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AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 14, 2014Mick CroninJustin JacksonSean KilpatrickMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE UConn - 58 THE MODERATOR: Okay we'll get started with the University of Cincinnati, head coach, Mick Cronin, student athletes Just in Jackson and Sean Kilpatrick. Coach, your comments on tonight's game? COACH CRONIN: First of all, I thought UConn played extremely well. They made shots. We had defensive breakdowns that for us are inexcusable, that led to that, and that's disappointing. That's probably our biggest problem that I would have with tonight. Second thing is we didn't shoot a free‑throw in the second half until 2 minutes roughly left in the game. That was a big problem for our offense. Five times we point blank hit the rim, came up empty. Gotta do a better job of making sure we're getting fouled and finishing around the rim. Can't continue to come up empty at the rim. We were getting the ball where we wanted it, but like I said, disappointed because we showed that they're leaving their feet, trying to block every shot. We didn't fake and get fouled until two minutes left. The last part of it is we didn't get the ball inside nearly enough, either, which in the second half, which I thought was a huge problem for our offense. Q. Did you see somebody hit the net when Sean's shot didn't go in? Did you think there was a goaltending call? COACH CRONIN: I'm already worried about Selection Sunday in the NCAA Tournament. I'm not tall enough to see stuff like that. You really think they're going to call that for Cincinnati? What games you been watching all year? Seriously. Q. What are your thoughts on Selection Sunday and where you might be seeded in the Tournament? COACH CRONIN: I was proud of our effort tonight, I thought that our fight was excellent, our competitive desire was excellent. I think the biggest thing is making sure our players understand why we lost. Winners know where they win and why they lose. That's what we just talked about. Two things: We had a lot of defensive breakdowns, everything I told you that is inexcusable, we gotta get fouled more at the rim and get the ball inside more and be accountable to each other and make sure that we know that we can do better. The last part is we had great practice tonight at making a come‑back. Other than the tying the game we executed in the last three minutes every time, every possession. We either got a great shot, got fouled or got the ball at the rim. When you get the great shot you have to relentlessly rebound because you can't come up with empty possessions or you're never going to catch anybody. The only empty possession we had in the last three minutes was the missed layup at the end. That stuff just happens. Really proud of that. It was a great segment for us and our press did wonders for us tonight. We're probably going to have to use it more going forward. Q. When you see S.K. drive the lane like that he makes that shot 99 out of 100 times. You had to feel good about your chances? COACH CRONIN: I did feel really good about it. Right now getting back to Cincinnati, getting rest and getting ready to go next week. Q. Justin, can you talk about when you went into the scoring drought, it was a 17‑2 run. Why was it hard for you to score? You were getting to the rim and couldn't score or what was going on? JUSTIN JACKSON: Like Coach was saying, UConn played great defense and played great as a team. We couldn't execute in the end but like Coach said we came back in the last three minutes and do what we needed to do. And S.K. hits that shot 99 out of 100 times, I can't tell you why, it just happens. Q. How do you feel you're playing as a team going into the tournament? JUSTIN JACKSON: We are going to get back in the gym and do what we need to do and we're going to play what we need to do, play Cincinnati basketball, like I've been saying. Q. Sean, you guys were able to cause turnovers in the first half, a lot of steals and not so much in the second half. Did they change something that you guys were doing as far as combatting the press or it was something that they were doing that led to the lack of turnovers on their part? SEAN KILPATRICK: No, I don't think so. We applied the pressure that we needed to apply. I think our press worked pretty well. We did pretty good and it was something that happened down the stretch. COACH CRONIN: Can't press if you don't score. We couldn't get the ball in the basket. Q. Sean, with respect do you think you guys should be seeded based on the resume that you've built all year? SEAN KILPATRICK: I don't know. JUSTIN JACKSON: Not our choice. SEAN KILPATRICK: I've been focusing on the game today and that's what Coach teaches us, to take it a day at a time and I let the guys that place the seeding and everything take care of that. I don't think about things like that. COACH CRONIN: That made my night. We don't worry about things we can't control. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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