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NCAA MEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS REGIONALS: ANAHEIMMarch 19, 2008Joseph JonesDominique KirkBeau MuhlbachMark TurgeonANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: We open up the floor to questions. Q. For all three of you, when you happened to look at who was going to be in Anaheim, did you happen to notice Kentucky was here and just kind of slap your forehead and go, "Oh, our old coach is going to be in the same town"? JOSEPH JONES: Yeah. Yeah. That's something that came up. I've been watching the show. We also seen they haven't called that name yet, and they haven't called that name, so we thinking we might get messed up with something the media might want to do. But the next day we were kind of surprised to see them here with us. THE MODERATOR: Dominic or Beau, do you guys want to comment on that. DOMINIQUE KIRK: Just like Joe said, we were surprised, you know, they picked the same, you know, place to play at and everything. We thought it was going to be get messed up. I thought they were going to select there, but they didn't. But we are at the same place though. Q. Dominique, can you talk about how Donald has handled everything that happened this week and kind of what you guys have done to kind of help him through this? DOMINIQUE KIRK: I think he handled it great. You know, even though -- I mean, even though it hurts to lose a loved one like that, you know, we went out there and supported him. And it just -- we just have to be strong for him. I know he's going go out there and play his best. So we just are out there being strong for him, and I think he handled it real good. Q. For all three of you guys. I'd like all three of you all to respond to this. When you all hit the court tomorrow night, you three guys are going to play in your third tournament, you'll be representing what has been the best three-year run in A&M basketball history. I was wondering, you're seniors, what does that mean to you all, how far the program has come your entire time in Aggieland? THE MODERATOR: Beau, why don't you take that first. BEAU MUHLBACH: First off, it's a blessing to be here. I know everybody's happy to be here, and it's been a good ride. It's not over yet. We still have to play tomorrow night, but just going to go out there and give it our all. That's all we'll do, and just compete. And we compete on a daily basis and just bring our best effort tomorrow. JOSEPH JONES: Just like Beau said, it's been a great ride. It's not over. Just being here the past few years has showed you how the program's on the upward bound and how the program's starting to become a nationally recognized basketball program, so it feels good. It feels great, actually, to be here all three years. So we're just going to come out and put forth a great effort tomorrow and try to come up with a W. Q. Direct this towards Beau. This is kind of unique for you to be up there and, you know, been talking to everybody and I just want to talk to you a little bit about -- or have you talk a little bit about what it was like going from being on the scout team last year and this kind of situation to where you are now going to probably play a vital role off the bench in the NCAA tournament? BEAU MUHLBACH: My whole deal is this is just a dream come true. You know, I'm the type of player where I'll do anything for the team to win. If it is to be on the scout team, just getting my teammates prepared, then that's fine with me. Deep down inside, I just want to win. And these guys want to continue win, too. And like I said, it's a dream come true that I'm starting to play just a little bit more now and just got to embrace it and be there for my teammates, whatever they need me to do to help win. Q. Joe, can you talk about the last couple of days you guys go to Dallas, you're there for Donald, you have a hard time getting out of Dallas, you get in here late last night, and finally being able to be here. Can you talk about what that experience was like? JOSEPH JONES: We wanted to go to Dallas and show our support for Sloan. It was a terrible loss for him. We wanted to go up there and show our support and be strong for him and let him know we're there for him, anything he needs. Like you said, traveling-wise, things like that happen. We got to let it go and just come out and perform tomorrow night. Coach said this morning, we came here to have fun, but last night wasn't that fun, sitting on the plane that long. But you got to forget about it. You got to come ready to play tomorrow and give it our best effort. Q. What do you think the run last year did in terms of changing the perception of your program nationally, the run in the tournament? DOMINIQUE KIRK: I think it was a great run for us. We went out there and we competed, you know, the first two rounds and even the Memphis game we competed real hard. Just real great for the program. I think it's just going to get better by, you know, the years going by. And I think we're just going to have to continue to just play hard, continue to compete this year. Hopefully we can get back there. BEAU MUHLBACH: In addition to that, I just think that it goes show to that we can compete with other people on this level. Even with the elite teams, that we can just -- we can fight till the bitter end to get a W. And it's just, you know, what this program's about, just toughness and playing hard. THE MODERATOR: Any further questions? Q. Could you give us, Dominique, could you give us a scouting report on your opponent, what you have noticed about them. Same with you, Beau. DOMINIQUE KIRK: Well, we went over some yesterday and today, and we know that they got a great team. They got a team that can really spread the floor. They really play, like, four out, one in. We know they got some guys that can really shoot the ball, and they got a big man that can really pass it. So we're just going to have to play team defense, go out there and try to