BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 11, 2004

Jason Fraser

Mike Nardi

Jay Wright

COACH JAY WRIGHT: Obviously, a very exciting game for us. We came here with two goals - we wanted to win two so we could play in the NIT at least, and keep playing. Because this team really likes playing together. As difficult as our season has been, these guys come to practice every day and we really wanted to keep it going. Then we said, "We're going to do that," then we'll celebrate. Our next goal is we want to try to win this. Obviously, this was great for our team. I'm just happy for our players. It's an outstanding Providence team. I think they're going to be very, very successful in the NCAA tournament. That's what makes it a great win for us.

COACH JAY WRIGHT: Well, that's what we said at half time, that we thought we really played a poor first half. We know what they look like because we've done that a lot. We said we're in pretty good shape. We played without our guys, played poorly, seven turnovers and we're down one. We said, "Hey, let's go play." We said, "These guys held us together for the first half, let's get these guys, go play." Jay has been coming on all year. I don't need to go into his whole situation, but he just started practicing the beginning of January. I'm just really happy for him, that he's just starting to get comfortable out there. He has a lot of talent. He can be a good player if he continues to work hard.

COACH JAY WRIGHT: I'm surprised you gave him credit for that and you didn't take credit!

COACH JAY WRIGHT: If we didn't do it -- we met with the team Sunday night after we lost to Pittsburgh. I told them how proud of them I was, that they stayed together through the whole year. We had no in-fighting, we had no problems with playing time, no problems with roles. We had no problems except we couldn't win. I just told them I was really proud of them, that they were men for getting through that. So I'm just happy that other people got to see what kind of people they are, what kind of character they have. Eventually they were going to show what kind of a team they were, but I'm happy for them that everyone else got to see it in these two games. I think it really speaks to their character.

JASON FRASER: Yes, it does. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father Above. All is possible when you have great guards. Games like this happen.

MIKE NARDI: We held the ball for around 15, 20 seconds, got it down to about 12. Coach put in some new plays, you know, on our walk-through, running Randy off the ball screen. I was just spotting up on the wing. A couple plays before that, they were stepping out, stepping out. They had to help on the ball screen. He just kicked it to me, I was ready to dribble.

MIKE NARDI: Yeah.

MIKE NARDI: Possibly.

COACH JAY WRIGHT: (Laughing).

MIKE NARDI: You know, like Coach says, it's a great accomplishment. I like playing with the guys. As an incoming freshman, I really gelled with them. I just want the season to never end. I'm really enjoying it. Hopefully we can get the next game and move on.

COACH JAY WRIGHT: It was important. Really high pace, because we turned the ball over so much and they were out running. Us having 11 turnovers I think was a major key in this game. Part of that last game was my fault; I was playing, running guys in and out. I thought their depth was going to be a problem. It shouldn't have been. Our guys have done everything we've asked them. Sometimes it's the coach's fault, sometimes it's the player's fault. That one game was my fault, that one.

COACH JAY WRIGHT: As you know, Kevin, you've seen us, we're doing the same things but we're just trying to believe in ourselves and just not try to do anything special, you know, stick to what we believe in. I said it last night, if we would have lost that one last night, it would have been tough for these guys to continue to believe in what we were doing, but they have. We're doing the same things, we're just believing in it, making the shots. We got shots before, we just missed them. I just think we're really starting to believe individually in ourselves and in ourselves as a team.

MIKE NARDI: Yeah, throughout the whole game, we were trying to go inside-out so it would open up some of our perimeter shooters. Jason just did a really good job of sealing and getting great position in there. It's my job to just hit him at the right time. He finished every pass I'd throw him, which was pretty good.

COACH JAY WRIGHT: It really has. I mean, he and I, we laugh about the fact that we spend more time talking in my office and in my car and at my house than we do on the court. It's because we're both going through a tough thing that he knows what he has, the potential he has, and I know it, but he can't get on the floor to show it. He's coming in to college and never has been able to practice. It's incredible how he's handled it, it really is. So it's been most difficult on me trying to answer to people that, "You know what? He is going to be good." I have a lot of people asking me, friends, "Are you going to get a big guy for next year?" Before these couple games, now they're going to ask me anymore. I said, "No, we have a big guy. We just got to get him on the floor, get him to practice." He knows that. It's been difficult, much more difficult on him, and I think he's handled it extremely well.

COACH JAY WRIGHT: I mean, they're great. We love how they play because they play, they defend, they rebound, they run and they execute. We talk about the same things. They just happen to do it a little bit better than us right now. I just love their style of play. Our players respect their program. We love playing them because it's a great match for us to see where we are and what we're trying to do. So we always know after we play -- we were fired up after that game, even though we lost. Right after, we were crushed. They're probably the most physically athletic, them and Pitt, in our conference. We want to match up against them.

COACH JAY WRIGHT: The way these guys look at it, I know they don't care. Obviously, I'd rather he not play. I hope he's okay, but, you know, we're not going to worry about it. We have to play the same. We have to worry about what we do right now.

JASON FRASER: Just can't pay attention to that. Just got to set your mind on the goal and stay focused and believe in your program and what your program stands for and keep fighting and go all the way through with it.

MIKE NARDI: Yeah, you know, we've been in a lot of close games this year. I mean, I think our record was something like 2-8, with five points or less. For us to really come out of this with a win was good confidence for our team. I think we really needed that. We just needed a win like that to build on.

JASON FRASER: Don't exactly know where I'm at right now. But it's starting to come. Everything is a stepping stone. You have to take everything one step at a time.