NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - KENNESAW STATE VS XAVIER

March 17, 2023

Amir Abdur-Rahim

Alex Peterson

Spencer Rodgers

Terrell Burden

Chris Youngblood

Greensboro Coliseum

Kennesaw State Owls

Media Conference

Xavier-72, Kennesaw State-67

AMIR ABDUR-RAHIM: Well, first thing I'm going to say is this: How about them Kennesaw State fighting Owls? I am so proud of this group, who they've become, what they're about, but more importantly how they respond to adversity, and even how they respond to success. That was a fun basketball game out there today, man. It gets no better than that.

Like I told these guys in the locker room, man, I'm not going to sit up here and let them feel sorry for themselves because we said it all year. We're not going to let what people on the outside of our circle say success may be. We're not going to let anybody define success for us. These guys are successful. They're winners because they decided to love one another and commit to a common goal.

So, man, I couldn't be more proud of this group.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Alex and Spencer, both of you guys being seniors who decided to transfer into Kennesaw state a few years back, just take a second to reflect on what Kennesaw State has meant to you guys and the three guys next to you and what they've meant to you.

ALEX PETERSON: For me I think that Kennesaw State has been like a very much like a pillar in my life. I built friendships and relationships here with my teammates and the coaching staff that I feel like will last forever.

And I think, you know, when I came in I had a lot more growing to do, not just as a player, but as a man in general. I feel like Kennesaw State helped me grow up and become the person I needed to be to tackle life outside of basketball or just within basketball.

The four guys next to me, you know, they mean a lot to me regardless of basketball. Just as people. I love them as people. They've got me for life.

THE MODERATOR: Spencer.

SPENCER RODGERS: Kennesaw State has been everything for me. I came there three years ago. When I came in, I was a quiet guy. Had trouble building a relationship with these guys, but over the years we've just grown so close.

I mean, they just mean everything to me. Everybody on the team is a brother to me. I love the practices. I love going to eat in the cafeteria. It's just all those things that just accumulate, and he this just mean so much to me.

All these guys, I love them. I love them for life. Coaches, everybody, managers. They just mean everything to me. First, for me to finish my career out here with these guys, I mean, I can't ask for anything more.

Q. Terrell, four years ago you were a part of the team that won one game, and today you were a few seconds away from knocking off the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Can you put into context the journey that this has been and what it's been like for you to kind of see not just you grow up, but the program?

TERRELL BURDEN: Being when I got here, I was kind of, like, Spence. I wasn't as quiet, but I was a little quiet. I was an introvert when I first got here, just being young.

Throughout the game and throughout the process of these four years, man, I've just learned so much about life and embracing the journey. Being that first year I tore my ACL. I had to learn how to respond quickly, and I had to learn how to respond and put everything I have into my teammates.

It's been one of a kind for me, as in road because when you are injured or when things aren't going well for you, people on the outside, they start to say things and stuff like that, but I have never been a believer in that. I've always been a believer that God don't put you nowhere you're not supposed to be.

Being that I was blessed to be in this position right here and be with these group of guys throughout the years, man, I can't ask for anything more, if I'm being honest with you.

Being that we're here right now today, man, I'm so happy. You always dream of something like this when you are watching March Madness growing up as a kid and college, and you want to be in college and stuff. Being that we came from 1-28 and as the years go on, you start to see growth not just in me, but throughout each and every person. I can go online and tell you a fun fact about all my teammates, man. That's how much I bought in and I know them.

So this was a great experience for us this year, and I know we'll be back.

Q. Coach, I would be remiss if I didn't ask you a 13-point lead that you weren't able to hold, did they do something, or did you stop doing something, and does that make it sting a little bit more?

AMIR ABDUR-RAHIM: No, that's just the game, man. Basketball is a game of runs. In March you're not playing a bad team, right?

We did some things early on both ends of the court that helped build that 13-point lead, but if anybody in that building, you know, thought that was going to be how the game stayed, you hadn't watched much basketball in March, and you probably haven't watched much basketball in general.

The second part of your question, it doesn't sting, right? When you put your heart and soul into something, there's going to be disappointment here and there, but like I said before, we teach life through the game. For us it's not what happens, but how we respond. This is not going to be a one-off thing for us.

Like Terrell said, we plan to be here year in and year out. Where somebody might say it stings, I see growth. I see to get better not only as a coach, but an opportunity to help my players grow.

We've been on the right side of it a lot this year. Today wasn't our day. We're going to just continue to respond.

Q. As you were leaving the court, it looked like you were saying "chin up" to the Owls faithful that were out here. Can you speak about what that fan support meant to you, and anything else you would want them to know?

AMIR ABDUR-RAHIM: Yeah, it meant a ton. That was a home game for us, man, you know what I mean? Man, I was really proud of our support.

You've got to understand, man, four years ago, guys, we had 350 people in our stands, and half of them were friends and family. For our nation to show up and show out like they did today, just like I don't want the boys to hang their heads, I'm not going to allow them to hang their heads, right, because where we came from, nobody expected us to be here. Right? Nobody expected. Even this year nobody expected us to be sitting here today on March 17th talking to you guys.

But I want them to keep their chins up for another reason too because if we plan on being here year in/year out, I don't want people to lose the gratefulness that comes with being a part of Kennesaw State. I want them to be grateful when we have these opportunities because it's rare. It's special, right?

I want them to remember what it feels like. Not the disappointment. Man, these guys gave everything they could for this university today. They left everything they had on the court. What's there to hang your head about?

Q. Coach, obviously a tough ending for KSU, but this is one of the greatest years in Kennesaw history. Is this the beginning of something huge for Kennesaw in the upcoming years?

AMIR ABDUR-RAHIM: That's a great question. With all due respect, the beginning was four years ago. We're here today, man, because -- (tearing up). The beginning was four years ago, and these are tears of joy, man, because we made a commitment to this university. We made a commitment to these guys sitting next to me, man, that we were going to show up every day for.

When you get to a place like this, again, these are tears of joy because it takes a special group of people to commit to something and stay to see that vision through. So the beginning was four years ago, but you better believe this is our standard. This is our expectation, and we'll be back.

Q. Chris, since you haven't spoken yet, tell me how you will remember the 2023 Kennesaw State Owls?

CHRIS YOUNGBLOOD: Man, it's probably one of my favorite seasons I've been a part of in my lifetime. With the relationships I've built throughout the season with my brothers right here and the brothers in the locker room, man, it will never be forgotten, man. Coach said it shouldn't sting, but, like, you would want to go further in the Tournament like this because we was more than capable, but there's not a regret because, man, we gave it our all, so it's definitely something to remember.

Q. I know it doesn't come down to one play, but the drive by Terrell, was that kind of the play that you guys had set to run? Surprised you got met at the rim there, Terrell?

TERRELL BURDEN: Yeah, it was definitely designed that way. We didn't get the result we wanted, but that was a great play on I think it was Nunge, yeah. It was a great play by him to meet me at the rim.

Although it didn't end the way I would have liked it to end, it's a learning experience for me, and I take it as an opportunity for next time because it's going to be another moment where I can get another chance to drive to the paint, and the next time hopefully I learn from my mistakes, and I execute.

But I can't ask for it to end any way if I'm 100 percent honest with you. Being that I wanted to win, I feel like this is part of the learning experience that not only I have to go through, but we as a program have to go through to learn how to sustain wins like this.

So it might hurt as of right now, but we've got to let it go, and we've got to just, man -- we're just blessed to be in this position. We've said it a couple of times we're going to be back, but we stand on that. Like, we stand firm on that. So whatever it takes, we know.