compete with them. And we know they got a great coach over there and a great team and we got to go out there and play. Q. Does BYU remind you of any team you've seen this season that you've 'played? JOSEPH JONES: I really don't think we've seen a team this season that can shoot the ball as well as BYU can. They got -- it's basically like a four-guard offense around one. So we really haven't matched up with any teams this year that had that kind of offense and the offense capability as them. DOMINIQUE KIRK: Just like Joe said, I really don't think we faced a team like that, that can have four people out there that can really shoot the ball and have a big guy that can pass the ball like that. I think the closest team is, like, Nebraska that we played against, that really has four guys that can spread the floor out and have a big main side. Other than that, BYU is a team that we really haven't seen. Q. Dominique, with the run you guys had in Kansas City, two wins and you go toe to toe with Kansas, are you guys in a pretty good frame of mind right now? DOMINIQUE KIRK: I think we started to build confidence as a team. I think we -- I think we learned how to start to compete a lot better now, and I think we just have to continue to do that. You know, as far as the play against a team like BYU, we just got to go out there and just give it our all. Give it our best, and hopefully it will take care of itself. THE MODERATOR: With that, we're going to release the student-athletes. Thank you, gentlemen. Good luck tomorrow. We'll open up with a statement from the coach, then open up the floor to questions. Coach, whenever you're ready. COACH TURGEON: Obviously excited to be here. You know, pleased with the way we finished in the Big 12 tournament, down the stretch in the league, then in the league we played well. So we're looking forward to this. We know we got a tough draw in BYU. But, you know, if you look around, all the brackets everybody's got a tough draw. So we're looking forward to it and we know we got a very skilled, very smart, very intelligent, very tough team that we're getting ready to play tomorrow. THE MODERATOR: Open it up to questions. Q. Coach, can you talk a little bit about what Beau's brought to you guys this last five, six games? And what kind of person he is to come from, like, just practically playing on the scout team most of the time to doing what he's doing now? COACH TURGEON: Well, obviously very proud of him. We gave him chances earlier in the year, and he didn't do quite as well. And we have been looking for someone to step up for us. And, you know, we opened up practice, opened up all the starting spots after we lost at home to Nebraska, and we took advantage of it, and he's played well in the games. Beau's always been a really good practice player, but hasn't performed as well in the games. And recently, he's performed well. I think what he gives us is we're a much better defensive team, team defense, individual defense. When he is on guys, he's got some strength. And then he gives us versatility, which we didn't have. I mean, we can go big, you know, with him at the three. We can go small with him at the four. So it will help us against a team like BYU that can really stretch you at the four position. So it's been a pleasant surprise. He's made some open shots for us, too, which, as you know, we're always looking for that. So it's -- he's been good. I'm really proud of him, the way he's handled it. I just want him to stay within himself, not try to do more than he's capable of doing, and continue to play with the toughness that he's played with. Q. Can you talk about the last couple of days, Coach. You know, you go to Dallas for Donald, you have the trouble getting here, you finally get here late last night, and now, finally being here and getting ready to workout? COACH TURGEON: Yeah, yesterday was a tough day. We were hoping for a Friday game, but it didn't work out that way. But, you know what, mother nature had a little bit to do with it and you can't control that. The charter, I thought, was way too late, but it happened. We got in late. We let the kids sleep in. You just -- players are resilient. It's the greatest time of their life. They'll be ready to go. Yesterday was a tough day. Then just being -- you know, Sloan's mom's funeral was tough, you know, to see your teammate in pain like that, or one of your players in pain, it was difficult. But I'm glad we did it that way. Inconvenienced a lot of people. We had to ship our families and everybody up to Dallas to catch the charter, but it was worth it. And so, you know, we got a good night's sleep and we're excited. They'll sleep well tonight and be ready to go tomorrow. Q. Mark, do you think it was a complete accident that Kentucky ended up in Anaheim? And did you, at least, slap your head and have a little bit of a smirk that they were here, and that Coach Gillispie was here, too? COACH TURGEON: I didn't really think about it till I was going to this coach's meeting today, and I said, "Billy's going to be here." But I really thought, and they say they don't do it, but I really thought we were going to be playing Kentucky. Originally in an 8-9 game, then they lost to Georgia, so I thought, well, maybe we moved up to 7, and they were going to put us in a 7-10 game. I was hoping they wouldn't do that to the kids, the players, and to Coach Gillispie. But, no, it's -- you know, I've heard a lot of good things about him since I've been there. It's tough shoes for me to fill. The guy was real successful in College Station. But I don't think it's that big of a deal because we won't see them play. They're in the early game, we're in the afternoon game, and it's big city, so won't see him a lot. Q. Following up on the big shoes to fill, if you could talk about what it takes to sustain success at a program that hasn't always had, you know, great basketball tradition and what's that been like for you? COACH TURGEON: Well, we won 24 games this