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NIT POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSHIPApril 2, 2014Larry BrownRichard PitinoNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK THE MODERATOR:  Coach Brown, if you can give us an opening statement about last night's game and tomorrow night's matchup with Minnesota. COACH BROWN: Well, we're real happy, obviously that we get to play another game, especially in New York in the Garden, playing for a championship, it's new to all of us. I thought we beat a really good Clemson team. They completely dominated us the first half. I think they played a lot harder, a lot smarter than we did. In the second half, we kind of turned it around and maybe had our best half of the year, especially on the defensive side, holding them to 21 points in such a big game, is really important. It actually was the only way that we could get back in the game and win. We came from 13 down in the second half, and I think our defense was the key, and we got some valuable minutes from people off the bench, as well. Q. Could you just talk about the play of your point guard, Nic Moore, especially in the NIT, but throughout the whole season and what the point guard matchup will be like with Deandre Mathieu of Minnesota who is also as valuable to his team as Nic is to yours? COACH BROWN: There's a lot of similarity between the two. They are both real quick and they are both, you know, real important to each team. Nic, you know, came from Illinois State and played for Tim Jankovich. It's been an adjustment for him. I've said this before: He looks at me as the devil because I demand a lot of things from him that may be a little foreign to what he's done in the past. But we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. He's a competitor. He can make shots. He's really, really trying to do the things I ask him to do. And it's hard for me, because you don't want to take away from his abilities, but he's a big part of our team obviously, and he had a tough matchup last night, seems like he had a tough matchup against Cal. The American Conference had unbelievable guards and point guards, so I'm sure he's going to be in for another challenge. But we need him to play at a high level. Q. A lot of teams who don't make the NCAA Tournament and end up in the NIT seem to have trouble finding motivation and get bounced early. You guys obviously were able to get motivated and make a run through this tournament. How and why did that happen? And secondly, just here you have a former Knicks coach, yourself, coaching against the son of a former Knicks coach in Richard Pitino. Any humorous anecdotes? COACH BROWN: Well, I know they have the Knick dressing room, so what does that tell you (laughter). You know, I think after we didn't get into the NCAA Tournament, our whole focus was on not complaining about it, because I didn't want us to take away from the 68 other teams that deserved to get in, and I thought we were very fortunate to be able to play in the NIT. And for a program that's trying to build and get back to, you know, being a national contender, this is a great opportunity. I think we told our kids that. We had various people come in and talk. Football coach, Jim Jones, came in and spoke to our team, Fran Fraschilla, talked to our team, our president, about what an honor it is to represent us and play in the NIT.  I think the NIT is so much better than it was years ago. You know, having the conference champions, the team that win the regular season, an opportunity to play and plus the at‑large pool, is so much better. And it's only 32 teams; so I've really felt this would be unbelievable competition, playing in big games, and it's really helped our growth. And I try to reminisce about when I was a boy when the NIT was the biggest tournament going when I was young. Q. Did you sense any letdown from your guys after the NCAA bracket was announced? COACH BROWN: We didn'talibi. Obviously we were disappointed. But this is a privilege playing in the NIT, and I think we've approached it that way and we're thankful. Minnesota, Florida State, Clemson, they all could have felt the same way as we did, and we all managed to get to New York, and I think that's a credit to every program. Q. When you were growing up, did you have a chance to watch the NIT at the old Garden? Do you have any memories of any of that? COACH BROWN: Oh, yeah, I went all the time. My brother took me to games. When I was a young boy, you know, could you play in the NIT, NCAA, as well, and my brother was a big sports fan and I remember city college, all the New York schools were pretty special. I remember O'Brien twins at Seattle and the Dayton Flyers wearing these capes, on the bench. There was so much excitement for me every time I went to New York. I used to watch the Globetrotters play a matinee and an evening, and I started to try to dribble like crazy when I got home and my coaches got mad at me. But the Garden has been a big part of my life. And then certainly I tried to explain to the kids about the NIT and what it meant years ago. Fran and Coach Knight explained to our kids the history of the NIT. You know, Bobby got it started there in Army there, and we all are all aware what a phenomenal coach he was, and Fran talked about it. And I think it hit home with our kids. They forgot about the NCAA Tournament pretty quickly. You know, right now, we're one of six teams still playing, and what a great opportunity it is for us. Q. What do you feel like it could mean to your program as far as building your brand and having a chance to play for a potential championship tomorrow night, just as far as the growth in your program? COACH BROWN: Oh, it's everything. I was in the building last year a number of times and I talked to Tim Jankovich and I would say, what the hell are we doing here; nobody was in the stands. Didn't seem like there was a great deal of enthusiasm. Now we walked into it the Garden and I heard people chanting SMU and I looked around and there was an unbelievable group of SMU supporters