NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - MICHIGAN STATE VS MARQUETTE

March 19, 2023

Shaka Smart

Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Tyler Kolek

Nationwide Arena

Marquette Golden Eagles

Media Conference

Michigan State - 69, Marquette - 60

COACH SMART: Congratulations to Coach Izzo and his team. I thought they played with great aggressiveness, particularly early in the game and at the very end of the game. And those two the stretches were the difference in the outcome of the game.

I thought our guys showed incredible character and fight to bring us back from being down 13 early to having a three-point lead in the first round of the second half. Offensively just not one of our best games. I think Michigan State's aggressiveness, their physicality affected us. It was a lot of plays we'd love to have back.

But when you're in the NCAA Tournament you can't get plays back. And it's a tough pill to swallow for us. This game does not define the season that these guys next to me had or the season that our team had. But what it does do is it knocks you out of the NCAA Tournament. That's how it works. It's a one-time single elimination deal. And as sweet as it feels to advance, it's even worse to lose.

Q. Tyler, six turnovers for you today. How much was the thumb a factor?

TYLER KOLEK: It wasn't an issue at all. There's no excuses for those. Just trying to be out there for my team and command the game. And I didn't do that today.

Q. Tyler, what was tough about all the pressure and defense that Michigan State threw at you?

TYLER KOLEK: It felt like we never got into a rhythm. Like he said, we were turned the ball over a lot -- 16 turnovers, that's unlike us. If you turn the ball over, you're not going to get a shot up because it's going the other way. So I just thought they took us out of our rhythm, like Coach said. They were more aggressive than we were.

Q. O-Max, it might be hard to answer now but in the coming days when you think about all that you guys accomplished this season, how do you balance that against the disappointment of losing today?

OLIVIER-MAXENCE PROSPER: It's really disappointing right now. Everything we accomplished this season and to go out like this and to be part of something so special with these guys, it's definitely going to hurt for the next couple of days and maybe longer. But it hurts now. And we're going to see how we feel later.

Q. Tyler, you got so many players can that come back next season. How do you take this, use it as motivation going into the next season?

TYLER KOLEK: Everything we experience is an opportunity for growth -- this game included, last game included, our whole season. Felt like we've grown more than any team in the country. And going into next year we want to keep growing, keep building and go from there.

Q. O-Max, career season for you as well shooting the ball as well as being one of the most efficient transition players in the country. What do you think your next step is to keep growing offensively?

OLIVIER-MAXENCE PROSPER: Just getting better in my game. Growing, shooting, my ability to finish, just keep growing in all areas of my game. That's what the offseason is there for and that's what I'm going for.

Q. With the physicality of Michigan State's defense, how hard was it just to find cracks in their gaps?

COACH SMART: I thought there was a couple of stretches of the game where our guys did a great job finding ways to get in the paint. It's a strange stat sheet because we made 11 3s and they made two. But I mean, we only made nine two point shots the whole game. That's probably a record low for us.

We're normally very good finishing when we get in the paint. Michigan State did a really good job of help defense. They did a great job with their hands.

We're going to look back at that tape, and there's a lot of plays we'd like to have had back. I thought we got bottled up a little too much on the side. When we were in the middle of the floor, we had a little bit more success. But Coach Izzo and his team deserve all the credit in the world for the aggressiveness with which they played.

Q. As exhilarating as basketball can be, sometimes it's cruel, too. What do you say to Tyler after a game like this?

COACH SMART: We're not even in this position if it's not for Tyler. He's been phenomenal all year. He's been a great leader. Beyond any of the statistics, beyond being Big East Player of the Year, he's a winner. The guy that sets the standard every day the way he conducts himself, the way he is as a teammate. Today does not define him. This game does not define him. But as big boys we have to accept the fact that in the NCAA Tournament one game like this can knock you out as a team.

Tyler didn't lose us the game. We lost the game as a team. It started with me. And that's how we do things. It's a together thing. It's not about one player. And really proud of Tyler.

Q. Shaka, you called this one of your favorite teams. What are you going to remember most about the season?

COACH SMART: I mean, ask me in a week. I'll have a better answer for you. I'm big on appreciation. I think this group, as much as any I've been around, has had a true appreciation for every moment, every opportunity that we've had, whether it's been in front of you guys or not, there's a lot of stuff we've done behind the scenes, going back to the summer.

Our guys went up to Travis Diener's spot and played a pickup game against the TBT guys in the middle of summer. And I think they kind of surprised themselves with how competitive they were. And really that set a tone with what we could be, what we thought we could be, which is better than most people gave us credit for.

And our guys all year long didn't flinch from any expectations, any changes or any opponents. Tonight, Michigan State deserves credit. They came at us with aggressiveness. We got off to a tough start. I thought we expended a lot of energy digging out of that hole. Maybe that impacted our energy down the stretch.

Q. Coach Smart, you talked about how this offseason you guys went up to play some TBT guys. With so many of your players being so young, what type of things are you going to harp on this whole offseason with some pivotal players like Sean Jones having their first offseason in the program, where will you guys go?

COACH SMART: First thing is for our guys to get some rest. As much as any team I've been part of, they've really invested and poured themselves into this team and into this season.

If you've not been through it as a player, it's hard to have a full appreciation for what's asked and required of these guys to be at a championship level from August until March.

So they need to get some rest, get some time away. And we've got several guys on our team that have some of the bumps and bruises and things that come up over the course of the season. So we have some guys that maybe need some extended time off the court.

But then it's about coming back together after that and remembering why you chose to do this in the first place. And then getting better. Our program's about relationships. Our program's about growth and our program's about victory. And this group has done a phenomenal job honoring those things. Tonight's result doesn't take away from that one bit.

Q. Take a look if you can in the next couple of weeks what do you like about your first season at Marquette? And what do you have to improve on so you don't have this type of game next year in the tournament?

COACH SMART: This was actually my second season at Marquette. I enjoyed the heck out of it. I love the environment we have at Marquette, the support system we have. I work for two great guys. And most importantly I love our players, getting to work with them every day.

What we need to do to improve so that we don't have a game like this again, I mean, there's a lot of things basketball-wise that we can look at and do better. I think getting a year stronger, a year tougher, gaining all the experiences that we have this year and applying those in the coming year, I'm excited.

I'm pretty tired from everything that's gone into this year, but I think once all of us get a little bit of rest and come back to it, the level of enthusiasm and excitement for what we can do moving forward will be as high at Marquette as it is anywhere in the country.