MOUNTAIN WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 8, 2023

Kevin Kruger

EJ Harkless

Luis Rodriguez

Thomas & Mack Center

UNLV Rebels

Postgame Press Conference

UNLV 78, Air Force 70

THE MODERATOR: Joining Coach Kevin Kruger will be Luis Rodriguez and EJ Harkless. We'll have coach open up with a remark about the game, and then we'll address the student-athletes with questions.

Go ahead, Coach.

KEVIN KRUGER: Just really proud of the guys for fighting and staying with it. They clearly understood our concern as a staff about how a game with Air Force can turn into a rock fight, not only the last time we played them a couple of weeks ago, but that it's not going to change.

They're going to run their stuff. They're going to cut hard no matter what you do.

I felt like we guarded them in the first half of both games incredibly well, and things just don't change. They still cut hard. They still pass. The guys just did a great job of sticking with it, not putting their head down.

The focus and attention was on the defensive side, and we ended up with a win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. EJ, during the first meeting with Air Force, Coach said that it was kind of hard to implement what Air Force was going to do until you saw it for the first time considering that you guys just saw it not too long ago. Was it a little easier in terms of just preparation getting ready for this or considering that you guys weren't seeing it for the first time?

EJ HARKLESS: I wouldn't say it was any easier. That's a really good team, and they're really disciplined. No matter what you do, they have good schemes. You know, we did have a little bit more time to prep so we were a little more prepared, but they're so disciplined, you can't get that in practice.

Just happy that we came out with the win on that.

Q. EJ, two consecutive overtime games for you guys. Just what lessons have you learned to be able to deal with these overtime games after some tougher overtime games earlier if the season?

EJ HARKLESS: Just staying together. That's the biggest thing for us. Just staying together and being able to look each other in the eye, one another in the eyes and go out there and play super hard. The outcome will be in our favor if we do that.

Q. Luis, EJ had a career high tonight. How would you describe his performance?

LUIS RODRIGUEZ: Amazing. Just been a great scorer all season. Just when in doubt, EJ get a bucket, and it's good to have a player like that that we can just give him the ball. Especially when he is going and just let him work. Fun to watch and fun to be a part of.

Q. EJ, I mean, you have played Air Force twice now; had quite a bit of success both times. What have they been doing to you defensively that you have really been able to take advantage of in these two matchups?

EJ HARKLESS: I think the thing that was different for me every other team wants to kind of -- the game plan is kind of to get me to go downhill and fall and get the flops.

The difference with them, they wall up, super strong, and they don't complain at all. It's a different mindset for me going into the game that I have to get adjusted to.

My teammates, you know, told me to stay with it even though I had silly elementary school turnovers. They stayed with me and they believed in me and I believe in them; we came out on top.

Q. Kevin, when you get into the postseason and you're playing every day, how much carryover do you find there is from one game to the next, or can every game be completely different in how you perform and how the game plays out?

KEVIN KRUGER: Yeah, I think there's definitely carryover just because it's the day before, which is, you know, why Air Force is unique. If we carry over that fight and just that attention to detail tomorrow, you know, I think we can give ourselves a chance to win a ball game, win a tournament game.

So that's what's got to happen these next 24 hours. It's the same focus that led into the prep and into the game that these guys had for Air Force. Now we just have to change it a little bit and do everything we can in the next 24 hours to get ready for Boise.

Q. Luis, it was a struggle for both teams really offensively for most of this game. Then in overtime it seemed like you guys found some offensive flow. Can you pinpoint any reasons why you guys were able to get a little more offense going, particularly at overtime?

LUIS RODRIGUEZ: Just spacing and just staying true to what we do. We knew shots weren't going in, but just staying confident and, you know, everybody just executing what Coach drawing up.

You know, we was able to make some big-time plays down the stretch and just get it done, so just staying true to our offense and our principles.

Q. Luis, I know you've only been with Kevin for a year, but what does it mean to be part of this squad to get him his first tournament win?

LUIS RODRIGUEZ: I mean, it just means that all the work we put in over the time, and it's just a blessing just to, you know, stay alive. Anything can happen in March, so just to be a part of a team that is giving ourselves a chance to now go win another big game.

But, I mean, it's why I came here. It's why EJ came here. So I'm just happy I got it done today and ready for another one tomorrow, so sure.

Q. EJ, you've got 26 hours until the next game. You played 40 minutes today. If you are called on again to score 35 points, can you do it again tomorrow?

EJ HARKLESS: 100 percent. That's what we came here for, as Luis said. It's kind of easy when Lu got back-to-back double-doubles. Controlling the glass is something that we struggled with early in the season with giving the other team second-chance opportunities, third-chance opportunities, but when you know he is healthy, you know, he can rebound anybody in the country. Anybody.

