MOUNTAIN WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 13, 2024

Niko Medved

Joe Palmer

Isaiah Stevens

Thomas & Mack Center

Colorado State Rams

Postgame Press Conference

Colorado State 72, San Jose State 62

THE MODERATOR: We're ready to begin with Colorado State. We have student-athletes Isaiah Stevens, Joe Palmer, Coach Niko Medved. Your thoughts on tonight's game, Coach?

NIKO MEDVED: It's a new season, new time of year. Everyone has life. Everyone is excited, and I tell you what's interesting, Isaiah and I were just talking about this too. You prepare, and all of a sudden when you walk into the arena here, conference tournament, you feel it right away, right? It just feels different. Just the vibe, the intensity, the nerves start to come a little bit. It's what makes it awesome.

You know it's going to be hard. Coach Miles is going to have them prepared. We struggled to make a few shots early. They're a great attacking team. I thought our guys showed a lot of grit, man. We dug in.

This young man right here made some just enormous shots are tonight when we absolutely had to have them. Then I thought down the stretch in the last five or six minutes our guys executed beautifully. We made some big shots. We got the stops when we needed to. That's what you have to do. You have to find a way. All these games come down to the last four minutes, and our guys found a way to get the job done.

Everything is a one-game season right now. It's survive and advance. We were able to do that today, and then we'll get ready for tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. Questions for the student-athletes first.

Q. What kind of turned the tide for you guys at the end of both halves when you got your biggest runs of the game?

ISAIAH STEVENS: I think it started on the defensive end. Just stringing together multiple stops at a time. It's a really good offensive team in San Jose. They also shoot a lot of threes, so chasing and getting in rotation is what they prey on. We were able to kind of string together a few stops and that kind of led to some runs offensively.

Q. Does this game highlight to you the benefit of having a mature veteran team, being able to do those things in the key moments?

JOE PALMER: Yeah, for sure. Practice and games are a lot easier when you have guys like Isaiah Stevens, Joel Scott, Pat Cartier, Nique Clifford, and all those guys where you come in every day and you can't help but smile because they always got your back even when you are struggling.

They come in every day and believe in you and still pass you the ball telling you to shoot it and whatnot. That gives you confidence and belief even when you don't have it in yourself sometimes. I have to give it to my teammates and my coaches for that. It's awesome.

Q. Joe, what's going through your head when that first shot falls because I think you're 2 of 18 from three since January?

JOE PALMER: Yeah. I think, honestly, it was just like thank God. Finally a little bit. I've been kind of texting a couple of my coaches all week, you know, it's March, anything can happen. I have a lot of friends texting me. Kind of just saying that to myself before the game. It's March. Anything can happen.

I was just, like, about time. It's about time.

Q. Then for both of you guys. With the game tight, Nique Clifford had a really big block in the closing minutes and kind of swung the game. What can you say about his impact in this one?

ISAIAH STEVENS: One of the best defenders in the league. He makes plays timely all the time. He is super active with his hands. As you saw, he can go make plays at the rim, and we needed that stop right there.

We were trying to tell him to continue to look to be aggressive rotating when guys are driving with their head down a little bit.

JOE PALMER: Yeah, Nique made two of the biggest plays of the in the game. And like Zay said, he is so valuable because of his defensive abilities and stuff.

So it was great. I was jumping for joy when he got that block, and then he came down and hit the three. It was awesome.

Q. Isaiah, what do they do defensively that kind of really makes that challenge to get going, get flowing?

ISAIAH STEVENS: I think a lot of it just has to do with the effort. They play extremely hard. They're well-prepared. They know what you're going to run.

Honestly they do a good job of helping each other and just scrambling and competing. A lot of it is honestly just that. They do some things also schematically that kind of puts you in a little bit of a bind if you're not prepared for it.

I feel like we handled it in different parts of the game really well.

Q. What was it like for you watching Joe hit those and kind of get the team going?

ISAIAH STEVENS: Man, it's exactly what we needed. We were struggling a little bit from some other areas, and Joe just came in just ready to compete, ready to fight, ready to do whatever the team needed. Honestly we don't get that win without his performance today.

