NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - MICHIGAN VS COLORADO ST.

March 17, 2022

Niko Medved

David Roddy

Deshaun Thomas

Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Colorado St. Rams

Media Conference

Michigan 75, Colorado State 63

NIKO MEDVED: You know, today, it's a tough day to lose. Obviously the finality of things here at the end of the season, and it's finally over. Disappointed.

You know, obviously I thought the game was in the balance and we had our chances tonight, and you know, give a lot of credit to Michigan. They were the better team, clearly, in the second half. You know, it was kind of funny. Sometimes it's a great thing when shots go down but we had so many shots go down early. Sometimes that can be a curse where we maybe were settling a little bit too much. You know, we have been good in the paint all year, and we obviously were not able to do that. I don't think we responded great when Michigan really turned up their pressure in the second half.

But you know, I think when the dust settles for these guys, and they don't want to hear it right now, but it's been an incredible season. The work that these guys have put in to come in here and believe in us and believe in what we're doing; and to battle back after the disappointment of last year, being one of the first teams left out of this tournament, come back, have an incredible season, earn the highest seed in the history of the school, I think it's just awesome stuff.

We'll do like we always do, we'll take this opportunity to learn from it and we want to be back here next year and plan on having a different outcome.

Q. This is your guys first time being here at March Madness, although the outcome, how does that feel, you guys playing on this platform?

DAVID RODDY: It's an amazing experience. It's something that you dream of as a kid, just like everybody else here. So for us to do it and flip a team from 12-20 to 25-6 in about three and four years is very impressive. It was an amazing journey this season and couldn't be more proud of this team and this program.

THE MODERATOR: Deshaun, anything else to add?

DESHAUN THOMAS: It was a great experience, although I wish the outcome was different, great experience and great season.

Q. David and Deshaun, last year, you had heartbreak by not making the tournament. How quick does the switch flip for you guys from today's heartache to getting that fire to come back next year?

DAVID RODDY: Immediately, when that buzzer sounds. You know, you just embrace the moment, and you know, accept the loss. Michigan, again is Michigan. They are an amazing program, and you know, we strive to be a team like that.

So yeah, just embrace it and just ready for the off-season now.

Q. David, you guys went up 15 with five minutes left in the first half, did it feel like guys got too comfortable and lost their edge or is it credit to Michigan for adjusting?

DAVID RODDY: I would say credit to Michigan. I think we needed to trust the offense a little bit more. We were trying to huge plays every single possession, getting quick shots, as well. But when we are at our best, we are using most of the shot clock and a mixture of quick shots as well.

Q. We hear often basketball is a game of runs. A couple times in the second half, you were able to blow past defenders and missed lay ups and Michigan follows with made threes. From a momentum standpoint is that when it felt like the game started to shift a little bit?

DAVID RODDY: It's tough. That's the game of basketball, you miss some layups, but kudos to Michigan for knocking down shots when we missed. Basketball is a game of runs. Again, credit to them.

Q. Shots that you miss the inside the paint that you normally hit, how much of that is the Dickinson factor, him blocking a couple early? Seemed like guys that would normally continue a drive, stopped.

DESHAUN THOMAS: I would say Dickinson. He's definitely a big guys. Give credit to them.

Q. Talk about, I know you man-up against anybody, but the challenge of playing defense against this team for you.

DAVID RODDY: It's really tough. My 6-6 frame isn't 7-1. It's definitely more exhausting trying to get to a front and trying to be super physical. I know I can but it takes more energy to do it. Again, guys like Orlando Robinson, Nathan Mensah, Nimish Khato (ph) last year as well, I'm always up for the challenge, and definitely is a lot to handle, but yeah, again, just try to keep heat as hard as I can.

Q. With you being one of the leaders of the team, you getting here, experiencing everything, how much do you think that's going to help you as a leader next year and understand what it takes to win here?

DAVID RODDY: It's going to help immediately. I can't wait till the off-season and we're getting back together and trying to do this again. You know, just getting that experience and understanding how hard you have to play in 40 minutes because that's the only thing that you're guaranteed when you get selected. I think that's the biggest mission of mine and this team is just to figure out how we can get back here and how we can have more success.

Q. Your thoughts on Frankie Collins, not a lot of film.

NIKO MEDVED: Yeah, Frankie's a high-level recruit. He's obviously extremely athletic and capable. We didn't change our game plan a heck of a lot of what we wanted to do. But you know, he stepped up and had a big game for them.

