PLAYERS ERA POWER COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

November 30, 2024

Dana Altman

Keeshawn Barthelemy

MGM Grand Garden Arena

Oregon Ducks

Postgame Press Conference

Oregon - 83, Alabama - 81

Q. Coach, Keeshawn, what did you guys think of this tournament? Obviously some really good teams here. Does this really kind of get you locked in for the conference season starting up?

DANA ALTMAN: Absolutely. It's only November, but we played three really good teams, well-coached teams. All gave us different looks.

It's only November, but the tournament was well-run. We were treated great. Everything about it was first class -- the hotel, the meals, the officials, the opponents. Couldn't have been treated better.

Like I said, it's only November, but it is a great learning tournament.

Q. What does it kind of say to the level of play where two unranked teams can knock off two top ten teams in the third and championship games?

DANA ALTMAN: Well, our bracket was pretty good. I think we won all four games. That was good.

San Diego State gave us everything we wanted. So we knew that was going to be a good ballgame. We felt like we could play with Alabama even though they were ranked higher than us and their KenPom and all that was better than ours. We didn't feel like we didn't match up with them. We felt like we matched up okay.

They just play a little different style than we do. We're a little bit more inside out. They took 38 threes. I think I'd go nuts if we took 38.

But like I said, that gives us different styles. Texas A&M tried to beat us up on the boards. San Diego State's perimeter defense really got out, pressured us. And then this team just gives you different looks offensively that we're not used to.

Q. Keeshawn, you had a big game tonight. What were you feeling?

KEESHAWN BARTHELEMY: Honestly I just felt like my teammates trusted me, and I just tried to help in the game. I think I was able to get going with some steals. I had a couple.

Just the two-way game is the best game to be played, and my teammates trusted me down the stretch offensively, and I was able to come up big for them.

Q. Kind of a back and forth game. You guys had a little bit of a lead there at the end, and all of a sudden, it was gone.

KEESHAWN BARTHELEMY: We definitely have to work on our press offense. We'll definitely work on that on Monday. The important thing is we came out with a win. Wins are very tough to come by any time of the year, especially against ranked opponents.

We've got a lot of work to do, but we can celebrate for a day and then go back to work on Monday.