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NCAA MEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS REGIONALS: SPOKANEMarch 16, 2007Justin HawkinsElijah IngramMartin ItiReggie TheusSPOKANE, WASHINGTON THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll go ahead and get started with Coach Theus making an opening statement. And then we have Elijah Ingram, Marin Iti, Justin Hawkins. Coach? COACH REGGIE THEUS: Well, I really thought that we, our game plan worked. We had the tempo in our favor. I thought that we made them play the style of basketball that we wanted to play. They're a great basketball team. A couple of great players out there. We're really extremely proud of my team I am. I can't even begin to tell you. When we went up with the about six minutes or so left in the game, all I told our guys is that we would have a chance if we out rebounded them, and played harder than they did, we would have our chance. There's not much you can say that, they were phenomenal from the free throw line. Every time we made a run it seemed like they were going to the line. And I thought the refs did a great job tonight, but when you look at 26 free throws and 12, it's not much you can do about that. Especially when they only missed one of them. THE MODERATOR: Question for student-athletes? Q. What were you guys able to be do effectively to get back into the game and then those last four or five minutes were you guys a little bit tired at all? COACH REGGIE THEUS: No, I thought the energy level picked up. I thought that all of a sudden that they realized that the way we were going to get in this and have a chance is to really turn them over and to pressure them. I thought the energy level was just very strong at that point. And I had I think Hawk and Tyrone were out of the game at that point. So it was just a team out there that brought energy into the game and gave us a chance to get back in it. Because I think we were down pretty heavy at that point and it was nothing there was no gimmick about that, because we were going to press them the entire game. We were going to use multiple presses and really try to take Augustin at least take him out of the open court game. That's what we were trying to do. ELIJAH INGRAM: Oh, you know, just played, we started playing real hard. And we picked up the defensive intensity. And that's pretty much what started it. Q. Justin, could you talk about the fact that 25 threes, that's not too characteristic of this team. Did they force by backing the defense, did they force you guys to shoot more long jump percent than you would have liked? JUSTIN HAWKINS: No, I don't think so. I think we took good shots today. Some of them came at the end of the game when we were trying to cut the lead a little bit. But I don't really think that the way they played defense really changed the way we played our game. COACH REGGIE THEUS: I thought they packed it in quite a bit. When you pack it in, what that tells you is is they're trying to stop our big guys from getting involved. And when you have lying on the floor and Ted Knauber I think those two guys shoot threes just as well as anyone. I only thought maybe there was a couple that were not warranted. Pretty much the rest of them came in the flow of the game. Q. This is for Martin and Justin. With about five minute to go you were up a point. Did you guys think this was yours? JUSTIN HAWKINS: Yeah, definitely. I mean we felt like that the momentum was in our favor. We had it going. But then like coach said, I mean, it seemed like every time we got a run, you know, there was a foul or something and they were making their free throws. So that kind of kept them in the game. MARTIN ITI: Yes, same as what Justin said. We made a run and they hit free throws down the stretch. So that was the difference in the game. Q. Justin, just didn't seem like offensively you ever got many looks, did you ever feel like you were in the flow offensively? JUSTIN HAWKINS: I think that they did a good job of bringing guys around me when I caught the ball. So I was just, I didn't want to force anything, and just try to throw up shots at the rim. So I tried to kick it out and I think that's why Elijah and Ted were able to get some looks because the ball, you know, eventually found its way to them and they got shots up so I think that's, I think we they had a pretty good game plan of trying to stop me. Q. Justin, can you talk about the defensive plan against did your rant. What you felt worked what you felt didn't work. JUSTIN HAWKINS: Well, I mean I think we did a good job as far as just not letting him be comfortable. He really, I think he worked for the field goals that he did make, I think he worked for them. He didn't get any really just open looks. But we got a lot of touch fouls and stuff on him just pushing him holding him a little bit. And he got to the line. And good players or good scorers they find a way to score. And he got it done. Q. You guys normally hold the advantage in free throws attempted. That's been a pattern when you win. More attempt and usually more makes. What happened tonight that only the 12 attempts? Did you talk about let's try to get more aggressive, let's try to get to the line maybe match their attempts or was it just within the flow not possible? COACH REGGIE THEUS: Well I thought that there were, I thought there were opportunities out there for fouls to be called. Taking it inside I mean we didn't shoot a free throw in the first half. So and of course in saying that I'm not going to say the referees didn't do a good job because I thought they did a pretty good job. Especially in terms of communicating their thoughts and how they were trying to call the game. But the truth of the matter is we didn't shoot a free throw in the first half and we go inside as much as anybody in the country. So it's unfortunate but it's a little skewed in that way. A little lopsided. THE MODERATOR: All right, we'll excuse the three student-athletes and take questions for coach. Q. Were you given an explanation on the technical? COACH