BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 13, 2003

Ryan Gomes

Tim Welsh

TIM WELSH: I thought it was an excellent college basketball game. Our guys have been very focused over the last month on just winning, and today they came out with a look in their eyes that they were ready to win this game. Obviously it takes a little bit more than that to beat a team of Pittsburgh's caliber. We battled with them toe-to-toe for 37 minutes and then at the end it was a couple of plays that they made and we didn't make plays at the end. Knight got into the teeth of our zone late, it really hurt us. We did a very good job on him for the first 35 minutes of containing him which is a tough job to do because he's very crafty with the basketball he's good at getting into the gaps and finding open people both on the interior and on the 3 point line. I thought maybe we just lost a little hop in our step defensively in the last 5 minutes where maybe we get a little tired. Looked like we just weren't containing as well in our zone, but I told our guys that I was very proud of them and I wouldn't trade them for anybody because they went out there and battled gave all their wills. That's what is coaching is all about. Obviously it's about winning but today I was proud of this team as any team I coached in this tournament. It's a tough loss because we had bigger goals here but it is a feeling also that we did a lot with this team and they gave it their best. That's all you could ask for as a coach.

RYAN GOMES: I think, yeah, late in the game that their experience helped a lot. We're a young team we have a lot of sophomores and a freshman pointguard so their experience carried them through the last probably five minutes. They took their time on offense, they made us play hard-nose defense. I think that was probably the key to their win today.

COACH WELSH: Well, late in the game we were just trying to drive the ball to the rim as quick as possible. It wasn't a lot of time on that possession to set something up. I was hoping Rob would drive the ball to the rim, maybe kick it. He has been good at that. But we got some decent looks on the inside and we missed them. We turned the ball over a couple of inopportune times. But more than criticizing our guys, I give their defense credit because they stepped up when they had to get the stops. They made it very difficult for us to get the ball to Ryan. They had two guys around him at all times so their guys got to make plays, and we just didn't make the plays when we had to.

COACH WELSH: He stepped up in the highest stage you can find in this league against one of the best point guards in the country and surely showed that he's going to be a very, very good player. He already is a very, very good player, but he has got a lot of moxy. He likes to take the big shots. He likes to play in the big-time games, and he shot the ball well today, ran the team well, you know, played tremendous defense. He's a leader, as a freshman. Couldn't ask for anything else. He's well beyond his years as both a player and his maturity as a leader.

RYAN GOMES: I think that probably was the best team played defense on me because they are veterans, they know. They have been to -- I think they made it to the Sweet 16 or Elite 8 so they know how to play defense. They did a great job. I was pretty prepared. Our coaches told me that they were going to double me a lot. When I caught the ball I tried to make a quick move and kick it back out so maybe somebody would be on the floor for an open shot.

RYAN GOMES: It was a tough game tonight. The refs let everything go. We knew from the jump that it was going to be a physical game. We just tried to match their toughness, and try to battle them as much as we can. We didn't get some calls; maybe they didn't get some also but that's the way the game goes.

COACH WELSH: Who is that? The refs? (Laughter).

COACH WELSH: What are you referring to?

COACH WELSH: That's all it is. Whatever, I don't know. I didn't initiate it. I will say that.

COACH WELSH: I guess according to the referees the force of the basketball made him slam to the floor like he was hit by Lawrence Taylor, but I guess it was the force of the basketball according to the refs. I don't know. Well, I do know, but I know that that's what they said. I saw it plain and clear what happened. He was knocked to the floor by Lett's body. But I guess you know, that was part of the deal today. That was okay.

COACH WELSH: They are good. They have won 50 plus games over two years not because of one guy because they have got depth, experience, good coaching, they have got all the ingredients. You can't win that many games over two years and just rely on one person. Certainly Troutman is a very good player but they have got other guys sitting there that could come in and be a presence on both ends of the floor. When you have got Knight out there on the floor he can make up -- he find a way to make up for guys that aren't around him because he will make plays and get the ball to -- other options out there.

COACH WELSH: It was just the kind of type of game too because when they get into the gaps he is very smart at finding the open seems. He and Knight have played together now for four years, and they know each other very well. Julius Page, they all know each other so when they drive they know how to spot up and look for each other. He was in a little slump earlier in the year but he is a heck of a shooter.