NIT SEASON TIP-OFF

November 24, 2004

Skip Prosser

SKIP PROSSER: First thing, I'd give Coach Welsh and the Providence kids certainly a lot of credit. I thought the first 15 minutes we played about as well as we could play, and they had that 10-0 run at the end of the half, certainly made us left than comfortable throughout the second half. Again, I think it's a real credit to Coach Welsh and his kids because they have a relatively young team, and they are obviously great players, and without being Dr. Naismith you could see they created some matchup problems for us. I was also proud of our guys, I told them a couple of times, in the second half-time out, we need a game like this. We've been fortunate the first three games against good teams that we've had cushion. But tonight we were certainly challenged by Providence, and while our mistakes were legion and we have a world of things to work on and correct, again, we're pleased to be playing for a championship Friday in this tournament.

SKIP PROSSER: As I told Justin, fortunately he's not that pretty to begin with. Our trainer, Craig Carlins, who is the best in the country, was able to get him back. Obviously I thought he hit some big baskets for us in the second half, some daggers, if you will, that got us a little bit of a lead and also held Providence at bay. So again, we're fortunate in that regard.

SKIP PROSSER: I think that's what those guys are on scholarship for. They certainly performed well down the stretch. I think that Chevy is such a valuable guy, understated perhaps, but very, very valuable. Again, our game plan was to really, really try to go inside and attack their interior defense, especially with Eric, and we got off to a good start in that regard, but again when he got the foul trouble, and while we got good performances off our bench down the stretch we felt more comfortable with Eric in there. I think that, you know, obviously again, our proclivity to turn the basketball over, our lack of execution offensively, our inability to shoot a high percentage of free throws, all of those things, we really need to get better at in order to play as well as we'd like to play. I thought we did it. I can't remember us having a half where we only shoot two free throws in the first half, and again, I'm not saying that as an indictment on the officials but perhaps an indictment on our style of play, because we certainly didn't execute, if you will, the game plan of keeping -- of really, really trying to ram the ball down their throats in the low post.

SKIP PROSSER: We didn't guard him. We played several defenses and ultimately, we ended up, sometimes our best defense, Hope, Hope missed and that's why I was at St. Patrick's at 7:00 am, especially playing a challenging school, I knew I had to get there early. Again, we found no answer for the young man. He's very, very talented. He's so powerful that he's hard for perimeter guys to guard on the post and when he goes out on the perimeter, our post guys, they are afraid. They are afraid they go up next to him that he's going to go by him, and so he raises up and hits the big 3. Again, he's a handful, very, very talented.

SKIP PROSSER: Having been in that role, if you will, especially when I was at Xavier and Cincinnati a couple of times, once there and once at our place, I think without question it gives you added incentive. Once the ball is tossed up, you can't worry about things that we can't control. We can control our offensive execution. We can control making free throws. We can control, you know, throwing the ball to the block. You talk about the deep, dark recesses of my mind, believe me, it's not that expansive. There's not a lot of area to search back there. But again, you know, we are in a championship game. We beat a good Providence team, and I'm happy for our players. This is our second game in three days. We have to play another one in 48 hours, so it behooves us to get a rest and do our best to scout and try to get ready to play another very good team. I think when all is said and done next Sunday, we'll have played seven games against maybe five or six teams that will be in post-season play. So I think coming out of the gate, we're playing a challenging schedule, and you're going to have games like this when you play that kind of a schedule.

SKIP PROSSER: I thought he did a good job of knowing when to hold them and knowing when to fold them. I think that he certainly was very assertive early, and they did a good job of adjusting, especially some of our ball screen stuff. Again, give Providence credit.

SKIP PROSSER: Well, we have, like I tell those guys all the time, we have ten guys on scholarship. When they come in and play well, it's not like Mardis Gras and have a parade; they are supposed to play well. That's why they are on scholarship. I think that that is pleasing, but I don't think -- I shouldn't be shocked at that.