how we brought him or welcomed him to Utah State, but he really is that father figure, that example that we needed in the transition.

I've been through three transitions, three different coaches. And it's -- it can be hard. You know, there's a lot of uncertainty. But the minute I met him, I just knew that Utah State was in good hands. And I still feel that way regardless of what comes next, you know, for me, for everyone else on our team.

And so, it speaks to the type of person he is, the coach he is. He's helped me see the game in a whole new way. And he's helped me transform into, quite honestly, a completely different player than I've been.

And so while maintaining the things that have gotten me to where I am. So I can't thank him enough for that. I just had to say that.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. One final question for our athlete.

Q. Justin, one for 15 for beyond the arc tonight. You had the only one that you hit. What was it about the three-point shot tonight? Was it something Colorado State was doing? Just walk me through what happened with that tonight.

JUSTIN BEAN: Yeah, I think -- I thought in the first half, I thought we were a little hesitant at times. I thought our spacing wasn't ideal. And, you know, they're a good team defensively. They like to shrink the gaps and plug it up. And so I thought we could have been a little better spaced and didn't get as great of looks as we wanted, as wide-open looks as we wanted. And then there were others that we got good looks and they just didn't fall.

And so, again, it's a little bit of both. I thought they did a good job of making it hard for us. But, you know, we had some out there, too, that were pretty good looks. So...

THE MODERATOR: We thank you. And now let's direct our attention to Coach.

Q. (No microphone.)

RYAN ODOM: I mean, you probably saw my reaction, didn't you? A couple times. It is what it is. That's basketball. And, you know, the bottom line is, the defense was good on both sides. I mean, they did it to us, too. They got us at the end of shot clock and they block it, and all of a sudden the ball is out of bounds and, you know, it's headed the other direction. And so, we had several of those possessions and they did, as well.

And I think the switching has a lot to do with that. You know, both teams were switching pretty effectively. And to kind of piggyback off of your question in terms of the three-point shooting, I think that can be a factor, too, right? And so when you finally get an open one, it's, like, oh, boy, I got to make this one because I'm finally open.

And I just thought both teams did a really nice job of keeping bodies in front and forcing hard shots.

We were having success going inside. And, you know, we continued to tried to do that. And, obviously, they focused there, as well, in terms of getting Roddy the ball in and around the basket. Stevens was a difference maker in terms of his penetration and timely plays.

But, you know, I think -- you know, it was a hotly contested game, right? It was right down to the wire. So that's what you want.

Q. We got to ask you about the charge call on Justin with 14 seconds left. What was your take on it?

RYAN ODOM: Yeah, I mean, I was hoping for a block, obviously. But it didn't go that way. And, you know, I don't really have any feeling one way or another, you know, until I go back and really look at it.

But there's calls every game, right? I make bad calls in terms of what we're going to run for a play or a defensive call. It is a human game.

And, you know, he very easily could have gotten it correct. But I won't know until I go back and look at it. Just like we go back after games and check things out what we did as a team from an execution standpoint on offense and defense, the refs do the exact same thing. They go back and look at it and say, Here, I missed this one, I got this one right. You know, it is what it is.

But, you know, the bottom line is we still ended up tied, right? We had a chance to win. We didn't get a stop. We needed the stop we needed there in order to get it into overtime.

Q. Coach, I just wanted to ask you: You've played three games against the Rams.

RYAN ODOM: Yeah.

Q. And all three have been single-possession, two-possession games. What is it about these two teams?

RYAN ODOM: Yeah, I mean, I think -- you know, I think they're -- what is it about the two teams? I think both teams have really good players, right? Roddy, Bean, like, two really talented guys. And they're a little bit different, right?

And then the guards, right? I mean, Kendle Moore makes big plays, and Logan. Stevens made some really big plays today when they needed it and really stepped up.

And we've had other guys do that at times, as well. And, you know, I thought Sean was tremendous today. And I know he's not going to feel that way because he missed a couple of shots there at the end when we went to him. But, I mean, his growth as a player has been, you know, fun for me to watch. Obviously, Justin's, as well.

But I think Colorado State has a great team. They know how to win at the end of games. And it's not just us. Like, they've won some really close games in other ones as well. The last game against Boise, right, it was right down to the wire.

