NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - VCU VS SAINT MARY'S

March 17, 2023

Mike Rhoades

David Shriver

Brandon Johns Jr.

MVP Arena

VCU Rams

Media Conference

Saint Mary's - 63, VCU - 51

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Virginia Commonwealth University Coach Mike Rhoades, and two players, David Shriver, and Brandon Johns Jr. Coach, if you could provide your opening remarks.

MIKE RHOADES: All the credit to Saint Mary's and Coach Bennett. They played a great game today. They made plays, especially down in the second half to take that lead.

Just thought at times we fought the game a little bit. We didn't finish enough around the rim. We got downhill a lot. We just didn't finish versus their physicality. It affected us too much to find a way to take control of the game.

So credit to them. I've been coaching for a while now. This is one of my most enjoyable seasons I've ever had. To go through the year and the journey with these guys, I'm totally grateful. This was a lot of fun coaching these guys. I didn't want to see it come to an end today.

These guys up here, just the way they came in and blended with this team, and to be 27-8, win the regular season, win the conference tournament, go to the NCAA Tournament with this group of guys, I'm very grateful.

I love these guys, and I'm a proud coach. Disappointed in the result today, but a proud coach.

Q. Brandon and David, you guys both transfer coming in for VCU. What are your thoughts for this season and eventually coming to VCU?

BRANDON JOHNS JR.: It's been a truly unforgettable year. I feel like we accomplished a lot this year. Unfortunately, it had to come to an end today, but I'm really proud of everyone. Super appreciative of everyone. I love all these guys forever, man.

DAVID SHRIVER: To add on that, I spent a lot of time in college basketball in my years, but this is one of the best years I've had. Coming here, meeting the guys, blending real well, it's the best year I had in college basketball.

Just to be able to come here, win two championships. Had a rough ending here today, but I'm proud of everybody in that locker room.

Q. For either player, when Ace went down, does that affect how you do things on the court? And just maybe in an emotional sense, having seen him on the bench with his injury?

BRANDON JOHNS JR.: It's definitely big time. It affected us a lot for sure. He's one of our biggest players for sure.

But I know we trust in everybody on the team, and we can always band together. That was one of the things we did best this season for sure was staying together no matter what.

We can't really make any excuses either. That's the time for the next man to step up.

Q. I guess Brandon, late in the first half, I guess Jalen went to the bench kind of with the foul trouble there. It seemed Saxen was getting to him. What did Saint Mary's do well today in just owning the paint overall?

BRANDON JOHNS JR.: As I mentioned yesterday, they're a great offensive rebounding team. They did really well on the glass with the tip-outs, grabbing boards, boxing us out, being physical with us. I think we just had to pick it up in that area, but I think they were a little more physical than we were today.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, student-athletes, for your time. Great season.

We will take questions for Coach Rhoades.

Q. Mike, what makes them so difficult to score on? Is it the inside?

MIKE RHOADES: It's very positional, so you don't have as much space. Then they're very physical on drives and very physical at the rims. You've got to play through that physicality. You've got to be smart and just sit down and get that ball hot.

When we did play with pace today, we got some really good looks and good opportunities at the rim, just not enough of it. We didn't finish enough through contact at the rim.

No matter what, when you get downhill, they're going to come and find ways to get in the way, and you've got to play through that. We had some great possessions where we got downhill and got to the rim and we didn't finish nearly like we have all year.

Now, credit to them, they're big and they're physical and they play that positional defense and they collapse hard on you, but we've been really good playing downhill all year long. But just not good enough to beat Saint Mary's today.

Q. Coach, you mentioned this is one of your favorite VCU teams you've ever coached.

MIKE RHOADES: Yes.

Q. I guess what characteristics does this team have, kind of reflecting on the season, that really makes this team as a 12 seed in March Madness winning the A-10 regular season tournament really special?

MIKE RHOADES: We were tough all year long, and we stayed together. I just was -- I'm really, really proud of them that they just kept battling. Then as we won a game, the next game became bigger, and we didn't shy away from that. And they kept getting bigger all year long, and we didn't shy away at all.

I was just really proud, from the new guys coming in, the older guys, the guys returning, they were great teammates this year. It was fun as a coach, when you're ready to go into the next game and the next battle, but you know how connected the guys were. I was just really proud of that.

Some years you have really good years but you don't have that. We had it this year. All the credit to the players. They brought in new guys this summer, freshmen and some transfers, and the way they just all got along right from the start, and then they had each other's back.

I truly believe this team, they played for each other. They played for the name on the front of the jersey more than the name on the back. As a coach, I'm grateful for that.

Q. Coach, like you said, you've had a successful year winning those two championships. You have a lot of roster turnover this upcoming season. Where do you go from now with that?

MIKE RHOADES: Everybody has roster turnover 2023. You talk with everybody. The guys that are moving on, you help them. You still love them. They gave you their time, their effort, their sweat. You still help them, and then you go find guys that want to come to VCU and win.

Q. Mike, how serious is Ace's injury. You put him back out in the second half.

MIKE RHOADES: He couldn't push off. Josh Wall, our trainer, and Dr. Cheatham, our team doctor, he strained his Achilles and his groin. He just had a really awkward landing. He thought he could go, and he just couldn't push off.

I don't know if you saw him there on defense at the end. He just couldn't push off and pressure the ball. He was like, I can't move.

It's a bummer. Your best player goes down in an NCAA Tournament game, like come on, man. But this is sports. This is competition. Things happen. You've still got to find ways. You've still got to find a way.

Look, we got beat by a better team today. They played better in the second half than we did, and they won, and they're advancing, and we're not.

It would have been great to have Ace out there in the second half, but that's how it goes. That's sports.

THE MODERATOR: Coach Rhoades, thank you very much for your time today.