NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - NOTRE DAME VS TEXAS TECH

March 20, 2022

Mark Adams

Kevin McCullar

Kevin Obanor

Viejas Arena

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Media Conference

Texas Tech - 59, Notre Dame - 53

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Texas Tech.

COACH ADAMS: Incredibly happy for these guys up here, for our basketball team to stay alive and keep moving forward and play another game. At the same time, those last two or three minutes, I don't want the season to be over. I know Coach Brey is feeling the same way.

I certainly feel for Notre Dame, and they played so hard and played good enough to win. We just made a lot of great plays down the stretch. Couldn't be more happy for these guys up here and our team.

Q. Just talk about digging deep. You were down in four straight defensive stops, your bread and butter, and then you hit key free throws in the last two minutes. Talk about getting it done.

KEVIN OBANOR: We have the mindset of not going home. All praise to the Lord. We just love each other. And this is what March is all about. And the game is not over even when we were down. We just have that mindset of just chipping it away, one possession at a time. To God be the glory, we came out victorious.

KEVIN MCCULLAR: This is a March game. I'm so excited right now I can't put it into words. So thankful for my brothers on the team, Coach Adams and stuff. It came down to defense. We knew we needed to get stops against a really good Notre Dame team. That's what we ended up doing. And we hit some big free throws.

Q. In terms of getting the offensive rebound, to get the two free throws, how important was that for y'all? And how difficult is it to make a play like that especially in a clutch situation there?

KEVIN OBANOR: Every play matters, especially down the stretch. And I just want to win. We just want to leave Texas Tech better than we found it. Give credit to a good Notre Dame team. But we just want to win. And we just needed to do what it takes for us to win. Even if it's an ugly win we'll take it. We're grateful to be part of that. And grateful to advance to the Sweet 16.

Q. Can you just speak to what Marcus was able to do? Obviously had his name called, had that huge block, but not only that, then made the two free throws that fueled the 10-1 run that closed the game for you all.

KEVIN MCCULLAR: Marcus is a veteran. He's been in big time games before. He could start on any team in the country right now. He comes off the bench and gives us what we need. He knows his role.

He's been putting in the work on his free throws. I don't know if you noticed, he shot them with his right hand. That's just huge. That's the dedication and work he puts in. That's my brother and roommate. So I'm proud of him.

Q. Notre Dame hit their ninth 3-pointer with about five minutes left to take a lead. They're 15-1 when they get double digit 3-pointers made. How much of an emphasis was defending a perimeter and trying not to get another 3-pointer on you?

KEVIN MCCULLAR: We were emphasizing it the whole game, but credit to them, they got in great spots and drive and kicked, and made some big time shots there. They're a really good shooting team. We knew down the stretch that we had to eliminate that or the game probably wouldn't have went our way.

We made some big time plays on the defensive end. It was just our will, we didn't want to send the seniors home yet. We want to keep playing basketball as long as we can and try to make a run at this thing. We're so close and we buckled down.

Q. Second straight game with a double-double now. What helps you get into the mindset to rise to the occasion in big games like this in March?

KEVIN MCCULLAR: He's a dog.

KEVIN OBANOR: I give praise to the Lord. When big moments come I don't want to let my teammates down. Like I said, we love each other a lot. We love Coach Adams. We love our brothers. It's like a family-hood over here. Whatever it takes, nights I'm not scoring the ball, if I could do little things like offensive rebound or just 50/50 balls, do the little things. I'm willing to do whatever. As long as we win we're all happy. I'm just grateful to advance and play in the Sweet 16.

Q. Nine months ago you weren't even on the team. You were figuring out where to transfer. Today you tied the school record for most rebounds in an NCAA tourney game. How happy are you with your decision? And how does this Sweet 16 compare to the last Sweet 16?

KEVIN OBANOR: I'm very happy with the decision I made, playing for a guy in Coach Adams and having my brothers alongside that will be my friends for life. I'm truly grateful.

And the last Sweet 16, we all have different memories. I'm grateful to be part of each one of them. Last year, being a 15 seed, and this year I'm making to it the Sweet 16, there's always a new story in play. I'm grateful just to be a part of March Madness once again and just to keep breaking history. But if we didn't get the win it wouldn't at all matter, I'm just grateful that we came out victorious.

Q. You have four fouls down the stretch, but like you still continued to play really tough defense and really sticking to the Irish in this game. How were you able to do that down the stretch with four fouls?

KEVIN MCCULLAR: My game, it always starts on the defensive end. I'm always going to compete on both ends of the floor. I just know when I picked up my fourth foul I was really frustrated. But Coach Adams and the staff trusted me to be out there and be smart and make smart decisions.

And my team had my back for me. If I went for a steal or if someone was trying to go at me to try to get me to foul out of the game, they had my back.

Just trying to keep my head clear. And I'm just so happy to come out with the W.

Q. It got loud those last two minutes. Your friends, your family was there, Red Raiders Nation. Comment on the support you've had from Red Raiders Nation?

KEVIN MCCULLAR: Being way out here in San Diego, it felt like almost a home game. Red Raiders Nation travels well. They're the best fans in the country for a reason. It was loud down the stretch and we needed them to get us going. It was big time.

KEVIN OBANOR: To pick up on what he said, just felt like a home game. Just grateful for the fans that came out. And praying for safe travels as they head back. Just grateful to have such good fans to support us, win or lose, and we came out victorious. And we're really grateful we can make them proud.

Q. You guys shot nearly twice as well in the last game as you did this game. How much confidence does it give you going through the rest of the tourney knowing you can win scoring well and win scoring ugly?

