NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - PITT VS XAVIER

March 19, 2023

Sean Miller

Souley Boum

Colby Jones

Adam Kunkel

Jack Nunge

Greensboro Coliseum

Xavier Musketeers

Media Conference

Xavier 84, Pittsburgh 73

SEAN MILLER: First of all, I would like to congratulate Pitt. Those guys had a remarkable run and a great season, and really credit Jeff Capel and his staff.

You know, a year ago they were on the other side of this, and watching how he has rebuilt the program I think makes everybody that is associated with Pitt or Pittsburgh very, very proud.

We knew we were playing against an excellent three-point shooting team, and we also knew that they were going to play their third game and we're playing our second. I believe at some point during the game that played a factor in what we did.

First half I think we really rode the wave of Adam Kunkel. He was 5 for 5 from the three-point line. We really shared the ball and played at our pace throughout the game. We talked a lot about that before the game.

Then defensively for the most part taking away their three-point shooting and staying together on defense, I thought we made it difficult at times for them to score, but, you know, our goal was to really make their three-point shooting tough.

We're thrilled to be in the Sweet 16. It's a hard journey to get here, and I'm really thrilled for these guys right here, each of them, because it's their first opportunity, and they'll remember it forever.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Coach, you talked about sharing the ball. I mean, 17 assists on 19 made baskets in the first half. I mean, I guess that's got to be a coach's dream right there, but what specifically in the game plan did you want to put in to have the ball moving around like that? What did you talk about before the game?

SEAN MILLER: Well, you know, I think these guys will tell you we talk about do what we do a lot in that what is it that got us here. I think for most of the season we've led college basketball in assists. We did it very well through the Big East Conference and really throughout.

I would say that might be our greatest strength, just our ability to share the ball and play together. Like I said, when you get to this level, you want to, whether you win or lose, be who you are. The way we played offense today was very much the team that we've been throughout the season.

At the end, maybe just the thought of a Sweet 16, we missed some free-throws, went on a streak there where we didn't score it as well, but I think that's to be expected sometimes in a game like this.

Q. Sean, were you aware that today is the exactly one year since you agreed to return to Xavier?

SEAN MILLER: No.

Q. What do you make of this last year and the fact that you are still coaching these guys?

SEAN MILLER: You know, it's remarkable, and as much as it's about me being the coach, it's way more about these guys and the way they play. They've grown by leaps and bounds from November. You know, Adam, you followed us in Portland, Oregon, when we were in the PK85 and played some of America's best programs.

Although we were in the fight, we didn't necessarily turn the bend at that point. You know, we kept working and improving. I think each of these guys in their own right, they play their role, and they've had great years, and they're really a fun group to coach. They make it easy.

Q. For each of the players, I mean, there's so much giddiness on the court when that went final. What does it actually feel like to know that you are through to the Sweet 16?

SOULEY BOUM: It was like a dream come true. We've been talking about this all summer, all fall, and the fact that it's here now, it just feels like a blessing. And it's just amazing, man. It's a feeling I can't describe. We just want to keep it going.

ADAM KUNKEL: Like Sou said, I used to dream of these moments as a kid. This is why we all came to Xavier. We knew Xavier had a winning culture, and it's for moments like this. I couldn't have pictured it better.

COLBY JONES: Yeah, just piggybacking off what those two said, you dream of moments like this growing up, and then for it to happen in front of your fans, I mean, it's kind of surreal. I'm excited. I know all of our guys are excited as well.

JACK NUNGE: Yeah, moments like these are what all those extra shots, extra workouts that you get in throughout the summer. I mean, we've been working towards this moment since, you know, Coach got here last year.

So it's just a blessing, and I'm thrilled to be up here with these guys.

Q. Sean, when you were at the end of the -- towards the end of the Kennesaw game, and it could go either way, and then Pitt cuts it to eight today with two minutes left, any part of you think, nostalgic at all for a year ago when you didn't have to sweat these things?

SEAN MILLER: No, was I worried? These guys would probably tell you 1,000 times more than they were out on the court. You know, you just feel it because one thing about the tournament, you have to finish it. With a big lead, you have to finish it. Sometimes when you are down, you have to finish it.

Really if you think about it, we dealt with both sides of that in this tournament. You know, we had to push through and overcome a 13-point deficit and beat a team that made an epic comeback two days ago, and in this case whether it be at halftime on or maybe that last four minutes, we had to finish it and push through.

Not that these guys need to learn lessons. I think one of the things we all rely on is our regular season. You know, playing in a Big East Conference, playing in the Big East Tournament where we played three games and the nonconference schedule that we played, in large part, that's the best preparation for this tournament.

These guys were all a part of it, and I think as we went along this season, there was a lot of different lessons that we learned.

