ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 13, 2024

Adrian Autry

Maliq Brown

Judah Mintz

Capital One Arena

Syracuse Orange

Postgame Press Conference

NC State 83, Syracuse 65

ADRIAN AUTRY: Obviously we're disappointed. We wanted to play better. But NC State had something to do with that today. I thought our turnovers and rebounds, 17 offensive rebounds when we did get stops, we just couldn't get the ball and rebound. I thought that was the major difference in tonight's game.

We just didn't have -- too many second-chance points, too many transition points. We just had too many obstacles to overcome against a team like NC State. They had five guys in double figures. I thought the rebounding was the story. The rebounding was the story, and our turnovers on our end.

Questions?

Q. From the sideline could you tell what was the root cause of the turnovers and how you couldn't get it back on track to correct that?

ADRIAN AUTRY: No, I thought some of them in transition, trying to kick it ahead, some of them were in close. When we drive, we've got to look it kick it out. Sometimes the play was on the outside. Trying to make some things happen for the most part. Some of them were just in transition trying to get the ball ahead to Chris or trying to make a play and advance.

We bobbled some, some went out of bounds. We threw the ball away too many times today.

Q. I know right now in the heat of the moment you guys can probably be feeling really down about yourselves after the loss, but in a season where you overcame a lot of obstacles and really exceeded a lot of expectations, what are you taking away from this season and this team as your first year as head coach?

ADRIAN AUTRY: That's a good question. I don't think I can answer that right now. We're disappointed. It's just hard to kind of even think like that right now.

Q. Maliq, just going up against DJ Burns for a third time, what was he doing tonight that made him so effective down low?

MALIQ BROWN: Obviously their team was trying to find him, obviously like the last two or three times we played them. Was trying to keep him as far out of the paint as I could.

Q. There could be a chance you could be invited to the NIT. Would you take that chance and have you given it any thought at all?

ADRIAN AUTRY: I think anytime you get a chance to make a postseason, I think you have to take it. Again, this team is -- we're disappointed. It's really trying to get through this right now with this team. They battled. They left it out there all year long.

I thought -- did we play well? No, we didn't play well. But I thought the effort in battle is there all season long. But we haven't crossed that bridge yet.

Q. Bouncing off that question, there is still potential play for NIT, but this is the end of the regular season with especially this conference tournament loss. Looking back on this journey for you as a first-year head coach, did you find it to be easier, tougher than it ended up being, and what were some of the growing opportunities for you personally stepping up into that role?

ADRIAN AUTRY: You know, on this journey, when you get your opportunity as a head coach, I think you learn a lot. I can stand up here and talk for 30 minutes about everything that you learn, in and out, every day.

The one thing I'll say, I was proud to have this team. I was lucky to have this team right here. This is the team that I needed.

I thought we were all good for each other.

But to put everything into context right now is, again, a little difficult for me to do, as we just lost. But it was -- again, I love this team. I did. I loved their fight. I loved everything about this team. I loved coaching this team. That's the one thing I can say.

Q. Adrian, that question was sort of about your journey, but could you talk more specifically about the team, because this was a team -- the eight guys you dressed out tonight were all sophomores and some of the guys had not played. Can you talk about their journey this year.

ADRIAN AUTRY: You know, from my view, I thought each month, each week we improved at something. I thought we had really steady improvement. I thought they wanted to get better. They had a lot to prove. I had a lot to prove. We all had a lot to prove.

I don't think it was something that faded. That's just who these guys are. Tough group.

We just came in every day and tried to get better. We had some ups and downs. This team always bounced back.

I had to be ready for them. I had to be ready for them because those guys came in, they're a competitive group, and they wanted to get better, and they wanted to win every day.

Q. Judah, you led the game in scoring. You were at the center of a lot of the physicality that seems like a mirror of the season. What do you think about your growth over this past year?

JUDAH MINTZ: You know, we had a different team this year, obviously, than last year, different head of the snake. We've got a different coach. Just trying to learn and grow with my team. It was difficult at times, but I'm proud of the group we had at the end of the day.

Q. What was the difference coming out of halftime do you think?

ADRIAN AUTRY: I thought we -- again, the rebounding. I thought everything kind of happened in the second half. The first half we were down three, came out, we get up a little bit. I thought our defense -- we went to zone for a couple possessions. We had some guys in foul trouble; wanted to see how that worked.

Then I thought after that, it came down to rebounding. I really do. Even when we got them to miss, we just couldn't get the rebound. Again, 20 second-chance points, and they got a couple of transition points off of our live ball turnovers, which that hasn't happened in a long time for us, this many turnovers. I can't remember the last time we had this many turnovers. That was the difference.

Q. Coach, there's the old adage about how difficult it is to beat a team three times in a year. Do you think that played to NC State's advantage that you guys had already taken care of business twice?

ADRIAN AUTRY: No, they just played better than us tonight. No.