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MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 5, 2010J.T. DurleyClevin HannahGregg MarshallGarrett StutzST. LOUIS, MISSOURI Wichita State – 73 THE MODERATOR: As mentioned, the victorious Shockers are with us first. They have a date in the second semifinal round game tomorrow. They'll play the winner of the last quarterfinal game between Indiana State and Illinois State. We'll ask Head Coach Gregg Marshall to start out with a statement on the game. Gregg, please? COACH MARSHALL: Anyone that saw the game, and obviously you guys did. That was just a tremendously tough, well-played basketball game I thought. It's unfortunate that any team had to lose. They did a great job. They were shooting it so well, and competing so hard. But our guys finally caught a break in the last minute or two, and Clevin made a couple of great plays. And the one we found Garrett was a seal the deal type of play. Great players make great plays and thank God I have these guys with me. Q. What did you feel was the turn around in the last three minutes of the game itself? GARRETT STUTZ: We started making plays, and D-ing up a lot better throughout the game at times we felt like we were half contesting but really buckled down and rebounded the last couple of minutes. Of course making free throws always helps. Q. The drive and the pass off to Garrett, take us through that play. CLEVIN HANNAH: I think Toure' made a bad cut. When he made the bad cut my man, Drew, and I pump faked and got one of their players in there and I drove down the lane. And I saw the big guys coming along, and I got to him and he finished. Q. Can you talk about the challenge of playing against Ricks? It seems like a real duel when you guys get together? CLEVIN HANNAH: He's a heck of a player. He's a lot stronger and athletic than I am. He just makes it tough on me for the whole game. I just stayed with it, and I couldn't lose my confidence after he took it from me. I just made big plays down the stretch. Q. You were 8 for 8 from the free-throw line. How big is that in this close of a game? CLEVIN HANNAH: In this close of a game every shot's big. But to get up there and knock those free throws down is even bigger. So you've got to do that in close games, and I stepped up and I knocked them down. So did my other teammates. Q. Staying calm in a game like this where there is so much to and two fro and back ask forth, what kind of a challenge is that? It's enough Missouri State's trying to work their stuff. But to stay calm and collected, how tough was that down the stretch and in the game? CLEVIN HANNAH: Coming out we knew it was going to be a brawl against those guys. They're so tough and physical. We know they're going to make runs and shots sometimes, but we've just got to stay composed and stay calm. We lost our composure in a couple of other games and we lost those games that they did. We just know we've got to stay calm and composed and everybody plays within themselves and makes plays down the stretch, and we did that. Q. Garrett, your view on that play when Clevin gave it to you for the three-point play at the end. GARRETT STUTZ: I saw him going for the offensive rebound, and I couldn't see him at all. He's a little guy. He disappeared and the ball hit my hands. Garret maybe all of you can get some perspective on this. Q. You outscored Missouri State 12-4 in the second half in the paint. How much of your game was it to pound it down low? GARRETT STUTZ: It's been a point of emphasis the last couple of games. We started going away from it, and our shooting percentage went down. We fell into a shooting slump. But ever since then I think it's helping the whole team out. J.T. DURLEY: Yeah, it's good for us to, you know get paint touches, especially when me and Stutz are in at the same time, because usually we have a mismatch on the inside. Because we're two good block scorers. Q. The big play drives away and you blocked the shot and Toure' ended up with the intentional foul. Take us through that play? J.T. DURLEY: The play before that I think I got beat on the offensive rebound and I was fighting for position. I still had to have my eye on the ball when I was fighting, and he stumbled and threw the ball up. And I timed it, you know, good for a block. Q. You're into the semis. How does that feel? J.T. DURLEY: It's definitely big time for us since we didn't make it to the semis last year. We've got to come out and play our game. Play as hard as we can, and hopefully we can get another win and keep playing until Sunday. GARRETT STUTZ: It's nice to get the first win and try to carry some momentum over into tomorrow and take it on Sunday. Q. Talk a little about your game today and why the offense was working well to get you those kind of shots? GARRETT STUTZ: Like I said, the last couple of weeks coaches have been telling everyone we've got to work from the inside