NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - COLGATE VS TEXAS

March 15, 2023

Rodney Terry

Brock Cunningham

Marcus Carr

Timmy Allen

Wells Fargo Arena

Texas Longhorns

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: I would like to welcome the student-athletes from the University of Texas. Brock Cunningham, Marcus Carr, and Timmy Allen. Questions for our student-athletes.

Q. Timmy, can you give us an update on how you feel? Readiness for tomorrow?

TIMMY ALLEN: 100%, ready to go, no question mark. I'm going full speed.

Q. Marcus, what did you learn about yourself from last year playing in this tournament? Are we going to see another half-court shot or 3/4 shot?

MARCUS CARR: I would just say it's fun, it's a real experience, and looking forward to it again. Hopefully there won't be a need for a 3/4 court shot, but I wouldn't be opposed to making one at all.

Q. Brock, obviously so much has been made of the job that Rodney has done with you guys this year. If you can take us back to that December 12th day, there was so much uncertainty. What did Rodney do to bring you together and keep you focused on the task at hand that night?

BROCK CUNNINGHAM: He was a calming voice in a weird situation that morning and he did an amazing job but the older guys did a great job in leading the rest of the team saying there is a task at hand, winning games and that's the most important thing.

Q. You have guys that have been through a lot before how much did it help having your voices for the guys?

BROCK CUNNINGHAM: It helped a lot. We have grown men in this room that have lived life outside of basketball so a situation like that wasn't anything unheard of. We just knew we had to carry on and keep playing games.

Q. Marcus, how much pressure is there on the higher seeds? A lot of times the fans are rooting for the underdog and you gotta play your way into the tournament. How do you fight nerves?

MARCUS CARR: I wouldn't say we look at it as pressure. We respect our opponent fully, we understand how good of a team Colgate is and we're preparing for them just like we would prepare for any Big XII team. I don't feel like there is going to be any pressure in terms of that. We don't take them lightly at all. The tournament is the tournament. Every single team who is here deserves to be here. They're all good teams so coming into the game, we're prepared to battle and compete with them at the highest level. I don't think it's pressure. We are preparing for this game as we prepared all season long. Yeah, sometimes the crowd does go for the underdog, but it is what it is.

Q. Brock, you were involved in that 3-14 upset a few years ago. You know what the pressure holds being a higher seed. What did you take away from that game moving forward? As an aside, what do you think about the success that Shaka has had at Marquette this year and have you been in touch with him at all?

BROCK CUNNINGHAM: Going back to that game, I have learned a lot. The flow and kind of energy within March Madness and how they will root for the under-seed, especially when Texas is that top seed. And talking about Shaka, I haven't talked to him but he's done an awesome job and awesome to see him resurrect that Marquette program and win a bunch of games this season.

Q. Brock, you said after the Big XII Tournament, you described it as being a terrible loss and you were talking to the team about learning from that, because you experienced it. What are some things you have been telling them leading up to Thursday about lessons you've learned since that game?

BROCK CUNNINGHAM: Since that game, we won the Big XII Tournament that year and then thought we couldn't be touched, and then this year winning the Big XII Tournament, that first practice back in Austin, we spoke about the importance of living in the moment. We won the Big XII. We'll have it for the rest of our lives. We are moving on to something bigger and trying to catch bigger fish. So living where our feet are and preparing for the next game.

Q. Timmy, ya'll got a taste of winning in the NCAA Tournament a little bit last year. You've got experience coming back. Talk about how how hungry this team is and how ya'll kind of always have the big picture in mind, even though you played each game as they came.

TIMMY ALLEN: Going back to last year, just to get our first win and get our feet wet in the tournament was good. Coming back this year, always have big goals in mind, cutting down nets. We have one so far, and we're not looking to stop. We have big goals in mind and we know that starts with Colgate. Like Marcus said, they're a great team. We're not looking past anybody and worrying about any game but our first game and we're staying locked in and staying focused on the things we can control, our game plan and our preparation and our intent and mindset going into the game. Preparing as best we can, holding each other accountable along the way and being ready for March Madness and being prepared.

