NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - SAINT PETER'S VS MURRAY STATE

March 18, 2022

Tevin Brown

Justice Hill

Matt McMahon

KJ Williams

Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Murray St. Racers

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by three members of the Murray State team, KJ Williams, Justice Hill and Tevin Brown.

Q. Guys, how are you feeling today?

KJ WILLIAMS: I'm feeling pretty good. I got enough recovery and I stretched this morning so I should be ready to go.

JUSTICE HILL: I got fluid last night until 3 in the morning so back to 100%.

Q. Justice, talking about dealing with cramps yesterday, we saw a couple of teammates helping you yesterday during a media timeout, you had two guys helping you, your trainers and everything. How much does that exemplify what this team is about?

JUSTICE HILL: It's been like that all year. I feel like whenever we're down, whenever anybody on the team needs something we have multiple guys that will be there, helping out any way they can. I feel like that's explanatory of the year we've had.

Q. Tevin, you and KJ have experienced winning in this tournament. How'll you be able to pull from that experience moving forward and also be able to help your teammates playing a second round game?

TEVIN BROWN: Just telling the guys to stay calm. At the end of the day this is a game of basketball. That's what we came here to do, and that's what we're going to be focused on tomorrow for the game.

KJ WILLIAMS: Like Tevin said, just stay calm, go out and have fun but stay competitive. Just coming out here to do our job.

Q. Wonder if both of you identify with sort of the "Ja" energy of being lightly recruited being guys who wanted to prove that you were something more than people maybe thought you were coming out of high school? And how much do you guys interact with him?

TEVIN BROWN: We have a group chat every day where he interacts with us, he talks to us after games, before games, everybody sees it on social media so that's very big coming from one of the best players in the NBA going into his third year.

KJ WILLIAMS: He interacts with the players on our current roster and just showing us support and him just helping us to get through what we need to get through.

Q. Guys, you are used to doing these Thursday-Saturday turn-around in the OVC; you do it all year long. How much can you pull from that experience getting ready for a game 48 hours later after playing an incredibly tough match-up last night?

TEVIN BROWN: We're on a bigger stage, but I feel like it's the same thing as any other week in the OVC Tournament.

JUSTICE HILL: We on a 21-game winning streak with that schedule, so I feel like it's something we have to continue doing what we've been doing, staying on the same -- actually happy it worked out it's that same type of schedule.

Q. It's no secret that the program has never been to the Sweet 16, and you guys have a chance to kick the door in tomorrow. Matt is all about what's next, what's next. Has it come up, the history that you guys are chasing tomorrow?

TEVIN BROWN: It pops up on social media but Coach Matt tells us to focus on the next thing, and that's winning tomorrow night and not worry about the games ahead.

KJ WILLIAMS: Same as what Tevin said focusing on the tasks we have ahead of us tomorrow.

JUSTICE HILL: Coach tells us to focus on each game and I feel like we have to focus on tomorrow and then focus on the future when the time comes.

Q. I wonder what the coach talked to you about related to Saint Peter's University?

TEVIN BROWN: We start focusing on that today. We have been worried about recovering and getting our bodies ready to go tomorrow.

KJ WILLIAMS: Yeah, just getting our recovery in from last night and coming in today and getting prepared for tomorrow.

Q. You guys have all gotten multiple awards, but how important has the bench coming in the game, specifically last night, how has that helped down the stretch through the winning streak?

TEVIN BROWN: It helps a lot because we have people who can play forty minutes night in and night out, but it's in our best interest not to have to do that, but we have a bench where we're able to sub guys in and not have a drop-off so that helps us a lot as a group.

KJ WILLIAMS: It's a team effort. Five people on the court and the rest on the bench cheering us on or motivating us to get through the offensive and defensive ends.

JUSTICE HILL: I feel like even more than the game and the bench, each and every day those guys come in and compete with us at practice and make us better on the practice floor. They don't just let us win a segment or whatever it may be. They come in and compete and try to make us better even in ways that people don't see in the game.

Q. Yesterday you guys had such a late tip-off and it's another late game tomorrow. How challenging is that day at the hotel? Kicking around, waiting to get on the court and play that game? Take me through yesterday and waiting to get on the court and play in the NCAA Tournament?

TEVIN BROWN: Yesterday was a very long day because we're not used to playing at 9:40 at night, so we had a lot of downtime but it helps with us being able to chill and take in the moment and not be so anxious to get on the court but tomorrow we play at 7:40, the same time we play all our games so it will be better for us.

