MOUNTAIN WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 10, 2022

Justin Hutson

Orlando Robinson

Thomas & Mack Center

Fresno State Bulldogs

Postgame Press Conference

San Diego State - 53, Fresno State - 46

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Now taking the podium, we have Fresno State with Coach Justin Hutson and the player, No. 10, Orlando Robinson.

Let's go ahead with the coach's opening statement.

JUSTIN HUTSON: A hard-fought game tonight. Proud of -- very appreciative of our kids' effort all year long and their camaraderie and how hard they played and how hard they worked. I think everybody saw that.

You know, disappointed we couldn't make more baskets. Couldn't move the ball a little better against a great defensive team like that. The ball has to move better. Easy to say, harder to do.

So give San Diego State credit, a very well coached team, really good team. And we were up for the challenge tonight, but we just couldn't finish it.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Questions for Orlando?

Q. Orlando, you're a Vegas guy. Your thoughts here, obviously, not the result that you wanted. But if this is your last opportunity to play as a student-athlete at Fresno State, are you happy with the way that you guys were able to grind it out in a tough Mountain West game in the Mountain West Tournament against a quality team?

ORLANDO ROBINSON: I would say that the -- the competitiveness that we had as a team, I enjoyed. I wish we could have done it further. We could have pushed this thing a lot if there. But the fight that me and my teammates shared out there on the court, that's something I value as a player.

And, yeah, I mean, we fought. So, I mean, we gave it all we had and that's all I want from my teammates. As long as we fought as hard as we could, I value things like that. So thank you.

Q. Orlando, obviously, there's a chance you can play more basketball here, but, I mean, if that was it, can you take us through a timeline, what comes next for you as far as this decision coming back or leaving?

ORLANDO ROBINSON: I tell you, well, I haven't really made my mind up yet. So I'll take it one step at a time, take what's in front of me. Play these last games with my team that I have. And then when the time comes for me to make that decision, I'm sure you'll know.

Q. I mean, Orlando, what would factor into your decision-making, whether you stay with Fresno State or you go on to play pro?

ORLANDO ROBINSON: They're not dropping it, are they?

JUSTIN HUTSON: Yeah. Just say you'll talk about that later.

ORLANDO ROBINSON: I'll talk about that later in the -- you'll know when you know, you know?

Q. Orlando, Nate, that says the Mountain West defensive player of the year. Is he the hardest defender you've faced, and what is it about him that makes -- I mean, you still had 25 points, but a lot of them were tough shots. What makes it so hard to go against him?

ORLANDO ROBINSON: He's a competitor. And as a competitor, he's going to fight. And when he sees another competitor like myself, he's going to take that as a challenge. He's very quick with his feet and hands, stuff like that. So he didn't make it easy for me. He made my touches a lot harder than they usually are, so hat's off to him as a defensive player.

THE MODERATOR: Any last questions for Orlando here?

Q. You said during the beginning of the season that you needed some skills to perfect. You said your three-point shooting, your body, perimeter defense. A lot of other things. I mean, do you believe that you have grown this season so far to make it to the next level and really do some damage up there?

ORLANDO ROBINSON: Tremendously. I mean, just talking with my coaches and watching film, I found out ways that I can help my team win, which is on the three-point line and making good decisions in the post and on the perimeter.

So this entire season, I've been trying to perfect that so that we can be a contending team in the tournament, and I think I did a good job at that.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Thank you, Orlando. We'll dismiss you and finish up with questions for Justin.

Q. You talked about moving the ball. But I think you had -- 20 of your first 27 points were in the paint and you finished with 22. Was that you guys or more them, their defense?

JUSTIN HUTSON: I thought it was -- you know, it's going to always be a little bit of both, Rob, to tell you the truth. You know, you got to move the ball against a good team like that.

It's a thin line. It's like what Dust just said. I mean, you want -- some of your players are going to have to be aggressive and make plays. You know, and it's a thin line when I'm going to kick it out and move it, when am I going to take that hard shot. Because there was a lot of hard shots going on in both ends tonight. There wasn't a lot of easy looks going on in both ends.

So we're just proud of our guys and we kept fighting. But the points in the paint, some of them came in transition. We had a couple sets where we cut to the basket. But we knew that wasn't going to be there all night long. We're going to have to make some perimeter shots against them eventually.

THE MODERATOR: Okay.

Q. It seems like, you know, when you play a game the night before and it's an overtime game and a tough game, is that stretch there in the second half, you know, for maybe eight minutes to four minutes or ten minutes to two minutes, is that when the legs really hit and you can see the fresh legs on the other side?

JUSTIN HUTSON: You know, I don't know. It's something you'll talk about. You know, as a coach, you got to think about everything.

But, you know, we were ready. You know, it was the second game. I think you start getting -- the third and the fourth game is going to be tough. But we were definitely a little sluggish last night. I know that for sure.

And you talk to the guys, but you don't want to talk to them before the game and say, Hey, are you tired, and start putting that in their head.

But now that the tournament is over, we'll sit and talk about how they were feeling. Because we definitely had a few guys that had been shooting the ball very well but couldn't make one.

THE MODERATOR: Okay.

Q. Justin, the question was directed at Orlando. I'll toss it at you. Obviously, there's a possibility your season can continue. Your thoughts, in general, regarding a possibility of NIT or a continued postseason past the Mountain West tournament?

JUSTIN HUTSON: I think it'll be great for our guys. I mean, it's -- if you look at the Mountain West, you win with men and older teams. I think that team had nine seniors out there again.

Now, you can reload. Hat's off to them with going to get Matt Bradley and stuff. So you can definitely reload. And we don't have a senior. For those guys to go play in postseason, there's a lot of positives that go into it as following in as -- if we can keep our core to come back. We need at least seven, eight, nine guys coming back in today's portal world. And if they can get rewarded a little bit with postseason and say they did that, it would be great for them.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Over here.

Q. Coach, I know you wanted to be part of it tomorrow, but four teams that are playing tomorrow night, I have to assume you think all four deserve NCAA bids. I want to get your opinion on that. And also, just what's it say about the league to have four teams like that playing on a Friday night in Vegas and the league moving forward?

JUSTIN HUTSON: I've been in this league 16 years. I've been there when we had five teams in. And, you know, I think this has been the toughest. It's been one through 12 or 11. You know, I think we've had some top 10 teams before where we were a little top-heavy with one or two teams at the top.

But, you know, we have been telling everybody -- I think every coach in this conference has been saying the same thing, It's a dogfight every night.

And we had our chances to be one of those four teams also during the course of this and it just didn't happen. And that's the lesson we have to learn. And I'm going to be rooting for the Mountain West from here on out.

THE MODERATOR: Any final questions for our coach? Okay. We thank you.

JUSTIN HUTSON: Thank you.