REGGIE THEUS: Not really. I just think that he I think he just really -- he warned me a couple of times. And although I didn't think that it was warranted, it was enough that if he wanted to call it and that he did. I really didn't say anything out of line I was just challenging the fact that we hadn't had a call. And I know that probably more than anything that it was just sort of in the open. These are veteran referees and I would probably say that other than -- without the language there was no language in there that would have warranted a technical. It was just the aggressiveness, I guess. But you think we went on a run right after that, so that was good. That's really what I was looking for. Q. All by design, right? COACH REGGIE THEUS: That's what I was really looking for. Q. One point game both ways, the last few minutes, breakdown the last five minutes, what do you think transpired in the last five minutes of the game? COACH REGGIE THEUS: Well it's so difficult because and I want to be very cautious about this, because I don't -- when you have a free throw disparity like that, and they're not scoring buckets, they're going to the line, you cannot go without saying that that was a huge part of what was going on. And an I can't say that there wasn't just as much contact on the other end. But if they're not scoring buckets, if they're not getting field goals and they're going to the line and we're going to the field goals and not getting to the line you can draw your own conclusion much and that was the really the last part of the game. We really didn't get a chance to stay in our rhythm because they kept taking us out of it. But again he's a great player, he went to the line 16 times. He made 15. I don't think for a good portion of the second half he only had one field goal from the baseline. So without sounding like I'm whining about the calls or anything like that, it's, you know, you have to draw your own conclusion and it is what it is. Q. Nelson's final foul at the end could have gone perhaps the other way and might have changed the game. How crucial was that and in a larger sense, what is it about did your rant's game that is so hard to defend against, he seems to adjust. COACH REGGIE THEUS: Well, the answer to the first part of the question is that yeah, I mean I thought Tyrone, I thought maybe dipped his shoulder, but of course at that point you're hoping that they don't call it the other way. I mean he never really got a chance to play tonight. In terms of being in foul trouble from the beginning of the game. Durant is a pro. And pros know how to adjust. There are very few great offensive players that only have one way to play. And I will tell you from my own personal experience that when you're able to draw fouls, you will be a great scorer. And that's his ability is his ability to take you off the dribble, to get you in the air, to create contact, and of course you know let's be honest the referees take care of him a little bit and he's earned that right. Q. Why has he earned that right? He's a freshman. COACH REGGIE THEUS: Well, yeah. Well, I'm old school too, so you know. But he's a great freshman. He's a different freshman. But he's averaging 28 points a game. He has the ball in his hand a lot. He's getting a look at the basket at least every other time down court. And when you have that you create your own destiny when you have the ball in your hand and you can get guys off their feet. Of course I think that he at his size, there's always a mismatch. In terms of size. And he's always going to have a height advantage when he's playing the three or he's playing the four out on the perimeter. Because you have to put a guy on him a little bit smaller, maybe a little bit stronger and quicker. Q. Can you just kind of bottom line the season and then talk about what the future holds for this program? COACH REGGIE THEUS: Well, the bottom line is that we had not made the NCAA's since '99. And our guys worked extremely hard to get here. We were injured early. We would have been in a situation more than likely with a much better opportunity seed-wise had we had a few more wins. But in the beginning of the season we were, we had two of my starters weren't even playing, they missed almost a month of the season. When you look at -- if we're bottom lining it, it's the growth of the program, the growth of the city, the enthusiasm level that we have created and we have created and turned this program around with my seniors and the guys I've got coming in. Or I had had coming in. I'm just real proud of everything that encompasses our season. From our fan perspective, from our administration, and really more than anything, I took a team and a team that had only two guys that ever went to the NCAA's on it and I promised them if they worked hard and they got after it, and they learned the integral things about winning basketball games and we lost that game to Nevada but we played I thought really hard, we played very well. And I told them if they took that emotion and that focus into our tournament, that we would win our tournament. And they got it done. And I'm very, very proud of this team from the team losing and only winning six games a couple of years ago to now 25. Q. These four seniors, recruiting-wise, you're losing four seniors, what do you look to go to from here? COACH REGGIE THEUS: Things are good, things are very good. I'm very proud and happy about what we have got coming in. We have got one scholarship left. And I think that the guys that we're bringing in will bring energy. You think that we have addressed a lack of shooting on the team. We still are going to have size and it's crazy as it may sound its going to be the first time that we have had 13 scholarships. We started off with nine, we only had 11 this year. And we're deep with 11. So I can't even imagine having a full 13. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach. COACH REGGIE THEUS: Guys, thank you very much. Appreciate it. End of FastScripts |
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