NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST FOUR

March 18, 2024

Tahron Allen

Javier Ezquerra

Melvin Council Jr.

UD Arena

Wagner Seahawks

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Wagner. Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Walk us through the last 24 hours getting to Dayton, hearing your name called and just playing in this game tomorrow?

TAHRON ALLEN: We're just thankful to be here. It's definitely been a lot to process for us. Everything's been exciting. Our coach's message and our message to each other is just take in what's going on and enjoy the moment but also be ready for the moment, continue preparing like how we've been doing.

So definitely feels unreal. Still trying to process us winning the championship. So everything is fun and it feels unreal, but exciting and everything we wished for.

MELVIN COUNCIL JR.: The thoughts are beyond blessed and stuff like that. We're excited to be here, but like Tahron said, Coach is telling us to take in the moment but we've still got a job to do.

JAVIER EZQUERRA: The last 24 hours has been amazing, a dream come true. And as Coach said, just have fun and compete.

Q. Tahron, what were you able to do in the NEC Tournament and sort of your production on the season, you turned it up in those three games in being able to grab the NEC title. What sort of changed and what you've been able to accomplish here in the last week?

TAHRON ALLEN: Nothing's really changed. My teammates trusting in me from the beginning of the season to end of season, when things don't go well for me. Or when things go well for all of us, we continue to talk to each other, be with each other.

Melvin and Javi get on me the most when they feel I'm not producing or going as hard as I can be going or as I should be going. So I'm definitely thankful for my teammates just trusting in me and going out there and getting what we want has been my motivation to just try to turn it up and do what we've been doing in practice.

Q. Javier, I know this is a team that has had to unfortunately experience quite a few injuries. Only play seven guys. Has that been a good thing for your group in regards to rhythm and sort of finding a groove?

JAVIER EZQUERRA: Yeah, everybody step up and like Coach said, if we've got seven players, just gotta be ready and come ready to play. We don't mind how many players we have, just compete.

Q. Melvin, a follow-up to that, how challenging has it been in sort of the numbers game of what you guys have been up against?

MELVIN COUNCIL JR.: It's been very challenging with seven guys. But Coach is always on us. He doesn't care next guy in line, next guy up. So seven guys is going good with that. Plus, we've got a freshman coming off the bench, and he's like adjusting with us and stuff like that.

Q. How is it representing the whole state of New York in this tournament?

TAHRON ALLEN: I'm personally from New York so definitely honored to do that. We're on a small island in New York, so it's definitely good to put on for our community, our school and just the island. And just to be here representing from New York for our families and just for our school, it means everything to us.

MELVIN COUNCIL JR.: It means a lot. Nobody knows where Wagner is at and stuff like that. So for us to put Wagner back on the map is a blessing.

JAVIER EZQUERRA: It's amazing. A small island and we're here back after 21 years. So it's amazing.

Q. Melvin, also, in Rochester we talked a couple of weeks ago about your journey after that game-winning shot. I guess that last question was a perfect setup. You mentioned Wagner, a little bit in the middle of nowhere. No one knows where Wagner is. You could say the same thing about Rochester. What does it mean for you now that you can represent the 585 out here in the tournament?

MELVIN COUNCIL JR.: That was a great question. Nobody knows where Rochester is at. But everywhere I go I try to put 585 on the map. Every shout-out that I get I'm going to shout-out Rochester, New York.

Q. Javier, talk about this team and what you feel is its biggest strength and best trait?

JAVIER EZQUERRA: The biggest strength is our defense. That's what we preach every day is toughness. And to win games and to win championships it's about defense. And that's what our coach tells us the difference every day and toughness.

Q. Melvin, you've been really consistent this year, and a big part of you being first-team all-conference. When it came to the tournament, did you really feel -- I think maybe looking at just some of the scores -- that it was kind of anybody's game and hoping to grab that automatic bid?

MELVIN COUNCIL JR.: You know, during the playoffs, I had a rough start. But that's what the game of basketball is. I'm not going to make every shot. But I'm going to get it back on defense and rebound. And that's what Coach preaches a lot on us. And I'm thankful for having Tahron, Javi, Julian, Tyje and Seck step up in big moments for me.

Q. Tahron, is there any inspiration for what FDU was able to do for your group and being in the same building and what they were able to accomplish, not just winning here at UD Arena, but going on and shocking a No. 1 seed?

TAHRON ALLEN: We all know what FDU did. I've got some guys over there, we know a couple of guys over there. So definitely it was cool what they did. But I felt what gives us more inspiration is what we've done, what we've overcome throughout the whole season.

All the adversity that we put in. I continuously say this on every interview or anything with us in general, all the adversity we've been put through throughout the season is preparing us for this big moment now. So that just really gives us the hope for us to make a run, just come out here and do what we do best.

Q. You were an underdog in your conference tournament. How do you think battling through that adversity has prepared you for the NCAA Tournament?

MELVIN COUNCIL JR.: Underdog, you know, it's Wagner. Low Division I program. So it's going to be an underdog regardless. But where we come from in practice and stuff like that, the way we carry ourselves, we don't look at us as underdogs at all.

So we can always play with toughness and with heart. That's what Coach preaches every day, toughness.

JAVIER EZQUERRA: When we step on that court, there's no underdog. It's 0-0, we're humans, and you've got to battle. Like Coach said, toughness and toughness wins.

TAHRON ALLEN: It's like what Melvin and Javi said, there's no underdogs. We're all here doing what we love to do. We all prepare the same way. We all are the same way. When we get out there it's who wants it more. And we're here just to play basketball and do what we love.

Q. Melvin, outside of what took place with the championship win and coming to the NCAA Tournament, what's the favorite part about this season, this team?

MELVIN COUNCIL JR.: This season, we have six guys that's injured. My favorite is playing against the coaches in practice because they always yelling at me. So when they're on the floor, I get a piece that I can, like, shut them up and stuff like that. That might be my favorite for the season.

Q. Tahron, your favorite part of the season and this team outside of the championship?

TAHRON ALLEN: Outside of the championship, I think my favorite part is just our team bonding stuff that we do that no one sees outside of basketball, just going to eat as a team. The ferry takes us right to the city, just going to the city, walk around and being with each other.

I feel that plays a big role in us seven guys, we're all together. And so that's definitely a special moment for us to help us connect more on the court.

Q. Javier, what have you enjoyed most?

JAVIER EZQUERRA: Like Tahron said, the activities we do off the court, the bonding. We go to New York, walk around, go shopping. Stuff like that, doing activities. And we get connected more and that's why we have good chemistry on the court.

Q. Melvin, the coaches, playing them in practice, who has the best game? You don't have to answer that. (Laughter).

MELVIN COUNCIL JR.: Who has the best game? It's the head coach. (Laughter) I give him that.

Q. Tahron, what separates this team? What makes you guys unique in sort of how you guys go about your business?

TAHRON ALLEN: Other than us having seven guys on the floor, I feel what makes us unique is that everything that we've been through hasn't stopped us. We haven't slowed down for anything. Our coach's message hasn't changed at all.

So just finding ways to get through and overcome the obstacles that were put in front of us this season. Unfortunately, I feel like that is definitely it's been different for us.

And the last thing that's been different is we've got more coaches than players. All the guys that are out there like coaches' players, which is helpful. So that's definitely special. It makes us unique.

Q. Melvin, talking about your unique situation and circumstances, has there been a change in this team's dynamic as you move forward through the year and where something sort of clicked sort of this uphill battle you've faced with injuries?

MELVIN COUNCIL JR.: Everybody just wants to win. Nobody don't care who eats, who scored the most. Everybody just wants to win. That's what makes us unique.