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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 13, 2014Mark TurgeonDezmine WellsGREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA Florida State – 65 COACH TURGEON: First of all, I'm really proud of my team. I thought we played unbelievably hard. We didn't always play great, but we played hard. We got down at the start, played a great first half. Dez was in foul trouble. We were up two at half. Then we got down 10, I believe, and we really played hard, and I thought we executed better. We lost to a really good team in Florida State. But it's just hard in the way we lost. I really thought our defense was pretty good. We took Ian Miller out of the game with that play. Charles stayed long, we zoned up, got a hand on the ball, but kind of the way it's been all year, bounced right to their guy and he laid it in. Give them credit; just another disappointing loss, but I'm not disappointed in the effort and how hard our guys tried today because they really competed. We executed, we just missed some open ones, just didn't happen. Some things just aren't meant to be, and apparently today wasn't. Q. Evans' back spasms, how long had that been a problem and was there any thought he might be able to go today? COACH TURGEON: Well, it happened Sunday in the game, he sat out Monday and Tuesday, did a little bit yesterday, but we all assumed he was playing. About 40 minutes before the game, my trainer told me he wasn't playing or didn't want to play, so I met with him, and he said his back was tight, so we didn't play him. Q. How does this loss compare to some of the other ones you've had this season, and how much did you guys think about the history of the ACC entering this tournament? DEZ WELLS: Each loss hurts, man, regardless of the tournament that you're in, or at least that's how it is for me. And I know for Coach Turgeon and the rest of our guys, each loss hurts equally as bad. For the ACC, it was a great ride. There's no other way to put it, it was a great ride. Me watching all the games growing up, all the rivalries and the great games. I think this game will go down in history. I felt like our defense, but it good enough. Fortunately for us, we've been on the other end of those kind of plays where one of our teammates made a good play and it was a game‑altering play. And we wanted a victory in and of itself, but like I said, it was a great ride. We appreciate everything the ACC has done for us, but I guess new beginnings now for us. And at this point, man, we've just got to pick ourselves up and get ready for the next game. COACH TURGEON: Well, I've never been‑‑ we've lost a lot of games by two points, one point. We had a big one Sunday, which was great. I was so happy for the players that they could taste that. This one was hard because I thought we did everything right defensively, and it kind of bounced their way. You know, at .4, why couldn't it take an extra second and be late. But they all hurt, and because we were really invested‑‑ we knew what the ACC meant to our fans, and we just weren't good enough to get the win today. But it wasn't like we weren't trying. We competed. We knew what it meant to our people. We're going to miss it. It's a great league, great coaches. We're going to miss Greensboro. It was a great tournament, well run. We're going to miss that part of it. But the good thing is we're going to another great league, great coaches, great tournament. Q. I know last year you guys were able to get quite a bit out of that NIT experience. Is this a team that you're hoping can get a chance to continue playing this year? COACH TURGEON: I'm numb right now, so ask me in a day or two. Right now it's been‑‑ that was tough. We'll see. Q. Dez, right after the game ended, obviously you slapped the floor and looked really devastated. Was that the‑‑ you heard coach say, .4, really? Was that the first time today you thought this team really could lose or did lose? Did you think you were going to win this thing the whole time until that point? DEZ WELLS: I am never out of any fight, we are never out of any point. Even when we took that last heave with .4 seconds, I still thought it was going to win the game. So when it didn't go in, my heart dropped. That's the nature of basketball. You can fight as hard as you want to, and sometimes you learn lessons the hard way like we did today. Like Coach said, our defense was really good, but at times we had breakdowns and they capitalized on the breakdowns we had and vice versa. When it came down to it, today we weren't just good enough. Today, they were better than us. Q. I don't know if this has been asked, but does the way the game ended sort of sum up the way the season has gone? COACH TURGEON: Yeah. It's been a tough year. You know, the thing I'm most proud of, though, is a lot of teams would have quit. A lot of teams wouldn't have played spirited basketball the way we did all the way through. We never embarrassed ourselves since the Florida State game at Florida State where they made 16 threes which probably would have embarrassed a lot of teams. We were in every single game. We competed until the end. We had a lot of things to overcome, and that's really what I'm most proud of with this team because a lot of teams would have been so devastated they couldn't bounce back. We continued to practice well. Our guys like each other. So that's what I take from it. But I mean, come on, .4, the guy gets a dunk? I thought we played pretty good defense and the ball was deflected. It's a tough year. Dez got all the way to the rim and the ball rolls out, could have put us up two. We'll all take that, but we wouldn't have been in that position with him playing the way he played in the second half. Q. Last year you guys made a pretty deep run here and had a lot of momentum going into the NIT. Do you expect it'll be tough to regroup if you guys have to turn around quick or do you expect a similar intensity heading forward? COACH TURGEON: Well, I don't know what's going to happen but I imagine we're going to, like we've done all season, hopefully get better, hopefully get healthy. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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