PLAYERS ERA POWER COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

November 27, 2024

Brian Dutcher

Nick Boyd

MGM Grand Garden Arena

San Diego State Aztecs

Postgame Press Conference

Oregon - 78, San Diego State - 68

BRIAN DUTCHER: It's all part of the process. Sometimes that's hard to accept as a player or a coach. But Oregon did to us what they did to Texas A&M. They went on a good run. I think the score was 27-27 with 3:21 left to go in the first half. And they scored 41 points the last bit of that half.

And it all started with a rebound, which was the difference in the first half. I think they got 57 percent of their misses. And they kicked out, got a lot of 3s. So the rebounding was the real Achilles' heel for us the first half.

Second half, we battled back. I've got a good group of kids. And they're getting better. And we battled back and got close enough, but didn't get over the hump.

So all these experiences are giving us a chance to grow as a team. And that's what we're going to look at it as, a chance to grow to start stacking games, like I've said. And this is another one, and we'll learn from it, and hopefully get better because we'll have to be because there's another good team waiting for us on Saturday. And we'll find out who that is later tonight.

But Oregon is a good team, obviously. They're undefeated. They've done this to everybody. They did it to us when they got ahead early. They've been down in a lot of games this year and then spurted to get ahead. They spurted on us at the end of the half in a close game and got ahead. We tried to battle back into it, but couldn't get all the way.

Q. The pillars of your program are defense and rebounding. And it's rare you see a game where you guys get crushed on the boards like this. And if you look at second-chance points it was 18-4. It was 18-0 at one point. What did you see out there? And why do you think that was?

BRIAN DUTCHER: That was one of the keys of the game. We're growing as a rebounding team. Magoon has length but he lacks some strength. I thought Jared did a good job early in the game rebounding. He was on a lot of those early but then got in foul trouble and sat the end of the first half.

And then we've got a freshman, a redshirt, a true freshman and a sophomore out there trying to rebound against really good players. We have to get bigger and stronger and have a nose for the ball.

And my guards rebound. Nick two games ago had nine, and BJ last game had eight. The guards have to continue to come in and try to help us out where we're not giving up all those second chance opportunities.

Q. Nick, what has it been facing so many talented bigs over the last few games, between Bittle today, Kalkbrenner yesterday, Gonzaga's two skilled big men, what have you learned from these recent opponents?

NICK BOYD: Like you said, a lot of great bigs but I think we showed that we can compete. It's all about us. I think today, starting with myself as a leader for the team, didn't really come out here and handle business the correct way.

If you look back on the game, all the ways we lost today is self-inflicted. It's just about focus, maturity and, like Coach said, just keep growing. But you come to a tournament like this, there's no room for error.

Q. I know you guys are going home after this game. The other seven teams are staying here for a couple of days. How much are you looking forward to getting home, and how much of an advantage do you think that might be?

NICK BOYD: I think it's a great advantage. We get a chance to go home, sleep in our own beds, really settle down, get our minds right, and come back to it tomorrow, I believe, and practice real hard in our own gym, our own locker room, and get back on a flight, motivated, ready to go and win another big game.

Q. There was a stretch after the 11-minute mark you pulled within 3 when the Ducks responded with 3s against every two you guys put together. The Ducks, lots of 3-point shooting in the second half. What were they doing to create those opportunities?

BRIAN DUTCHER: You know, we try to keep them out of the paint and help and front the post and do some things. We pulled our defense in. And I thought we did a good job fighting in the paint. They get downhill on a lot of people.

But we didn't close out then and they made a lot of good 3s. They can shoot the ball and obviously they've got some really good shooters. Bamba is one that, once he gets going, everything starts going in. I think he had five today.

And we're playing him for the drive and he proved that he's more than capable of also shooting the 3, which we knew he could but you kind of pick your poison.

Q. Obviously you guys have a lot of production from your guards so far this season. Bigs have not produced that much. Is that just a case of them being young and they'll get there eventually? Or do you have to maybe rethink the way you play with two bigs and maybe go with four guards?

BRIAN DUTCHER: I think we can't lose sight of the bigs we're playing against, too. We're playing elite bigs right now. So I like my bigs. I think they're more than capable.

Obviously Pharaoh and Taj and I have a couple real good combinations for (indiscernible) there. Magoon rolled him and fouled him late.

We walk the line between rolling and popping because they can shoot some too. When it's time to roll, they have to roll in there, catch the ball and finish around the rim. We were productive, but obviously not as productive as some of the guys we went against.

Q. Was there a different feel after this game than the Gonzaga game? Gonzaga ob you lost double figures, but there seemed to be a positive a vibe about that game. Is there more disappointment to how you lost today?

NICK BOYD: I mean, definitely, after that Gonzaga game, that was the first time this group was in the fire at a high level. So you want to come out of games like that learning lessons. And I feel like we got over that hump.

But as you see today, just another time where we get back, we get back, we give them a little bit of an edge and we can't get over the hump as a group. We've got to dial in, keep practicing hard, and when we get over that hump, it's going to be go time.

Q. Can you speak on the progression and growth of BJ Davis thus far? He seems to be getting better every day out there.

BRIAN DUTCHER: Yeah, BJ is a dynamic player. He was when we recruited him out of high school. He continues to grow his game. He made some real difficult shots.

There were a couple times he got into traffic and tried to move it out. So BJ is growing his game, too. He's played a minute or so a game last year. So he's getting major minutes. Every time he's on the floor, he learns and grows.

That's this team. This team is in the growing process, and it's all of us. It's not just the players. It's me. I'm learning how to coach this group, how to put ourselves in the best position to be successful and what combinations need to be out there at what times.

It's always a process. It's always better when you can win and learn, and we took an L against a good team and we have to grow from that, too.