BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 10, 2004

Seth Greenberg

Bryant Matthews

COACH SETH GREENBERG: I couldn't be prouder of our basketball team. We've been a good second-half team all season in terms of kind of fighting through some adversity, and we've been able to do that, find a way to score enough points. The way we went tonight, with so many different people stepping up, you know, Markus Sailes knocking down big three-point shots. When Allen Calloway knocked down that three, I knew the basketball Gods were on our side. Most importantly, it was just our competitive spirit. I mean, I think - and I've said this to our team before the game - we have kind of a motto that, "Compete every day, every play." I said the first few months of the season I'm not sure they really understood -- their definition of "competing" and mine were way apart. The last month of the season, I think what's happened is they better understand what I mean by "competing." They sure did that tonight against a very, very tough physical Rutgers team. But to have other people step up, it speaks volumes for this team. We've had that all season when we've been successful. You know, tonight it was Sailes and Calloway, Coleman Collins played terrific against Rutgers at our place. We've had different people step up different nights. The one constant has been, and I'll say it again, no one plays harder than this guy right here. No one has an appetite to compete like this guy right here. To a coach, he's a once-in-a-lifetime guy. He brings it every single day. He played sick as a dog today. He still competed at a very high level. But I'm proud of our team, proud of how we defended, thought we did a much better job defending the ball screens, we did a good job getting it to shooters. We were a little bit lucky. You need to be a little bit lucky this time of the year.

COACH SETH GREENBERG: Early on, they really tried to get into us and take us out. They pushed us out a little bit. We had to drive the ball and back them off, which we did a good job of. At the end of the game, quite honestly, we couldn't contain the dribble. They were going right at us. We did not do a good job of containing. That's why Webb got those two kick-out threes. Our guys have gotten better. A lot of that has to do with the job that Brad and Eric have done with our guards. They've really taken guys and empowered them and gotten them to play better, take care of the ball. On the defensive end, overall, we really did a good job of competing. That's the only -- look, we're offensively challenged at times. The only way we have a chance is to create some offense out of our defense. To me, that makes me feel good.

COACH SETH GREENBERG: Just overall, I can't thank John and the BIG EAST, everyone has treated us so well. The situation where everyone's like, "What is it going to be like? What happens when you go on the road?" I joke, there's only so many ways people can call you bald. People have treated us, in every venue, with class and the BIG EAST office has been magnificent. It's just been a great experience. For me to play in The Garden, it doesn't get any better than that. My dad played at the old Garden; that's a long, long time ago. I played for a guy named Al Lobalbo, who passed last year, that I wish he could have seen this game tonight. We won the way he would have liked to have seen one of my teams play. To be here, be in this environment, to hear -- like I told the guys, to hear, "Welcome to Madison square Garden, the world's most famous arena," that's something I've talked to them about all season. I'm just happy we've had a chance to experience it.

COACH SETH GREENBERG: I'm not that smart to figure that out, I've got to be honest with you. I think that they were very good and we were very bad that night. It definitely had an effect on our game at our place. Unfortunately, only kicked in in the last eight minutes - no, I'm only kidding. It gave us a cause, but then Gary had a cause today. I just think, "You know what, we're two teams that we're competing, we're not finished products, either of us." Fortunately for us, the ball bounced our way. Two teams competed at a very high level tonight.

BRYANT MATTHEWS: Yeah, I'm getting over it. I feel better. I felt better as the game went on. I knew it was going to be rough. I just had to compete. It was hard, I was weak and still dizzy. I just came out the first time, didn't want to do too much or too little. All I had to do was just play defense.

COACH SETH GREENBERG: Our biggest thing was we wanted to blitz the ball screens. We spent three days really, really being aggressive on trying to take them off the ball screens and rotating off it. We did a very, very good job on that. A lot of that has to do with Bryant, Phil McCandies, Allen and Coleman, being active and alert, being quick and attacking the ball handler and being disciplined enough not to get stretched out too far. I think Jamon has a great instinct. You look at his line, he does so many things for our basketball team. It's not just about scoring points. He made scoring passes, came up with that big loose ball where he knocked the ball away. He gives us a toughness on the perimeter that, really, we need. So I think that, his toughness, and our ability to do a good job on the ball screens.

