MOUNTAIN WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 9, 2023

Leon Rice

Marcus Shaver, Jr.

Naje Smith

Thomas & Mack Center

Boise State Broncos

Postgame Press Conference

Boise State 87, UNLV 76

THE MODERATOR: Boise State Broncos here with Coach Leon Rice, and the student-athletes are Marcus Shaver and Naje Smith.

LEON RICE: Hello, working media. What a ball game. We've all talked about how great this league is from top to bottom, and it shows in every single one of these games.

That game was, wow. The swings that you saw in that game with that tremendous -- I don't know if we've played a better first half. You know, we couldn't completely shake them. You can't beat a team like that in the first half on their home court.

You know, you're not going to knock them out. We knew that, but we had some foul trouble that we had to navigator there, and they made a little run right before half, made some threes.

Then down the stretch they made some big plays. There was that loose ball, and he picks it up off the ground and makes that amazing three to send it into overtime. You know, our guys are so resilient.

We just talked about, hey, we've got to go win it twice, so that's what we did. These guys made some huge plays. I think -- I don't think they scored for four minutes there at the end of the overtime so, what a great college basketball game.

Two really good teams, and credit to our guys for their resiliency and their toughness to be able to get that done, because a lot of teams couldn't do that under those circumstances where a team comes back, they're on their home floor. It got pretty loud and these guys just, you know, kept fighting and found a way.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Kind of building off that, guys, you had the whole rest of the crowd also started rooting for UNLV and all the Utah State fans were rooting for guys. For the crowd to be that loud, them to hit that three and it goes to overtime, what does it say about you guys to be able to turn the tide and not keep that momentum in overtime and get the win?

MARCUS SHAVER: It shows how resilient, together we are as a team. Ever since the beginning we knew this is what we dreamed with about, this is what we worked towards, so it's nice to see our work paying off.

And you can definitely tell down the stretch how we are the most connected team and just how we stay together, and that's what helps us win these games.

Q. Naj, overtime started, and you hit a big three. What was talked about after that crazy shot by Shane Nowell to kind of calm yourselves and make sure you are ready for overtime?

NAJE SMITH: Just kind of regathered ourselves and realized there's another five minutes of basketball being played, you know? So we just made sure to stay calm, stay resilient, and just keep grinding away.

Q. I'm just curious, your thoughts on that game, the wild swings. We heard from Naj. How did you pull that out?

MARCUS SHAVER: It just shows the toughness of our team. We know there's no easy game. Especially UNLV having home court advantage. It just shows the toughness. And we have vets on this team and we know how to win games. We're extremely connected, and I'm just so proud of my guys.

Q. You guys started the game lights-out from three. I mean, it was just everybody getting a chance. What was that like just to do what you did in the first half from three-point range?

MARCUS SHAVER: I mean, every team dreams of that. I mean, making shots, it's part of the game. That just built our confidence for the rest of the game. I'm just happy that finally those makes are starting to come for our guys and keep this momentum going.

Q. Naj, we know that your personality, I mean, we've got to know you pretty well, but you had a couple of big shots late in the second half and then one at the start of overtime. What did you think of the moment and embracing the moment?

NAJE SMITH: Just thinking, this is my last run and I really want to make it special. So being prepared and stepping up to hit those big shots is something I was ready to do and prepared for.

MARCUS SHAVER: Big shot Naj (laughing.)

Q. Marcus, down the stretch you hit a bunch of big shots. What were they showing you on defense that allowed you to kind of get open?

MARCUS SHAVER: They were going under the ball screens a lot. Shoot, the way I shot it this season, I'll go under two, but I'm just happy that the work is paying off.

I was really just taking what the defense gave me at the end of the day, and it paid off.

Q. Not much time to prepare for the next one of these things. How do you get ready? And Leon, your experience from last year to get ready and be on the court again tomorrow night.

NAJE SMITH: It's what everyone dreams about. Those AAU days when it's just a weekend filled with basketball, basketball, basketball. It just starts with taking care of your body and then showing up mentally ans then just a dogfight, so you have to be prepared to dig in.

MARCUS SHAVER: Survive and advance.

Q. Naje, you got a pretty big bear hug there at the end from Mike Burns. What did Coach say to you when he came up that last time?

NAJE SMITH: He was just so proud of me and the way I've played. He is definitely on my ass a lot. Definitely can taste it a little bit. It's nice to kind of see the other side of him. Instead of him being so tough, showing his loving side and being proud of me. It was really good. It felt good.

Q. Guys, as leaders for this team, how do you guys keep an even and cool mindset after having had, like, a 22-point lead and having that kind of dwindle throughout the game?

MARCUS SHAVER: It's just college basketball. We know, like, these games aren't going to be easy. Teams go on runs and it's just part of the game. We just have to stay calm, cool, and collected. Just don't get too low and just do what we do.

THE MODERATOR: All right, gentlemen. Thank you. We'll dismiss the student-athletes and continue with Head Coach.