Q. From your perspective, how are your guys health-wise, KJ with the fall last night, Juice with the cramps and Carter with the ankle injury?

MATT McMAHON: Juice and KJ are fine. They'll be ready to go tomorrow. Carter we'll see how he is today and tomorrow at shoot-around. Fluke deal. Really heartbroken for him. He's been such a great teammate for us, an elite defender, really a mistake-free player on the offensive end of the floor. He's had a tremendous impact on winning this year for us, so for something like that to happen two minutes into the first round of the NCAA Tournament, just crushed for him.

But we'll see how he responds over the next 24 hours.

Q. KJ, Tevin, and Juice all talking about how big the bench is, just contributions on the court. Also the support they get when they're not on the court cheering the team on. How big is it from your perspective to have that. And to have somebody like D.J. foul out, he still has a huge contribution cheering everybody on.

MATT McMAHON: Well, I think that's the biggest strength overall of our team, just that we have a true team. These guys are very connected, very unselfish. They play for each other. They support and encourage each other. They challenge and hold each other accountable. That's why we've had a lot of success this season.

It's fun to watch as a coach. But our bench was huge. Trae Hannibal was incredible with the 18 & 6 last night, Jordan Skipper-Brown picked a good night to have his best night of the season with the double-double, the clutch free throws, the tip-in there late in overtime, one of the great plays you'll see in all of March. And I could keep going on down the line. But that's the fun part of coaching is building a team, and we certainly have that.

Q. This is probably a secret you don't want to give away, but what is the secret to identifying guys who major conference schools don't want but by the time you're done with them, they could play at every one of those places?

MATT McMAHON: Well, we definitely have been blessed to have some elite players, not just in our league but in all of college basketball over the last decade. There would be a long answer, but I think you have to start with finding guys who absolutely love to play and love to compete and are driven to become the best player they're capable of being.

Of course there has to be some talent, size, skill set, hopefully basketball IQ and all those things. But I think when you start looking at all of the rankings and the recruiting stars and all those things, usually toughness, heart, love of the game, desire to become an elite player. Those things aren't often factored into those rankings. We try to work extremely hard to identify those traits that we feel impact winning.

Q. What do you know -- you said last night St. Peter's is good at defense. What more do you know about them now?

MATT McMAHON: Well, I think they're fantastic. You see they take on Coach Holloway's personality. They're tough. They guard you for 40 minutes. Really elite defensively.

Then I think the reason they're here in the round of 32, if you look over this eight-game winning streak, they've continued to get better at the offensive end of the floor. Their top player's production has increased over the last five games compared to the early parts of the season. The performance yesterday from Banks and -- I hope I say his last name correctly -- Edert, just phenomenal, the shot making, the ability to create off ball screens, they are a really good team.

As we all know in college basketball, the goal is to be playing your best basketball in March, and they're certainly doing that.

Q. What do you think is the most important thing that you all will need to do in order to come away with a victory over St. Peter's?

MATT McMAHON: I wish I could just point to one thing there. I think we'll have to play very well at both ends of the floor. They're so good defensively. They turn you over. They force you to take tough, difficult shots, and then on the offensive end they're playing really good basketball. They shoot the ball well from behind the three-point line. They don't shoot a ton of them, but they're very efficient when they do. I think it'll take a complete performance at both ends of the floor for us to come out victorious tomorrow.

Q. You've won a game in this tournament before back in 2019. How much can you look back on that experience, getting a team ready for a second game 48 hours later and maybe help with that? Also with that OBC schedule being just the same, how much can that help, as well?

MATT McMAHON: I would point more toward that, just being used to playing the Thursday-Saturday schedule. We have a routine for how we like to wrap up the Thursday game, win or lose, and then quickly turn our attention to the preparation that will be required for Saturday's game.

So this is our normal routine that we've been in for the last 11 weeks now, I believe, so I hope that'll benefit us.

I do think we benefit from the experience. I think you saw that last night, of Tevin and KJ having been on this stage before, having had success in this tournament before, and I hope that'll be the case again tomorrow.

Q. You know how rich of a basketball state Kentucky is. To be the last team in this tournament in the Bluegrass, what does that mean to you? What does it mean to the fan base? Have you guys talked about the history you could be making to the program's first ever Sweet 16?