there, and that really made us all feel proud to have people care enough about us and think so highly of us to come to a game. We have the atmosphere moving now. I think we have the best player in the country coming next year. We've had some really good young kids commit to us. So we're on our way, and I'm really proud of that. We have everything that you need I think to be successful. We're a great school in a great state in a great city in a terrific league with tremendous players around. I'm hopeful we can really build on that. Q. What's on your agenda today for practice and sightseeing? COACH BROWN: Well, we're going to be pretty busy. I'm hoping to go to St. Paul's Church. It has a lot of the history of 9/11 and maybe taking the kids to Ground Zero. Right now the kids have study hall believe it or not and then we are going to Columbia to practice. Trying to get them a little Ivy League exposure; maybe that will rub off on some of our kids. But you know, we are just excited to be here. I'm hopeful that they can get to do some things that they wouldn't normally do. We have more than half our players that have never been to New York and that's exciting for them. But really, we are going to try to figure out how we can play well against Minnesota. Rich has done a phenomenal job with that team and we have to be ready to play them. Q. Were you familiar with Richard as a skid growing up? Was he around Rick's teams? COACH BROWN: No, I mean, I was aware that he was getting into coaching, and I have unbelievable respect for Rick. I was thrilled to death to see Rick in the stands watching his son coach. I can't imagine anything better than that. I have great admiration for him and what he's done at Minnesota. Tubby is one of my guys. I think I benefitted by the players Matt Doherty left me at SMU: My two captains are playing for me, and they are Matt's guys, Shawn Williams and Nick Russell and then Ryan Manuel and Kevin Cunningham. So I've benefitted by those guys. And I look at Minnesota's rosters and I think Richard will probably tell you the same thing. He's been very fortunate about the kids that are still in the program that Tubby brought there. But he's done a phenomenal job. It's almost like looking at his dad every time I look over to him; the same mannerisms, they play the same way. He's tough but fair. I just love the way he coaches. Q. Can you just talk about the recruiting that you did, obviously getting the best player in the country probably, and how big that is going into next year and with the NIT championship and recruiting a player of that calibre. COACH BROWN: Well, you know, Keith Frazier kind of got this started for us, a local kid that is really highly thought of. And then we get Ben Moore and Sterling Brown from Illinois, two really great young players. I don't think we would have gotten Manuel had we not been able to get Keith and those other people I mentioned. But he gives us a chance to be great and this whole experience gives us a chance. We are a relatively young team and we are going to add a good class this year, and I hope that our players that are experiencing this NIT run will grow and develop and get better for it. It gives us extra time to practice. We are playing against terrific programs in meaningful games, so I think Minnesota, Florida State, Clemson and ourselves will really benefit by this run. But we are going to be good. I know Richard is building something at Minnesota in a phenomenal league, and I'm sure the success he's having is going to help him recruit terrific player and I'm hopeful the same thing will happen with us. Q. Looking back at last night what was the big difference in the second half compared to your slow start? COACH BROWN: Well, you know, the way we started really surprised me because we had a great practice and looked like we were excited and loose. You know, we turned the ball over the first three times; we heard Clemson was challenged in terms of shooting the ball and then they make two 3‑pointers right off the bat. I just think they play so much harder than we do and with a better purpose and with a better understanding of who they were in the first half. The second half, we just got back to doing what we normally do, and that's try to guard and try to play hard and try to share the ball. Like I said before, I think all around, it was probably our best half. I don't care who you play; to hold somebody to 21 points in a half, without trying to hold the ball, is a pretty awesome feat in my mind. Our energy was great. We had a lot of people step up. Markus was huge, and he got in foul trouble the first half which kind of hurt us a little bit. But we just played harder than I think Clemson did the second half, like they played harder than us the first half. THE MODERATOR: If you can give an opening statement about last night's game and a little bit about tomorrow's matchup with SMU. COACH PITINO: Well, certainly very excited about the win last night. You know, we were under‑manned in the front court and found a way to make it happen with some really odd lineups. I mean, we had Charles Buggs in at the five in one point; Oto Osenieks played the five. So we just found a way to gut it out. It wasn't pretty. But at the end of the day we got the win and we are proud of it and we are excited about an opportunity to play for a championship tomorrow. Q. Obviously before the semifinals, you talked about Elliott possibly playing in the finals, what do you expect from him moving forward and also talk about the play of Mo Walker and how he needs to improve finishing under the basket? COACH PITINO: We'll evaluate this afternoon at practice Elliot. We are cautious. It's hard to tell right now. So hopefully we'll get a better gauge this afternoon from Elliot if he can play or not. You know, Mo was certainly in and out of foul trouble. Made big free throws; that's certainly the next step for him is being able to finish through contact. You know, he lost a lot of weight, and now in the off‑season he's got to gain a lot of strength and that certainly is the next step for