NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL SEMIFINAL - SAN DIEGO STATE VS ALABAMA

March 24, 2023

Nate Oats

Brandon Miller

Mark Sears

Charles Bediako

KFC Yum! Center

Alabama Crimson Tide

Sweet 16 Postgame Media Conference

San Diego State - 71, Alabama - 64

NATE OATS: I'll share what I just got done telling the players in the locker room. I mean, we had an unbelievable year. Everybody is really disappointed in the loss. It ended too soon.

San Diego State is a very good team. When you get to the Sweet 16, you know, all the teams are good at this point. You know, they're tough, physical, veteran group. It's a huge accomplishment to get to the Sweet 16.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Hey, Coach, you guys came out after halftime with really good energy. You had that run, jumped out ahead. I was just wondering what kind of happened after that.

NATE OATS: I think we started the 17-6 run that put us up 9. As soon as we got up 9, they went on a 12-0 run. Trammell had 8 of those 12 points. Our defense on him wasn't good.

We had some turnovers that, you know, fueled some. We didn't score a point in transition this game. You know, they had eight. I think they had some on that run.

I thought we did a great job coming into the half ready to play. And they're a really good group with some veteran players. They definitely got experience, and they got down nine and came out and turned it right around. You've got to give them a lot of credit.

Q. For Coach Oats and Brandon, overall this whole season, how would you summarize it in a few words? I know, Brandon, you talked about how close you got with your teammates through everything.

BRANDON MILLER: I mean, I think it was a pretty successful season. Made it to the Sweet 16. Probably one of the biggest tournaments I've ever played in in my life. I think we really just came to have fun really and just compete at a high level.

NATE OATS: I'll say it's one of the most memorable seasons ever. It's not easy to win the regular season, the SEC tournament in the same year and make a Sweet 16 run.

It's a great group that really loves each other. I mean, they're going to be close for life, most of them. You know, I love the group, they love each other, and it's just really disappointing that it's ending early. But I think it's one of the most memorable seasons in Alabama history, and they can walk out of here with their heads up.

Q. For Brandon, you had mentioned earlier in the season this was a mission for you to win a national championship, and presumably that window is small for you at Alabama. Just what are your emotions, you know, knowing that the NBA is obviously on the horizon?

BRANDON MILLER: It's definitely tough. You know, just playing around these guys, working hard every day in practice, to fall short, I think, it's not -- it's a bad feeling now, but I feel like our bond is too close to break. So I feel like after this we probably are just going to go and make our bond even stronger.

I'm pretty sure we're going to have somebody in someone's weddings in the future, so, I mean, it's just a bond that you can't break.

Q. Nate, the nature of this tournament is there's a lot of upsets, but the last three years you've gone out to a team that's seeded nine spots below you, five, and then four tonight. Is there something about whether it's your system or the preparation or the game management that you think is lacking?

NATE OATS: I mean, it's a lot of really good programs in the country that have lost. I mean, we could go down the list of them. That's what makes the NCAA Tournament the NCAA Tournament. They're all good teams.

You know, we were going to lose to a team seeded lower than us unless we won the national championship this year. We were the No. 1 overall seed.

You know, last year we had an injury that nobody expected when J.Q. blew his knee out. Not that that's an excuse. Notre Dame played well. Before that we went 12 of 25 at the free-throw line. Goes into overtime. Shoot 60% instead of less than 50, probably win that game.

This year we're 3 of 27 from three, and I know we take a lot of threes, but the system worked for the entire year. You know, we just -- it's one of those deals where I'm going to go back to the drawing board and see what I can get better at. We're going to try to recruit really good players.

A lot of programs would love to be in the NCAA Tournament three straight years. A lot of them would have loved to have won the SEC regular season tournament twice in the last three years.

We're doing pretty good things at Alabama, and we're going to continue to get better.

Q. Nate, just it was a physical game tonight with San Diego State really trying to impose their will, especially in that full court press. Just wasn't working in trying to break that press?

NATE OATS: I don't know if the press caused as many problems. We had 14 turnovers. I would have to go back and see how many were actually against the press, but their physicality definitely bothered us in the half court for sure.

They kind of got us off our drives. Mensah up with five blocks. They had eight blocks on the game. We needed to do a little bit better job being able to make better rim decisions. They're tough, physical, big, strong experienced team, and especially in the first half we didn't come out prepared. It's somewhat on us, and somewhat the players have to get comfortable with the way they played.

We've had that happen before, but I thought they did a great job in the second half, and then our defense just wasn't quite good enough to overcome the poor shooting night.

Q. For all three players. Similar question. What did San Diego State do to you guys? You've played very well all season. You're 3 of 27. You're 3 of 19. Maybe Brandon, what were they doing defensively that maybe you guys hadn't seen better than other teams had done?

BRANDON MILLER: I think we came in this game prepared as much as we can possibly. I think our shot-making could have been better. Our shot choices could have been better.

But, I mean, San Diego is a good group of guys. They're vets, so they have a lot of experience. I feel like they came out and played hard. That's what it is.

MARK SEARS: I agree with Brandon.

CHARLES BEDIAKO: Yeah, just piggybacking off what Brandon said. We didn't make shots. They made some tough shots. You know, that's just how basketball goes. You know, you win some, you lose some.

Q. Kind of building off that, Brandon, it's clear that your passing can fire you up and bring some energy. How did they make it tough on you to facilitate tonight?

BRANDON MILLER: Like I've said, we prepared as much as possible as we can coming into this game. There's nothing we haven't seen, you know, building up to this game. Just going back off of our whole season, we've seen switch defense, traps, anything that's been thrown at us. I feel like just my passing ability, I feel like it just comes natural and just builds my team and myself up to give the energy that we need.