NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - MARYLAND VS UCONN

March 20, 2021

Mark Turgeon

Mackey Arena

Maryland Terrapins

Postgame Media Conference

Maryland - 63, UConn - 54

THE MODERATOR: We'll begin with an opening statement from Coach Turgeon and go to questions.

COACH TURGEON: Obviously we're very excited, very pleased with our effort tonight. Our guys played with great toughness, really defended. We didn't rebound very well, especially the first ten minutes, we couldn't get a rebound. But we got better as the game went on. Our defense got better as the game went on.

And we made just enough shots and got some layups and made some free throws, and I think beat a really, really good team, a team that's been really hot, playing really well with Bouknight healthy. Guys were locked in defensively. Just a great win for us. To be 4-9 in league and now have a win in the NCAA Tournament against a really good team, it's a great night for Maryland basketball.

Q. I know Eric's been a very important part of your team, a big asset to the team all season. Did you notice anything the last, I don't know, 48 hours that leads you to believe that you would come out as fired as he did today?

COACH TURGEON: We need him to score. We need a lot of guys to score for us to be good. But, no, our guys have been good all week. We felt we played well. We beat a Michigan State team pretty easily. And then we played maybe arguably the best team in the country, Michigan. We had them down in the first half and competed a little bit.

So we had confidence coming into this even though we went 1-1 in the Big Ten Tournament. We played a lot of great teams this year. So we were prepared.

No, Eric got it going. Eric got it going. And then he picked up his second foul. I thought Wigs made big shots. Darryl made a big 3. Donta made some good plays. And later in the game we went back to Eric and he made a lot of great decisions and a lot of great plays for us.

Q. I know the other day when we were talking in the media you said six weeks ago it didn't look so good for the Terps and you guys rallied and fought and got it together. Now to see you're one of the last 32 teams still standing. The job you've had to do this year, the job you've all had to do as a group, how does it feel for you and how does it feel for the whole team?

COACH TURGEON: Yeah, it's a grind of all grinds. It's always a grind. But when you're picked 12th in a great league and you start out 1-5 and 4-9, it's, woo, it's kind of scary. And we sat around talked last night, we're not dumb. We all thought this wasn't going to happen. But we stayed the course. We stayed positive. We kept trying to get better. We started with our defense. Our offense has come a long ways. It's still not great.

So guys are really proud of themselves. We all stuck together. You know, we've become incredibly tough-minded and tough physically. And we really lock in on defense. It's the only chance we have. It's really the only chance we have. If we don't guard we have no chance.

So it's been great to see. We had a really good stretch, won five in a row, then we took a couple nights off. Didn't play particularly great. And then we've been getting better in the postseason. Just really happy for the guys because every player and every coach -- and we're fortunate we get to play basketball, I get it -- but it's been the grind of all grinds for all of us. So to be able to keep playing is really great. For a team that wasn't supposed to even make the postseason, it's good for us.

Q. You turn around and got to play an Alabama team that can shoot the ball. What's the message to your team? You have to turn around and not a lot of time to prepare. You guys having a chance for that, too, what's the overall message right now?

COACH TURGEON: Right now it's enjoy this one. Are you kidding me? It's so hard for us to win. We're going to enjoy the heck out of this one. I'm sure my assistants -- I haven't watched a second of Alabama. I watched a little of their championship game, saw them a few times this year. They're terrific.

To me, they're the fifth No. 1 seed, if there is five No. 1 seeds. They won their league and their conference tournament. That's remarkable. They've had an extraordinary year, so talented. I'll start working on it on the bus home maybe. I want to enjoy it as long as I can. And we'll start getting prepared for them tomorrow.

Q. Do your players have a chip on their shoulder? Do they look at the experts that kind of across the board took UConn and say, hey, we can show people?

COACH TURGEON: Well, if you look at it, they finished third in the Big East. They've got a great player in Bouknight and they've been winning. And it's probably the way it is. Yeah, but did it put a chip on our guys' shoulders? It probably did. Absolutely. We talked about it last night.

It started when we were picked 12th in the league. And they were close to being right. But if we had won those last two games we would have finished sixth. But we've kind of overachieved all of our expectations and continued to do so. So that's fun when you're doing it. But our guys are locked in.

Our guys love each other. And a lot of coaches say that but our guys truly do. For so many guys that don't play a minute to be so supportive and be great. And you sense it every day.

So, yeah, is there a little bit of a chip? Absolutely. But we're also just so thrilled to be here. We're just trying to enjoy the moments because it got taken away last year. We just talked about how fortunate we are to be playing and a lot of people would love to be in our shoes. So let's make the most of it.

Q. This was expected to be really a defensive game but you guys were able to shoot 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep. What was the emphasis that kind of you placed with the guys in terms of exploiting this UConn defense?

COACH TURGEON: Well, we just -- sometimes we get a little bit selfish and we don't move the ball. And it's constantly just move the ball, move your bodies. Try to get downhill, play inside/out, make the right decision. It's a constant fight. And, you know, at this time of year you've got to get a great shot for your team every possession.

And we did a pretty good job at that. We had some turnovers out there and not great decisions. We had some really bad possessions where we couldn't even hardly get a shot off. You've got to give UConn credit; they were terrific.

