NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST FOUR

March 18, 2024

Donald Copeland

UD Arena

Wagner Seahawks

Media Conference

Q. Coach, what has your group been able to accomplish? And your thoughts as you prepare for the NCAA Tournament.

DONALD COPELAND: Just, first off, really proud of my guys, what they've had to overcome all year to get to this point, the way we did it, how we did it. Bigger than the seven players, I would just say the culture.

These guys do a really good job of upholding our culture. And that's what we preach and talk about no matter what we have going on, not just in the court, in the classroom, in meetings, in all facets of being a college athlete, honestly.

And they did a good job of that. And I talked about it after we were able to accomplish a big goal which was win the championship.

I didn't need to win that game to be proud of them, what they were able to accomplish. I couldn't be more happy and proud and happy for a group.

Q. Talk about hearing your name called and then the kind of preparation that goes to coming to Dayton in such a short amount of time, and scouting your opponent for tomorrow.

DONALD COPELAND: Hearing your name called, I mean, it doesn't get any better than that, especially for these guys. I was fortunate enough to experience that as a player and my one year Seton Hall as a coach.

But seeing that for my team, I couldn't have been more happy. That's what I was looking for. That's what I was waiting for. They probably were different than when I played. Right? They had their cell phones out and all that stuff. That was great.

And fast-forward, preparing, it's difficult, for sure. Because you get a quick turnaround. Not a lot of time to get on the court and necessarily go over a team like Howard.

We watched them and talked about them for the first time today. My group is usually good at preparing for games. But at the same time there's no excuses for it. You've got to handle it because Howard's dealing with the same thing.

So we're going to make the best of it, and hopefully be able to compete.

Q. I guess my first one is, is there something to be said about you guys haven't played in about a week. It will be exactly a week when you do play against Howard. Is there something to be said about having some time off to kind of reset for something like this event?

DONALD COPELAND: Maybe, maybe not. I don't know. We've had periods during our season where there was time off. We've had periods where there wasn't.

I did try to use the time the best I could to kind of get us fresher. The seven guys that are playing do have some injuries just like everybody else in the country. We did revamp some things and go over some things again, which I think was beneficial.

But at the same time, who knows? You could benefit from playing a game. But you can't worry about that. We just gotta be ready to play because it is what it is at this point.

Q. I know obviously your mind is 100 percent on Wagner, on this upcoming game. But just as Seton Hall alum did you have any comment at all about the Pirates being left out of the tournament this year. I know there was a lot of debate about that.

DONALD COPELAND: I'm a proud Seton Hall alum. I'm always rooting for them. We got to play against them, obviously, this year. I thought that was a really good team.

I don't know the metrics behind why they would be in the tournament or not. I am surprised that they finished top four in the Big East because I think if you watch, we've played against them and Providence, and then I watched a ton of Big East games.

I think if you watch those games you see how competitive they are and physical. But I assumed they would be in the tournament. I was shocked that they weren't.

Q. Melvin was up here and talking about some of his favorite things about the season, and it was playing against some of the coaches. And he mentioned that you were the best player amongst the coaches. And off your days from Seton Hall, just now coaching, explain how strange it's been, and has it been a joy for you playing against some of your players?

DONALD COPELAND: Well, I want to first give Melvin credit for that. That's a smart thing. He's not known for saying -- I gotta give -- that is the smartest thing he's said since he's been in the program. Make sure he knows I said that. (Laughter).

No, I'm still in decent enough shape. Part of that is I work out. Part is probably because I'm stressed. But, no, I think it's a bonus to still be relatively young and be able to get out there with those guys. I try not to do it too much because I am still competitive.

But I do get out there with the guys and I compete with them. And I think that's good for them, too, because I'm very demanding as a coach. But then also they see me play, and we're able to compete together, I think it kind of balances it out.

But I haven't had a lot of coaches that were able to compete. I try to do it as much as I can.

Q. I thought it was really neat the other day after you guys win the championship, you're talking with your group, and you obviously highlight the seven players that are out there fighting. But you also made a point to reach out to the injured and those six and what they've meant to your team on the season. And I guess if you could, just maybe elaborate on how big they've been during this journey and what sort of makes them unique and the unfortunate situation you're in?