out. And that's when the shooters are going to get open and we draw double teams and bring it to the foul line more. I think it's been working a lot. We try to establish an inside game with me and J.T. starting lately. You know, things just kind of clicked. We got into a little rhythm and it worked. Q. During a game where it goes back and forth so much, could you talk maybe about how you guys were able to stay focused and maintain your composure down the stretch? J.T. DURLEY: I believe it's two tough teams going at it. And I think the tougher team came away with it tonight. You know, it's kind of a mental thing, I believe you know. It's mental toughness when it's going back and forth, back and forth, grinding out possession after possession. Q. Guarding Weems is kind of a different role for you. Talk about trying to do that as opposed to guarding at the post? J.T. DURLEY: It was a little tough match-up for me. But I stepped up for the challenge. Coach asked me earlier can you guard Weems? And of course a player wouldn't say no. But with him shooting the ball so well, he's a great player. He's a forward that can put the ball on the floor well and create offense for us. Q. What three very close games with Missouri State. Tooth and nail, what is the difference. You won all three, what is the difference for Clevin and Garrett? J.T. DURLEY: I think it's come. CLEVIN HANNAH: I think it's coming out and getting a great start first of all. We came out and won that one on the road. I think we had an okay start at home. When it is two good teams going at each other, you've got to be ready to play. Just mentally ready and focused and make the plays down the stretch. Q. You picked up your fourth foul. Did you have to change your game at that point or not? CLEVIN HANNAH: No, I stayed confident and kept playing defense the way I could and just stuck with it. Q. Your team did an excellent job on Creekmore tonight. Was that a point of emphasis going into tonight's game? COACH MARSHALL: Missouri State's got so many weapons. They've got four that can get 20, Weems, Leonard, Mallett, and Creekmore. I thought our big guys did a good job one-on-one. We were able to give them hell when we come off the perimeter who is not a great shooter and get that second dribble. He dribbles it the second time and you're the dig guy, you're not doing your job. The first one, if you can get it, get it. I thought we helped. We gave just enough doubt in their minds with their bigs with our digging that they didn't know when it was coming and from where. Our big guys did a great job. Garrett Stutz is growing up before our very eyes. Four blocks. I'm pretty sure that was a career high for him. He was a force with his hands up and being a one-man blockade around the basket. Durley did accept the challenge with Weems. I thought he did a good job on Creekmore, but he was also having to guard the perimeter which he hasn't done. But that's our best on offensive lineup without a doubt. Q. I asked the players what the difference is between these two teams. You were able to win all three games against them, but it certainly doesn't fit into a 2-7 seed does it? COACH MARSHALL: I said this earlier, and it Bears repeating. If this Missouri State team is a 7 seed that means you've got a good league. They're getting top 25 votes for four or five weeks in a row in December. They win at St. Louis, they win at Arkansas State at Arkansas. Little Rock. They beat Auburn. Their only loss before they went into conference was a road game in overtime at Arkansas and they lose to Northern Iowa. And we're the first team that was able to go in and beat them on their home court. I've got a tremendous amount of respect with their players, and their coach does a great job. And the breaks will eventually go his way. They're tough, they play hard. They've got great shooters. I can't believe they're 7 for 18. It seemed like they were 16 for 18. When Pickens hit the one toward the end, I'm thinking will they ever miss? It seemed like they made every one for me. Q. With 24 wins now, do you feel like your team has done enough at this point to get into the NCAA Tournament? Or is this a tournament you need to win in order to get into the big dance? COACH MARSHALL: I think we need to win it. I've grown up in the Big South nine years. One bid league. So I cut my teeth on that. And was fortunate enough to win it a number of times. So, you know, we have a team that's capable of winning this tournament and that's our goal right now, and we don't leave it up to anyone else. I like to control what I control. The controllables that we can control as a team and that is win the tournament. It is not up to a committee or anyone else for that matter. We're in. We've got a lot of work to do, but that is the answer. I've told my team we need to win this tournament. How many games we win if we fall short, that will be left up for the experts, if