So offense is it's an everyday battle. And just trying to get the guys to keep sharing the ball. We have to do it, because we've got to score some points to win. Our defense can't shut anybody out. But today they really shared it. Eric got going. And we made some big-time shots out there. And we were able to get to the foul line late and were able to get layups late. Those are always good for you.

Q. Mark, I know they had 22 offensive boards but you held them to 32 percent shooting. Would it be fair to say -- and they had a season low in points -- would it be fair to say this was your best defensive effort this season?

COACH TURGEON: We've had a lot of good ones. We've had a lot of good defensive efforts. I think where we were fortunate tonight is on those 18 offensive rebounds in the first half. They hardly had any second-chance points. And they only had four in the second half and got -- I know Sanogo got a putback there.

Kept battling, kept battling. But from 18-4 in the second half was a big step for us. Our guys started to box out long shots and long rebounds and those kind of things. It was best defensive effort. I thought we guarded the ball because those two little guards are special with the ball. I thought we did a great job with them.

And I thought we did a great job putting our hands back and taking it in the chest all night. And that's a credit to our guys playing smart defensively, too.

Q. How concerned were you about the rebounding issue on those first few possessions or really the first ten minutes? And what do you feel like changed other than just effort, maybe, I don't know?

COACH TURGEON: I think the game slowed down a little bit. We guarded the ball better. We adjusted defensively. We changed the things defensively that helped us keep inside position on the boards. And then the guys just said enough's enough. Let's start rebounding.

And one they took right out of Wiggins' hands. He had the rebound, that was one of their four offensive rebounds. And it ended up being his third foul, I believe. If you're in my huddle and you're in our meetings and our practices, we talk about, it's been a battle for us. And the guys just have to have a want-to to be physical and box out.

And Reese Mona went in there, and maybe that's when it changed. Reese went in there and he's given up eight inches, ten inches and he's sitting on the guys' legs out and pushing him out. Maybe that rubbed off on the rest of us.

Q. You've talked to us a lot this season how good teams make opponents pay for their mistakes. It seems like on a bunch of occasions in the first half whether it was Aaron getting a wide-open 3 or Eric getting a wide open 3, you guys buried those open looks. Just how pivotal was that to build moment in the first half, building into the second half?

COACH TURGEON: Yeah, it's everything. When you can't make shots it's demoralizing no matter how well you're playing defensively. We have had some games where we don't make those shots. Guys were fresh. We had six days to get ready -- seven, eight days, whatever it was. And we played inside/out. We did a really nice job of getting in the paint and making some plays and getting guys open looks.

But when it went from, I think, down one, they banked in a 3, to plus 9. That was a really, really good stretch for us right before the half. Thought we could have built it up a little more. But had a couple of bad possessions. But, yeah, when you make shots it makes you look good.

Q. Your guys played obviously a bit of a shorter bench tonight, kind of as you usually have. Galin Smith got the one bench point tonight. How important is it going to be for that group to step up in the next game against Alabama?

COACH TURGEON: They're going to have to. Obviously Galin is going to be excited. He comes from Alabama; he knows those guys. They know his game, too. But it would be nice. And then Jairus never really got in the flow tonight, but he's a big part of who we are. I imagine his minutes will go up. He played 16 tonight.

And we've got a lot of confidence in Reese. It's quick turnaround but it's not back-to-back. So we've got probably a little less than 48 hours -- I don't know when the game is going to be -- to get ready. But we need all eight for us to be successful.

Q. Free throws, 71 percent from the 3-point line, from the free-throw line, is that something you've been working on a lot, because I know during the season you've been struggling with that a little bit, the free-throw line?

COACH TURGEON: Yeah, we struggled with a lot of stuff this year but we just keep fighting. I was happy the guys made them. Jairus missed both. Galin went -- so we were 1-for-4 in the stretch. What was really big was Darryl made his two and that got us going. Remember in this building against Purdue we went 10-for-22 from the foul line I believe. And Darryl missed two right at the beginning of the game.

For him at the same basket to make those two free throws shows growth, shows mental toughness. And we got a lane violation on one and which helped. And Eric was able to get another free throw there.

Yeah, that was a big step for us, make free throws make open 3s, take care of the ball. It's hard to win this time of year. So you've got to do all those things to get a victory.

Q. It seems as if your team's kind of like the reflection of their leaders, yourself and Darryl, and you guys seem to be very scrappy. I mean, this was kind of a scrappy game and you guys ended up coming out on top. Can you talk about how scrappy this team is? I don't know why I like that word.

COACH TURGEON: Yeah, we have to be. It's who we are. We've got some really, really tough guys. Then we have some guys that aren't so tough that are playing tough. So it's the only chance we have. It's the only chance we have.

Our talent level's not where it's been. But our toughness is at an all-time high. We're really truly playing without a true point guard out there and doing it by committee. Different guys are bringing the ball up the court.

So, yeah, I mean, this is who we are. Playing with great toughness. But we're also playing with great confidence and positive energy, which is what we've had to do when you're playing in such a tough league and you're outmanned most nights. You have to do that. So give the league credit. The league's prepared us for a lot of things. But we've got a little toughness and, your word, we are a little bit scrappy.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.