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NIT POSTSEASONMarch 29, 2011Tad BoyleAustin DufaultLevi KnutsonNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK ALABAMA – 62 COACH TAD BOYLE: I'd like to start by congratulating Alabama. I thought that was a hard-fought game by two good basketball teams playing late in March. They were just a little bit better tonight than we were. It was one of those nights where we struggled shooting the ball. Levi got hot in the second half and got us back in the game but we shot 40 percent for the game and again that's a testament to Alabama and the way they guard. But I'm really proud of our team and the way we fought, the way we competed and the way we hung in there and we just came up a little bit short tonight. We had some really good looks, and they just made one more play at the end than we did, and that was the difference in the game. That's what makes it so hard. But I'll take these guys in that locker room any day of the week because we have come a long way this year as a team, and I couldn't be more proud of the young men in our locker room. Q. Levi, did you guys get the shot you wanted in the final possession? LEVI KNUTSON: Yeah, I think it was a great look. I'll take Alec with a 15-footer any day. Just didn't go down. That wasn't the difference in the game. There were a lot of plays in the game that were the difference but I'll take that shot any day with Alec putting it up from 15 feet. Q. Did you have to grind it out, given their defensive prowess throughout the season? LEVI KNUTSON: Yeah, we knew they were one of the best defensive teams in the country and they have proven it all year. We knew it was going to be a battle and we knew rebounding was going to be key and they got a couple of offensive rebounds in the end that really hurt us. Q. Levi, what was the difference for you between the first half and the second half? LEVI KNUTSON: I don't think there was any difference really. I thought I had good looks in the first half. Just didn't go down. So you know, in the second half, they did. But I felt like I was defending well the whole game, so that's what my focus was. Q. Was Green one of the better post players you've seen this year and did you feel like you guys had gotten over the hump when you fouled him out? AUSTIN DUFAULT: Yeah, he's up there with them, one of the best I've played this year. He really showed out his ability to step out tonight and make jumpers, especially the second half. That was something big for him, to get him kind of going, and he's a tough player. He can do it all. He showed that tonight. So he's definitely up there, one of the best I've played against. Q. I know it's hard right after the game and everything, but what will you remember most about this season and just your class? LEVI KNUTSON: I think the way we responded to a lot of adversity that hit us a lot of times throughout the year. Just the way we came together, whenever it hit us, as a team, I'll remember that, having that with my teammates forever. Q. Do you feel like you guys laid the foundation for future teams? LEVI KNUTSON: Yeah, absolutely. This program is in good hands, and we have a lot of guys in that locker room coming back, a few guys that couldn't play this year that are going to carry this program to places it's never been before. Q. I'm sure as a defensive guy, you are probably more upset with not getting that last stop than not making the final. COACH TAD BOYLE: Yeah, I thought it was kind of fitting for our season to come down to this kind of game, have a one-point lead. I thought our guys really executed well up until -- and I've got to watch the film, because our help side wasn't there on Releford's drive. So it's disappointing that we could not get that stop when we needed it. Again, this program, I've said it from day one and I'll say it now: We are going to be known for our defense and for our rebounding, and we have to come up with a stop. And even before that play, you know, there was a couple offensive rebounds that Levi alluded to. Our guys really battled tonight but we just didn't come up with that stop, complete stop when we had to. That was the difference in the game. We got good looks the last two possessions by two of our better players. You take that as a coach offensively. Defensively, I just hate giving up a layup to lose the game. Q. Can you talk about the career of Cory? COACH TAD BOYLE: Yeah, Cory has had a heck of a career. He's been so instrumental in this program in so many different ways. And a lot of people see him on the court, and what he does for us offensively and defensively. But what Cory has meant to us off the court is just as important. His leadership, his work ethic, his ability to get better after every season going back to his freshman year, he's gotten better and better and better. And that's the kind of work ethic we need from everybody coming into our program is that we want them to continue to get better from their freshman year to their sophomore, sophomore to junior year and junior to senior year. I think Cory and Levi are a testament for that. And again those guys going forward have set an example for our younger players that needs to be followed. Cory Higgins is a guy that as a coach, when it's all said and done, you say it's a pleasure to coach him and I'm proud to coach him and I wish we had him for another year. Q. You said that you were concerned about them getting too many second-chance baskets, and they seemed to in the first half. COACH TAD BOYLE: They did. Again, we were not going to eliminate them, but we just wanted to limit them. Again, the last part of the game, they got two offensive rebounds. I don't know if it was the last possession, but I know they have got two of them down the stretch. It was one on the last possession, and maybe one on the possession before. And I thought when Green got fouled out, I really liked our chances. They beat us in the paint, 46-12 or whatever the numbers were. But inside was where they had the strength. They had the advantage on us, and we just didn't overcome it tonight like we have in games past. Q. How much momentum do you think 24 wins -- I know you wanted a couple more, but just 24 wins. COACH TAD BOYLE: Yeah, I don't know about momentum. I think each year kind of encapsulates itself. What I want in terms of momentum is for our guys to learn from Levi and Cory and even a guy like Trent Beckley who came back to us in December and really, really helped our practices with his energy and his attitude. I want our young guys to learn from that; and if they do that, and they take that to heart, then that will allow us to springboard hopefully off this season. But each year is its own year, and next year's team, again, the standard has been set by this year's team. And it's not always by wins and losses. It's how they bounce back from adversity and how resilient they were and the toughness that they played with. Hopefully we can build on this year. Q. Do you have any idea Alec (Burks) might make a decision? COACH TAD BOYLE: I don't. You know, Alec and I have sat down two or three times during the season and now that it's over, we'll give it some time to sink in. I know he will get with his mother and they will make a decision that's best for their family. As his coach, I'm going to support him in whatever he does, I know that. I've told him that and I've told his family that; whatever that may be, and right now we don't know the answer to that, obviously. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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