MOUNTAIN WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 9, 2023

KJ Jenkins

Jamal Mashburn, Jr.

Richard Pitino

Thomas & Mack Center

New Mexico Lobos

Postgame Press Conference

Utah State 91, New Mexico 76

RICHARD PITINO: Well, credit to Utah State. They're a terrific team. I kind of overheard the last part. I would be blown away if they're not in the NCAA tournament at 25-7.

I haven't really studied their metrics and all of that, but that is one of the best offensive teams that we have played.

We cut it to six. Couldn't -- they went on a run. We cut it to nine; they went on a run. So we just couldn't sustain the defense.

We didn't get the baskets that we needed to. We had some turnover issues, but the bottom line, like I told our team, is we have so much to be proud of, to be excited about with what we did this year and what we're going to continue to do and beyond.

So very, very proud of them. Disappointing way to end, but I'm pretty sure we're going to keep playing here. We'll find out Sunday night and we'll be -- if we do make the NIT, we haven't been in the postseason since 2014. We'll be proud of that as well. With that...

Q. For either one of you guys, you guys earlier in the year were kind of comfortable with the offense, and if you guys got into shoot-outs with teams, you guys felt comfortable with that. You guys went up against another really good offensive team. What needs to change so the defense can get some stops in the second half over? Over the last month there weren't a lot of games where the second half defense was very good?

JAMAL MASHBURN JR: Honestly, like coach said, they're one of the best offensive teams in the country. We had to pick up our defensive intensity these last five games. When we went back and watched film, we looked at ourselves, we weren't pressuring the ball, weren't making dudes uncomfortable.

When dudes are uncomfortable against us they're going to have nice nights like Taylor Funk had. You know, 6 of 10 from three, which is tremendous.

We have to pick up our defensive intensity as these years come along and we continue to build this core and build this group.

KJ JENKINS: Yeah, I believe hats off to Utah State. They shot the ball very well. When you play a team like Utah State it's very important to play five-man defense, for every guy to be with each other attached on a string. We did not do that at times tonight. We left the paint a little open and got messed up on a little scramble rotations.

But they shot the lights out, man. I'm just very proud of this group for how we fought tonight.

Q. For both of you, you don't know until Sunday, but your thoughts on whether or not the NIT comes calling? I imagine you guys want to keep playing. Have you guys thought much about it? Do you expect to be playing on Sunday?

JAMAL MASHBURN JR: We just lost right now, so it's kind of a lot to think about. I'm ready to play whenever. Whenever we play or wherever we've got to play, I'm ready to play, so...

KJ JENKINS: Yeah, I believe we'll play tomorrow if that's needed to say. NIT, we're very grateful for that, and I'm looking to go win that NIT also.

Q. Jamal, you played a lot of minutes the last two days, and they didn't play the day before. They were fresh. Was fatigue -- did you feel it? Were you tired? Does that play any part this early in the tournament, you having played so many minutes about 24 hours ago?

JAMAL MASHBURN JR: For me I'm a competitor, so fatigue and -- you know, everybody is fatigued at this time of the year. I know they didn't play, but, you know, we've all had a long season. All these college athletes have had a long year and everybody is tired, so it's just -- we can either make an excuse and kind of roll over and just be tired, or are we going to fight and hit bodies and be physical?

So that's my mentality when it comes to those things.

No, fatigue wasn't a factor for me at all.

THE MODERATOR: That will do it, gentlemen. We'll continue with Coach.

Q. Richard, I know year two of the rebuild you've said it a lot. The NIT is nothing to be ashamed of by any stretch, but you guys did sort of reset the bar with the 14-0 start. You guys when I talked to Mash and House in the preseason, and Moore said the same thing, they thought the talent was there to make an NCAA tournament run this year. I'm curious if you have any disappointment that that's -- that's not fair. I know you are disappointed you aren't going to the NCAA tournament. Do you think this team should be in the NCAA tournament based on the talent and based on what it showed early on?

RICHARD PITINO: I would say there's not even a little part in my body that's disappointed with this season. I felt as though we would be much improved from last year. We were.

I feel as though we had one of the biggest rebuilds in the country, and to take over during a pandemic and really have to rebuild a whole roster, to be sitting at 22 wins is a testament to our staff, our players, the culture.

So, no, I never set the bar for NCAA tournament in year two. I think that's crazy when you take over a six-win team and you just had to start over. So when I take a deep breath and think about this season, I am going to be insanely proud of what we've been able to do.

There is zero entitlement to me as it pertains to playing in the NIT. Zero. We haven't been in the postseason since 2014, so it's all about perspective.

