PAC-12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 9, 2023

Bobby Hurley

Devan Cambridge

Desmond Cambridge Jr

Arizona State Sun Devils

Postgame Press Conference

Arizona State - 77, USC - 72

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get started with an opening statement from coach and then take questions.

BOBBY HURLEY: Just really pleased with our performance tonight, the way we started, how efficient we were on offense, guys really stepped up in a big game and got us off to a great start, especially on the offensive end.

And then at half to hold USC to 25 points and 25 percent from the field, and I think they had one assist and seven turnovers. So our defense was what it's been most of the year and really relied on that. We got a big lead and I told the guys at halftime that they're too good of a team not to make a surge at us, which they did, and we had another response. So just got great contributions.

Obviously Des had a big night shooting the basketball and putting a big number out there, but he was doing everything, diving on the floor and calling timeouts, and everybody across the board was just so active with our offensive rebounding and second-chance points. So our bench was excellent, Frankie picking up his second foul and Jamiya Neal coming in and doing a really good job in the first half. Luther Muhammad stepped up and hit made a three. Alonzo Gaffney was very active and play really good defense versus Peterson. I've said about everything I need to say. I may not have to answer another question.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Desmond, obviously your ability to hit threes tonight was huge for your team. Can you tell us how it felt to be in a rhythm like that in a game as important as this?

DESMOND CAMBRIDGE JR: I mean, it felt good, but at the end of the day that's what I knew, I had to come ready to play today. Yesterday, I didn't play well, but my teammates, they did and they lifted me up and I take that personally because my teammates put a lot of trust in me, so I feel like I need to give that back to them and that's why I did what I did today.

Q. Des, you kind of didn't shoot the ball great the last couple of games. Tonight you were great. Was there a difference? Did you feel a difference, and if so, what was it?

DESMOND CAMBRIDGE JR: Confidence, literally. Last night I was talking to Alonzo Gaffney just about the game yesterday, and he told me one thing that I needed to hear and that was just be confident in myself. I kept second-guessing a lot of my shots, a lot of my decisions, and when your teammates believe in you, like sometimes that's all you need. I know I have confidence in myself and, yeah, when your teammates also have that confidence in you, you feel like nothing can stop you.

Q. Can you guys talk about two things: First of all, your offensive rebounding and also your second-chance points in the game?

DEVAN CAMBRIDGE: Just the offensive rebounds is just knowing your teammates. Like, I know like if him and DJ got the ball, I know it's going up, so (laughing.)

But always putting myself and others, like, just in position, like, knowing, like, just being there beforehand, like, if a play is called for them for them, like, if I'm not getting the ball or something, do something that keeps you out on the floor and just doing everything it takes to win. Like, if he comes off a screen or something, just knowing your teammates and putting yourself in those spots to grab those boards.

DESMOND CAMBRIDGE JR: And also, the last time we played them last Saturday they beat us on the offensive boards like 20 to 8 or something like that, and I feel like that was a reason why we lost. So that was a big emphasis this whole week leading up to it, that if we got a chance to play them, that would not be the case today.

Q. Obviously you're playing Arizona next. How do you reflect on that last game down in Tucson?

BOBBY HURLEY: Yeah, it was a big-time game. I said after, it felt like an Elite 8 type of game, the scoring, the shot making. It was an early glimpse into March Madness and what that's all about. We have a lot of respect for Arizona and the program they have and what they have accomplished since I've been here, and more particularly the last two years. They could beat you in so many different ways. They have the front court. It's going to be more of an up-tempo game than even tonight.

So there's a lot of things that we're going to have to do in order to have some success tomorrow night. But it's what you live for. To be in the semifinals of a tournament like this with the teams that are still left, we feel like blessed and just can't wait for the opportunity.

DESMOND CAMBRIDGE JR: Yeah, these are the games you live for. That last game, that was amazing. It's going to be hard to overcome that just in terms of feeling. But I have never experienced a PAC-12 championship either and I know that's going to feel good. So to do that, we have to beat a good team like Arizona and, yeah, they're a good team and we're a good team and just as a competitor these are the kind of games you want to play. So we're looking forward to it and we're ready to play.

Q. When you know that your season's on the line like this and your college career's almost at an end, does that, what does that do? Like, what do you think about? How are you feeling going into a game like tonight? And then how does it feel after having such a successful performance?

DESMOND CAMBRIDGE JR: I'm not going to lie, it puts a lot of pressure on you, man. God gives his toughest battles to his toughest soldiers, and I go by that saying. Literally, if you weren't capable of doing something spectacular, I don't feel like you would be put in a position to play a team like Arizona in a semifinal championship like this.

So, yeah, man, it's big moments that we live for, we put in the work for this, we deserve to be here, and we're just going to continue to show that.

Q. It took three attempts to finally get over USC, but you did it when it mattered the most. How does it feel?

DEVAN CAMBRIDGE: Like I said, we owed them, well, two of them, they beat us twice. I feel like we should have came out last game and won that game, but we didn't finish strong.

But we know we could beat 'em and we played hard today. We did it with intent and I think everybody's locked in and on the same page and we're excited to play our rivals tomorrow and handle that.

BOBBY HURLEY: USC's a really good team. It feels great because we know how good they are and they're an NCAA Tournament team and one of the best defensive teams in the country and have two guys that could take over a game. So when you're able to accomplish something like that you feel great about it.

Q. It seemed like last night you guys were almost maybe a little bit tight and it seemed like tonight you guys came out a lot looser and just kind of played more freely. Was that just the way it looked or did you guys feel that way?

DEVAN CAMBRIDGE: I just feel like we didn't guard as well yesterday. I think we play with the same freedom every game. I think we just had, we had a chip on our shoulder today. We knew like every game it could be your last game, so I think we just played hard on the defensive end. But I think offensively every game, yeah, we play the same every game.

Q. You guys earlier this year Jamiya said he was like the third Cambridge brother. How have you guys, how is your relationship with the three of you guys grown and developed over this year?

DESMOND CAMBRIDGE JR: It's grown so much. Both of them are like little brothers to me, especially, yeah, him and they like, they're like best friends. So like, literally, I don't know, if anyone, if you have brothers or sisters or younger siblings, it's like you got to fight, you got to fight together and to build that relationship, build that chemistry. And there's going to be bumps on the road. Yeah, when y'all see us yelling on the court at each other, it's all out of love and that's just because we, I don't know, we trust each other. And yeah, so, yeah, I don't even know. But CAD. He's a part of it now.

Q. (No Microphone.)

DEVAN CAMBRIDGE: Well we didn't go, he went to hill crest and he came the year after I left. I've been talking to him since then. When I was coming over here transferring I reached out to him about the school. He told me some good things. Yeah, so we always been, we had a tight bond. And he's fun. He can always put a smile on my face and yeah, just he's a good guy to be around. He's playing, he's been playing a lot better and he's doing the right things. He's doing what we knew he could do all year so proud of him.

Q. It seemed like the ball movement and defensive intensity, going for loose balls in the first half especially was among the best it's been all season. Would you say that was one of the most complete halves you've played in a season?

BOBBY HURLEY: Just our activity on defense, our deflections was one of our higher totals. We didn't want them to be able to do anything comfortable out there. Boogie Ellis was a priority because he got off on us in our last matchup, so we wanted to do a better job with him. It was more desperation to how we rebounded. And then the assist totals the last two games have been good and we've been one of the better assist teams in the PAC-12 this year, so it's great to see these guys are making the one more pass, the extra pass and there was certainly several examples of that tonight. Thank you guys, appreciate it.