year. I think it's the third most in our history, maybe tied third most. And we spoiled them quick in College Station. You know, I think at times they thought they picked me up off the street, you know, to coach this team. Personally, it's been tough, but we've overcome it. The kids have bought into me. We're starting to play at the level I thought we could play at. And, you know, we have a lot of limitations as a team, but we're overcoming them. With that said, we got to recruit well. We got to continue to recruit well. Had a lot of national TV games this year, which is good for our program. We're back in the NCAA tournament three years in a row. We'll see what happens in this tournament, but that's important. But for us to sustain it, we got to continue to recruit in-state well, and continue to get good players. And this year was tougher because our league was so darn good. Our league was better than it's been in three or four years. But it's all about recruiting and getting players to sustain it. But getting into this tournament really helps, really had helped. Q. Mark, do you think all the things that have happened over the past week in a kind of weird sort of way can serve as a rallying point and serve to make your team better? COACH TURGEON: Well, our guys are better when their backs are against the wall. You know, we lose three in a row, backs against the wall, we play well. Lose three in a row again, we play pretty well. We had to win at Baylor, had to to get in the NCAA tournament, we did. We had to perform well in Kansas City to get in the NCAA tournament, we did. And now the guys don't want their season to end. You know, I expect us to be pretty good tomorrow. Whether it's good enough to win, we'll see. We're playing a heck of a team. But I think we've come together. You know, I think we had some guys step up in Kansas City, whether it was Beau or Chinemelu Elonu step up, and it kind of brings your team closer together. Then to go through what we went through yesterday, you know, that's tough. That's tough. And I know that the relationship with our players and Sloan have changed, and my relationship with Sloan's changed. I feel closer to Sloan than I've ever felt because of what he's gone through and I think he's had to lean on us during this time. So, yeah, I do think we're closer. Is it going -- you know, I don't know how much it affects us, but, you know, I know when we were sitting there yesterday, and I was sitting behind the players, I know a lot of those guys were thinking about their moms, and feeling lucky they still had theirs -- and most of them. But I think its bringing them closer together. Then to see Sloan smiling today for the first time, I mean, he seems to be back. Has it brought us closer together? I think it has. Is it going to be the difference-maker in this tournament? I don't know. We'll see. We'll see. But I do expect us to play well. Q. Coach, where in particular do you think you guys need to be really good tomorrow? COACH TURGEON: Transition defense and guarding the three-point line is everything. I think defensively they're fast and great passers, and they really stretch you, one through four. Then the sub, you know, sub-shooters. Those are the two things. Then Cummard, you know, just does so many little things. You know, how we handle him is going be a big part of it. Keep him off the offensive glass, make him shoot jump shots overhand, just being aware of him. Making it hard for him to be a great passer, which he is. He just does so many little things. I think that's important. Then, you know, we have a lot of big guys, and how we do on Plaisted is real important. We're going to throw a lot of bodies at him and, you know, see how he handles it. Those two in particular. Of course, Tavernari, big time shooter, that's hard for us. If this game would have been played, you know, in January, we wouldn't have won this game. But we've had to adjust, get use to quicker, shorter teams that shoot the ball well. We've become much better at that over the last two months. Now, whether we'll be good enough tomorrow, we'll see. But guarding the three, transition defense, and handling those two guys that I talked about, you know, earlier, is, I think, the key. We got to make shots. I mean, it's hard for us to score. I mean, I don't have to hide that from anybody. We scored 71 against KU, felt like 200 for me. So we got to make some shots. Q. Coach, I guess from your days at Wichita State to now, and the conference play, what kind of an advantage is that to compete against the Kansases and Texases and do your players maybe not buy into a Mountain West Conference opponent sometimes with that? COACH TURGEON: No, they're buying into this team because we know how good -- we can show them film of beating Louisville, taking Carolina to the wire, and Michigan State to the wire. So they're buying into this team, but -- and they're favored. I mean, they're an eighth seed and we're a nine seed. So we're going to be wearing the dark uniforms, they'll be wearing the white ones, and so our guys will be dialed in. You know, you just -- you can't take anybody for granted. I just think those numbers in front of people -- I mean, you look at Notre Dame, I think they're a five seed. They got George Mason. I mean, they just got to be thinking, what the heck. I mean, we had a heck of a year and did a great job in the Big East, and they get George Mason. I mean, there's just no easy games at this time of year. You know, I've watched BYU enough to know that if they would have played in the Big 12, they would still have been an NCAA tournament team. They got enough good players, enough maturity, and they got all kinds of skill, and they got a toughness about them that they'd still be in it. So our guys will be really dialed in had tomorrow. THE MODERATOR: Any further questions? All right. Thank you very much, Coach. Good luck tomorrow. End of FastScripts |
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