him. He made some big plays, especially some big free throws down the stretch. Q. Following up with Mo, is it a case where he was maybe trying too hard and some of the size that was in there made it difficult for him to finish under the basket? COACH PITINO: I don't think trying to hard is ever an issue. I think all of our guys try too hard. If anything, they are really big and they are a great defensive team. They are big, they are strong, they are long. So you've got to give them credit. But that's the next step for Mo Walker as a basketball player is to be able to finish through that contact, and he'll get there. Q. Some teams seem to have trouble motivating when they don't make the NCAAs and they get in the NIT. Obviously you guys and SMU were able to get motivated. Talk about how your team was able to do that and what this will mean carrying forward into next season? COACH PITINO: I think really the only tough game honestly was the first game. I think that was where everybody was kind of letdown a little bit. But I think after we got into that second game and moving forward, we were really excited about the opportunity to keep playing. I think what's great about this tournament‑‑ this tournament has become a very, very good tournament, is the four teams that were here, all justifiably could have had an argument to get into the NCAA Tournament. And really, the two teams that are in the finals, really had the best argument. And I don't think we deserved to be in; probably SMU more than us, but it's nice to see these guys continue to play. If you watched both games last night, played with great emotion, played with great enthusiasm. I think there's a lot of things that go into it. We've got three seniors who don't want their college career to be over, and then we have got some younger guys who have an opportunity to win a championship. So they are all excited about it. We have got great kids who understand this is a privilege to play the game and they understand they have got to take advantage of this opportunity. Q. We have a matchup between a former Knicks coach and the son of a former Knicks coach. Larry was joking that you guys already have the Knicks locker room tomorrow night. Is there any good anecdotes about the Knicks connection? COACH PITINO: Well, I've always been such a huge fan of Coach Brown. I think more than anything, he's obviously the only coach who has won a college and pro title. He's won everywhere, really. I know he was in a tough situation with the Knicks but he's really won everywhere. That's just a testament to him as a Hall of Fame coach. I think the great thing for a young coach like me, I'm 31 years old and he's 73; A, he doesn't look it. He's coached as if he's in his 30s. He's done an unbelievable job with this SMU team. Their attention to detail is phenomenal. They are a great defensive team. They are a great offensive team. And I think it's great for any coach in the game to see a guy who just loves the game, and he's building a great program. I mean, he's recruiting great. The fan interest has gotten better. And that's just awesome to see and that's why he's one of the true legends in this game. Q. I wanted to just ask you, talking about Coach Brown, your first memory of him or first time meeting him or if you can share something that your dad might have told you early on about Coach Brown? COACH PITINO: You know, I don't know him real well. I've always seen him from afar. I've really admired him, and certainly more so what he had done in the NBA was really when I was growing up. But now to see what he's doing at SMU, you know, just speaks about what type of a legend he is. I mean, he's been a Hall of Famer since, I believe, 2002; I looked it up last night. The best part about watching him is this is a coach who just loves to coach, loves to be around players, loves to develop players, and he's not only doing it but he's doing a great job at it. So I've always had the utmost respect for him, and for a young coach like myself to have an opportunity to watch him, really motivates me. Q. I saw your dad at the game last night, wonder what he said to you after the game and what it means to have him behind the bench watching your team go about this in your first season in your program at Minnesota? COACH PITINO: Yeah, it's always great when he gets an opportunity to come. My mom gets there, a lot of family members, especially, too, in the Garden. When you coach in the Garden, you have an appreciation for the fact that he was a New York Knick coach, and it's just unbelievable, at a young age. So it just shows you the unbelievable career that he's had. And then to have him here, right behind the bench, is kind of surreal for me because growing up my whole life, it's been the other way around. I have always been the fan and he's always been the coach. You know, he considers New York home and my mom considers New York home; to have them there last night and be a part of it is something pretty special, and it's really come full circle I think with everybody. Q. Did he say anything to you after you guys won last night? COACH PITINO: He did. We went out and had dinner, grabbed a burger afterwards. We just talked strategy and what he liked about our team, what he doesn't like about what we do, and certainly he's played SMU this season. So he had a couple of things to talk about with them, as well. Q. With Oto playing so well last night, afterwards did he say anything afterwards about how his knee felt and do you expect him to be available tomorrow? COACH PITINO: Yeah, he was hobbling, certainly. It was visible. But Oto is not‑‑ he'll fight through any pain right now. I think that was pretty evident by what he did last night. He knows he's done after Thursday. So he's going to get the most of his experience. That's what a team is all about. That's what having a great kid, a great senior leader like him‑‑ and we are going to be fortunate. He's going to be with us next year in some capacity and he'll be a great asset to our program. Q. Just wondering when you guys first walked in the Garden