MATT McMAHON: Well, I'm not sure what that means to the fan base. It doesn't mean anything to me. We just stay focused on Murray State, don't really worry about the other teams. We have respect for the other teams, but we keep our focus in our locker room.

After every game on this run we've been on and since I've been the coach here, we do set the stage for the big picture, and we wrap that up very quickly.

I alerted them last night after the game that tomorrow night is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We don't back down from that. It's the truth. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and then that's the end of it. Now we put our time and attention toward doing the things we need to do to make sure we're prepared, locked in, and ready to go tomorrow night at 7:45 and just focus on doing whatever we have to do to get a win tomorrow night.

Q. You've been down at halftime 10 times this year, and you're 8 & 2 in those games. What's the secret sauce to be able to get your team to come back and play differently in the second half?

MATT McMAHON: Thank you, I wasn't aware it was that many times.

I think what really helped our team was on December 10th when we played at Memphis in the FedEx Forum, that was when they had their entire allotment of players and great talent and we were down 40-26 at the half. I think we found out a lot about ourselves that night.

You make the corrections at halftime. You make a few adjustments, and then we always talk about it being a 40-minute game, or in last night's game, a 45-minute game. A lot of possessions left.

We just want to win that next four-minute round going into the media time-out and chip away at those leads.

I know we've come back from five double-digit deficits this year and come back to win. Last night was the first time we gave away a lead late, and that was my responsibility, but our players found another way to win a game. And when all the momentum was with San Francisco in the overtime period and Bouyea was putting on one of the great performances in the history of this tournament, our guys responded every possession and executed incredibly well at the offensive end.

Overall I think we just try and put our focus on doing the things that it takes to win and not getting caught up in all the noise and all the other things going on with the game.

Q. I think on Wednesday you said that one of the critical things for this team's growth was getting back to getting elite point guard play at Murray State with Juice. I'm wondering if you can elaborate on what in particular he has grown and how he has grown into the player he's become this season and why it's key to your success so much.

MATT McMAHON: I think it starts -- when you start talking about elite point guard plays -- excuse me, elite point guard play -- with a mindset. I think there's been great growth and maturity there. There's an all-in buy-in to the program. And it wasn't his fault last year. We just didn't get to coach him. We didn't have summer workouts. We missed a month of practice during the season. So it wasn't his fault.

But from the first day of spring workouts, I believe this, he's outworked every player in America. He's lived in our practice facility. He's studied film.

We've been able to build a good relationship. I think that relationship between the head coach and the point guard is just critical because as I told you on Wednesday, they see things out there on the floor that the coaches might not see, so there has to be a good relationship to communicate that.

But for him specifically, he's different from a size standpoint from the other elite point guards we've had in recent years, but he's as good an athlete as there is out there. He's explosive. He's tough as nails, as you saw last night. He can really shoot the ball from three, and he's become really hard to guard in our ball screen offense because he can get all the way to the basket.

I think you saw his change of speed, change of direction, his little floaters he was able to make in the lane last night, and then he delivers in the big moments.

I know that's a long answer, but I think those are what you look for in a great point guard.

Q. Dionte Bostick played 50 minutes this year against Division I competition and last night gave you eight of the most important minutes of his life. Can you speak to his not shying away from the moment and being able to contribute when he was needed most.

MATT McMAHON: Number one, I'm extremely proud of him. I understand what has gone on with his minutes this year is difficult. He started a lot of games for us a year ago and has not been in the rotation the majority of conference play and on into the postseason.

I think it really speaks to his character. He's worked hard. He's still in the breakfast club in the morning at the practice facility working and getting better and making sure he's ready when his opportunity comes.

I thought he was fantastic last night. He did a good job taking care of the basketball. He defended really well against a terrific backcourt from San Francisco. He's a really good player, and I think he's going to need to be ready to go tomorrow night against St. Peter's.

Q. You told me the other day that character is the price of admission for the team. You have all these guys that want to take the big shot. In the moment they want it. That's a unique quality, isn't it.

MATT McMAHON: I think it's an important quality, and we've been blessed. We have relentless competitors. We have guys who -- as you know, three guys who have gone over 30 points in a game this season and four have gone over 20. Last night we had five guys in double figures on the biggest stage in college basketball.

We have really good players, and that's great, but I always put the asterisk next to that. We have really good players who are bought into the culture of the program and who are unselfish and tough, and all they care about doing is winning, and that's why we've had the success that we've had this year.