NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - UAB BLAZERS VS HOUSTON COUGARS

March 18, 2022

Kelvin Sampson

Kyler Edwards

Fabian White

PPG Paints Arena

Houston Cougars

Media Conference

Houston - 82, UAB - 68

MODERATOR: We're going to start with an opening statement from Coach Sampson and take questions for student-athletes. With that, Coach Sampson, if you want to give an opening statement go ahead.

KELVIN SAMPSON: I thought getting into half time was important because we had to kind of reacquaint ourselves with who we were defensively.

Defensively, second half, I thought we were outstanding in just about every facet, our ball screen coverages, side pick-and-roll, mid pick-and-roll, our shot contest, defensive rebounding.

First half, I think we were kind of getting caught up in our own offense and just weren't playing defense the way we're capable.

But also they made some tough shots, especially Ertel. He's got such a quick release. He really explodes into his shot. Can't say enough about Jamal Shead and the job he did on Jordan Walker. Our kids certainly heard enough about him. Rightfully so. Most of it came from us telling them how good he was. Because he is good.

I thought our defense was outstanding. And we prepared for Jamal to play to this point, and then we were going to have to Kyler guard him, Kyler originally guard him, and then Jamal.

But we just went at match-ups. We've been pretty good at that this year. We tried to pick on Fab's match-up when we could. We went to Taze, went to Josh, kept Kyler and Jamal, pick and rolls.

They pressed us. And things that helped us against their press was we just played Memphis. Memphis plays very similar. They press into a 2-3. They press into 1-3-1. Different, and we just saw that.

So I think the key for us is just attack. You know, watching a lot of teams in our league, they get the ball below the free throw line, bring it back out and run a play. What we did was we just tried to get the first good shot and pulled the trigger and just tried to go get the ball at the offensive glass.

But, you know, it's a good win. You want to win your first one. And the fact that it represented this team's 30th win. This team is 30-5. I don't know if I've had ever a team I'm as proud of as this bunch for everything that they've had to overcome. But also proud because of how they've grown. Growth. Growth is important for a basketball team. You have to grow. But you have to grow together.

And I'm fortunate that I have high-character kids, big-time high-character kids. Our discipline problem in our program is somebody's cell phone goes off in the film session. We had one last night. First time all year. Of course it was a freshman. But just proud of this group. Good we get to stay together for another game, and we'll see how that one goes.

MODERATOR: Questions for student-athletes?

Q. Kyler, what was it that got you going? Was it the moment, the rims? And when did you know you had your shot going?

KYLER EDWARDS: Well, I like to stay confident, so I always think my shot is going. So my teammates look for me a lot because they know I can shoot. So credit to them and the team looking for me.

Q. They got it to seven points in the second half, but never really got closer, and you guys were able to fend them off and make little runs of your own. What was the key to that, staying mentally strong and finishing it off?

FABIAN WHITE JR.: We just have a lot of veterans, so we don't get too high, too low. And we know they're a good team, so they are going to get on a run eventually. So we just have to stay even keel and just defend like we've been doing.

KYLER EDWARDS: What Fabian said. We got a lot of veteran people, veteran guys on this group. When we get tired, it's not like we just give up and lay down. I think we can push through that and push through adversity.

Q. Kelvin, when your team -- the potential it has to score, but when your team gets off to that type of start, especially from the 3-point line, does that -- how does that sort of change the approach that you take, or does that allow you obviously to do some different things?

KELVIN SAMPSON: I don't think it changes our approach as much as it changes their approach. That's why you can't define somebody by a statistic. We've got some guys that aren't very good free throw shooters. You saw two of them in action tonight, Roberts and Carlton.

If they shot all of our free throws all year, we may be the worst free throw shooting team in the history of the round ball because those guys aren't very good free throw shooters. It's not like they're trying to miss. They're not. They try to make it.

Just think about if Andre Drummond and Shaq was on the same team. Historically, that would be the worst free throw shooting team ever. I'm not saying these guys are Shaq and Andrew, but they're not great free throw shooters.

Whereas if Ramon and Jamal and Kyler shot all our free throws, you would say you're a great free throw shooting team. Free throw shooting team is relevant to who is shooting the free throws.

So but the same thing goes for 3-point shooting percentage. Kyler's a good shooter, I don't care what the numbers say. That's why he keeps shooting, because we want him to keep shooting because we believe in him. Same thing with Fabian. Fabian can make threes. Jamal has gotten better, Taze has gotten better.

