NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - MEMPHIS VS BOISE ST.

March 17, 2022

Penny Hardaway

Alex Lomas

Jalen Duren

Moda Center

Memphis Tigers

Media Conference

Memphis 64, Boise State 53

PENNY HARDAWAY: It was a fantastic win for us and the program. The guys fought hard and we knew the game won't over at halftime because this is March Madness. We know that teams are going to always make runs. We know Boise is a great team. They were going to dig in. They have been in bunch of close games all year. They have been playing well all year. We knew the game wasn't over.

But we dug in deep and pulled out a great victory for our first win of this March Madness.

Q. Talk about how this was different from you playing as a player compared to as a coach, how it differs and just what it means to you having that Memphis across your chest and getting that big win?

PENNY HARDAWAY: First of all, as a player, it's the same thing as a coach. The preparation was always big for me. For me always go into the game, I needed to watch the guards. I was just a student of the game. I wanted to know what they're strengths and weaknesses were.

Same thing I do as a coach. I try to put out guys in a position with a game plan and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the other teams, try to get easy opportunities on offense and when I see how they play defense, to me it's similar.

And it means a lot to me to have the Memphis across my chest, representing the City of Memphis in this tournament.

Q. We know how much A-Lo means to you. The fact that he gutted through all that pain we saw him in at halftime was really made the difference, the game-stealing play. How much does it mean to you that he played such a role for the program?

PENNY HARDAWAY: I just know that is who he is and if he can walk, he's going to be out there. That's just the heart and soul of the team. This is his fourth year. He's a winner. He understands what it means to the city, for us to be here right now, and that the entire city was watching. And to see him gut through that is what I'm used to. That's just who he is.

Q. Alex, how are you feeling winning in your NCAA tournament debut from a big picture standpoint and how is your leg, ankle?

ALEX LOMAS: From a big picture standpoint, I'm like a happy kid at the candy store right now. That's my first win, my first time being here, and it was a hard fought, hard-fought game. We tried to -- we left it out on the court. That's one thing that I can say.

I'm just very happy for the City. It wasn't just for me. This was something I wanted to do for City for a long time now, and I'm glad I was able to get that first win of my senior year for the City of Memphis.

And with my ankle, my emotions are real high right now. I'll be good to go. Feeling good. A lot of adrenaline still rushing. So I'm ready to go.

Q. What was your emotions entering the game and what was your emotion going out of the game?

PENNY HARDAWAY: Going into the game I was anxious to get it started. I wanted to see how my team was going to play in the first five minutes, and we came out to battle. We were battling.

After the game, it's just a relief, because I knew how good Boise State, it's a great basketball team. We played them last year in the NIT, and they have gotten better and added some great pieces. And man, they just play together. They are just one unit on both sides of the ball and they are tough. So I was definitely pleased to get out of there with a win.

Q. When you hit the three and were grabbing your ankle, you could see it on your face. Was there any flashbacks to last year?

ALEX LOMAS: Yeah, in that particular situation, there was a flashback to when it first happened. But I'm glad as it when it was awhile back. I'm feeling, pretty good from when it first happened, and like I said, I'll be ready to go.

Q. Did you think as you were lying there, we could hear you in pain; did you think it could be more serious? And when Jalen missed the layup towards the end, and you poked the ball away, and Jalen then got it and scored. Can you describe what happened in that play? It seemed to be the kind of winning play you're noted for.

ALEX LOMAS: Can you repeat that first question again?

Q. What did you feel like when you went down when you were in pain?

ALEX LOMAS: It was very painful when I first went down because I landed on this foot and I felt a couple pops or whatever in my ankle at the moment.

But like I said, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was because I was able to finish the game and have some adrenaline that helped me with that.

That last play towards the end of the game, to be honest, I kind of went against the game plan. I was just supposed to stop the break high, but you know, I kind of -- I took a chance right there. Know there was one in a million chance and it went through.

And Jalen, he made the bigger play by being patient and being the beast that he is by finishing that and everything kind of went through. That's a chance I'm willing to take sometimes and it kind of worked well for us.

Q. What was it like in the second half as the lead is slowly getting smaller and smaller, how did you guys, what did you guys call upon to keep your cool?

JALEN DUREN: Just Coach telling us it's a game of runs. It's March Madness. There's no bad teams. Every team has a lot of talent. Just us staying focused knowing it's a game of runs and knowing what we've got to do to get the lead back up.

Q. You talked about it a little bit but how satisfying was it when the buzzer sounded, both with what happened during the game but also with what the program accomplished here today?