DONALD COPELAND: They were huge for us all season. Obviously, as a player -- and I went through this as well -- when you get injured, it's hard. It's hard mentally. You're down on yourself. You're questioning yourself. You don't know how you should be. Right?

Some of these guys are new to the program and they're injured. Oh, I'm injured now; does coach really like me now? They don't know.

But we always made them feel a part of it. I actually put more pressure on them to stay involved. I coached them also on our culture. And our culture is if you're in the gym, you're going to be loud, you're going to be talking and you're going to be helping out. After a while they took on the responsibility as well.

So we wouldn't be where we're at without those guys. I truly, truly believe it. They really were coaches, mentors. And some of the other guys that were returners they got to see another side of it because they felt I was hard on them. And now they understand why.

So they were able to give them another side of it, which I thought was really helpful.

Rahmir Moore and Zaire Williams, two guys who are big-time leaders for my program, they stepped up and were mentors to these guys. And I thought it was really, really helpful.

Q. What's it like, you're going to play Howard tomorrow, is there anybody in the Northeast Conference remind you of Howard? And how do you prepare for a team in two days?

DONALD COPELAND: I can't compare them to anybody in our league right now. I think they're a really older team, a big team. I don't know if we've had anybody of that type of size.

Maybe talent-wise, maybe Sacred Heart because I thought Sacred Heart was really talented from top to bottom in our league.

Real difficult team to prepare for. I think they're really well-coached, really disciplined. And they take advantage of other teams that are not disciplined. And then they have depth.

I just finished telling my team about them. They have three guys on their team that were recruited at the high major level and played at the high major level. So that in itself is a challenge. It's going to be a big test for us.

Q. Tahron Allen goes on to be the MVP of the NEC. Talk about his performance in those three games and if anything really changed in the way he went about his business and working your way to the title?

DONALD COPELAND: No, I was not surprised. That's the Tahron Allen I recruited. I think he's been too nice all season. He's probably the most difficult guy I've ever had to coach to be aggressive because he's such a great kid and he wants to be a team player.

And I think that's what that was all about right now in conference tournament time. He was super aggressive, and that's what he's capable of. He had the right mindset. He wasn't going out any other way, and we needed it. He really gave us a boost, and that was the expectation from him.

Q. What separates Melvin Council Jr.? Because he's been really consistent for you the entire season.

DONALD COPELAND: I think he's a baller. Melvin loves to play. He's a natural competitor. We're talking about a guy that didn't have a full summer in my program, and that's usually difficult for a new guy. And then he really got dropped off on Mars in September with me because I was coming after him every day.

But he allowed me to do it because he loves to play. He loves to compete, no matter what, he's always going to be the same person.

I think that really speaks highly to who he is character-wise. All season he's been our leading scorer. And now we get into conference tournament time. He's not scoring the ball the way he usually does, but he's making all types of other plays for us on the defensive end, loose balls, rebounding, just coming up with winning plays. And that really speaks to who he is, and I love coaching him.

Q. With all the talk about all the changes swirling around college athletics, how valuable is it to for all schools of all sizes to be in the field of 68? And do you have any concerns what the future might look like?

DONALD COPELAND: I think it's incredibly valuable. I think schools like this kind of make the tournament, honestly. I remember playing overseas and always doing a bracket. And then after the first weekend, the schools like myself are moving ahead and my bracket is garbage now.

So I think that makes this whole experience fun. It's why you come to college basketball, to be able to play in the tournament or have an opportunity to do it.

College sports, I think, on the whole is changing. Everybody is adjusting. Do I worry about it? I can't say I think that far ahead. But you've got to kind of just go with it and do the best you can while you can.

But to say that teams like us, myself, or maybe some of the other programs don't belong in the tournament, I don't think that's the way to go about it. I think we make the tournament just like some of the other programs.

Q. You made some appearances as a player at Seton Hall for March Madness. How do you think it will feel coming back as a coach compared to a player?

DONALD COPELAND: It's going to be different. It's a great experience. I did get to experience it Seton Hall as an assistant, but obviously this is much different. I'm excited to be a part of it. I'm more excited for my team.

And that's what I'm trying to soak in right now as we're trying to prepare and do all the things. It's cool to still be able to run a practice right now, watch film and prepare for somebody else because I don't know what else I'll be doing for the next two weeks. What do I come in and do in the office? I'm just going to hang out? I'm excited for this opportunity and being able to do this.

