BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 4, 1999

Kevin Bannon

Geoff Billet

Dahntay Jones

KEVIN BANNON: Well, it seems like it's been a -- all three times we've played this team, the same thing starts to happen: We hang in there, hang in there, hang in there. We get worn down a little bit. I thought our guys had a good effort tonight and did a pretty good job on the zone and the glass. It was good to go in there at halftime and things that we had out rebounded, things that we needed to do. They crashed us on the glass, because they've killed us on the offensive glass every time we played. But it just wasn't enough, and that's what happens with good teams like St. John's. It seems like every time we had to get out of the zone and start making shots. They beat us up a little bit down low, and it just got away from us, in a hurry, and you've just got to credit them for that. We missed, we really missed our starting center tonight, Rashod Kent -- one more body, one more physical player could have helped our efforts tonight, and that's the way it goes. Most of the night I thought our guys played good basketball, played with confidence, did what they had to do to beat a terrific team. Not enough, not enough. It just got away so quickly it seemed like we couldn't -- if it only got up to six or eight or whatever and we make a little mini-run and we get right back in the game, but you've got to give them credit. They stretched it out and they never allowed us to make a run.

KEVIN BANNON: I answered that last night. I think everything that I said last night is true today. You know, obviously a win today would have -- would have, you know, put us in the tournament or helped us, but I still think we have enough and I'm disappointed that people don't seem to see that or it seems to be such a big issue.

KEVIN BANNON: I've already gone over all that. You list the criteria and you list what we have and we have so much more than what we don't have. That's all. I'm just saying, you know, if there's ten items, we probably have seven. Between our RPI, strength of schedule, .500 in the league. I don't need to tell you guys this. You know what all the stuff is. We're a league that has three Top-10 teams, but when we finish the season, four of the losses were on the -- three of them were Top-10 teams and had a shot to either tie it or win it in the last minute; so it's not like the guys folded.

KEVIN BANNON: I thought he had a terrific game, and I thought he really came out and showed why he's an all-rookie selection. It was an important game for him to show what he does well, the slash and the play around the basket well, and the take-it-to-the-rim. It was good to see him play with that kind of confidence. I think he's been struggling a little with that lately, and I think it ran right through the team. When we saw Dahntay playing well and going off like that, I think the kids got pretty excited and the whole team's confidence level went up.

DAHNTAY JONES: At that point they just got -- they were a little more hungry they just went out and they were aggressive on the boards. It was just pushing the ball a lot and the transition was great. They were just attacking us at that point.

DAHNTAY JONES: Tonight I just tried to play a little more aggressive than I played in the past and take pressure off of Geoff. They have been smothered lately and just work on my defense and try to create some sort of a presence tonight.

GEOFF BILLET: You know, they are a very good team and we hung in there. Played a pretty good game except for that one shot, made a great run. You've got to give them a lot of credit. They made it tough for us. For two-thirds of the game we played pretty well.

KEVIN BANNON: I was almost out of here. Oh, boy. Well, I think -- I think it's one of the best -- should be the best -- one of the best semifinal/final situation. It's certainly wide open as far as I'm concerned. With three Top-10 teams and Syracuse seemed to be playing pretty darned well. I think it's going to be entertaining and it's pretty wide open. It's great for the league. It really is. You know, we've taken some hits. I don't think they were deceivingly, but we're back. You know, there's a lot of good young players, a lot of programs on the rise and with three Top-10 teams -- there's just so many good, positive things happening in the league and I think this tournament indicates it.