on this trip and kind of the difference between some of the guys that are new and doing this for the first time versus the Austins and Andres that were here and lost in the Garden. COACH PITINO: You know, it's certainly‑‑ I kind of forgot about it, but we have got guys on this team who made it to the finals before. You never quite understand it until you're in it, because the world that we live in is so NCAA; everybody pumps it up so much obviously. But then you get involved in this tournament and you realize how great of a tournament it is and since they changed the format and the seeding and everything like that. To come down to two teams that had an argument to be in the NCAA Tournament. And for the guys that have been there before and for the guys that had not been there, like a Deandre Mathieu, I was pretty excited, because you never know with the bright lights of the Garden if they are going to perform or not, but they certainly seemed engaged and excited to have that opportunity last night. Q. When did you guys get in there? COACH PITINO: We had a shootaround yesterday afternoon, so we were able to get in there and get some shots up. Q. I know different people talk differently about the NIT and the NCAA Tournament, comparing the two, but what does it do for recruiting to be in the championship game and possibly win a championship in Madison Square Garden? COACH PITINO: I think any time you have an opportunity to get exposure, to play on national television, to showcase the way that you want to play, and then certainly any time you have an opportunity to play for a championship is good under your program. In year one, to get to 24 wins, and have an opportunity to play for a championship, is something that we are proud of. You know, there's a lot of question marks going into the season because we lost three starters. We had brought a lot of new guys in, a lot of guys who did not have experience playing in the Big Ten, and you know, they told me last night, and I didn't realize it, that it was the most wins in school history I guess because of the vacated Final Four. You know, we have got great tradition here. So to be able to do that, is something that we're really, really excited about. We have got a lot of pieces back next year, so hopefully we'll continue to move forward. Q. Have you heard from any of those guys that you did sign already about their excitement about this NIT run and this season? COACH PITINO: I got text messages after the game just from all those guys, excited about it. You know, any time you play on national TV, you play on ESPN, you've got, you know, a legend like Bob Knight doing the game, you're in the Garden; it's good for your program. It's just moving forward, it was difficult year one before this season talking about the way that we play just because nobody had really seen us play at FIU. Well, now they see it. So either they are going to like it and they are going to want to be part of it or they are not. But exposure is the best thing for a program when you're trying to build it. Q. Wanted to check, do your mom and dad have plans to be there tomorrow night obviously? COACH PITINO: Any excuse for them to stay in New York, they will stay in New York, so they will be there. Q. When you guys had that shootaround, from any of the guys whose first experience it was, who seemed the most excited? Do you remember anybody saying anything about their opinions of it? COACH PITINO: I think they were all pretty excited. I guess, I don't know if you're the No.1 seed for whatever it is, we've got the Knicks locker room and it was cool for those guys. Just walking out there, they wanted to take pictures. That's what college basketball is all about; to be able to play in great environments like we do night‑in and night‑out in the Big Ten, as well as playing in great venues like we did Valley Classic earlier today and to play in the Garden. So a lot of great experiences, a lot of great memories and I know they all really, really enjoyed it and just embraced it. Q. You talked about Deandre Mathieu, I know he's had some turnover issues in the NIT but to come up so big offensively in the semifinal game, can you talk about his performance and also the matchup with Moore after SMU who is equally as important for Larry Brown? COACH PITINO: Yeah, DeAndre has been great.  He's consistently from top to bottom, probably been our best players and most important and valuable player. And you never know what that's going to be like when you bring a juco point guard in. So he's been huge for us. He's a competitor. He makes us go. He can really get to the rim. So he's been good, and especially moving forward. I know Nic Moore is important to their program and he's a similar‑type player. So we are both‑‑ it's both crucial for all of us, Nic Moore, to make them go and for DeAndre to make us go and they are both really good players. Q. With Andre last night, he had been struggling a little bit on the offensive end. What did you see that was different from him last night where he was able to be successful? COACH PITINO: Yeah, he's starting to get that speed back a little bit. I think that injury took some speed away from him, and I think he's starting to get comfortable with it. He was really good. That was the first time last night where I thought DeAndre, André and Austin all clicked, and it was something that we had all been waiting for offensively, especially at the beginning of the game. Obviously you're not always going to shoot like that, but to come out and all three of those guys contribute like that offensively like that, we are pretty hard to guard. Q. With Andre's ankle, was it more of a hesitancy to get to the basket and do you think you saw more of that last night? COACH PITINO: Yeah, I think it's more mental than physical. You know, whether or not he believed he could go by guys, and I think last night, I think he believed that he could go by guys and that was the biggest difference that I saw. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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