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NCAA MEN'S 2ND & 3RD ROUNDS: AUSTINMarch 22, 2013Shamir DavisDequan HicksJames HulbinMike McConathyAUSTIN, TEXAS Florida – 79 THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get an opening statement from coach and then take questions for the student‑athletes. COACH MCCONATHY: You know, really proud of our team for coming out and competing hard and some people would say well, coach, you got whipped pretty good, but it's all about competing and playing hard. We played against an extremely well coached team. It's quite obvious in Florida. Their bulk and strength over the course of the game just really got us in the second half when we got ourself in a situation where we didn't make shots. I think we had 12 empty possessions and they were going down and getting them. Murphy and Patric Young. They did well, very, very well. And we had a hard time on their ball screens. But I'm really proud of how hard our kids played. Just got to be big enough and strong enough to compete against the talented team and well coached team like Coach Donovan has in Florida. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student‑athletes. Q. For DeQuan, talk about the spell you guys had after you get the two early baskets to cut into the lead in the second half and then you just couldn't buy a basket, how much of it was defense and how much of it was just not shooting well? DEQUAN HICKS: It was mostly, it was mostly just, we got the good run at the beginning of the half and then it just seemed like it just seemed like the buckets wasn't falling for us. But that's how it goes. Games are runs. So we run some, we keep a run, they get a run, we just couldn't make our run. And they made a run and pulled away. Q. Shamir, could you have ever foreseen a defense being able to hold you guys to a 19 percent shooting effort for a half, particularly after you guys shot 54 percent in the first half. SHAMIR DAVIS: Well, you have to give a lot of credit to Florida's defense. They are one of the best defensive teams in the nation. Along with Stephen F. Austin, which is a very good defensive team. I wouldn't say it was all to their defense, we just missed a lot of shots that we normally make. It isn't all their defense. We were over thinking a lot of shots, maybe, shooting a lot of shots that were going long. But they played a really good defense and they got their hands up, contested a lot of shots, so kudos to them. Q. James, you played SFA three times, leading scoring defense in the country, what's the difference in their defense and Florida's defense? JAMES HULBIN: I would have to say it's really not a difference. It's just they, well Stephen F, they do less possessions and Florida, they like to run like we do. But as far as a half court defense or that, I give them good credit. They're really a good half court defensive team. And shots that we usually hit, we just, they just weren't falling in the second half. So they made their run and we didn't make ours. Okay, gentlemen, we're going to let you go and we'll now take questions for coach. Q. This is somewhat similar to the question I asked Shamir, but could you have ever seen your offense that's No. 1 in the country scoring 34 below your average tonight? COACH MCCONATHY: Well I think what happens, it's hard to really imagine this, but our offense spurs off of our defense. And we had two steals. Therefore, we were never able to get in any flow or rhythm because of the fact that we couldn't make anything happen. When we did make some plays, you could feel us wanting to‑‑ kind of like, the old car that you try to crank up years ago, not that I ever had one like that, okay, but crank up and you would feel it wanting to crank, but it wouldn't get cranked because they were coming right back at you. You can dice the thing up all different ways, but I wouldn't have ‑‑ to answer that, I wouldn't have thought that we would have gone to 19 percent after the first half. I mean we played a very, very good first half. In fact, I think we cut it to four right before the half and we lay it up and then we give them a lay up back on the other end. Something that we just haven't done this year. But the caliber of team that Florida is, you just can't make mistakes. We get out‑rebounded by 17. Four of those were offensive rebounds off of free throws that we work on every day. They made 3 threes out of those, and I think they got a bucket on the other one. So that's 11 points right there off of missed free throw rebounds. So I just didn't think ‑‑ I would have thought we would have scored. Now that I said all that. (Laughter.) Q. Can you talk about what Murphy, Young and Yeguete, I'm sure that was one of your worst fears was that they would dominate the boards like that because of their length? COACH MCCONATHY: You know really and truly, when you look at us, we have got pretty good length. We walk through an airport and they think we might be semi‑all airport. But Young and Murphy, just are so long and big, and we let them get the ball where they are going to make a move and their length just is immaterial possible to deal with. And in Murphy, of course, being able to step out and shoot the three, it makes it a whole different ball game because you got to be able to react to that situation on the pick and pops that he does. So their length was just a huge concern. And it was a bigger concern when I walked out. As I talked to some people, tape really does not do them the justice of their length. The length that they have. Q. You guys, last time were you here, you had such a senior heavy group, took you awhile to get back, feel you're in a little better position to make another run right away with guys like Jalan and DeQuan and Brison coming back next season? COACH MCCONATHY: Yeah I think. So we got back to our conference championship game two times in a row after losing, after winning it in 2005 and 2006. So I think that we're in a lot better position to make the run and stay back where we need to be. I think we have the mentality. We have got two or three really nice pieces along with some other kids that are on our team that allow us to get back. We have got some nice kids coming in that I think will help us. That's important. Disappointed because you lose, well it doesn't matter, well it does matter, but you're here, you made a run, you won a Southland Conference tournament, you have been in the big dance, you've done that, you can't take that away from those kids. That's something that's important for us to realize. It's important for me to realize too. Because we have experienced some success. Not on the level of Florida and those teams that have won national championships, but everything's relative. You got to find out where you are. Hey I appreciate y'all. Do you want to ask me one more question. I may not have this chance ever again. (Laughter.) I'm going to get everything I can get. (Laughter.) Q. I asked this question of one of your players, but how much do you think it was Florida's defense versus a poor shooting night in the second half? COACH MCCONATHY: I think that it's 50/50. I think that their defense was very, very good, but I just think that we scored the two buckets ‑‑we have for the second half, what did we have? How many field goals did we have? Four? Well I'm looking at the wrong team. We had three field goals in the second half. Three. And I mean, they had so much to do with that and if you don't make shots against such a big strong, well coached team, you're going to have a hard time. And then they got their rhythm going and flow going and we were backing on our heels. Part of it too, and I had to try to junk up what we were trying to do to slow them down, and that's just not really who we are either. THE MODERATOR: All right, thank you, coach. COACH MCCONATHY: Hey, I can say this. I appreciate you. The people that I talked to have been wonderful and I thank you very much for the way that you've treated our kids. Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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