BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 3, 1999

Kevin Bannon

Geoff Billet

Rob Hodgson

Alvydas Tenys

KEVIN BANNON: I haven't been up this late -- you know, I just -- it's been a little while since we had a win. It feels real good. Guys had to gut it out. We had good bench play tonight from Alvydas, Tenys and Joe Salvi. It was pretty much what I expected. I knew Pitt would be very dangerous, very tough, kind of loose out there, fearless. We had to play some different line-ups than we're used to, and playing without Rashod -- I think this is a game where Rashod had to make a difference. Kids stepped up and they did. The rebounding in the second half was much better and like I said, good bench play.

KEVIN BANNON: Again, we had St. John's on our mind right now, which is not fun. All I've said on that subject is before people talk about it, they should look at the history of the league. This has to be one of the stronger years in our league. And look at our RPI; look at the strength of the schedule; look at the strength of the league when someone had 18 wins. We had so many factors in our favor than not our favor; so why people would assume we have to have a couple of wins is wrong. I've said that all along. That's not just Kevin Bannon. Just look at the facts. That's all I'm going to say on the subject.

KEVIN BANNON: They have so many good offensive players. They play very loose. They do a good job and I think it was good for us tonight to be able to withstand a number of their little mini-runs. It seemed like it was a different guy every time either making a big defensive play or making a shot, and it was just good to see. We really -- we needed this. We've been right there so many times with nothing to show over the last two weeks.

Q. Kevin, you said you have to be happy with Rob tonight.

KEVIN BANNON: I thought he played within himself. He didn't try to do things that aren't -- if anyone has seen him sometimes he gets a little carried away. And tonight he kept things simple and played like a confident player and that was so important for us tonight without Rashod.

Q. You played St. John's tough both losses. Can you talk about what made the difference in those games and what you feel you have to do to win this one?

KEVIN BANNON: I worry about St. John's's just physically, even though obviously they are not a huge team, they are big when you look at all the positions. And I think they are strong and their bench -- and physically, we've just been overmatched a little bit. We have played them tough. We have been in two wars with them. I just think the difference has really been rebounding and, you know, we've got our fingers crossed that 24 hours is going to make a big difference with Rashod Kent. Otherwise, we have our hands full to begin with. Without Rashod, we really have our hands full.

KEVIN BANNON: Vy has given us some good minutes, it's just he hasn't been the most consistently productive player. He really looked confident. I liked the confidence. He's a guy we're going to need tomorrow night, certainly to give us some good minutes.

KEVIN BANNON: I think we kept them off the offensive guys better than we did in the first half, and we were able to get out and run a little bit and -- you know it seemed like a lot of little things, a lot of guys stepping up and making good plays. I think we took care of the basketball -- what did we have, 11 turnovers. I thought we took care of it at very key times, found people for open shots and so forth.

KEVIN BANNON: I thought we had to play that way. I'm trying to get my team to play that way no matter what because we've been stagnant. We've been standing around a lot. That's been a concerted effort no matter who our opponent was. We had to get some kids driving to the basket.

KEVIN BANNON: Yeah, I'm concerned because we haven't gotten the quality shots. I think when we get good shots -- tonight we did. I thought we missed a lot of open shots tonight, but that's not been the story lately. I don't think our shots have been the kind of shots that these guys are taking. We haven't been executing as well. We've been a little slow in things that we run and our shots have just been okay. And this is a team that 90 percent of the year has always given up a good shot to give a teammate a great shot. I think you saw that tonight, but the last couple weeks it has not been there.

GEOFF BILLET: Oh, yeah it's always great to play at the garden. You know it's lot of fun, this kind of setting especially playing in the Big East tournament. It's, you know, the best atmosphere that a person can play in.

ALVYDAS TENYS: I think we played pretty good today and I know it's -- I think I got like a lot of confidence now, and looking forward against St. John's.

ROB HODGSON: That was something we talked about in the locker room at halftime. They had made a run -- we were up maybe 12 or 13 in the first half and I think it was only six at half-time; so we wanted to come out and make a run right off the bat, set the tone for the second half. It's very dangerous. There's no guys that can light it up from downtown once he gets it rolling. We didn't want it to be a 7- or 9-point game down the stretch, because it's a war. They are a capable team that's not out of it at any time.

ROB HODGSON: Coaches and me -- like I just concentrate on rebounds and just score, you know like if I got a few opportunities, you know, and just -- I got like a lot of support from my teammates. You know, just like keep talking, keep saying, we've got to step up tonight. I think -- I think I did pretty good, you know.