Q. Timmy, the last game you played in the tournament last year didn't go the way you wanted it to go. Personally, how much does that motivate you this year and how much do you think about that, if you got another chance to get to the tournament that you would make the best of it?

TIMMY ALLEN: In life, you don't always get second chances and I'm here my second time so I'm looking to capitalize. As far as that game, I've learned what I needed to learn and taken from it what I needed to take from it, but I would be remiss if I didn't let it go. I'm looking past that and have new opportunities ahead. I have the greatest teammates in the world. I'm really blessed with great guys and staff around me who build me up and encourage me, especially getting me through that injury, staying positive. They got business done in KC without me, ain't no problem. So just forgetting, moving on and progressing forward.

Q. Marcus, I know a lot of things have been talked about, the closeness of this team from the situation back in December happening. When I talked to y'all throughout this year, this closeness began in the summer. Can you describe how not only that bond that was created so early but how that's affected y'all to this point now?

MARCUS CARR: I think a lot of people like to go back to December because of what transpired, but this group and the specialness of our team and our bond did start in the summertime. It started with us working together and getting through whatever we had to get through in the summertime, working through practice mornings, getting through tough early practices where it was about competing against each other and making each other better. I feel like ever since that time in the summertime and everybody established that we're all working towards the same goal, and once we decided that and had the same mindset as a team, the sky has been the limit for us ever since then.

Q. Timmy, being on the sideline during the Big XII Tournament, what did you learn and what did you see from your team from a different perspective?

TIMMY ALLEN: I don't know. Because you could say that I learned that my teammates could go, but I knew that. It's amazing to watch the camaraderie we have and the selflessness and how we're be not worried about who gets it done, it's just about getting it done. I think that's the big picture for us. I had a thrill being the best cheerleader I could on the sidelines, but I'm more thrilled to be back on the biggest stage. It's a blessing. I'm blessed with great teammates. They went out there and got it done. Guys like Arterio, Double-D stepping up, Brock, obviously, Marcus going to do what he do, but I'm blessed with great teammates and a great staff around me.

Q. Marcus you had shooting problems down the stretch until the championship game. Was part of that fatigue? So much has been on your shoulders this whole year. Does Colgate's style remind you of anybody you've played this year?

MARCUS CARR: I think anytime you get down toward the end of the season, going through a grueling season, especially like the Big XII, there is no conference like it and playing those games every night, there is wear and tear that comes down on your body. But at the same time it's basketball. You can't always control whether the ball goes in the basket and you can say I had a shooting slump or a whoa, whatever you want to call it, but at the end of the day I was focused on making sure we got wins and if my shots aren't falling I'm going to try to be an even better distributor and affect the game more on the defensive end. As far as my teammates, they told me to keep shooting, my coaches kept telling me to keep shooting. They never lacked confidence in me or anything like that so it was good to keep going out there and keep trying to win games.

As far as Colgate, they're the best shooting team in the country so it's hard for me to say if there is anybody else like them. In terms of preparation, I think our staff has been doing a great job of letting us know what kind of team they are. We've been watching a lot of film and we respect them, we know they're a great team, obviously, coming out of their league and definitely respect their ability to shoot the ball, and we're going to have to adjust our defense to that.

Q. Marcus, you know the guards have driven the offense all year long, whether it's you, Tyrese, Jabari, Arterio, Timmy getting going. How big has the emergence of Dylan Disu been for you guys as a guy who can be a pick-and-roll or pick and pop. How much does that open up the floor for you guys now that he's really going?