COACH SETH GREENBERG: I think he is honestly a terrific player. He's skilled, long, athletic, quick. Some nights you're not going to have a great game. Our guys, he was a focal point of our game plan. We wanted to get him off the block, give help on the catch and keep him off balance, and our guys did a good job on that. One game doesn't make a career. If you look over the length of his career, he's a difficult guy to guard because he has so many tricks in his bag. I've got a lot of respect for him.

COACH SETH GREENBERG: They're trying to kill me (laughing).

COACH SETH GREENBERG: I don't know if it's conditioning. We hardly ever go up and down in practice because we don't have enough bodies to go up and down in practice. I think that a lot of it has to do with this guy right here. I think he wears people down. He's like the Energizer Bunny. I think it's contagious. We've got a little better depth now. We're playing Shawn, we're playing Allen, playing and rotating our big guys. Everything we do, as well as everyone plays, I think it starts with Bryant Matthews and Jamon Gordon. Jamon Gordon has got a toughness and a feel for the game that's at a pretty high level.

COACH SETH GREENBERG: I got to watch what I say here (laughing). I'm a subway guy (smiling).

COACH SETH GREENBERG: We did our best to give them a chance to win the game, that's for sure - especially Markus. We got time-outs. Any problem, don't stick it in the corner, and use a time-out. "I got it, Coach," his answer to me was. I have to love him because he's the best, but he was open, there was a reason he was open. That's exactly where they wanted the ball. He played a hell of a game. We won so many games down the stretch that you almost wonder if the basketball Gods are going to turn on us and the ball's going to bounce the other way. Fortunately for us, we kind of grinded another one out.

COACH SETH GREENBERG: They're such a great team. I was happy to see Jaron Brown win the Sportsmanship Award. I think he epitomizes everything really good about college basketball. He's a winning player, he's got a toughness, he's selfless. They've got a terrific team. Tate's (phonetic spelling) development over the course of the year has been magnificent. They've done a great job on him. Obviously, we didn't play him last time; Krauser played. They didn't play against us, he's had a great year. Jamie deserved the Coach of the Year. He's done a great job. He's the right scientist for that mix of guys because he empowers them and they respond to him. They're a terrific team. They're as physical a team as we've seen.

BRYANT MATTHEWS: Like I said, I felt better as the game went along. It's starting to get away from my system. I'm good. Next game will be another game, you get another chance, another crack at them.

BRYANT MATTHEWS: We had the game and as time went along ...

COACH SETH GREENBERG: I remember, the beginning of the second half we threw it to the wrong team about six times in a row. Don't win that way. I mean, but we're a different team; they're a different team. They're a great team. They're just... You talk about a team that plays the game the way it's supposed to be played, every guy on that team plays to his strengths. Their roles are so well-defined. They're just a very good basketball team.

BRYANT MATTHEWS: Doesn't mean anything. We got another game to play, get ready for Pitt. We won, that's the biggest thing. Who won is who moves on.

COACH SETH GREENBERG: We have Jamon Gordon, they have Krauser. I mean, Jamon has helped us. We've won seven out of ten with him, I guess. He gives us a little bit strong a perimeter player, another guy who can maybe beat someone off the dribble, make a play. What we are is a more mature basketball team now. Let's face it, that was our first league game. We've got 17 underneath our belt. So we're kind of, I think -- I'm not sure we understood how to compete back then. We're playing the most competitive team maybe in the country tomorrow, though. I really believe that. I think you talk about guys that find ways to win, they're the most competitive group of players that I've seen this year.

BRYANT MATTHEWS: I don't know. I knew I could go, that's the biggest thing.

COACH SETH GREENBERG: I told him he had to, it was nonoptional. He can throw-up tomorrow (smiling).

BRYANT MATTHEWS: That was the biggest thing. As long as I could go, I knew I was gonna go. I went out there, did my best.

BRYANT MATTHEWS: I think a head cold.