Q. You have some history with Wagner, which is exciting. Just wanted to get your thoughts on what it means and sort of that history and now taking this program as head coach to the NCAA Tournament?

DONALD COPELAND: It's special, it's really special. When I transitioned from playing pro I thought I wanted to coach and then I got into it here. And I realized, what was I asking for?

But being able to do it at Wagner, Wagner really embraced me. I was fortunate enough to come under Bashir Mason, and see how he did it. That was special.

Also a place like Wagner which has real rich tradition in basketball and so supportive, and then also learning about the NEC.

I only played in the Big East, and then I played at really good levels professionally, and then understanding how hard it is at the NEC level and how much respect I have for the coaches and players at the level.

I soak it all in and I couldn't be more proud. I view Wagner as my school just like Seton Hall. I went to St. Anthony's. To be able to do this and finally push through it's really special for me.

Q. You mentioned St. Anthony's, you played under a legendary coach in Bob Hurley. You just alluded to the fact of sort of the uncertainty of getting into coaching after you played professionally. Do you think back to your high school days at Saint Anthony to where you kind of go, wow? Or was it back in your mind that you thought you may get into coaching?

DONALD COPELAND: No, definitely, it probably started for me -- my father was a college coach at the Division III level, and he coached me up until the time I went to high school. He's actually still coaching me right now. That's difficult, you wouldn't believe. (Laughter).

But definitely it's always kind of been in me, with my father, definitely with Coach Hurley because he's so demanding. And I saw it done that way and I had success that way.

To be able to get to this point and now where I'm running my own program is definitely -- I've taken a lot from those days the way they did it. I did always think I could get into coaching. I wanted to. It was I just did not know what I was getting into when I did start coaching.

There's so much that goes into the 40 minutes that you actually see, which I think all of us understand that. To be able to do it, I know how hard it is. So I have a real appreciation for it.

Q. On the coaching front, this team is so unique and that really you have seven bodies. Talk about the challenges in coaching this year just from the personnel that you're working with, let alone winning a championship?

DONALD COPELAND: I want to get this out there to everybody. I don't know what I'm doing (laughter), when it comes to seven players. And it was hard. Because I didn't know. You don't know what you're supposed to do.

Our last live practice, I lost a guy to injury. And then that's when I said we can't practice anymore. And it was constant changing and understanding -- are you doing this the right way? Or should we be doing this?

Because I was really concerned about the live contact, not having live contact in practice. And now these guys have to play in the game.

That was difficult, but you know what? I put more focus into who we are as a program, doing the right things, making sure that the gym sounds a certain way, looks a certain way.

The things we did do in drill they needed to be excellent and outstanding at it. When they weren't, I held them accountable. And they let me do it. And they had expectations of themselves.

So I would say if there was a group to have seven players with, I'm probably lucky it's these guys, honestly.

Q. What's the best trait of this basketball team?

DONALD COPELAND: Toughness. They're tough. They're going to compete. We're going to compete. No matter what's going on, we're not going to feel sorry for ourselves, whether we're up or down, we're going to be who we are no matter what. And they don't need me to get them to do that. They'll do that themselves.

Q. Do you have a favorite March Madness moment?

DONALD COPELAND: Probably me beating -- Seton Hall beating Arizona. I still remember that. I had a part in that game. I hit a big shot. I remember Arizona had about seven NBA players in that game. It was a special moment for me, for sure.

And then now being able to experience that as a coach, I do think about it a lot.

Q. We're talking a little bit earlier about the tournament, what it means, and you mentioned sort of programs like Wagner being the story. And I don't think that was even more evident than last year in your conference, the NEC and what FDU was able to accomplish. Do you sort of take that and look at it in a different light from last year of what happened in this building with the First four?

DONALD COPELAND: Definitely. Now experiencing the travel part of it, especially getting here and knowing what you have to go through, I'm actually more impressed with what they were able to accomplish because I know how hard it is.

But that's an amazing story that is great for college basketball. I think it's great for our league. It just speaks volumes of what this time of year means.

Anybody has a chance. Anything can happen, no matter what's going on. And they are inspirational for sure. Now our path is probably different, but it gives you motivation to want to hopefully achieve something like that.

Q. Anything else you would like to share about the Wagner Seahawks?

DONALD COPELAND: No, I'm just ready to play this game.