Q. You kind of touched on it in the open, but for them to hit that crazy three and the whole crowd is going crazy, I mean, a lot of teams could have folded there.

LEON RICE: No doubt.

Q. How do you describe the team's toughness and ability to get the lead back and keep it right there in overtime?

LEON RICE: No doubt, because, you know, these guys, we've done that before. We've been in so many close games. We actually talked about that kind of stuff before the game as a group. We don't know what the circumstances are going to be. We don't care what they're going to be. We're just about to find a way.

I don't know if you could plan that crazy of circumstances and ups and downs, but that's what we said before the start of overtime. Hey, this is what we talked about before the game. Why has anything changed? Let's just go win it again.

We had a couple of free-throws that could have done it then, but that's basketball. You've got to find a way regardless of what happens, and that's what these guys are so great at. The whole team is so resilient, so tough, so connected.

I mean, you heard them talk about it. It's just an awesome team to coach because they just find ways. And it's different guys throughout the game in different stretches.

I knew we were going to have to play great to win this game. I mean, that team had played a game, they've won a game, they're on their home court. They have a lot going for them. They have great players, great coaches. That's this league.

We certainly did. I mean, that first half was as good an offensive half as we've had all year, I think. I mean, it sure looked like it. Not only because we made shots, but the way we got our shots and the way we had 17 assists tonight.

Credit to UNLV. They didn't -- that didn't knock them out. We knew it wouldn't. We knew we weren't going to win that game in the first half no matter what the circumstances were.

But what a great group to coach, because you got guys that find ways like that because, you know, that's what this tournament is about. Just finding a way.

Q. Up three with eight seconds left. What went into the thought process of not fouling?

LEON RICE: Well, we were going to, but you don't want to foul too early. Especially the way they rebound the ball. All of a sudden you foul and put them on the line and you make one. Now you're bringing losing into the equation. You know?

But our rule is when that thing gets under three, then, boom, if they haven't shot it by then, we're going to foul them. Then when it got knocked around, Tyson said that he didn't want to try to foul him and have him go up, and now he fouled a three-point shooter too.

So, you know, it's just playing. The kid made a heck of a shot.

Q. That's under three seconds...

LEON RICE: Yeah, game clock. Especially in that circumstance, you know, with, like I said, that -- it's tough to get a rebound. You saw how hard it was to get a rebound. We didn't get want to get pushed under and they make the first, tip it out, hit a three, and we lose. That's the thing nobody ever talks about fouling.

You can bring losing into the equation. If they hit a three, we're gonna lose. We defended the first one terrific, and then just the ball got knocked around and somehow he gets it out to the three. I don't know how. That's when I was hoping Tyson could foul him.

But, like you said, it's going so fast, it's hard for the guys to -- well, shoot, if I foul them and a foul a three-pointer and he makes it, now we -- so, you know.

Like I said, you've got to credit Shane. That was a heck of a bucket.

Q. I know Naj's past and his story. How cool is it for you to see him hit a couple of big shots for you guys?

LEON RICE: He was huge. That big three he hit in overtime when there's so limited possessions, just possession to possession to possession, to get up three can change a game right away. That was a huge shot by him.

Q. You look at your starting five. All of them were in double figures. A couple flirted with the double-double. Four were over 38 minutes tonight. How tough is that for your guys?

LEON RICE: They're amazing. They just play -- the coolest thing is, like I said, they play for each other. They play for Boise State. They play for our fans.

We talked about that. They're so appreciative of all these fans. I mean, it sounded like Boise State South. It sounded like Extra Mile Arena South at the start of that game. I was like, wow. We had a great turnout. We sold all of our tickets, I think.

So these guys wanted those guys to have this tournament experience and stay, you know, especially after playing so good. You want to stay for the fans. They get to come back tomorrow night. That meant something.

When our fans show up, one thing I know, our guys give it all for them. That's for sure. And for each other. They want to keep playing together as long as they can.

Q. It was an abundance of video reviews in regulation and overtime. What do you try to do to keep everybody engaged during those lengthy pauses? I mean, it just seemed like a lot...

LEON RICE: I think it helped us because, number one, it saved some timeouts. You want to have some in your back pocket against their pressure and in that situation, so it saved timeouts.

Then the one with the three seconds to go, that was crucial because we drew up -- it gave us time to draw up an OB. We weren't sure how much time we would have because we didn't know if it hit the rim or not, so we played it like we were only going to have three seconds.

I'll tell you what, those guys executed. Coach Duryea, we were moving the pieces around, we changed to inbound the ball because we wanted a bigger guy. We wanted to keep Shave on the floor. We slipped Tyson to the basket. Max threw an unbelievable pass and Tyson made a huge -- that was a huge, huge bucket.

You know, I actually enjoyed the review I guess would be my answer, because it gave us time to regroup and figure things out. I think there was 44 seconds left, and then I think that put us up five, right?

So, you know, worked in our favor there.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

LEON RICE: Thank you, guys. See you tomorrow.