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BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 15, 2008Tom IzzoDrew NeitzelTravis WaltonINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA THE MODERATOR: Tom, we'll ask you for a couple of opening comments, then we'll do questions for Travis and Drew and finish for questions with Coach Izzo. COACH IZZO: I'm really proud of these two guys. I guess all the crap that Neitzel has been through is all worth it because I think in two games he showed what a warrior he is. And the guy next to me didn't score any points, but he did as good a job as anybody I had as guarding, playing the one, the two, the three, the four and probably even center the way the game went. I'm very disappointed in the outcome and I guess a better team won. That's it. THE MODERATOR: Take questions for Travis or Drew. Q. Drew, the last shot, could you describe what happened, whether you thought it was going in? DREW NEITZEL: We just got the rebound and tried to push it up. And I seen an opening so I pulled up. I seen Butch coming out on me and just missed it. He had a good contest. I had to get it over him. I didn't want to get it blocked. I wanted to have at least a chance of it going in. So he made a good play on the ball. Q. Drew, if there's a silver lining, is it what you take from this tournament into the NCAA tournament as far as how you're feeling shooting the ball? DREW NEITZEL: Yeah, I just gotta keep being aggressive, staying confident and my teammates did a great job getting me the ball. So I just gotta stay confident and try to put this game behind us and get ready for the tournament. Q. Travis, how hard is it going to be for you guys to try and shake off such an emotionally wrenching game like this? TRAVIS WALTON: You know, it's going to be tough, because I felt almost every player put their heart into it. It was a tough game. But it's going to be a quick turnaround for us. We gotta find some way to bring energy. Me and Drew are going to bring it in, try to motivate all the other players to bring it and get ready for the tournament. Q. Travis, when a game is called the way that one was called, what runs through a player's mind and does it change the way you approach the game, go about your business? TRAVIS WALTON: I ain't got no comment for that. THE MODERATOR: You're free to head back to the locker room. Appreciate your time. Thank you. Finish with questions for Coach Izzo. Q. Tom, would you answer that question? COACH IZZO: I'm sorry, Skip, I answer a lot of questions, but just a tough -- I thought we did just about everything we needed to do to win a game. We didn't rebound as well. Maybe we're just a real physical team with all those six-four guys playing center today, and I don't know. I didn't play, so I don't know how it is to play under those circumstances. Q. Tom, since Drew was in high school, you've had a terrific relationship with him, and you talked about this tournament and him, would you just talk about Drew and what he means to you as a player? COACH IZZO: Well, it's a hard time. I mean, you kind of hope every player -- we really felt we could win this tournament. And, you know, I think what the truth of it is, it's been a tough year for him. Not an awful year, just a tough year. For him to play like he did the last two days and the number of minutes, I've always said good things happen to people who work hard and stick to it. And he still comes in and shoots, still comes in and watch is film. I think he deserved what he got as far as his play. I don't think he deserved what he got as far as how the game went. Q. Can you please comment on the fact that you just lost a two-point game given the circumstances. Guys kept going down like flies with the balls. Tell me a little bit about your team -- COACH IZZO: I don't think I did a very good job either. We played a couple of guys that have played in three or six games in the last 18. And I give a lot of credit to Isaiah Dahlman and Tommy Herzog sat there for most of the year, and Isaiah, and we just -- we had to see Raymar on the bench for so long, and it's just a hard loss. I feel for the players. I feel for our fans. I've been through it before. Q. Is this kind of a day that can be a growing experience with Kalin, can you talk about those late plays with Kalin? COACH IZZO: Kalin Lucas did a hell of a job today. I would be careful where you go with Kalin, because he took a couple too deep and we talked about it. But I told him to try to get fouled, but I'm not sure that would have worked today. He made some big-time plays and some big-time shots. And the last one didn't quite go his way. And I think the greatest thing about today is I saw how much it meant to him in the locker room. So he'll grow. He'll be -- he's a tough kid. I'm really proud of him and him trying to keep this team on his back a little bit. And Drew did a hell of a job. But with Raymar out and Naymick out and Goran out, a lot of people out, that put a lot of pressure on that kid. I thought all in all he did a hell of a job. And he'll grow from it. He'll get better at the things he didn't do well and the things he did do well, he's going to be a special player. Q. Tom, you seem very despondent about this game, what then do you say to your kids in the locker room after this one? COACH IZZO: I told them I was proud of them and that there were a couple of guys that didn't play as well as they need to play to win a big game. But I told them the same thing I always tell them: Make sure you control the things you can control; the things you can't control, you have to do the best you can. And I thought today, for the most part, 11 turnovers, shoot a higher percentage, we hold them to the 30s, there's certain things you don't control and that's what I told them. I don't plan on getting over this today. I don't plan on getting over it tomorrow. On Monday I'll get over it. Q. Can you talk a little bit about Travis Walton's leadership, is that something you've put on him, or is that something that he's kind of assumed? COACH IZZO: No, I've put it on him. I think when Drew was -- Drew's good leader but he's not the vocal leader that Travis is. And we've got some young guys, and we've got some of those big guys that haven't maybe played as many minutes. I always say that in tournament games usually they're the ones in the film room, in the hotel room, the locker room, and Travis Walton did a phenomenal job. Last night in our meetings and meeting after meeting and film session after film session, and walk-throughs, and this morning. He just did an unbelievable job. Yeah, he really did. Q. It's clear how much you had invested in this game. Is there any sliver of a silver lining when you look ahead toward next week to going home on Saturday? COACH IZZO: No, none. Zero. I'm sorry, but not at all. The only silver lining is I had some guys that left it all on the floor and there's no silver lining. There will never be a silver lining in losing. And the way that game, there will never ever be a silver lining. So, no. And for those of you that wonder if we're going to drag this on to the tournament, no, we're not going to drag it onto the tournament. But I don't feel like -- I just think it was a tough game for our kids, for our fans. And Wisconsin is a good team and hopefully they play well. THE MODERATOR: Appreciate your time, Tom. Thank you.
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