Opening Statement: "Man, the United Supermarkets Arena tonight was unreal, you know, and just the atmosphere, the student section. What a venue to play college basketball. I can't imagine it being better. I really can't. I'm so thankful as a blessing for our team to compete and be Red Raiders. And I don't, I don't say that lightly. Because it's not like this at other places. We're thankful. That's a great Baylor team, I think their best days are ahead of them as they get healthy, playing without VJ (Edgecombe) is really difficult, and he's such a downhill, physical player that can make threes, and he was playing his best basketball. I hated to see that he wasn't able to play. But they did get Roach back, and Roach is a problem. I mean, he he had 12 in this one, but you can tell he's finding his rhythm. And that's a really good team, a really good team. First half, we guarded them well and we finished it with rebounds. Second half, we guarded it well and we didn't finish it with rebounds. And I thought that was the difference that made the game close. But, man, I just love the grit of this team. We keep finding a way to separate when it matters. I thought Darrion Williams was tremendous down the stretch. Elijah Hawkins ability to control the game, and then ultimately, Chance McMillan broke the game open, and his will to win is tremendous. Federiko was remarkable on the glass. And, man, we just got great, great team defense possessions that we still improve a lot. But, man, I love seeing our team play together and play for each other."
Coach Drew just said that this team can be a Final Four team, how does that make you feel?: "It's easy for him to say, I mean, he likes putting squeeze on people like that. Now he's, he's one of the most encouraging people I've ever been around in my life, so and he always, he always is positive. And it's always telling you what you can really do and, and I'm telling you, he really is one of the most encouraging people have ever been around, maybe the most. I just really appreciate him. But I mean, we're not thinking about anything other than win, win the next one and trying to get better as a team. That's the truth."
What did you tell Chance in the huddle before that stretch?: "That doesn't have anything to do with me, that has to do with Chance. I mean, Chance's motor and his willingness to do what it takes to win. I think the one thing about Chance is he tries to find ways to create. And I think he just needs to err on the side of thinking shot first, and if that preps right, then people over compensate for his ability to shoot. And then he can drive. Sometimes he gets to where he's trying to drive it before he's really got them in a position where they have to close out farther. You got to guard him everywhere he's in. His motor never stops. That's what makes him awesome. And combine him with the lineups that we have where you got JT, D5, Christian Anderson, Kerwin Walton. I mean, he's just got all these offensive, great players around him, so it just makes it more where he can get loose and Elijah Hawkins doing a really good job passing ball, really good job. And it's fun to see that these guys. To me, it's fun watching guard, but it's a lot it's a lot of fun when we can separate and make shots like we did during that stretch."
It felt like the first half was kind of a finesse half of basketball, the second half was a much more physical half of basketball, you won both halves, so just a comment on that: "I will tell you, I thought the first 10 minutes was super physical, and then, as it kind of this the end of the half, it got a little. Just weren't shooting any free throws, I mean there weren't any fouls called. But I did think that it ramped up significantly. I mean, you know, when you score 24 points in a half, there's an urgency. Like, how do you create extra possessions? Because they weren't able to do that in the first half, and I think we held them scoreless maybe the last four minutes and a half. So I do think their urgency was what it needed to be. They came out and punched and sent them out to start the game, start second half, and we did not respond. And that'll be something that we got to take a look at. The urgency on their side, give them credit. I thought they really battled back and gave themselves a chance to win the game."
And were you happy with the way you were able to take advantage of them switching one through five?: "Yeah. I mean, that's a hard way to play the game is when you're just trying to expose mismatches, because then you lose the flow of people touching the basketball. So I mean, I told our staff, like, one thing I want to be able to do is, like, maybe get to different actions where everybody gets to handle it, so you just don't catch it one time in five possessions. And I mean, I do think we've got great players that can take advantage of that. Elijah was really good tonight in that. I mean, he's had his times where he's gone in there and jumped out and shot some tough twos and I thought he made a couple of great twos. I thought he shot the ones on balance and when he missed them we had a chance to rebound them today. And I thought he was instrumental in making all that work from the beginning. His combination of doing that and then going into the ball screen with Fede to get it loose and on some movement opened up the floor and allowed us to Get some of those dunks when we did go away from just mismatches."
What kind of impact did Fede have tonight?: "It was the last thing I said in the locker room to them. Just like, how tremendous Fede has been, his energy and like, there was a play right at the beginning of the second half, and I showed him where Wright is dribbling down the lane and looked like he had a layup and Fede blocked it out of bounds. And like during that stretch, like this is where he's been huge for us, just his communication, his experience, his ability to navigate the middle of the floor and help our guys stay in position, and then he can make those kind of plays. And the more he gets like that, the better we'll be."
Seven wins in a row, does it feel any different than other teams you've been apart of?: "No, I mean, I've been part of a team that went 16-2 in the league, which is the most in the league's history. This is our expectation. I don't say that arrogantly. I say that humbly, knowing that it takes a lot of work and belief to do it, and how you approach every day is extremely important. And I think I just told them in the locker room, like, expect this, but like, you have to be willing to put in the work and do the things in between now and tomorrow, to put yourself in position for what we got to do on Saturday, and then you got to do it. You got to just invest everything you have into those habits that give you the best chance to win a basketball game together. And it's easier said than done."
