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MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 9, 2006

DENVER, COLORADO

THE MODERATOR: We'll begin with University of Wyoming. Joining me up stage head coach Steve McClain, Steve Leven and Brandon Ewing.
Coach, if you want to begin with some general remarks.
COACH STEVE McCLAIN: Well, I think it was another just great Wyoming Air Force game. And I'm so proud of these kids because, you know, we knew the scouting report, we knew what we had to do and they got it into the game. And then when the game was on the line, we made free-throw after free-throw and that was the key to winning the game. 22 for 23 at the free-throw line.
Great effort out of everybody. Maybe one of our best team efforts in the last couple of weeks.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, coach. Next few minutes let's direct questions directly to the student athletes.
Q. Steve, talk about the free-throw shooting at the end. Was that the first one on your last attempt the most critical?
STEVE LEVEN: They were all pretty, you know, tough when it gets down the stretch, you know. Take the same approach. Go up to the line every time whether it's first half or second half. We just did a good job of getting the ball into me and Brandon's hands where we can get it on the line and make some free-throws.
Every one else stepped up and we went 22 for 23, so that was pretty good.
Q. Brandon, could you talk about that shot you made with 1:37, the clock's running down and you get a clutch shot going to your left?
BRANDON EWING: That shot kind of reflects the first half. When the shot clock was going down, I was settling for three's. Coach pulled me to the side several times and said when the shot clock is going down try to penetrate to the middle, that's the sweet spot in any zone. Once I got there, the zone just spreaded out. And I shot the left floater. It kind of went in. I don't want to say it was kind of luck but I guess it was our day.
Q. Steve, the importance of the 9-0 run to start the second half, that really set the stage didn't it?
COACH STEVE McCLAIN: Well, it did. And you always want to come out of halftime. And especially when you're ahead, if you can just build it at all get a cushion. And especially against a team like Air Force that won 24 games this year, you know they're going to make a run. They're not going to lay down and quit. Those kids get up and do way more important things than me and you do every day.
You know they're not going to quit. So when we got that nice cushion to deal with, it made it a little less pressure on us the whole time.
Q. Brandon, I know you said coming into the tournament you felt like you had a bit of a chip on your shoulder the way the last month had went. Do you feel you might have proved something?
BRANDON EWING: I feel any win you proving something, especially with the seventh seed. We are not really focused on that. We're just trying to take it one game at a time. If we win tomorrow, we in the championship. Then if we win the next day, we win the tournament. Pretty much just take it one game at a time and focus on the next team at hand.
Q. How did it feel to get back in the lineup and just stroke the three out there? You looked very comfortable in this game. Was there something that Air Force does that plays to your strength?
STEVE LEVEN: Not really. The last couple of weeks have been hard, just personal reasons. And Brandon and Brad really did a good job of getting me into a rhythm, giving me the ball when I was open the first couple of minutes. And I'm the kind of player if I get into a good rhythm, you know, it's very easy to hit shots. And my teammates did a hell of a job looking for me and reading me coming off screens.
And it's good to get a win. That's the most important part, doing my little bit. Brandon does his. The other guys do theirs. And we get the W. I don't really look at stroking three's, but we just want to get the win.
Q. Guys, the last month you've been playing the second half down 10 points. What was the mindset in the huddle among you guys out on the floor playing with the lead and trying to hang on to it?
BRANDON EWING: Like coach said, when you have the lead at halftime, you want to come and make another run. So the lead could be 12, maybe 14 points to give Air Force or another good team a cushion because if they make their run, we're still up 6 points and we have a nice comfortable lead to maintain.
Steve knocked down big shots. Everybody hit free-throws. I mean, that was fantastic. And we keep doing that, we'll keep winning.
Q. Steve, just talk a bit about your guys' defensive effort. How do you think tonight's effort stacks up against the others this year?
STEVE LEVEN: You're talking to me?
Q. Yes.