MARCUS CARR: It's huge. Throughout the Big XII Tournament, he really came through, but in little moments throughout the year, we have seen that from him. We know what he can do and what he's capable of, and we're all just super happy to see that shine through in the Big XII Tournament and definitely carry that through here. It speaks to the diversity of our team. A lot of different guys can attack you, score the ball and you're going to have to pick your poison that night. Like he said, I'm blessed with great teammates who are all talented and even better people. Happy to see Dylan get his groove and looking for him to keep it going.

Q. For any of you guys, Chris Beard was introduced as the Ole Miss Head Coach yesterday. You guys have built a relationship with him. What are your thoughts on that?

BROCK CUNNINGHAM: Best of luck to Beard and the University of Mississippi.

MARCUS CARR: Wishing Coach best wishes in his new start and for that program.

TIMMY ALLEN: Likewise.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, gentlemen. Pleased to welcome Coach Rodney Terry, University of Texas Longhorns. Coach, welcome to Des Moines. Your thoughts on the match-up?

RODNEY TERRY: Thank you guys for being here. Wow, we have a tough match-up with Colgate. Matt has done a great job with his program there. I think this is his fourth straight NCAA appearance in a row. Older team, a lot of guys that have played in the NCAA Tournament. They've played in a lot of big games over the past few years. This season, they beat Syracuse at Syracuse, and you have a team that's going to take care of the basketball, play with a great pace, one of the best shooting teams in the country. They're going to put pressure on us to get back and sit down and guard.

A really, really good ball club and we're going to have a great challenge with them.

Q. RT, you mentioned the recent appearances in the NCAA Tournament for Colgate. How much more difficult is it to avoid the upset when they have so much experience. They haven't won a game in the tournament but they have been here and know the environment. How much more difficult is that for preparation?

RODNEY TERRY: They're not going to be intimidated by us, they've been in this environment before and they have the experience as a team.

I think the thing for us -- we know that this is a really, really good shooting team here. We're going to have to do a great job of defending the three-point line and keep these guys off the glass and have a really good urgency to get back on defense because they play with a great pace of play on offense as well. Just a really good team.

For us, we feel like we've been battle tested, we played in the Big XII, the best league in the country and every night you have to bring your A-game and we are going to have to bring our A-game against a well-coached team in Colgate. So for us it's another game on the schedule in terms of big games. Every game has been a big game for us throughout the course of conference play for us as well.

Q. I think Marcus was asked if Colgate reminded him of anybody you faced. Do they resemble anybody you guys have faced this season?

RODNEY TERRY: For us, if I liken anybody to them, even in our league in Big XII play, Baylor puts so much pressure on you shooting the basketball in every position. Their guards can really score the ball. Colgate's guards are really good. They can really shoot the basketball and score the basketball.

Creighton was really good offensively as well and played with a great pace. I would say those two opponents probably we had this year would be guys that we really had to defend the three-point line with, get back in transition with. They just put a lot of pressure on you defensively, and that's what Colgate does to you.

They really make you have to sit down and guard and play really hard on defense.

Q. Rodney, obviously you swept through the tournament and played very loose and well-flowing and everything like that. Now you're in a win-or-go-home thing. Anything you do to keep 'em loose? Poker nights? Go bowling?

RODNEY TERRY: I don't think you do anything special. I think a lot of times teams, once you get into a routine, we've been in a good routine and groove the way we do things on a daily basis.

I encourage our guys when they're doing really good things and try to keep a really positive attitude and approach in everything that we do, even when we experience some adversity, we try not to be too negative with our guys.

I think if you have that approach and great spirit about yourself every day and in life in general, you will be where you need to be. I always tell our guys, pressure is if you had to go out and do something that you hadn't worked on and prepared for. We're going to be prepared for a really good Colgate team, and all we have to do is go play the game and get out there and get lost and compete at a high level. No different than what they have to do in the classroom. You go in and take an exam, it's a lot of pressure if you are not prepared, but if you are prepared, you going in to take that exam, man, and you just knock that exam right out. Preparation trumps pressure. You just go out and play.