Q. Can you guys describe what you were feeling pregame while you were waiting for your turn to hit the court?

JOE PALMER: For me it was just my mind was very clear. Everyone kind of understands what's going on. You kind of hear the outside noise, but when you get into the arena and stuff, you kind of block out all the outside noise and just really are focused on what you are doing, game plan and what not.

That was what was going through my head. Just clear emptiness, and I think I have to do that more because it worked out pretty well.

Q. You mentioned the outside noise and that it's March. How much is that on your mind what could come next and what could have happened today? Were you thinking about that when the game is tight late that you are playing not only for tomorrow, but for next week as well?

ISAIAH STEVENS: Honestly we're just trying to win the game. In those moments your mind kind of goes blank, similar to what Joe said. You kind of black out everything that's going on around you, and we'll worry about everything else when the game is over.

But this was a huge win for us, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. Joe, you said you kind of got a smile on your face when that first shot went down. Is there technically a time when you don't have a smile on your face?

NIKO MEDVED: Oh, yeah. I'll ask that one later.

JOE PALMER: Coach loves to tell -- I wear my emotions on my sleeve, and it's very true. I've been trying since I got here to be better at not being so high and low and staying more even-keel.

It's hard not to smile when you have games like this and you are here doing all this stuff, so yeah, I'll keep it on my face for the time being.

Q. Your level of next-level speed, I guess how much does that play into your confidence and your get-go regardless of the kind of effort the other team is putting in? Is that a comfort level of having that kind of speed?

ISAIAH STEVENS: I wish we could tell some of my teammates that. They don't believe I'm that athletic. I use it as one of my superpowers. I'm not as big or as strong as a lot of these guys, so I try to use my quickness and change of pace to create angles, put pressure on the paint, and create opportunities for myself and my teammates.

At times it is almost like a bail-out in some ways and it keeps some defenders honest, which as an offensive player, that's really what you are trying to create is an advantage for yourself.

Q. Quick turnaround with the game tomorrow. Have you guys allowed yourself to appreciate the fact that you have probably secured an NCAA Tournament bid?

JOE PALMER: I mean, that sounds pretty cool to me. Coming from where I come from, the NCAA Tournament is what every young kid dreams of and everyone playing at this level.

I mean, like Zay said, we've been focused on just 40 minutes at a time, those games, that one game, so we were focused on San Jose State today. We focus on Nevada tomorrow.

I mean, if that's what people are saying, if that's what's going to happen, that's pretty cool, so...

Q. You have a matchup with Nevada tomorrow. Obviously a really hot team. Lost a couple of tight games to them. What are your thoughts going into this matchup?

ISAIAH STEVENS: It's going to be ultra competitive. They've got a lot of players over there that can make plays. Some really good shooters, some tough inside guys. We know it's going to be a battle. They're hot right now, sos I'm really excited for what tomorrow is going to bring, but it's not going to be easy by any means.

JOE PALMER: I'm just excited for the opportunity to go out there and compete, get another chance with my teammates here. Fifth-year senior, so any time I can get on that court and compete against anyone, whoever it is, I'll be ready to go.

THE MODERATOR: We'll dismiss the athletes at this time. Questions for Coach.

Q. Coach, Joe, just what was -- obviously his skill, but also that kind of personality mean in that locker room and kind of what he brings to you guys?

NIKO MEDVED: Joe is one of one, and I mean that in a very endearing way. I love him to death. He's an unbelievable human being. He would give himself to help anybody in any situation. He's an emotional guy.

Help him work through that a little bit has been good. He laugh about it. But I love the positive emotion and energy. That stuff just helps our guys like crazy. It pumps our guys up. It's just him learning the adversity part.

He's just an exceptional young man. I just know how much it means to these guys. You have to understand, guys like him and Pat and Joel Scott that come from lower levels and get an opportunity to do this, I know how much it means to these guys to have an opportunity to compete at this level and have success.

Q. Have you guys -- obviously offense hasn't been fully firing for a little bit, so you've been in a lot of these grinder type games. Does that almost provide some comfort that guys know how to play in this?

NIKO MEDVED: I love how you were kind of trying to figure out the right adjective. I could give you another one.

