NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - GRAND CANYON VS GONZAGA

March 18, 2023

Mark Few

Hunter Sallis

Nolan Hickman

Ball Arena

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Media Conference

Q. Nolan, you played 29 minutes last night. I know we talked about we're at elevation, mile high city. Is there anything to being a little more tired when you are playing in these kind of conditions?

NOLAN HICKMAN: I mean, not so much. All my last at Wasatch Academy I was in Utah, so I was used to high altitude the whole time. So not too much, but definitely that first win, you definitely feel it, definitely.

MARK FEW: Obviously just thrilled to still be alive and well and involved in this tournament. I think somebody told me it's our 14th straight opening-round win, which man, when you just look at all the craziness and madness and upsets, just hard-earned wins that everybody went through the first round, it's a very gratifying feeling to win one and move on. Happy about that.

Q. Coach, I had a chance to cover you guys last year when you played Memphis in that great second round game. I'm curious how is this team different than last year's group?

MARK FEW: Very different. Just obviously Andrew Nembhard was a huge, huge part of what we did. I think probably played him 38 minutes a game it seemed like. And obviously having Chet's rim protection and his ability to stretch the floor really gave us a different look on the offensive end, and then defensively our rim protection was elite.

So this team has had to be -- we've had to kind of build it differently and figure out maybe where our strengths are and where we're best served. And it took us a while to do that, but they've done a really nice job now this last four to six weeks of figuring that out.

Q. Building around a big man, Drew Timme is not your typical big man, and I think a lot of them out there aren't typical. Do you look at him as a big man?

MARK FEW: I mean, I just look at him as a great player and just somebody that you just try to play to his strengths, and then you have to be open minded enough to do that.

I think we've done a pretty good job with that over the years. All our bigs are different. We don't usually -- even with Drew, we'll look at tape, and oh, they do this or doubling him or they do that. Well, that's kind of on a traditional post guy, and we don't always get Drew the ball in the traditional on-the-block standing there.

He's extremely versatile with wherever he catches the ball on the floor. He's very creative, and we use him not only to score, but we also use him to facilitate offense.

Q. You mentioned it in your opening statement there, the 14 straight wins in the opening round. It goes along with some of the other incredible streaks you've got, the quarter century appearances here in the tournament and then the seven straight Sweet 16s.

14 straight wins, I was in high school and probably these other reporters were in middle school the last time you lost in the first round to Davidson there. I mean, when you think about that, just how hard it is to win, because you've mentioned that over and over again how hard it is to win in this tournament, just what comes to mind?

MARK FEW: I mean, just it's very gratifying and just -- gosh, I just tip my hat to all the groups that we've had every one of those years, to be able to come into this tournament and get it done. Because I mean, I don't know. Seems like everybody is just always surprised when all these upsets and everything start happening, but then they're kind of like ho-hum if teams advance in these first or second rounds.

It's hard. It's hard as a 1 seed. It's hard as a 2 seed. It's hard as a 3 seed. It's hard. It's hard as an 8 seed.

Hey, it's one of those things. Like I said, I think that streak and the 25 straight is, of all the things we've done or the accomplishments, I'm definitely most proud of.

Q. The coaching fraternity is a real tight-knit group. Any history with Jamie Dixon at all? Have you crossed paths much?

MARK FEW: We've crossed paths a lot over the years and just had mutual friends and just kind of came up as assistants way back when. You always knew Jamie was going to be really, really good. When he finally got a shot, it was no surprise. Yeah, going on Nike trips and hanging out and ending up in the same gym watching guys. He's one of the great ones.

Then came to respect him even more. Now we've all got older, we're on committees together. He's done a great job as NABC president and really kind of being in touch to try to shepherd us through some of all these crazy changes and everything we've got going on.

Q. Just your view on Mike Miles, his impact on how they do things on offense.

MARK FEW: Yeah, just really, really, really impressed just with his explosiveness and his game and how he can just take over a game at that position and the pace that he plays with. We don't often run into teams that like to play as fast as we do, and they certainly do. And he's obviously the driving force and engine behind that, and his ability to get by guys and go downhill and finish with force is really, really impressive.

I think about the play he made last night. He had been getting downhill, downhill, downhill and making all kinds of plays, and he recognized it probably wasn't going to happen on that play. And he makes a pass and that was the pass that led to the basket. Big-time player.

And again, this team, TCU, I knew when the matchup popped up on the board Sunday that, like, it's going to be tough. I mean, I really feel like when they're at their highest end, it's as high as anybody in this tournament, when you look at some of the things they've done.

You know, when we're at our highest end, we can go on the road and beat Alabama at Alabama basically in Birmingham, so hopefully it'll be a great game.

Q. Two days ago you talked about the challenges of the portal and NIL that everybody is facing. But NIL, would you still have Drew without?

MARK FEW: I mean, probably not, I would assume. He certainly had options last year.

But I think he was wise enough to weigh all those out, and that's all you hope for. One of the luxuries of success is you have great players that get decisions and have a lot of decisions. And before NIL I think they were all -- all was wanting to get out the door and move on, and now NIL at least gives you a chance.

Then even before NIL, you just always wanted your guys to make the right decision based on facts and where they really were going to be in the draft and what that was going to look like. You just always hoped and prayed that they'd listen to the right people.

Drew did a great job, Drew and his family did a great job of analyzing everything and keeping the communication lines open, and that's just how it turned out.

Q. Do you believe a team like TCU gets something after winning a tournament game like they did? Do you think that comes with a team into the next round?

MARK FEW: I just think it's a great -- especially the way that game played out. It's a great reinforcement of our way works, and we stuck with it. There was plenty of times in that game where I'm sure a lot of teams would have just thrown up their hands, and like man, if they're making that shot or those type of shots, we have no chance, the shots that ASU was making.

But they just hung with it and hung with it and hung with it, and they clearly believed if they stuck with it and stayed with the plan, they'd get it done, and they did.

I think that probably is a great way to reinforce that.

Q. With all the conference realignment talk that's been out there, rumors, innuendos, whatever we want to call it, does this game mean any more? Does that come into mind at all?

MARK FEW: I mean, not to me. It's just the NCAA Tournament, man. You just need to -- whatever name, whatever team, whatever is in front of you, you've just got to do everything you can to try to win and stay alive. A hundred percent.