Again, I thought this game was won in the paint. We knew that. Michigan is terrific in the paint. We've been pretty good in the paint. Early on we were able to guard the lane a little bit better and they were making shots and imposed their will.

Somebody mentioned, we missed a lot of shots in the paint. Some of that is their length, there is no question. Some of that is rushing. And give Michigan credit, every time, when you play high-level teams and you miss a shot in the rack zone and the other team gets the rebound, they are going to hurt you in transition. Those were huge plays. There were a lot of swings that way where we didn't deliver and they came back and did it.

You have to give Frankie credit. He stepped up for Michigan in a huge moment and did really, really well.

Q. Does the early result so far in the tournament, meaning your loss and Wyoming's loss diminish the strong play of the Mountain West Conference?

NIKO MEDVED: I don't think so. That will be the narrative but I understand that. It's funny, in the tournament everything is put into one game. It's not the NBA where you play a five-game series or best-of-seven; it's one game. You can get defined by that.

Ultimately we didn't get the job done here today. I thought we had our chances and we did a lot of good things but they imposed their will on us. But the Mountain West has been phenomenal this year. I've had a chance to be in this league, I've been in the Big Ten at some point; I've been all over. There's been some tremendous players and programs here. I don't think the one game defines that.

But I think the Mountain West is just going to keep getting better.

Q. You mentioned in your opening statement about shooting can sometimes be a curse. You look at that stat sheet at halftime and you're out scoring them 24-0 from three. You know the law of averages probably isn't going to stay the same, so what do you and your staff try to do at halftime to get a message across that we're going to have to find some other way to win, too?

NIKO MEDVED: That's always our game plan is we want to love the paint, like the three. We'll take threes but we want -- the best threes come off paint touches.

I think that even early in the first half, we were making them, hey, we can't keep settling. We have to show them the ball and keep attacking the paint. Sometimes it can become contagious, all those shots were going in early, and clearly, that's kind of what transpired as the game went on. But you know, you've got to give Michigan credit.

Typically, you know, we've been really efficient offensively. I thought some of their pressure ramped up. We had a couple of key turnovers that led to easy baskets for them, like we talked about before, shots in the paint that we normally make or get fouled, we weren't able to do that and they turned them into points on the other end. I think all those things just came back to bite us at the end of the day.

Q. You came to Colorado State to step-by-step build this program. Your kids seemed to want to take two steps at a time. Is that what you like best about this group?

NIKO MEDVED: Listen, I told the guys after, they should be disappointed. We came here to win. We're happy to be here but we weren't just happy to be here. We wanted to win and we believed we can win.

At the same time, the guys that have followed the program and all the work they have put in and continuing to take the next step; this team accomplished a ton this year. The fans and energy around the program and the success that we've had has just been unbelievable.

And the goal is: Can we take another one. That's what this group has always done, and we're just going to have to learn from this species like we do all the time to grow and get better and improve in the off-season.

But I like groups that want to keep taking steps forward. That's what life is. You learn from it and move on. This will sting and it should. These guys came here and had an opportunity to win and we didn't get the job done.

Q. In the final time-out, you go in the locker room, what did you say to your guys and what was the feeling?

NIKO MEDVED: I'm not going to tell them anything that's going to make them feel better in the moment. They are competitors and they want to win. You focus on, again, this particular game, disappointing. We didn't do what we needed to do to win and execute, and Michigan was more aggressive and made more plays.

But then you have to take time to understand what they have accomplished this year from what was expected of them going into this season after last year, and to not only do that but in my opinion exceed those expectations in that way is a huge step forward. In time they will be proud of that and realize that, but use this experience as motivation to take the next step.

Q. As good as David has been for you, he has been kind of elevated to maybe a pro prospect. Is that going to be a consideration? Do you expect that's going to be a consideration?

NIKO MEDVED: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think David can play at that level. You know, our job is we want the best for our players. So for him to test those opportunities, and I think David is going to go through that this spring and make the best decision for him, and I think that's what this is about, and I support him a thousand percent in doing that. He's earned the right to do that.

I think those are decisions that will happen this spring. David as we know is an unbelievable person and talent and will continue to get better. As time goes by, he will get better moving forward.