Was holding JT out late more precautionary?: "I mean, I look at those plays, there's like a rebound play in front of the basket on our side, and like, he's such a dynamic player that it's obvious when he doesn't have the same lift or he doesn't have the same aggressiveness to the ball. And one I thought Federico was playing great, so I went down there and talked to him. They're like, coach, we're winning. Let's roll with it. I mean, they've got a great attitude toward this. That's what you want with a team like this. Originally, when you see him limp, it like that, you're like, Oh no, but from what I understand, there's quite a bit optimism there. And when he came back, and the way he felt after was significantly better than first anticipated."
"We specialize in high quality autographed sports memorabilia."
Coach Drew just said that this team can be a Final Four team, how does that make you feel?: "It's easy for him to say, I mean, he likes putting squeeze on people like that. Now he's, he's one of the most encouraging people I've ever been around in my life, so and he always, he always is positive. And it's always telling you what you can really do and, and I'm telling you, he really is one of the most encouraging people have ever been around, maybe the most. I just really appreciate him. But I mean, we're not thinking about anything other than win, win the next one and trying to get better as a team. That's the truth."
What did you tell Chance in the huddle before that stretch?: "That doesn't have anything to do with me, that has to do with Chance. I mean, Chance's motor and his willingness to do what it takes to win. I think the one thing about Chance is he tries to find ways to create. And I think he just needs to err on the side of thinking shot first, and if that preps right, then people over compensate for his ability to shoot. And then he can drive. Sometimes he gets to where he's trying to drive it before he's really got them in a position where they have to close out farther. You got to guard him everywhere he's in. His motor never stops. That's what makes him awesome. And combine him with the lineups that we have where you got JT, D5, Christian Anderson, Kerwin Walton. I mean, he's just got all these offensive, great players around him, so it just makes it more where he can get loose and Elijah Hawkins doing a really good job passing ball, really good job. And it's fun to see that these guys. To me, it's fun watching guard, but it's a lot it's a lot of fun when we can separate and make shots like we did during that stretch."
It felt like the first half was kind of a finesse half of basketball, the second half was a much more physical half of basketball, you won both halves, so just a comment on that: "I will tell you, I thought the first 10 minutes was super physical, and then, as it kind of this the end of the half, it got a little. Just weren't shooting any free throws, I mean there weren't any fouls called. But I did think that it ramped up significantly. I mean, you know, when you score 24 points in a half, there's an urgency. Like, how do you create extra possessions? Because they weren't able to do that in the first half, and I think we held them scoreless maybe the last four minutes and a half. So I do think their urgency was what it needed to be. They came out and punched and sent them out to start the game, start second half, and we did not respond. And that'll be something that we got to take a look at. The urgency on their side, give them credit. I thought they really battled back and gave themselves a chance to win the game."
And were you happy with the way you were able to take advantage of them switching one through five?: "Yeah. I mean, that's a hard way to play the game is when you're just trying to expose mismatches, because then you lose the flow of people touching the basketball. So I mean, I told our staff, like, one thing I want to be able to do is, like, maybe get to different actions where everybody gets to handle it, so you just don't catch it one time in five possessions. And I mean, I do think we've got great players that can take advantage of that. Elijah was really good tonight in that. I mean, he's had his times where he's gone in there and jumped out and shot some tough twos and I thought he made a couple of great twos. I thought he shot the ones on balance and when he missed them we had a chance to rebound them today. And I thought he was instrumental in making all that work from the beginning. His combination of doing that and then going into the ball screen with Fede to get it loose and on some movement opened up the floor and allowed us to Get some of those dunks when we did go away from just mismatches."
What kind of impact did Fede have tonight?: "It was the last thing I said in the locker room to them. Just like, how tremendous Fede has been, his energy and like, there was a play right at the beginning of the second half, and I showed him where Wright is dribbling down the lane and looked like he had a layup and Fede blocked it out of bounds. And like during that stretch, like this is where he's been huge for us, just his communication, his experience, his ability to navigate the middle of the floor and help our guys stay in position, and then he can make those kind of plays. And the more he gets like that, the better we'll be."
Seven wins in a row, does it feel any different than other teams you've been apart of?: "No, I mean, I've been part of a team that went 16-2 in the league, which is the most in the league's history. This is our expectation. I don't say that arrogantly. I say that humbly, knowing that it takes a lot of work and belief to do it, and how you approach every day is extremely important. And I think I just told them in the locker room, like, expect this, but like, you have to be willing to put in the work and do the things in between now and tomorrow, to put yourself in position for what we got to do on Saturday, and then you got to do it. You got to just invest everything you have into those habits that give you the best chance to win a basketball game together. And it's easier said than done."
Was holding JT out late more precautionary?: "I mean, I look at those plays, there's like a rebound play in front of the basket on our side, and like, he's such a dynamic player that it's obvious when he doesn't have the same lift or he doesn't have the same aggressiveness to the ball. And one I thought Federico was playing great, so I went down there and talked to him. They're like, coach, we're winning. Let's roll with it. I mean, they've got a great attitude toward this. That's what you want with a team like this. Originally, when you see him limp, it like that, you're like, Oh no, but from what I understand, there's quite a bit optimism there. And when he came back, and the way he felt after was significantly better than first anticipated."
"We specialize in high quality autographed sports memorabilia."