KEVIN MCCULLAR: The ball is going to go in some nights and some nights it's not. We know one thing that will be consistent is our defense and effort. We want to be the hardest playing team out there always. We're glad to be still playing in the Sweet 16.

I know at the beginning of the year no one even picked us or ranked us. We're trying to prove people wrong and keep advancing as a family.

Q. Made big defensive stops and free throws down the stretch. What do you tell each other when you're huddling up when there's less than a minute to go, moments like that?

KEVIN OBANOR: Are you trying to go home? No way to sugarcoat it. Are you trying to go home? We just had that mindset to continue to play and we came out victorious.

KEVIN MCCULLAR: You get a little hostile in the timeouts, we try to hype each other up. We don't want to go home. We all lock in and we listen to each other. That's one thing that's great about us, we're so close. There's no hard feelings in there and it gets competitive. We all want to win.

Q. In terms of what Marcus has been able to do with that big block, but as he's shifted from the left hand to his right hand, how much of a help was he tonight, and how much of, I guess, just crazy way to show that he has improved by making those free throws right-handed?

COACH ADAMS: How about that? Here's a guy who changes his shot. I'd like to take credit for it. But I think he did that on his own about a month ago. Started, he's left-handed starting shooting with his right hand. He looks a whole lot better. But quite honestly still hadn't been going in in practice. We were crossing our fingers.

But just a great competitor. And he just plays with so much emotion. First half didn't have a good half offensively or defensively but he's made some huge defensive plays down the stretch. Plays with a lot of energy and emotion.

And, again, Marcus is one of those guys that had a lot of offers to go other places and other chances to go play at other high D1 schools and wanted to be here at Texas Tech. Great young man. I was so happy for him.

Q. Speaking of Marcus, it seemed like from last year to this year he's really improved as a perimeter defender when switching, like to an elite level. How was he able to do that?

COACH ADAMS: He's just worked at it. He started working on it last year. He's got very quick feet and great hands. And I tell him he could be a boxer or maybe an NFL tight end because -- and he's fast. So we tell him all the time how athletic he is. And he's been one of our best ball defenders all year. We have a lot of confidence when we switch that he can stay in front of those guards.

Q. What would 1979 Texas Tech graduate Mark Adams say to 2022 Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams about making the Sweet 16?

COACH ADAMS: I'd say dream big dreams and don't ever give up on your dreams because there's a certain time in my life when I was winning at certain levels and I thought I was the next John Wooden. And I was the only one in the room that thought that.

And had some success and failure. And the so much you get these jobs is just having timing and the right opportunity. But God's blessed me with this. I really got out of coaching for about seven years, went back to Howard College because I just loved the game. Was there for nine and never had an idea I'd have a chance to be here.

I'm like Kevin, I give God all the credit. It's just been a blessing and it's encouraging to anybody. I don't care how hold you are, just don't give up your dreams and don't quit on yourselves and just keep believing.

Q. With a 1:40 left, looked like you came out in a zone and maybe trapped out of it. And then maybe back to man. Was that something just to throw a different look?

COACH ADAMS: It was, we were just trying to stay aggressive, and knew Coach Brey would have some offensive scheme coming up there. We were just trying to do something to be disruptive in some way. We were able to get by with it, thank goodness. Didn't hurt us.

Q. We've talked earlier in the year and you said your turnover number is 10. This game you had eight.

COACH ADAMS: I know it. How about that. I'm still looking at it. We only had eight turnovers? On paper this game really looks a lot better than I thought. I didn't mean to interrupt you. You're exactly right. One of our goals is let's take care of the basketball. And to us that means don't have 12 or 14. We like to get to 10.

So, again this shows that this team has continued to improve. That's what's so exciting. We're still getting better. We've got a lot of potential left. And like we saw last game and now this one. And so hopefully we'll still make some improvement by next weekend.

Q. Earlier in the week or yesterday you mentioned Coach K being one of your mentors. How excited are you if you're excited to go up against him in the Sweet 16 now?

COACH ADAMS: I like Coach K. I'm not that excited. I don't know if anybody is excited about playing Duke. But we're going to take this time to enjoy and be happy about it. We've kind of broken this in. This is the tournament we need to win, this weekend. We've done that. We'll go back and regroup and be ready for this weekend.

A lot of respect, obviously, for Coach K and Duke. He's always been a mentor of mine, someone I looked up to. Not only is he a great coach, but a great person. Just done so much for basketball. And he's built a program which we all admire and respect. It's just one team to the next, he's got a dynasty he's built. So our hat's off to him.

Q. They did hit nine 3s. You mentioned losing sleep over that 3-point shot. Do you feel you escaped it or do you feel like nine is all right?

COACH ADAMS: We just dodged a bullet. I wouldn't have thought -- if they had hit nine 3s we would have had a chance to win. But they're a great shooting team. They're hard to guard. They spread you and have so many 3-point shooters.

And the other thing, just a really good passing team. I look here, they just had eight assists. I think that's one of the reasons they didn't get more 3s.

I give our guys a lot of credit for keeping their hands up and pressuring the ball, not giving up those open looks. And they made big 3s when they needed to down the stretch. So happy to get out of here with a win.

Q. I know you noticed when you guys were leaving the hotel today, there were way more Red Raiders fans coming out this weekend. What do you want to say to Red Raiders fans to get them out to San Francisco now?

COACH ADAMS: I was so worried about this game, I didn't really notice. But I heard them at the game. They were loud and supportive. And it makes so much -- it makes a big difference for us to give us that encouragement on the floor.

And yeah, we're going to need another big crowd next weekend. So we've had, our Red Raiders Nation has been unbelievable and we're so appreciative of it. Our guys talk about it all the time. Recruits notice it and it's just a big part of our winning.