Q. Sean, you talked about each of these players on the podium and the roles that they play. I mean, Souley didn't have the best shooting day, but what is it like when he has the ball in his hands with the game getting a little bit dicier at the end? How much confidence do you have in him with the free-throws, ball handling, whatever it might be?

SEAN MILLER: I'll speak for everybody up here. There's nobody in this tournament that believes more in their point guard in terms of delivering in the clutch more than we do in Souley Boum. He has done it time and time again.

He is a great free-throw shooter; he is not a good free-throw shooter. Him being able to, the other day, make four in a row. And even as we were a little bit unsettled coming down the stretch, he has a way of settling everybody down. He goes to the line, and he delivers.

Q. I'm curious this being a year that you have been with these guys, is there a point that you would look at and say, like, this is when I knew this team had what it takes to be here? Was it that early on, or was it going through Portland? Was there another point that jumps out at you that says, yeah, this was a Sweet 16 team ready to happen?

SEAN MILLER: No, for sure. The way we played on the road this year I think is the best indicator for me that I felt like we could do it. You know, we played some very, very difficult teams on the road. If you followed us on the road, we had great success. Even in a couple of games that didn't go our way, we were right there.

You know, I think sometimes when you play that 34-game schedule, you know, you judge yourself by those toughest games. For us the toughest games are playing the true road game in the Big East. Even some of our nonconference games.

When you watched these guys and watched our team go through those moments, I think it built a lot of confidence in all of us.

Q. Sean, early in the first half it looked like you went to Jack quite a bit. I know it was a lot of good passes in there, but was that a big part of the game plan? Did you feel like he had -- I know there's a size height advantage that's about the same, but in terms of his body, were you able to use that, and was that part of your strategy coming in?

SEAN MILLER: It really was. You know, Jack delivered. He was 8 for 12 from the floor, 18 points. One thing that we didn't feel as good about coming out of the Kennesaw State game is when we got Jack the ball, he scored or he made a clever pass, but we just didn't get the ball to him enough. I think that's something we really talked about over the last day or so.

We did a much better job getting him the ball because it's not just his scoring, it's his passing as well. He is able -- he is able to get the ball out of a double-team and move the ball from in to out. You know, he has a lot of good weapons on the perimeter.

The more we can have that, the better.

Q. Sean, not to say that you ever lost confidence in yourself, but does this in any way remind you that you can still do this at a really high level? I think it's been five years for you since you coached in the NCAA Tournament.

SEAN MILLER: I didn't need a reminder. You know, I never lost belief. I really didn't. I'm grateful for the opportunity, though. I have an amazing group to work with.

There's a lot of coaches that could win with this team, and I recognize that, but my hope is that we have more in us, that we're able to have a great week and make what we already feel good about even better.

Q. Jack, you've been through a lot in your career. I know this is probably a pretty emotional day for you. Can you just reflect on what your career has been like to now get to this moment?

JACK NUNGE: Yeah, I've been dreaming about this moment, you know, I feel like ever since I started watching basketball.

You know, when you are in school, you are thrilled when your teachers let you turn on the game and not have to focus on class. And so March Madness is a special time of year. I always feel like it's the best tournament in the world.

I'm incredibly blessed to be up here with these guys. I love them. They're my brothers. They've been through all these extra workouts that I've been through, and, you know, like I said, this moment is what we've been working for this whole time.

Q. Sean, Jeff Capel has talked a lot about how one of the things he wanted his team to be instilled in them this year is to always fight. They obviously showed that a little bit down the stretch. What can you say about the fight they put up, especially in the last few minutes?

SEAN MILLER: Like I mentioned in my opening statement, I think what Jeff Capel has done in his coaching staff is remarkable. You know, when you get hired and have to coach through the pandemic, you know, the unexpected happens.

Just watching him guide the program and develop the program and build it and the group of players that played on their team this year, he just did an outstanding job. They really did. I'm sure it's going to set the tone for future success.

They did have fight. We knew that. We talked a lot about it. Again, I thought we did a really good job, at least on our end, maybe the best that we could do, of trying to defend the three-point line.

You know, they're such a great shooting team that if you have the ability to make that more difficult, and for most of the game we did, they got going at the end a little bit, but 6 for 20 from three, that's to our benefit. These guys did a great job.

Q. Adam, you may have gone over this previously, but could you tell me what the difference was in the two halves. You were hot in the first. It seemed a little more difficult for you to get the ball to shoot in the second half. What did Pitt do or what were you not able to do?

ADAM KUNKEL: I wouldn't say they did much. I just would say the first half my guys were finding me, I was hot. The ball was going through the net, and then the second half I just stuck with what I was doing in the first half. Just running our offense, keeping the offense flowing, keeping the ball hot, keeping the ball with energy, just making the right play.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys.