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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: CHARLOTTE


March 16, 2018


Ed Cooley

Jalen Lindsay

Alpha Diallo

Rodney Bullock


Charlotte, North Carolina

Texas A&M - 73

Providence - 69

ED COOLEY: I appreciate you guys waiting. Lot of emotions go through your head in those types of games. First you got to give credit to Texas A&M. They played well when they had to, so congratulations to them and good luck in their next round.

As far as Providence, I don't think we played well and I think that had a lot to do with it. I just didn't feel my team played with the purpose and energy that we've played with in the past. I thought we did a great job coming out of the gate in particular in the first half, but we couldn't throw the ball in the basket so defensively I thought we did a good job. Halftime we're right where we needed to be. Cut the lead to one couple of times in the second half and couldn't get over the hump.

But when you look at the big picture, I'm really proud of the group. It's really sad that I have to see these seniors leave and, you know, do what they've done at Providence College over four years getting to the tournament. I feel like I let them down. Hopefully, I do a better job with the next group if we're fortunate to get into this game again. It's just sad. It's the finality. You don't have any more games with these guys, and I couldn't be more proud of them. But give credit to Texas A&M, they did a really good job.

I thought their length, it bothered us particularly around the rim in the second half, but I didn't -- I don't think we played the way we wanted to play and then we tried to hold on for dear life and we weren't fortunate to move on. But, you know, it's part of life. You win and you lose and you learn from the losses.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Alpha, how would you describe the impact that their front line size had on the way that you guys wanted to play the game?
ALPHA DIALLO: Their length really bothered us inside. They would throw the ball in almost every possession and when doubled they would get tough layups. We tried to limit their second shot opportunities, but as good as a team they was, they got some, got some crucial ones, too. So --

Q. Rodney, in the second half you guys finally made some shots. You made two back-to-back 3s. How frustrating was it in the first half to just not to be able to make some shots?
RODNEY BULLOCK: I mean it was frustrating not to make shots, but at the end of the day we were still in the game to win it and a few balls didn't bounce our way and they had the last punch.

Q. Jalen and Rodney, with your time here in Friar Town done, when you look back on your time as a Friar, what are you going to think about?
JALEN LINDSEY: I just think about the great memories I've had with the players that have been through here that I've played with and the players I'm currently playing with. And honestly, man, at Providence College is more than just basketball, and I think they helped me become a man and taught me life lessons along with how to be a better player. So, you know, I'm blessed to have the opportunity to go to Providence College. I'm definitely going to miss it, so --

RODNEY BULLOCK: The experience that I've had here, I've grown up and became a man. And it's just been great with all the experience playing in the Big East tournament, playing in the NCAA Tournament, feel how it feels to win. And be here five times in a row, it's something nobody will ever be able to do and it's rare. It's just been great for five years here.

THE MODERATOR: Other questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Alpha, in the second half A&M shot 68 percent Did they do anything differently in the second half offensively?
ALPHA DIALLO: I wouldn't say they did anything differently. We tried to limit them, limit their shot attempts and contest most of their shots. They're definitely getting a lot of 50/50 balls and then those led to easy 3s for them, which hurt us down the stretch.

Q. Alpha, this team had some ups and downs throughout the middle of the season but stayed up and had a great Big East tournament run. As a sophomore with this team, can you speak to what the senior class meant to getting you guys to peak at the right time this season?
ALPHA DIALLO: With the leadership of these guys -- without the leadership of these guys, I don't think we'll be anywhere close to where we are now. Kyron does a great job. Rodney, Jalen, and other guys in the locker room, they do a great job of basically leading us on and off court, telling us what to do and not to do and it sucks to lose in the First Round and having these guys, their last time here. But we're definitely going to be in the gym this summer and work on all our flaws and hopefully get back here next year for a 6th straight.

THE MODERATOR: Last question for the student-athletes.

Q. Rodney, they missed their first ten shots, but I think in that stretch you guys only got off to a 6-0 lead. Was that a little frustrating to maybe not create a little more distance at that point, even though it was fairly early?
RODNEY BULLOCK: In the game I thought we did come out with low energy. I feel like we did have a few shots there that just didn't go in. It happens at the beginning of the game. I mean, just didn't roll the way we wanted them to roll. We still had a chance to win the game, so that's it.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Rodney, Alpha, Jalen, thank you. You guys head back to the locker room. Congratulations on a great season. We'll now take questions for Coach Cooley. Who has the first question?

Q. Ed, all season long it's been tough to find the pulse of this team. Did you think that they came out the way they needed to? Obviously offensively, as you talked about you, just missed some shots, but overall, were they ready to go?
ED COOLEY: You know, normally when we're getting stops, that's when we're really efficient offensively and we just couldn't find that -- we had great shots, looks at the basket, whether it was zone or man, we were getting the shots we wanted. But part of our Achilles Heel this entire year was not being able to complete an assignment and that's missing shots. Definitely was frustrating, but at the same time, I still thought we were where we needed to be in striking distance of winning the game. And I thought Alpha hit it right on the head. Two stretches in this game that I thought was -- it was death to us. There was a 10-point swing. We missed a 3, they get a 50/50 ball, of which they had five out of seven possessions when they scored five times. That was critical. We miss a 3, they make a 3. We miss a layup, they get and a 1, game, set, match. Now you're trying to play catch-up and hoping to get a call here or there. That's the most frustrating part for me, because I don't think we played nearly as well as we needed to or had to in order to advance in this tournament.

Q. Ed, how much are you encouraged by the way that Alpha progressed this season and what he can be for the future of the program?
ED COOLEY: Alpha is a very competitive young man, very prideful, very proud of him and his development and how far he's come in a short period of time. He'll be one of the better players in the Big East, if not the best player in the Big East in time to come. This year is a great learning experience for him. I thought he grew up a lot last year as a freshman and definitely took a big, big leap this year. He'll be one of the veterans we look forward to, to lead us back next year.

Q. Ed, in terms of the Aggies' front line, 6'9", 6'10", 6'10", how unique is that and how impactful is that?
ED COOLEY: Their length was very impressive. Definitely bothered us around the rim. They blocked four, five jump shots that I haven't seen anybody in our league do. But, you know, their length was big, but at the same time Providence didn't play the game it needed to. I didn't coach the game I needed to. Hopefully, again I said next year we get an opportunity to be in this game again. Their length is pretty impressive and definitely bothered us.

Q. You talked about needing to boxout to get those rebounds and everything. Big difference in the rebound totals today. What was -- was it that, was it something else that kind of caused it?
ED COOLEY: We missed a lot of shots in the second half. That was for sure. Even though we were checking out and I thought we did a decent job, they had length rebounds, you know, they had length rebounds. There's really nothing you can do. That's God's gift to them. It's really nothing you can do about it. You keep encouraging your kids but you know when you got 7-6 wing length and 7-5 wing length, that's genetics. It's like you. You're short, I'm tall. That's your problem. That was our problem today. We weren't long enough in some of the balls they got.

THE MODERATOR: Other questions? Okay. Thank you, Coach.

ED COOLEY: Thank you.

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