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NCAA MEN'S REGIONALS SEMIFINALS & FINALS: LOS ANGELESMarch 28, 2013Ramon GallowayJohn GianniniLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Wichita State – 72 THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Coach John Giannini, Jerrell Wright and Ramon Galloway. We'll start with an opening statement from Coach, and then we'll take questions for the student‑athletes. COACH GIANNINI: Well, Wichita State won the game in the first half. They really overwhelmed us. It took us a half to kind of adjust to the level they were playing at. I thought the second half was pretty evenly played, but they just had too big a lead, and we just couldn't get it down to single digits. If you look at the stats, it's what I expected. The second half was pretty evenly played, but we were in just too deep a hole. They're a very, very good team. We have a great group here. I think everyone on our team has a great feeling about this year. They have a great feeling about each other. I think they've gotten better as a team, as players, and as people. It's a room where a lot of people have helped each other. My staff and their teammates all have great chemistry, and it's a good feeling. So what we said is the season's over, but the way we help each other is not over. The sense of family is not over. Even the guys leaving, Ramon and Garvin, they'll always be part of our family. But everyone else is back. We have a number of what I think are key additions, so we're really excited. Q. Ramon, what were they doing to you early in the game where you started out 0 for 6 and just couldn't find your way offensively? RAMON GALLOWAY: Nothing really. I just feel like I missed open shots. I missed an air ball, a floater. I just like offensively I was just missing shots early. Wichita State is a great team. They work hard and they play real physical. But I think they were playing really good, hard defense, and I just missed shots. Q. Ramon, I know you're proud of everything you guys have accomplished this year and that the program is in the right direction and is going to carry on. But is there a poignancy for you that it's going to carry on without you? RAMON GALLOWAY: No, it's a great group of guys, man. Like Coach said, me and Garvin are the only two that are leaving. You have Jerrell coming back, Tyreek coming back. I mean, the whole team is coming back. So everybody knows the feeling. Everybody knows what it feels like to be here now. We were in the NIT. We knew how that felt. We were in the NCAA Tournament; we won games, got to the Sweet Sixteen. We know how this feels. So I think it's going to push our guys to work harder in the summertime and next year. So without a doubt in my mind, I know we'll be back. Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean anything. Everybody's great. We all help each other and love each other as a family. Q. Ramon, when John's talking about how in the first half you guys got overwhelmed, were you surprised at all by their quickness? I know you knew they were going to be a big team, but it seemed they were a pretty quick team as well? RAMON GALLOWAY: Yeah, they were all over the place. They came to play. I can honestly say by far one of the most physical teams we've played by far. I'm looking at the rebounds; it's just they were after it. They won every 50‑50 ball almost, and they got every rebound that they needed to get. We've got to give credit where it's due. They played a great game, and they're a good team. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Giannini. Q. I think yesterday you had said Zack had been cleared to play. What went into that and why didn't we see him? COACH GIANNINI: Yeah, we worked him yesterday just to see what he could do, and he fatigued pretty quickly. I think one of the reasons that he healed so quickly is we kept him on crutches. We kept him on the boot. We really kept him to where he could heal as quickly as possible. But the downside of that, of course, is he was very deconditioned. He had a lot of soreness today, and we didn't think he could move well enough. It had nothing to do with the injury. It's just soreness. We didn't think he could move well enough to help us in the game. Another day or two might have made a big difference. But, yeah, he just didn't feel well enough in terms of soreness. Q. You had Butler and Saint Louis, tough inside, but the quickness these guys showed inside. Could you talk a little bit about that? COACH GIANNINI: They're big time. Watching them against Pitt and their game with Pitt was similar to ours except for the order was reversed. They really pulled away late where against us they pulled away early. Of course, their win against Gonzaga was outstanding. They're a high, very high‑level team. You're right. They're quick. They're big. They're strong. They're deep. They played great team defense, and I'll tell you what, we were going to have a chance to legitimately make it a game when we kept getting it around that 10, 11 mark with plenty of time left. But Armstead was huge at that time. He was absolutely huge. He had 3, 4 big buckets in a row, and we were scoring. But if we get the stops, all of a sudden, that 10, 11, 12‑point game is a 4 to 8‑point game, and then you really have a chance. We were playing well enough at that time to have a chance. But Armstead wouldn't allow it. When we threatened, he was the one that really responded. Q. Four games in nine days, was there any fatigue at all for your guys? COACH GIANNINI: No, the four days was enough rest. They were really good. Most teams were quicker than, but their quickness as you mentioned was surprising. The other thing they have going that most people don't is the whole thing of playing ten deep. They're very impressive. They're as good as anyone we played against all year. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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