I know because our fan base is so good sometimes we get ahead of ourselves as it pertains to building a program. They're so far ahead, the fans are, of where we are as a program. Yes, we were able to add some really good pieces. Jamal and Jaelen off of Zooms, never visited campus. Then we were able to add all these other pieces.

But we got some other teams. Utah State, obviously, those guys are old. They've been here. They've won a lot of games. Boise State, Leon has been there for, what, 13 years. San Diego State has an amazing culture.

There's not a little, little part of me that's disappointed about anything this year. Yeah, we all want to go to the NCAA tournament all the time, but we jumped about 250 spots in the net. 250 spots in KenPom since we got here. High, high level of pride.

And getting the fans back made me the most proud of all of it. This town has been buzzing for this team, and we're going to continue to build off it.

Q. As far as the defense goes, again, maybe it's a little unfair when you are talking about Utah State, a top 20 KenPom offensive efficiency team in the country, but it was another night where the defense just couldn't come up with many stops, especially down the stretch when you needed one. Not a whole lot of runs that you guys were able to put together. I'm curious if -- was this just a team that was -- we've talked about -- asked about zone and stuff like that. Is it just too short to be a good defensive team. I know you were outsized at just about every position.

RICHARD PITINO: I was telling Jeff this when he asked me that question. I remember I asked Tony Bennett, Virginia coach, and I was asking him about some type of pick and roll coverage. He said to me, he said, you know, the thing that people probably don't understand is we recruit to our defense as well. We added eight players off of Zoom that we never saw in person. The only one I saw was Jamal Mashburn, right? Now you see it. You see what you are going against. We clearly got to get bigger.

I don't think it's a lack of effort. I really don't. It's just that team was shooting over us all the time. We lost two games at the buzzer by guys shooting over us. So we need to get bigger. Our roster needs to get bigger.

Plus, we need to do a better job coaching them and all of those things.

So, no, I think in time that's going to really, really get better as we continue to build it.

Q. Coach, I know you said you were disappointed, but the fact that you rekindled the fan base. 30 percent increase during the season. This place was electric for two days with Lobo fans. You've got to take some pride in that, though, don't you?

RICHARD PITINO: I'm proud of a lot. I really am. The growth that we have shown in every aspect in two years to me is amazing. That's not to pump -- to pat myself on the back. That's not what it is.

But to be able to come in the middle of the pandemic and add to All-Conference players who never saw Albuquerque, amazing. The culture is awesome. These guys act the right way in the community. They go to class. They do the right things. And we won 22 games. We haven't done that in a long time. I would be shocked if we're not in the NIT.

So we're going to be playing in the postseason. To me it's all about perspective. And, again, maybe the most proud I am of any of it is getting the fans back because there was great apathy when we took over. It wasn't because of a hash tag or a T-shirt that we made up or promotions. No, I just think Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico were proud to watch these guys.

You know, that's the goal is if you get the pit back, now all of a sudden recruits see it. The players in this locker room want to be a part of it because it's so much about recruiting and retaining. Special things are going to happen. It's been -- I've had a blast being able to kind of help turn this thing around, and we want to continue to build.

Q. I'm curious about the next few days. When do you start coaching, getting ready, turning mindsets for the NIT? Do you let them do their thing for the next few days, or are you with them until Sunday night? How do you prepare them when you have the sudden end where everything was about the NCAA tournament and now the reality is you are looking at the NIT, and you've got to get them focused for something that -- and make them probably understand how fun, how important, how big this can be for your program and them?

RICHARD PITINO: Yeah, so what we'll -- logistically it's not great getting back home right now. We'll have to figure out how to get guys on flights and get them back and everything like that. So hopefully we can get everybody back tomorrow.

Then we will give them the weekend off and get back to work Sunday. I would be very surprised if we're not in the NIT. I would be shocked. We'll plan for it, and I told them -- I mean, I won it my first year at Minnesota. First game is a little hard, you know, because you've got the 68 teams excited for the NCAA tournament. You feel like a little bit of a disappointment, but once you get through that first one, it's a lot of fun. It really is.

As I said before, like, our guys should be so very, very proud. This is a program that was 3-0-3 at the net when we got here, and now we're top 50. We were 290 something in KenPom. We're now top 50. A lot to be proud of, but it stings right now for sure.

Q. Taylor Funk's start, obviously, first 16 points were by him. Josiah was on -- well, what were the things that you tried to slow Taylor Funk tonight?

RICHARD PITINO: Well, none of it worked, but, you know, he -- man, he is a great shooter. Josiah was the best length we could put on him. I don't know what other great options we really have, but he was backing up and shooting over us. You know, we needed to make him more uncomfortable, but that certainly was not the case at the beginning.

Thank you, guys.