you will. Q. For the last minute and a half to two minutes of the game there were about three players on the floor that were dealing with four fouls. What advice or strategy did you tell them to avoid getting the fifth foul? COACH MARSHALL: I was so amazed that Clevin Hannah got the fourth foul on that loose ball that I didn't acknowledge that. He didn't have four fouls in my book, and he's going to be out there anyway at that point. Hatch we were massaging his foul trouble all second half. And who else had it? I guess Durley. I don't know when he picked up his fourth. I guess it was on the checkout when Creekmore got the inside position. At that point you go with your best you players. We're doing offense and defense with Ellis and Stutz. But we had to win the game. It seemed as if we couldn't get a break until the last couple of minutes and they started coming. Seven, seven, seven. Q. Following up on Bob's question, you professed your respect for Missouri State. But what is the separation? When you have three games the way that you did that were so tightly contested, what gives Wichita State the edge to win three times in very similar games? COACH MARSHALL: I've talked about this before and I've talked to Cuonzo about it, and I mean this as everything I say is a compliment to him because I hold him in such high esteem. But I mentioned to him when he took the job -- because we hit it off immediately -- that his situation that he was inheriting was very similar to the one that I had inherited the year before. So I had a one-year jump on him. My best players that first year were my seniors, Matt Bryer, P J, and Phil Tomlinson. And after that there wasn't a number of quality players. He inherited the Lauries, and Wade Knapp, and a couple of other guys. The good news is he had Weems and sitting there red shirting, and he had Fuehrmeyer and a couple of other guys. But I said you're going to probably be pretty good that first year, which he was. And the second year, which is this year, I thought there would be a drop off because he lost all those guys. He did a good job because he's ahead of where we were. He was 17 and 20 and still going to play in some postseason play. He's one year ahead, if you will. Our guys have had one more year of experience in this tournament. Q. Garrett seems to be enjoying how he's contributing and getting more confident. Talk about what you've seen out of him? COACH MARSHALL: He should be enjoying it. He's really playing well. He's a great kid. He works extremely hard. He's a wonderful teammate. An awesome person, good student. Good things happen to great people. I don't care where you look worldwide. You can go to Avatar, you're not going to find a better individual than Graham Hatch. Q. First off, how do you build off this very hard fought victory? And could you victory and could you talk about Indiana State and Illinois State? COACH MARSHALL: I hope to go out and watch some of it in a short bit when we're done here. It's just an opportunity now. It's another opportunity to improve as a basketball team and improve our tournament resume and win the Championship. It's the first of hopefully three steps. It's not going to get any easier. You've got a great 3-6 match-up coming up. We've struggled with both of them. They're good basketball teams and Indiana State's now healthy. I just want to go watch it, and try to figure out the best way we can to be successful tomorrow afternoon. Q. Is there anything that Garrett Stutz can't do? COACH MARSHALL: I don't think he's invincible. I don't think he can fly. Let's see, I don't think he can win a Gold Medal in sprints or high jump for that matter. But he is a shooter. He's a pretty good rebounder, now he's blocking shots. He's a passer, a wonderful teammate and he's a leader. He's one of the most vocal kids in our program. He does a great job. He cares so much because he's just that type of person, and we're blessed to have him. Q. What was the routine tonight and before you find out your opponent tomorrow before the game? COACH MARSHALL: The routine tonight. The guys are showering, hopefully getting out there to watch the first half. As soon as the first buzzer ends the first half, they'll get on a bus to go home. The coaches and I will continue to scout. There's pieces in the locker room. I'm sure there is a banquet back in the hotel. I want them to eat as much as they can and sleep. Get off their feet. Quick turn around. I'm sure Dominik and Matt will make sure that happens and tuck them in tonight. Get up early tomorrow morning. We know these teams and they know us. There is no secret at this point in conference play. We've got a little advantage. About two and a half hours of rest. Who knows when this next game will get over. I should have called a few more timeouts and prolonged our game. I had a couple to use. End of FastScripts |
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