He came out there, got -- I don't know if it was 13 or 12 last game, got 11 tonight, and one huge one off of my free-throw that I just missed and kind of sealed the game. One of those winning plays that we need everybody to make and take pride in that and just carry on to Boise State.

Q. Coach, you seem to play Cam Burist a lot down the stretch, especially back to the UNR game. It seems like in this one you were using him as a defensive substitution. What did you see from Cam Burist and what did you like to see from him?

KEVIN KRUGER: In the Reno game we had a situation where we had some fouls and had some things happen where Cam stepped up and had great minutes. You know, with Air Force tonight we were just -- we've gotten a little bit of a lull, and Cam has done a great job of also helping the first time get ready for Air Force.

So we knew he understood it and he thinks the game, and so he was, again, in the rotation tonight as we were trying to get bodies in and out.

Cam, again, did everything he was asked to do again tonight and help get the win.

THE MODERATOR: All right, gentlemen. Go ahead with Coach.

Q. What's the most important thing in 24 hours?

KEVIN KRUGER: Definitely getting as much post-game rehab as possible. Just getting them off their feet, making sure they eat something good here immediately, and just doing what they need to do to wake up just as fresh as possible.

I mean, we wouldn't probably do anything on their feet anyway tomorrow, but with the extra five minutes without a doubt we won't do anything. So it's going to be all film, small group meeting, and it's kind of like cramming for a test in a sense.

But, you know, at the end of the day the guys understand how hard it is to play Boise and what it's going to take, so I think just getting them as physically ready as possible in the 24 hours would be priority over anything else.

Q. Kev, how big was Vic down the stretch for you guys? It seemed like he was everywhere defensively.

KEVIN KRUGER: Vic did a great job. You know, he did a great job. Again, the stuff Air Force runs is really tough to guard. No matter what you do, you just feel like you're a half step behind.

They read and react off each other so well, but the plays he made protecting the rim, especially when they kind of dumped it down into the post a handful of times, and, of course, the play into regulation to send it into overtime, it was huge. It was pivotal.

I mean, pick your adjective, and he did it. You know, I thought David had a good game as well, but you know, the five fouls, of course, kind of made that decision for us.

But, you know, we've kind of had the games where we've won and we've had success we've had both those guys playing hard, kind of selfless basketball. I don't remember all five of David's off the top of my head, but I would imagine that they were helping, they were doing something to help get a solid possession. Then Vic kind of carried that over as well.

Q. Kevin, no Keshon today, but you do have him in the mix tomorrow. What's this going to mean for you and your club having him gone against Boise State as one more weapon you can go to?

KEVIN KRUGER: You said it perfectly: It's another weapon. Unfortunately, you know, with the day of rest. But, you know, it's a fresh body. I know he is going to be itching to get out there. If you know Keshon at all, it's probably going to be hard to talk to him until the Boise game because he is going to be wanting to get out there so bad.

Like you said, though, it's another body. It's another guy that's going to go compete. It's another guy that wants to win games. We look forward to getting him back.

Q. I'm wondering if you are a little concerned about one guy scoring, shouldering so much of the scoring load, 35 points today, and I was wondering how would you like to get maybe Rodriguez more points? Is that something that you can work up overnight in terms of trying to balance out the scoring on your team?

KEVIN KRUGER: Well, without a doubt. You know, I think, obviously, EJ did what he needed to do offensively. Everything was drawn up for him there in the last handful of minutes in overtime, and he was efficient in producing with it. I thought what we've kind of struggled with all year to an extent there in certain circumstances is what Air Force does really well defensively, and we just got really lifted.

Our spacing was bad, and it forced kind of a lot of situations where we took tough shots or it just kind of ball got to EJ, and it was kind of hoping something good would happen. But, without a doubt, our spacing has to be better tomorrow. We've got to cut harder. We've got to do more things that just -- they don't show up. A hard cut, a great pick. Whatever it may be. Just to free up some space and get a better movement and a better flow offensively.

Q. The one game you played against Air Force earlier obviously came down to that EJ tip-in. You touched on it a little bit there, but are they just a particularly difficult matchup for you guys?

KEVIN KRUGER: They are. You know, we spent a lot of time prepping for what they do, and I think the guys responded by, what was it, 57 in regulation. I think it was 53 the other week, so two great defensive performances against Air Force with no question.

What they do really well defensively we seem to struggle with offensively where our spacing gets bad and we end up kind of worrying more about the next defensive possession than we do finishing out the rest of the offensive possession. That will be a big challenge for us tomorrow because, as tournaments usually go, they don't get easier.

THE MODERATOR: That will do it. Coach, thank you.

KEVIN KRUGER: Thanks, guys.