And when you get to this stage of the season -- where you win, you advance; you don't, you go home -- sometimes that triggers something inside a kid like Kyler. But he's a tough kid. Fabian's played in five NCAA Tournament games last year, including the Final four. Kyler's played in six in one year, including the National Championship game against Virginia. He had 10 in that game.

So these guys aren't afraid of the moment. They're not intimidated by the stage we're on.

The thing that helps guys like our freshmen, J'Wan Roberts is a freshman. Ramon Walker is a freshman. Jamal Shead is a freshman. Those freshmen will follow these veteran guys. And they're good leaders. Kyler has a quiet confidence about him. Fabian has a swagger about him. And these kids don't fear a whole lot.

Q. Question for each of the players, if we could. What was maybe what you can share with us about the message defensively at half time, to go back to your roots and what you do, and how can that help you getting back to those things as you look ahead quickly to the match-up against Illinois?

KYLER EDWARDS: Just keep our foot down, keep our foot on the gas. Just playing our brand of basketball.

And I haven't really look at Illinois yet, but we'll get a good look tonight.

FABIAN WHITE JR.: When it comes to defense, I feel like when we're not defending well is more because we're not defensive rebounding. So getting clean defensive rebounds and staying in front of our man, really, that was the main key at halftime.

Q. Kyler, I lost track of how many oh, my Gods you had after you made those threes. When you have it going like that on this type of stage, how would you describe what that feeling is like? For you, Fabian, how dangerous is the scene when Kyler has it going?

KYLER EDWARDS: It's always a great feeling because it's March, only a certain amount of teams playing. So moments are big, emotions are high. So just making those type of plays. And my teammates rallying behind me always feels good.

MODERATOR: Kyler, Fabian, thank you.

Q. Kelvin, you mentioned how proud you were of this team's growth. When you think back to December and losing two of your key players, how proud of you that you guys are able to score 82 points in an NCAA Tournament game, and to have so much offensive versatility to where you can go inside, hit the three ball, you can respond and change in a game like this?

KELVIN SAMPSON: I think it comes down to when your best players value winning over statistics, those are usually player-led teams. All of our good teams, I don't always remember the year, but I remember how many games they won. The 27-win team, great player leadership; 33-win team, great player leadership; 28-win team, great player leadership; 30-win team this year, great player leadership.

That was the key. We have great player leaders. Which means they bought into your culture, how you do things. It's important to them. Winning is important to these kids.

And they practice that way. The game with Memphis was Sunday. Four-hour bus ride. We got back late Sunday night. We didn't practice Monday or Tuesday. We didn't do anything. Couldn't. Kids were -- we played three games in three days.

And I was very thankful that we got a Friday bracket. I could have cared less who's in; just glad we played on Friday.

Thursday. If you're playing three games in three days, you play an early Thursday game. Had a lot to do with some of our early exit in the tournament. I remember being at Oklahoma, we went three consecutive Big 12 tournament championships, and some of those we had to play a Thursday game early. That's tough for those kids. Really is.

And Iowa got bounced in the first round. Taking nothing away from Richmond. Three games in three days, and then have to turn around and play on Thursday early, that's tough.

I wish the NCAA would protect conference tournament champions and just not put those teams in position where they have to play early Thursday. If they do have to play Thursday, how hard would it be to put them in the late game, just to give them a better chance to succeed?

You play all year to be at this moment. Right? So for this team, all our teams, they buy in. You have to have something to buy into. They have to care, have to care about the people that came before them. Have to stand on those shoulders, you know.

I go back to Damyean Dotson and Galen, Rob. I go on and on. I don't want to bore you guys with names you never heard of. But we've had some great, great kids. That has a lot to do with the success of this program.

And this team has just added to it. Just really, really proud of this group. We're -- we have our weaknesses, we have things we're not real good at. But we're really good at trying hard. That's important.

Q. How important an ingredient is toughness to winning this time of year?

KELVIN SAMPSON: That's a great question. Getting a cramp. I don't think you can manufacture toughness. I don't think you can -- sorry -- I don't think you can manufacture toughness. I don't think you can all of a sudden become tough. It's gotta to be in your DNA, man. It's got to be who you have been.

And our team is tough. Like I said, we have weaknesses. We're not the prettiest team, we're not the best team, and that's okay. I just want our kids to be the best they can be. And as long as the music is playing, our kids get to keep playing, I feel lucky.

Because I really do, you know, enjoy coaching this team. I mean, this is a really fun group to be around. You know, if we -- when we lose, whenever, if and when, only one team is going finish here, I'll be sad we lose, but I'll be more sad that I don't get to coach this bunch.

MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach.

KELVIN SAMPSON: Okay. Thanks, guys.