BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2025

Jamie Dixon

Noah Reynolds

Ernest Udeh

T-Mobile Center

TCU Horned Frogs

Postgame Press Conference

Colorado 69, TCU 67

THE MODERATOR: Joining us on the dais is TCU Head Coach Jamie Dixon along with Ernest Udeh and Noah Reynolds. Coach?

JAMIE DIXON: Honestly, I was proud of our guys, how we came back a couple different times. I told them about that after the game in the locker room. We dug a hole early. Obviously I think it was 0-13 to start the game, and that's going to be a problem.

But we fought back, got the lead at halftime, and then second half slow start; some turnovers and transition defense wasn't good enough; live ball turnovers killed us.

But we fought back again. We outrebounded them by 11; we had 22 offensive rebounds; forced 14 turnovers; got a lot of steals, 13.

So we played hard as this team does, but we just -- the execution, the decision making and the shooting has been a challenge. They kinda got us again. Missed free throws turn into lost opportunities on offense.

But we kept fighting. I mean, offense wasn't great, but we got 22 offensive rebounds. Didn't convert enough of those and didn't make enough free throws and the slow start hurt us.

But we fought; made some good plays down the stretch; had an opportunity to win the game but we didn't. We're disappointed. We're banged up. We had some guys that haven't really been practicing. I think that's kinda hurt us over this time.

But I was proud of how they responded today and how they fought back to get back in it twice after having big deficits and not making shots. It was a good character test for us.

Q. Jamie, couple weeks ago you guys were playing some really good basketball; lost five of the last six games. What's been the biggest issue to close the season?

TAD BOYLE: You've got to look at the schedule. There were a lot of road games in there. That was part of it. But I don't think you can put it all on one thing. Our offensive has been a challenge all year long. Defensively we've had moments.

Yeah, it's not how you want to end, but part of that I think was three out of four were road games at the end there. Maybe three out of five, I guess, and we just didn't get it done today.

Obviously -- the same challenges with the games that we won. I don't think there is any glaring thing. We won a lot of close games, and finally caught up to us where we lost a couple of close games.

But we are a team that's been challenged on the road and has not been -- we won a couple games, but we weren't able to beat other -- get some down the stretch.

Yeah, I mean, I guess you can look at that, but you can look at the wins as well. We won two games on the road, Baylor, but we struggled on the road for the most part.

Q. Ernest and Noah, you guys still have some more postseason to be played; what you do you tell the team?

ERNEST UDEH: The message I gave the team today, there is still basketball left to be played, and that being the case, we have to take it one game at a time.

For me that message is never going to change. This is an opportunity that I have and Noah and everyone on this team has to play high level basketball. Not a lot of kids get to do this and not a lot of young adults get to do this,

With there being an opportunity for us to play high level basketball, we are going to have to lock in, win the game, listen to the coaching. Understand the little things that, again, when we have close-game losses and the things we need to fix up, whether it be practice, you know, just, again, going into the game and focusing on those.

Like I said, we can control our effort, too, and that's the one thing that supersedes everything. Just effort and how hard we're going to play. So just go out there and win the game.

NOAH REYNOLDS: And to add on to that, I would just say being present. Especially with the younger group, I feel at times you have the challenge of looking forward, like what's next.

But being present, being where your feet are, and taking in this experience, because you'll never get this back, even in your early on years, you know.

Q. Ernest, you talked about how much this team cares and how they fight through things. That first half you guys weren't shooting very well, but yet you're leading at half time. What was it about the team during that first half to give yourself a chance and momentum going into the second?

ERNEST UDEH: The same thing like what I talked to you about, they care. I told 'em, if shots aren't falling, if offensively we're stagnant and things aren't going well, control the one thing we can control and that's our effort. Every single person on this team has heart and I love these guys to death, man, every single one of them.

They care about winning. They care about making the right play. They care about each other. Nobody on this team wants to see the next man fail or anything bad happen to them.

Again, when you have heart, you know what I'm saying? You can control your energy and effort, you know, that helps tremendously; whereas you're not hitting shots or making shots, and that definitely makes up for it.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much.