And so, we're -- I think as you look at our conference right now and certainly I don't know what's going on out there, but the previous game in UNLV and Wyoming, there have been a lot of games that have been right down to the wire. And it's a really good conference this season. I think it's more about that than it is two teams matching up.

Q. Coach, last night, you had five guys in double digits. Tonight, just two -- you know, kind of on two-man scorers. What was it tonight that just made it difficult to get everyone involved?

RYAN ODOM: Yeah, I think it was just their -- switching could be a factor with that, right, because you're not able to get them in a scrambled situation because they're keeping bodies in front. And, you know, I think that's probably the biggest thing.

You know, points were hard to come by for both teams. And so, when you're in a game where it's -- you're in the fifties, you're not going to have a well-balanced, you know, stat line, you know, from everybody.

Q. And then, obviously, this game didn't go how you wanted it to. But kind of taking a step back, your first year in Logan, kind of your overall impression and you're losing some big pieces next year, obviously, what's kind of your outlook and your expectation going forward?

RYAN ODOM: Yeah, the expectation is to have a great summer and a great spring, even before that. Like, we always talk about what's the next right thing to do. And there's a lot of stuff that's involved with that, right?

I'm blessed to be the coach at Utah State. I mean, I walked into a locker room -- it reminds me in a lot of ways -- and I've been fortunate to do this. This is the third time now. And I've been blessed at each stop.

When I first went to Lenoir-Rhyne -- I've got two guys on my staff that are here. One's a GA, one's player development. They both played for me at Lenoir-Rhyne.

And I walked into a locker room there much like this one. You know, it reminds me. Very similar how diligent the overall group is and caring.

And then going into UMBC, they just -- we had some talent but we didn't -- they had never won. And so, it was kind of the opposite of this situation. But we had awesome kids.

And so, I've been very fortunate. And I look forward to, you know, certainly whatever happens in the next few days, you know, we'll -- whatever happens, we're going to -- what's the next right thing to do?

Is it preparing for whoever they match us up with if we're fortunate enough to be in postseason or if it's nothing. And we'll deal with whatever comes our way with maturity and with a positive attitude.

And then, you know, once the season is officially over, right, then we'll begin to plan and prep, and figure out, All right, where can we get a little bit better?

And that's really what it's all about. How can we continue mentor these kids the right way? Some are going to be moving on and taking on new challenges, right, like a Brandon.

So my responsibility, it's not over. I got to keep mentoring him and helping him through next step of his career and where he goes.

Obviously, Justin's got a big decision on his hands. He's really elevated his play. And people notice around the country, right, and not just in college. You know, beyond.

And so, we'll begin to have all those types of meetings once the season's officially over. And then we'll kind of figure out what our needs are going to be.

No different than last year. It is different because I'm not -- I won't be new at that point. But all of us, you know, we begin to kind of figure out, All right, it's all about putting the pieces together and getting a little bit better. Developing them.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Final question, please.

Q. Coach, you've been on both ends of the spectrum in terms of just heartbreaking games in March and exciting games in March. For you, like, an approach like this to such a heartbreaking defeat, is this something you put in a box and just kind of move on from it, or is it something that sticks with you and you'll remember this game and use it to kind of fuel you?

RYAN ODOM: Yeah, I mean, I'd say we all -- all coaches remember the losses more than they remember the great wins, right? Especially the retired ones. (Laughter.)

I was sitting at dinner one time with -- I'll make it quick. But I was sitting at dinner one time with my father and Denny Crum, and there was a bunch of coaches in there. Boeheim sitting there at the table. It's at Final Four.

And, yeah, they were just chatting about old games, and Louisville played Wake Forest back in 1990 whatever. And Denny Crum looked over and said, yeah, that still was a walk-on dunk in. (Laughter.)

We're just sitting at the dinner table talking about it. You know what I mean? So they remember. Like, coaches remember the losses. And it does drive you, right? It does drive you and hopefully it pushes you to, you know, future success.

And disappointments, you know, can -- there's no greater example of that than the one that we were involved with at UMBC, right? They were disappointed after that game, right? But they used it as fuel. And it took them on an incredible journey, you know, the next season.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Well, we thank you.

RYAN ODOM: Thanks.