PENNY HARDAWAY: Very satisfying. You know how big this is for our city, our school, the team just to be here, and then to get your first win, man, it's a run of emotions that's going through your happy. Just so happy for the fans, happy for the guys because they worked their tails off to get to this point. Beat a really good team.

Like Jalen said, there's no bad teams in this tournament, and just filled with nothing but just gratefulness and just being thankful for the opportunity to get that first win.

Q. All year long, you've been saying, "I just want to make the tournament. I just want to make the tournament." What are your emotions going into this first game and what are your feelings going into the next game?

JALEN DUREN: Very happy. Very happy to be here. Very excited. Definitely take advantage of the opportunity, join with my brothers, and just going into the next game knowing we've got to lock in, get back to the drawing board and get ready to play.

Q. Gonzaga has to take care of business first, but a potential matchup with Chet Holmgren and kind of your thoughts on that?

PENNY HARDAWAY: I love Chet. I talked to Chet. I recruited him. I think I talked to him for three times a week for four or five months. We got really close. Such a terrific player. Just happy for him, for his growth that he's such a super par.

With Drew, I watched him play the entire summer in Texas and watching his fundamentals and was like, man, who is this kid and I got to know who he was, and obviously we know what he's done on this level.

We know we've got our work cut out for us. They are both two great players, and we look forward to the game, if they are the ones to win.

Like I said, we are not talking like they are going to win the game. Obviously they are the favorite. But Georgia State has something to say about that. But if that happens, I know those guys. I know Chet better than Drew but it would be fun if it happened.

Q. What went into the decision to clear Emoni to play today and what did you see from him out there?

PENNY HARDAWAY: He was on a minutes' restriction today, because, you know, he has not really played and in the first half he did phenomenal. He played the way that he knows how to play. Knocked down a really big three.

Took him out, and then in the second half when it got to be rugged for us, I didn't want to put him in that predicament or that situation. But he did fantastic today. He stayed positive. He was watching the game. He learned a lot today. Getting on the floor get his juices flowing again. He's a tough competitor.

Q. You had your double-double, but probably the most emotional you were on the court was when you got a backdoor pass which led to a pass which led to a score late in the game. What were you motions when you make those plays, a secondary assist, to help your team win?

JALEN DUREN: Man, to me, those plays are more important than me scoring the ball honestly. I told the coach a lot about my pass, I like to pass the ball a lot. So when stuff like that happened, I can find a guy like A-Lo, I know A-Lo is going to make the best play for the team. So for me, those type of plays are more important to me than scoring.

Q. For both Coach and the players, your reaction to playing in a more normal March Madness environment, certainly compared to the past couple years, or does that not matter?

PENNY HARDAWAY: I'll start off first. This is wonderful, man. Honestly to see the fans in the stands, this is true March Madness. Watching it in the past, when it happened to be in Indianapolis and no fans really, just family, that's not March Madness.

This is beautiful to just be here and seeing it with the family here, the fans here, everybody walking around in the city, that's beautiful to me.

JALEN DUREN: Same here. The bright lights and packed house, the atmosphere, that's what we play basketball for. You watch this growing up, March Madness, you see the bright lights, the big crowds, and you just want to be in this position.

ALEX LOMAS: Yeah, just like what both of them said, this is true March Madness. This is the March Madness we all grew up watching. With the commentators, a packed house, when the game is going back and forth, when it's like a roller coaster on the basketball court, so it's just most definitely try March Madness compared to, you know, the COVID year of March Madness.

Q. Tyler and Landers at the AAC Tournament last week didn't necessarily have their best three-game stretch but landers hits a couple of big three-pointers today, Tyler comes up with the steal and goes coast to coast in the first half to kind of help kick start that big run that y'all had to finish the first half. So just talk about -- we talked a lot about Earl last week stepping up in big moments.

PENNY HARDAWAY: I really depend on or have depended on landers and Tyler for their scoring ability because they are -- both can get it going pretty quickly and we need those guys to make shots. And Landers made two big threes in the second half, and Tyler's lay-up in the first half was big.

We just need toes guys to make shots to stretch the defense and make the defense honest. When they come on the floor, they have to be accounted for. So I'm playing those guys minutes and they came through today.

Q. With everything going on the second half, near 20-point lead goes all the way down to five, how does some of the early adversity that you went through prepare you guys? It was almost a road game for you guys.

ALEX LOMAS: With Coach Penny, we are all in situational things in practice. We have been in points where we are up ten with two minutes, down ten with two minutes, and I just felt like he did a great job of preparing us for that moment.

Just throughout my past and my history I've always been in games where I could be up 20 or down 20, and the game is never over. Just being aware of that, and just keeping my teammates aware of that has always just been a blessing, and like I said, just listen to Coach Penny put us in the right spots, that always help us get through every time.