NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST FOUR

March 15, 2022

Steve Lutz

Simeon Fryer

Myles Smith

UD Arena

Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders

Postgame Media Conference

Texas Southern - 76, Texas A&M-CC - 67

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

COACH LUTZ: I couldn't be more proud of these young men. Obviously we wanted to win the basketball game and it wasn't our night. And we missed a lot of shots and a lot of free throws that we normally make.

But give credit to Texas Southern. They played really hard and played good defense. But to be associated with these young men and with this program, it's a dream come true. It's a chance of a lifetime for each and every one of us to be together. And it's an experience that we'll never forget. And I'm glad that it was with these group of young men. There's nothing that I would change. And they have done anything and everything that is possibly imaginable.

They have rallied a city around them. They've rallied a university around them, and they've won at a high, high level with a first-class manner every single day. They've done it in a first-class manner. Couldn't be more proud of them. Obviously we wanted to win the basketball game, but hats off to Texas Southern.

Q. You forced three or four turnovers early in the game. Set the tone, you were scoring in transition. After that kind of seemed maybe some of their height inside caused some difficulties. What did you see, what were some of the challenges with going up against those guys?

MYLES SMITH: Yes, I think Texas Southern is a good basketball school. They do have some tournament experience. So I think that played a part in it. I think we got off to a good early start but then they settled into the game. We settled into the game. The nerves kind of went away. And just as the course of the game went, I think they adjusted, we adjusted. And just kind of how the ball bounced.

SIMEON FRYER: I would agree with Myles. They had some tournament experience before. And I would just say the nerves, yeah.

Q. You went on a run midway through the second half, three 3s there in the stretch there. What was the difference in that stretch and what did they do to kind of adjust and take that momentum back?

SIMEON FRYER: I would just say probably at that time we got a little rhythm. We had it going for a second. We just took the shots that were given to us and luckily they fell in.

MYLES SMITH: I think around that time Trevian Tennyson got hot and that kind of gave us some life. But I mean they're a good basketball team. They adjusted and they took away 3-pointers and made us adjust. So just how the course of the game goes.

But I'm proud of our effort. I thought we played hard until the very last buzzer. So can't take away from that.

Q. In Coach Lutz's first season so many new players. Was there a point in the year that you really saw a run like this and getting to the NCAA Tournament wasn't just a dream and was a possibility that you guys could put it together and end up here in the tournament?

MYLES SMITH: Yes, I think we saw that from early on, really early on, just the work ethic that we came into every day with, especially me and Sim coming off a lackluster season last year. I think we were really, you know, guys, let's turn this thing around, we have a rare opportunity.

So early on we as leaders tried to instill that into our group. And I think around the midseason mark we kind of got little midseason fatigue, but I think we got hot when it was time to get hot. Just really proud of our team for that and staying focused on the end goal.

SIMEON FRYER: From the beginning, I remember Coach Lutz pulled us in a group and said we have enough to get it done. And luckily we won the conference tournament just to make it here. I look at everybody as family. It's sad we lost, but I wouldn't want to do it with any our group of guys.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach.

Q. I asked the guys about it. You took a lead early, forced a handful of turnovers. I think after that you didn't force as many turnovers as you did in those first four or five minutes. And they were able to get some -- they were able to have some success defensively inside. Did their length inside bother you guys a little bit and kind of force you to make some adjustments?

COACH LUTZ: Their length bothered us at the rim offensively, but defensively we forced six turnovers in the first six, seven minutes, and then we only forced two the entire second half. So our defense, to be very honest with you, it subsided, and we were allowing them to get catches. We were allowing them to get downhill and at the rim, and obviously it caught up with us.

But to answer your question, for us offensively their length did bother us. We knew going into the game that when we drove the ball to the basket, the ball needed to move out. You weren't going to be able to finish many things at the rim because they've got really good shot blockers. And at times we did that, but at times we just didn't make good enough decisions at the rim and capitalize on some of their overhelping and going to go block shots, to be quite honest.

Q. What can your team take from this experience, just your first year with them? What did you see as they evolved into a team that was able to get to this point? And how do they build on this?

COACH LUTZ: This is a year of a lifetime for these guys. I mean, just think about it as it relates to life. They came into a situation and took a chance on a brand new head coach with 14 other players they probably didn't know, right? And they came together as a team, came together as a family and achieved things that some of them never have before.

I mean, they'll look back on this -- I told them in the locker room -- they'll look back on this when they're old and fat like me and bald and they're going to be, like, hey, man, this was one of the best years of my life.

And for that, boy, I couldn't be more proud of them. And I wouldn't want to ever share it with anyone else. These guys -- and everybody says it, that you're family, but I'm telling you, if you spend time around our players, you know that they love one another and they play hard for one another.

And they've put Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on the map. Tonight the world watched us play. And we came up short. And that's part of life. And that's part of defeat. But these guys, they're going to be successful husbands and fathers and businessmen and people in the community. I have absolutely no doubt about it, and that's what it's about.

We lost a basketball game tonight, and it hurts; but in the grand scheme of things, these guys, they're going to be studs for the rest of their lives.

Q. I spoke with the administration the other day. And they were even saying, when they brought you in, they expected this to be a little bit of a rebuild. It wasn't that this year. So how much of a testament was it to you coming in and to the guys you brought in that you were able to get it turned around so quickly this year?

COACH LUTZ: Our success has nothing to do with me. Our success has to do with those 14 guys who sacrificed for one another and who believed in one another and put their individual goals aside for us to be able to achieve something that this university hasn't achieved since 2007.

So I just happen to be the head coach, but these guys, they're going to be -- again, they're going to enjoy this the rest of their lives. And they absolutely deserve it. They deserve to win tonight. We just didn't -- the ball didn't go our way, and Texas Southern did a little bit of a better job. And obviously shot a lot more free throws than us tonight.

So I guess to answer your question, man, this has nothing to do with me. This has to do with them. And anybody that's out there, I would tell you that Myles Smith finished his degree; Simeon Fryer finished his degree; San Antonio Brinson has his degree. I would tell you to hire these guys. I would tell you to hire them every day of the week and twice on Sundays because they're good people, they'll work hard for you and they're very loyal and hardworking.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.