Press Conference Quotes | NCAA Tournament Central
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Let 'em keep doubting.
A Baylor team that was picked ninth in the 10-team Big 12, and given up for dead when sophomore center
Tristan Clark suffered a season-ending knee injury, is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in the last six years and eighth time in the
Scott Drew era.
The Bears (19-13), who defied all odds with a fourth-place finish in league play, are seeded ninth in the West Regional and will face eighth-seeded Syracuse (20-13) at approximately 9 p.m. CDT Thursday in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"Seeing their excitement and joy of being able to know they're playing in March, that's what all that hard work is for," Drew said Sunday when the selections were announced. "Now, they have the chance to be a part of the best spectacle in sports."
After watching last year's selection show and not getting picked, senior guard
King McClure said, "made us not want to ever experience that again."
"Guys like myself, Mark (Vital) and Tristan and Jake (Lindsey), they did a great job of getting the younger guys and new guys acclimated and telling them the feeling we felt last year at this time was a feeling you never want to experience," he said. "This is what we have to do in order to keep that from happening. Credit to them, they stuck with it made sure it didn't happen again. So, I'm proud of them."
This is a Baylor team that has dealt with adversity all year, starting with Lindsey missing his senior season following offseason hip surgery and complications with his shoulder. Clark suffered his knee injury on Jan. 8, then McClure and grad transfer
Makai Mason have been in and out of the lineup since early February with knee and foot injuries, respectively.
"They really maximized their ability as far as playing for one another and really bought into serving one another and caring more about the team than themselves," Drew said. "Individually, talent-wise, people had us picked ninth or 10
thfor a reason. I really think the guys competed hard. As a coach, you always can hang your hat and go to bed at night knowing that as long as a guy's played hard, that's half the battle."
McClure said he "never doubted us," not even when Clark went down in the second conference game of the season.
"I had faith in my teammates, and I believe in them," said McClure, making his third NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth consecutive trip to postseason. "One thing about this team is we have a lot of guys who up and like the big moments, like
Jared Butler,
Devonte Bandoo . . .
Freddie Gillespie. Just seeing people like that come to work every day and work so hard, they're ready when their name is called. When Tristan went down, they stepped up. That's why I have faith in them."
The Bears go into the NCAA Tournament on a four-game losing streak, but they lost on the road at Kansas and Kansas State and bowed out of the Big 12 Championship with an 83-66 loss to an Iowa State team that won it all.
"I don't necessarily think we've been playing terrible," Drew said. "I think in every game, there's been areas where we didn't do enough to win, but there's no sense of we're struggling or we're falling apart. I think there's more urgency now because none of us want to be one game and done and none of us want to end the season on a losing streak. But, I don't think there's been a panic or anything like that."
Syracuse also struggled down the stretch, losing seven of its last 11 games, but also won road games at Duke and Ohio State. Junior guard Tyus Battle, the team's leading scorer at 17.2 points per game, should be close to 100 percent after sitting out the two ACC Tournament games with a back injury.
Baylor is 0-2 all-time against the Orange, including a 74-67 loss on Nov. 27, 2013, in the championship game of the Maui Invitational in Hawaii.
"He's a very good coach, they've been good for a while now," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said of Drew and the Bears. "At one point, they were playing as good as anybody in the Big 12. They had a stretch where they played really well. That's a very tough conference this year, and they acquitted themselves very well in that conference."
Known for its patented zone defense under Boeheim, an 11
th-seeded Syracuse team held TCU, Michigan State and Duke to under 22 percent shooting from outside the arc in last year's surprising run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
"Anytime you're playing this time of the year, you're excited," Drew said. "And No. 2, whenever you play a team with a Hall of Fame coach and a national brand, you don't worry about exciting your guys or telling them how good they are. It makes it really easy. Now, you can just focus on the X's and O's part of things."
This will be Mason's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since he scored a then career-high 31 points in Yale's upset of fifth-seeded Baylor three years ago. He transferred to Baylor this summer as a grad transfer and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors, averaging a team-high 14.6 points and 3.5 assists.
"Just to be back on this stage is going to be really fun, especially with this team," Mason said. "We've been doubted from the beginning. So, just to put it together through that, it will be even more special to be there again."
The deadline for NCAA Tournament ticket requests is 5 p.m. Monday. If you are a Bear Foundation or season ticket holder, you can request tickets for the 1
stand 2
ndrounds, the regional in Anaheim, Calif., and the Final Four in Minneapolis, Minn., through your online ticket account.
BAYLOR PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Head Coach Scott Drew
Opening statement …
"Any time you're playing this time of year, you're excited. Whenever you play a team with a Hall of Fame coach and a national brand, you don't have to worry about exciting your guys. It makes it really easy, now you can just focus on the X's and O's part of things. As a coach, you always think you can win every game. The Big 12 Tournament will really help to prepare us for the NCAA tournament because it's run the exact same way. I think our guys can know what's coming and be much more prepared for it.
The team really maximized the ability as far as playing for one another and really bought into serving one another and caring more about the team than themselves. Individually, talent-wise, people had us picked 9
th or 10
th for a reason, I really think the guys competed hard. As a whole, one thing we usually did is compete. As a coach, you always can hang your hat and go to bed at night knowing that as long as a guy's played hard, that's half the battle. Seeing their excitement and joy of being able to know they're playing in March, that's what all that hard work is for. Now they have the chance to play a part of the best spectacle in sports.