STEVE LEVEN: I think that the last couple of days in practice and everything, I don't know about you, we probably haven't hit many shots like the last couple of days in practice. That whole focus has been defense and not letting people get easy baskets against us, you know, making them work for everything. It doesn't matter who you're playing, if you're making them work for every point they're getting, it's going to take its toll.
And I really feel, even when they made their run tonight, you know we still withstood their runs and it was awesome.
THE MODERATOR: You guys can take off. Questions directed to Coach McClain.
Q. From a coaching standpoint, having the lead in the second half, what were you telling the kids?
COACH STEVE McCLAIN: Well, you know, we turned it over a couple of times. And, you know, the nice part is, I said, Don't panic, we're ahead, we can make a couple of bad plays. And we did. But, you know what, that's the game of basketball. And that is -- but for 40 minutes we were pretty focused on that defensive end.
And again, people never talk about, you know, we're 35th in the nation in defensive field goal percentage defense because they don't like to talk about that, they like to talk about other things.
Q. I want to know, do you believe Air Force has earned a spot in the NCAA tournament?
COACH STEVE McCLAIN: I have no question they deserve to be in the NCAA. Come on, they beat Miami, they beat -- who is the other one? Georgia Tech. They lose to Washington by six on their home court. You've proven what you are. There's no question.
And you know, I think this: You know, you have success like they've had, you've proven you deserve -- I promise you this, there ain't anybody in the country that would want to play them. And there isn't a lot of teams you say that about.
I know this, you don't want to play them. And Jeff has done an unbelievable job with that team. They're great kids, they're great competitors. And, you know, I just have the utmost respect for him. I always have. We've had great battles with them and that's what I love about them.
Q. Just talk about the momentum you pick up for tomorrow tonight with this win obviously. You don't know your play yet, but talk about that a little bit?
COACH STEVE McCLAIN: I believe this. When you get to today, you're promised one more day. That's all your promised. And we're promised one more day. That's all we're promised. And that's just what I told the kids.
And I told them today walking in here, believe. When they went to bed last night, I said believe, because we're coming in here and do this. You know, I -- those kids did an unbelievable job, you know. They came in here believing they were going to win the game. And we've won a few games since I've been at Wyoming, and I know a little bit about tournament play, and all you got to do is believe for 40 minutes. It doesn't mean it will always happen for you, but if you walk in that with that attitude something good can happen.
You know, again, I would say most people didn't want to play us as the number 7 seed because we had only lost 6 games by a total of 1 point, 1 point, 1 point, 2 points, 2 points, 2 points. This team could right now easily have 18, 19 wins. So, again, I think more than anything, those kids deserve all the credit. They just decided they were going to get a win tonight and they deserved it.
Q. Could you talk about Brandon's poise for true freshman? It's pretty amazing to watch him. He never seems to get rattled about anything.
COACH STEVE McCLAIN: Well, he doesn't. And, you know, he's done it all year. You saw him at Colorado State when we were on the road. He makes a mistake and he just kind of smiles like, I know I shouldn't have done that, I'll just get back in there and play. That's resiliency that most young players don't have.
Most times you got to take a young player out and pull him out and kind of sit him down a minute. It's pretty hard to rattle Brandon Ewing. You know, he believes in what we do. And, you know, I said a month ago he's my coach on the floor. He knows what I'm thinking. He knows. And you got to have this side of your point guard. He's receptive to coaching. You know, just like he said, he was settling for three's. You tell him, Brandon, you got to drive it. He doesn't look at you and go, No, I'd rather shoot a three. He drives it. You know, he just isn't afraid to step up.
Q. (No microphone) what Justin's done with that?
COACH STEVE McCLAIN: Again, he creates problems. How many -- and he got five blocks you said.
Q. Yes?
COACH STEVE McCLAIN: And how many traveling calls did he create?
Q. Right.
COACH STEVE McCLAIN: But to break a guy's record that's played in the NBA for 12 years, that's pretty impressive and yet be a solid defender. He doesn't go block shots. He, you know, makes people travel. He does everything. And, again, I'm proud of him. He doesn't really care about it. But, you know, it's a nice thing.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, coach. Appreciate it.

End of FastScripts...

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