NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - SAINT MARY'S VS UCONN

March 19, 2023

Randy Bennett

Logan Johnson

Kyle Bowen

MVP Arena

St. Mary's Gaels

Media Conference

UConn - 70, Saint Mary's - 55

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by the student-athletes from Saint Mary's, Kyle Bowen, and Logan Johnson. And now joined by Head Coach Randy Bennett. We'll start with opening comments.

RANDY BENNETT: Just proud of the group of seniors we had, proud of what they were able to get their team to do. I told them that after the game. Never had a better group of senior leaders, I don't think. I've had some individual leaders, but just as far as three guys that have kind of taken our program to a higher level, which is hard to do at this point.

People always say, hey, get to the next level. Yeah, we've been a 5 seed the last two years, and both years we've run into a really good team. Last year was UCLA. This year was UConn.

Nothing but thanks and a lot of pride for what these three guys have done. They've made a lot of sacrifices to put our program in a place that it hasn't been.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. We'll now take questions for the student-athletes.

Q. For either of you, if you could just describe maybe what their defensive game plan, their defensive intensity in the second half when you guys were really having a hard time struggling.

LOGAN JOHNSON: Well, I felt like we were getting good looks. We just weren't making shots. I wasn't making shots. I shot 3-for-15 on the night. That's not going to cut it trying to get to a Sweet 16.

I felt like we were getting good looks for the most part. We started to turn the ball over a little bit more, which led to them hitting some shots in transition, which really opened the game up for them, which we said that was rule number one for stopping, was their transition defense.

KYLE BOWEN: Yeah, just to touch on that, I think Logan got it exactly right. Obviously needed guys to step up in the second half with one of our main guys, Alex Ducas, out. Maybe just ran out of bullets, but I'm proud of our guys the way we fought till the last moment, as you saw out there. So nothing but props for our guys.

Q. Adama Sanogo was extremely dominant down low from start to finish. What was that like for you, Kyle, down low and just witnessing that?

KYLE BOWEN: Obviously that was a key part of our game plan coming into tonight, and we probably didn't execute it as good as we should have. But I mean, a guy like that, a guy that size with his touch around the rim, it's got to be a multiple-man cover. We probably should have supported our bigs a little more and given them a bit more support, which I think we've done on some of the best bigs in the country all year.

Obviously tonight we weren't as effective as we should have been there. Yeah, he had a good game, and I'm sure he'll be going on to the Sweet 16 and playing well.

Q. Logan and Kyle, could you kind of just reflect on the past two years and what you think it's done for the program to kind of maybe get to that next level or what have you?

KYLE BOWEN: Obviously a lot of raw emotion right now. I give props to Randy and this program for everything they've given me and us. I feel like me, Logan, and Alex as the three-man senior leadership have put this program in a great place moving forward, and we have the talent moving forward.

As much as I'm reflecting on my time here, I'm excited about what our young guys can bring to the table. They got a little taste this year. I'm excited about what our freshmen can do, and I hope they take this as motivation. This a little taste, but this program has the potential to go further than this, and I can't wait to watch it from now on.

LOGAN JOHNSON: Touching on that, thank you to R.B. for everything. We wouldn't even be in this position if it wasn't for him and the culture and the togetherness and family-ness that he brought to this team and to this university.

It's honestly, it's a blessing to be a part of it. He always preaches leave this place in a better place than when you got here. I felt like going back-to-back 5 seeds, you know last year I wanted to come back because it felt like we had something more to give getting past the second round. I really wanted to taste that Sweet 16.

No, it's an honor to be here. It's a privilege. Never took a day for granted, being a part of this college. Thankful for him, and thankful for everybody that's the supporting cast behind the scenes that don't get the credit they deserve. Whew, this is tough.

No, it's a blessing to be a part of them and Saint Mary's. I felt like we left this place in a better place than when we got here, and that's a tough thing to do.

THE MODERATOR: Logan and Kyle, thank you very much.

We'll now take questions for Coach Bennett.

Q. Randy, what happened to Alex, and what was the effect on your team with not having him?

RANDY BENNETT: His back just kind of slipped out of place. Yeah. It's not the first time it's happened. He'd done well all season, and he was really starting to play his best basketball. It's just one of those deals. He didn't get hit or anything. He just -- I don't know. Sometimes things like that happen.

Yeah, obviously it affected our ability to score. He's a bullet that we need. We don't have an oversupply of shooting in our lineup, so when you take that one out who's our best shooter, it affects you. And it affected all of our guys.

We were in that game for a while. I don't want to put it all on that. It's not all on that. But it did affect our offensive efficiency, and I feel terrible for him. He was playing well. He was playing well in this game. He's been playing well. It's his senior year, and he's trying to get Sweet 16. It just hurts. Hurts to see that happen to anybody.

Q. Do you have any expectation at all yet about how Bowen and Ducas? Do you expect them back next year? It sounded like Bowen, he mentioned being a watcher, but I don't know what that meant.

RANDY BENNETT: Being a what?

Q. He said watching the program going forward. I wasn't sure what that meant.

RANDY BENNETT: You know what, I talk to them before the season, and then I leave it alone. Same thing I did with Logan. I don't talk to them about it during season. I let them play it out like it's their senior year and they'll really give it everything they have. Then we'll talk and evaluate the situation moving forward for Alex and Kyle.

So the answer is I don't know for sure.

THE MODERATOR: You could talk about Kyle and Logan's performances, the players that were up here, and your thoughts.

RANDY BENNETT: All three of them?

THE MODERATOR: Yes, all three.

RANDY BENNETT: I mentioned in the beginning they put our program where we haven't been before. I mean, it's hard to go back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, much less 5 seed. There's only been -- we're the only other school that's gotten a 5 seed since they went to 64 teams out of our conference. Gonzaga obviously and then ourselves.

So these guys, had it not been for the COVID year when they cancelled the Tournament, these guys would have gone 3 out of 4 and probably an 8 seed and two 5s. So they had everything to do with that.

Everything they cared about was that, like putting our program in a better situation than when they came into our program, which would be very hard for anybody to do, but they did.

Yeah, like I said, these guys are great leaders. I'll be shocked if two of them don't end up being coaches. I feel sorry for them, and I think that's where they're headed. That's how they talk in our locker room. That's how they talk to the team. I just really don't have to deal with a lot of the things because they have it covered.

Even right down to the last timeout, Logan was telling me, you don't ever -- if you're playing for Saint Mary's, you give your hundred percent effort no matter what the score is and all the way through, and they did. Those are little things that it's really hard to get players that totally buy into that. Logan was outstanding. Kyle was outstanding. And Alex really became a good leader and was kind of our voice and energy guy that really complemented those two as far as a trio of leadership.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you for your time this weekend in Albany. We appreciate it.