On missing the NCAA Tournament last year …
Last year, being one of the first four out wasn't very much fun. It's great to know where you're going, who you're playing, and most of all, to see the excitement on the guys' faces and to know that all their hard work was worth it to achieve a goal like this. Our fans have been outstanding all year long, win or lose, they really appreciated the guys' efforts. As a coach I really appreciate that.
On overcoming injuries throughout the year …
The fact that we know what we have going into it makes this a lot easier for us as a coaching staff and team to know what kind of roles you're looking at. The good thing is, all along [Makai] knew once we got to this point in the season, he was all in. With Makai, the bigger the game, the better he plays. I know he'll be more than excited to play, and it'll be great to have him.
On the four-game losing streak …
"I don't necessarily think we've been playing terrible. I think in each game, there's been areas where we didn't do enough to win, but there's no sense of falling apart. There's more urgency because none of us want to be one game and out or end the season on a losing streak. After a six-game winning streak, I think we've tapered off defensively. The tournament is always a breath of fresh air, because you're not coming down the court where they're calling out your plays for you."
On King McClure getting back to full strength …
"Each game, each practice, each day since he's been back, gives him to chance to get back to where he was at. It just takes a little time. The more you do something, the more you get a rhythm and a routine. Each year you have different routines and different adjustments, so I think we'll stay true to what we've done that has worked for this team."
On Jared Butler …
"I think Jared has had to step up and take on a bigger role and because of that, it's put him in a much better position to be successful. Coming from a program that played elite talent and is used to winning and used to being coached, it's made it easier for his adjustment. There's always ups and downs, there's different challenges each and every year. At this end of the season, hopefully you have this feeling of knowing you're going to postseason. Each time you get rewarded with an NCAA tournament berth, you want to advance and win and stay in it because of how fun it is."
Redshirt junior forward Freddie Gillespie
On being selected for the NCAA Tournament …
"It's huge. Just to see it all come together after last year, seeing how that season worked out and being able to put in the work in the summertime and all the extra work pay off is amazing. It's something I've dreamed about, something I've imagined. Living it out now, it's just something I really thank God for. I remember praying to get to a moment like this."
On the Big 12 Championship game vs. Iowa State …
"If I had to point out one primary thing that held us back, it was definitely the defensive part. I think they just happened to click that day, and when teams are clicking, you've got to play harder and really grind out defense. It's something that's been addressed, we all recognize it, so it's something we're going to improve on."
Redshirt senior guard Makai Mason
On earning an NCAA Tournament bid …
"Just to be back on the stage is going to be really fun, especially with this team. We've been doubted from the beginning, so just to put it together after all that, it'll be even more special to be there again. It's a pretty amazing feeling to have it all culminate to the moment that we just had, and seeing our name go up there. This team has been doubted all year with the injuries and everything. It really shows the true character of this team, to fight every game throughout the season and continuing to get better."
Advice he wishes he would've received heading into his first NCAA tournament …
"Every possession matters so much, especially at this time of year. It all adds up in the end, it's not the last shot that's going to make the difference, it's every little play that builds up to it. Not letting the media attention get the best of you. Once you step into the arena, there's media following you wherever you go. So just to handle that well and be ready for that."
When it's one and done, is it a different type of pressure? …
"If you stay locked in and know that you're going to have to have great teamwork to get the end result that you want, that's what you've got to stay focused on."
Senior guard King McClure
On being selected to the NCAA Tournament …
"It's a moment you dream of as a kid and it feels good to be back after last year. We're ready.
Syracuse is a great team, a great school. They have a lot of history in their program, but at the end of the day, it's just basketball. They put their shoes on just like we do. Last year motivated us a lot. That feeling that we felt, the same day, watching the selection show and not seeing our name called made us not want to experience that again. I think the leaders did a great job of getting the younger guys and new guys acclimated and telling them what we had to do to keep last year from happening again. They stuck with it and made sure it didn't happen again, so I'm proud of them."
On earning an NCAA Tournament berth after being projected to finish ninth in the Big 12 …
"I never doubted us. I figured we would get there. After we lost to Texas Southern and SFA, a lot of people doubted us, but I never did. I said we were going to make a run. I have a lot of faith in my teammates and I believe in them. One thing about this team is that we have a lot of guys who step up, who like the big moments, like
Jared Butler,
Devonte Bandoo. They come to play every game. Seeing what they are capable of and what they can do makes me really inspired and motivated. It makes me want to believe in them even more. They're ready when their name is called and they step up. That's why I believe in them."
Advice he wishes he would've received heading into his first NCAA tournament …
"It's really a one game season at this point. If you lose you go home. Stay in the moment, stay locked in, don't look too far ahead."
On Jared Butler …
"
Jared Butler is a gamer. He steps on the court and gets buckets. He's really talented. I didn't know he was going to be that good, but he's like a little brother. One thing about him is he listens. He doesn't think he's too good to ask for advice or come to me if he needs something. He's always open to advice, so I always talk to him. He's matured a lot in decision making and shot taking. I'm excited to see where this journey is going to take him."