When you look at it, though, what did we shot? We shot -- we had 42 points in the paint. We ended up 53%. We made some timely threes when we had to.

All in all we ended up our offensive efficiency was good, but, yeah -- but we've defended, and I'll say it out loud. I mean, I think these last three games have been tough for a lot of reasons. You know the competition is good. The teams are going to be well-prepared.

Everybody knows what's on the line even though they don't want to talk about it. But we won them. We found a way to win. That's what you have to do this time of year.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I know our guys are going to be ready to compete, and it's going to be a heck of a game.

Q. We touched on it a little bit, but the block by Nique and the dunk by Joel and Nique hits a corner three a couples plays later. Just finding sequences like that in a tight game down the stretch, just what does that mean to you as a coach to pull it out?

NIKO MEDVED: That's how you win; it's what you have to do. We've been well-prepared because it's been that way all year in the Mountain West. Look at the games. Not just our games, but across the league this year.

Again, the games come down usually, right, to the last four or five minutes, and it's about making plays.

A key block, a key rebound, a timely shot, you know, sticking your nose in there and getting a steal. You name it, and Nique made two enormous plays.

I think what you have to do is you have to get over the ups and downs in the game and just live in the moment. No matter what happened before, what's happening, make the next right play, and those were absolutely two huge plays, but he has done that a lot this year for us.

Q. I know we've talked a lot about what Joe did and what Nique has done, but Joel Scott was very powerful when you got him the ball. How big of an impact did he have especially getting the spots that he had?

NIKO MEDVED: I mean, he's been like that now for a while. It feels like every game you're looking at him, and he is doing the same thing. He's got great hands. He's physical. He's hard to keep the ball from in the post because he's got great hands like that and seals so well.

It's been huge for us. And his defense has been elite too. Just the way he can move his feet, guard bigger guys, guard smaller guys. It's really a skill that -- you see it in the box score, but there's so many things that he brings that don't show up in the box score.

Q. You did suggest there are times that Joe is not smiling. Could you share when those might be?

NIKO MEDVED: I wouldn't be -- let him have his moment here right now. Yes, I can. Just like me. There's sometimes I'm not smiling too, Mike. You work down the hall from me, and you see that too.

Q. (No microphone.) Have you allowed yourself to reflect on this moment and then what it means even though you have the quick turnaround?

NIKO MEDVED: I don't want to get -- like for this guy here and again these guys, especially the guys, I care about these guys so much I want it so bad for them. I just know how much it means to them to just obviously play here right now, but hopefully have a chance to play because that's what all these kids dream about. That's what they dream about.

So they've given us. They give me everything I ask of them every day, no questions asked. They fought so hard through the ups and downs. I want it really bad for them. It is big, you know what I mean?

Now I'm over that, and I'm going to go beat Nevada tomorrow, right? That's what I want to do.

Q. Off of that, what are some of the keys? I know you'll have to get into it tonight, but you play two tight games.

NIKO MEDVED: We go back and look, and they're playing so well right now. They're terrific. The thing that people don't talk about with Nevada is their defense. They're long. They're tough. They're interchangeable. They can switch. They're playing with a ton of confidence. They get fouled a ton.

Obviously they've got great shooters starting with maybe the best shooter in the country starting with Jarod Lucas. We've been in some tight games with these guys like that, and our guys have proven that we can beat anybody, and it's going to be a highly competitive game.

I'm looking forward to finding a way to bring our best tomorrow at 6:00.

Q. Obviously it's no surprise that San Jose State came out and gave you guys a fight here today. How do you feel that this is an overall reflection of the level of competition in this conference and how well you guys have been able to play against it all year?

NIKO MEDVED: I keep talking about it. Everybody does. I just keep going back to the last Saturday of the regular season we beat Air Force. I'm sitting there watching these last two games. There are still five, six seeds that have to be decided.

A couple of other plays happened, and San Diego State gets the 6th seed, And there's a great chance they have a lower seed in our tournament than they would have in the NCAA Tournament. If that doesn't sum up, right? I've been in this league for a long time as an assistant, head coach, the level of play that to me that sums it up in a nutshell on what we're playing for and the level of play in this league.

It's been awesome, and I think you're going to see that pay off here on Sunday.