BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 4, 1998

Boubacar Aw

Shernard Long

John Thomas

COACH THOMPSON: Well, you know, we are grateful for any victory we can get these days. And I thought the kids, all of them, contributed. I thought all of them worked hard. And Shernard offensively, early in the game, did a great job helping us. And Boubacar came on the second half. And I thought Jameel and Rhese both played big. I think that is very important because of the people that we have lost and being able to do that. I thought definitely we did a pretty good job on James who is just an outstanding player. So, you know, we had another day, and that is what we were trying to do. One thing that I said to the kids before the game is regardless what the outcome of the game was, we have had a lot of disappointments this year, but never have I not respected how hard they have played. And I think that we have been, I'd like to say, playing with one wing. We have got six guys that are not here, if you include Daymond Jackson, who is limping around out there. So I thought these guys had to step up. And both of these guys stepped up, you know, rather than running around offensively out there. They are trying to score. That creates some problems. We are just thankful we had the opportunity to be here. I think Joe has a lot of awful pressure on him, Touomou, because he is the Lone Ranger out there sometimes in his position. But, as much as any team I have had, I think these kids play hard. They have not quit. And that is important.

COACH THOMPSON: They were in zone a lot. We were trying to get inside; then Linehan changed up. We were trying to get the ball to Shernard and Bou. I think we started taking too many jump shots and started penetrating a little bit. I don't think it is any special thing. We were able to get inside, and that is what we were trying to do, get inside. Kids are getting more confidence. Too bad the season is not a lot longer, maybe we could play some of those games over that we didn't win.

COACH THOMPSON: Well, I put more emphasis on the first part of my profanity with him now. I used to put most of the emphasis on the second symbols. Now I put it on the front part and he understands it a lot better.

COACH THOMPSON: You know, Bou has played hard for me since he has been there. I thought Bou should have been the defensive player of the year, and so did Alan Iverson when they gave it to Alan. When they gave it to one of our kids, we thought he was the defensive player. Alan thought it. I thought it. Bou is a kind of a blue collar worker, only person he fusses at is me. And he does his job, fusses at me in French and I don't understand him. Sure, he deserves it. Bou plays hard, but there are a lot of kids that deserve it. Bou is not the kind of person sitting around, I don't think, and worries about that.

COACH THOMPSON: We felt he hurt us because he goes to the boards. He jumps so well, as well as the fact they go to him a lot. We had to put some emphasis on Tim most definitely.

SHERNARD LONG: Well, I knew with the shortage we have, I would have to step up. And Coach has been demanding a lot on me lately, so I just responded. It has been going on before my time. Georgetown always had someone to step up and play a big role when the time has come. Before me and after me it is going to have one. It is always going on. We just have to work hard, whatever happens, happens.

SHERNARD LONG: At times, I do. With the range of guys we have now, we can go inside or outside, so I just fill the role.

COACH THOMPSON: He is a guy, we look for first, offensively. If they match up, Bou is playing the post a lot more than he has been playing. We have to go inside to him. So we do try to look for him, particularly on the perimeter, a lot more than if they do what they did today. They started denying him the ball and open it up for Bou a lot more inside.

COACH THOMPSON: I never had a guy that did that, because I never had the necessity for it. I have never ever coached a team that had so many guys -- those are primary players we are missing, you know. If you count them and look at -- those aren't secondary players. So he had no choice. This boy is just a sophomore. His time would have come. It had to come now. So he stepped up and did what he had to do. I think we played Pittsburgh, we were floating around out there, nobody wanted to shoot the ball and I was furious and looked right at him; made eye contract with him. Somebody has to be the goat. And since then, he has done it. And that is important.

BOUBACAR AW: Not necessarily. Miami had a great team and we just wanted to come out and play hard and we know that we had one foot out and one foot in and they played really well. We were very happy to win the game.