Q. Your players get along well. They have a bond. Why do they get along so well? What's the source of the chemistry?

RODNEY TERRY: I think that started this summer. I don't think you start that during the season. That went way back to the very beginning when guys got on campus and we spent a lot of time encouraging our guys to spend time with themselves off the court and it wasn't really -- to be honest, coach driven. It was player driven in terms of those guys spending time with one another off the court. And I think when you are able to do that, that carries over into the start of your season. As you get into the season, you become really unselfish teammates and great teammates.

Q. Coach, you guys have such a veteran team. How has that impacted the way you have prepared them this time around with all the experience that they have?

RODNEY TERRY: Well, we do have some guys that have played in the NCAA Tournament. I think the thing we have tried to do with our team over the last month of the season is we tried to play March basketball. We tried to play with the urgency that you have to play with this time of year, understanding that you can't give 20 minutes away. First four minutes, second four minutes, third four minutes, you've got to try to win every round and you've got to -- not play perfect but have a sense of urgency about how hard you play.

You give 20 minutes away in the NCAA Tournament, it's going to be hard to make that up. We have tried to work every game for forty minutes and understand you are going to have to play from the time that horn goes off at the start to the time that horn goes off at the end of the ball game, but you are working the game, the whole entire time.

Q. Just wanted to talk to you about how your guys mentioned that playing against an underdog, people want to root against the favorites in the NCAA Tournament. Has there been a similarity throughout the season playing and coaching at UT and being a part of the Texas brand, people rooting against y'all in general, everywhere you go? Is that a similarity? Do y'all see anything like that?

RODNEY TERRY: That's a great question. I think, again -- I don't think of Colgate as an underdog. They can play with anybody in this tournament. They're well coached. I think they're a great team. Anytime you score 80 points a game a night you can beat anybody in the country on any given day, so I wouldn't first off call Colgate an underdog.

They're a really, really good ball club. Do we get everybody's best game at Texas? Man, I don't think we are sneaking up on anybody at Texas. I think everybody is ready to play us. I think our guys understand when they signed up to play at Texas that they were going to get everybody's best game.

I think they embrace it. They embrace it and I think we have played at a very high level consistently all year long.

Q. Rodney, I know you have been coaching with a heavy heart; you mentioned how close you were with your father. What kind of an influence was he on you? What lessons did you take from him and carry with you through life?

RODNEY TERRY: Great question. My father was a high school basketball coach, football coach for over forty years. I just think of the impact that he made on so many young lives and people that he always interacted with and the way he carried himself. People loved my dad, just by the way he carried himself. A lot of his former players, the respect they had for him after they finished playing for him.

I think he inspired me to want to be a coach and continue to work with young people and hopefully have an impact on young people's lives and I learned so much from him in that regard.

I think the last thing I would say in regards to that, I think he always saw me in a bigger light than even I saw myself. You know? He saw me doing the things that I'm doing right now at this level right now, even before I thought I could be at this level. And he believed in me that much.

He said, you are a high major coach. You are a guy that can do exactly what those other guys are doing. And you should have one of those jobs. Different jobs would open up and he would say, you should be trying to get that job, you're ready for that job. That's your job! But he always saw more in me in terms of the bigger picture and really instilled me to dream big.

Q. Rodney, we ask you about the job and the permanent job and now that March is here and the stakes go up, do you feel in some ways -- I know you are about the team, but are you coaching for the permanent job this month?

RODNEY TERRY: I have continued to do what we have done all year long and work the process. Live where your feet are, live in the moment, enjoy this journey right now. We all don't want it to end, everybody at the NCAA Tournament, we want to continue to ride this journey.

I've got a special group I have worked with all year long, special staff I've worked with all year long, and I have to be honest with you, I have really just stayed the course in terms of working with them every day, enjoyed being with them every day. We had a great practice this morning already, and I just haven't given a whole lot of thought to it in terms of what we're doing. I just want this team to continue to play and to continue go as far as we can go with this group.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.