MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 10, 2005

Steve Cleveland

Mike Hall

COACH CLEVELAND: I think that first of all New Mexico is a very good basketball team. I am not sure that if we played them ten times we would beat them. They are really really talented. They are playing with confidence. I think the biggest difference in that basketball team is Alfred Neale. He has blossomed into being an outstanding player. We have a hard time with our personnel right now guarding in the zone, on the man. That is one of the areas we need to make great improvement in over the spring and summer to be back where we have been in the next five years. I thought we had great fight, and spirit, and energy. We had a game plan. We got a little out of it. I think the turnovers in the first half is where the separation came from. We didn't have the quickness to defend them. I thought we did a solid job in the first half. We got the ball where we wanted it. In the end, in the second half, they lengthened that lead. They kept throwing ball in the post, attacking the basket. Certainly there wasn't enough minutes left in this ball game to catch up. That is what we felt was our best chance. I thought Jared and Mike both played hard. Jared had to guard Neale at times. I appreciate both of these seniors. Jared has been with our program for four years; Mike for two years. As disappointed as we are in this season, I am not disappointed in the effort. I am not disappointed in the desire to execute a game plan tonight. New Mexico was better. They are an outstanding basketball team. It will take a great effort by somebody -- if they are going to lose, it will take an effort to beat that team right now.

MIKE HALL: I think they are. They are playing great ball. They knocked off Utah. They are playing well right now. I think they deserve a shot at the NCAA tournament.

MIKE HALL: You got to hand it to them. They battled every possession, and they are great players. I will have to say that I am really tired right now. They played tough, and they are great team.

MIKE HALL: He is all over the place. He is great offensively and great defensively. Trying to match up with him is a difficult thing to do. He throws a few loops out there. You know, to me, he made a big difference.

COACH CLEVELAND: You know, this is not the easiest business in the world. I know him pretty well. There is a high expectation in New Mexico, as there is in every community. I appreciate the fact he has developed a program and put on the floor a very special team. I wished him the best. To be honest with you, I would like to see him win this tournament. The reason is, I want to see two teams come from our conference. Doesn't mean I dislike San Diego State, Air Force, Utah, I believe they are playing with a real purpose. They remind me of our team last year. Air Force is capable of winning this thing. When you watch Utah play, it is hard to believe anybody can beat them. I wished him the best in the tournament. I hope he has an opportunity to win this tournament. I think they would represent the conference very well. And Utah would also. They are two outstanding teams. Air Force is a team that can sneak up on these teams on any given night. They have gone top class of the league all year. This league conference -- I mean, if Danny is not hurt, I really believe that the conference championship comes down to last week instead of the three or four losses. They are a different team with him.

COACH CLEVELAND: I address most of my talks to the seniors. Three young men that have been with us in a very special setting. There will be another day to talk about how we are going to fix this and things to do to get better. I applaud their effort. We competed. We had the spirit of competing. We were not good enough. They were better than us in a lot of different ways. I spent most of the time talking about the seniors and talking to the seniors. I just said I appreciated the effort. It is not the kind of season we wanted or expected, but you can't dwell on that anymore. It is over. We'll talk about that and how we'll turn this corner later.

COACH CLEVELAND: You know what, I am not sure I completely understand the whole selection process. I have a pretty good idea about it. I understand the RPI, and strength of schedule, and those types of things. Unfortunately when you play a lot of home games and you play a schedule that -- I mean, they played Wake, they played Tennessee. If they get to the finals, it will be nip and tuck if you don't win it. There were some bubble teams. I know they are one of the best teams in the country. They are capable. Let's hope if they get to the finals and they don't win somehow the selection committee sees that Granger being out hurt this basketball team. Last year when they looked at our team we one nine in a row. I think they have won seven in a row now, ten of eleven. The one thing they don't have going for them is a 30 or 40 RPI. Hopefully common sense prevails and they understand. This is a pretty tough conference to get through. We have had three representatives in the last two years. It may not happen. It will not be easy for anybody to dethrone Utah right now. They are awfully, awfully good.