NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - ABILENE CHRISTIAN VS TEXAS

March 20, 2021

Matt Coleman

Lucas Oil Stadium - Unity Court (South)

Texas Longhorns

Postgame Media Conference

Abilene Christian - 53, Texas - 52

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions.

Q. Have you made a decision to come back for another year and I know it's early but what moment stands out to you about your career at Texas?

MATT COLEMAN: I haven't made no decision. I'm focused on just my guys and what just happened, unfortunately. And it was, I enjoyed every second of it, every minute of it and it damn sure didn't end the way I wanted it to end.

Q. What are the emotions going through your head, what are you thinking right now, what are you feeling after that?

MATT COLEMAN: It just doesn't feel real. I feel like I'm going to wake up from a bad dream.

Q. I know it's tough and disappointing, but what did you say to your guys, what were the conversations after the game or were there any?

MATT COLEMAN: It wasn't much. Just a lot of guys just, you could tell we wanted it, had a special group, special group of guys, just I think our goal it just wasn't accomplished, so if you don't accomplish your goal in life, you don't feel too good.

Q. The turnovers that y'all had tonight do you have any explanation for those, because it just seemed like so many weird plays that you guys usually don't have. Was it just their defense is so active they sped you up so much or what do you think it was for the team?

MATT COLEMAN: Yeah, credit to their defense. Couple bad calls, yeah.

Q. Was there anything that Abilene Christian did that surprised you tonight or was it anything that just was, did you expect tonight?

MATT COLEMAN: You expected that. It's March. They're in the tournament for a reason. I expected to get their best shot, I mean just playing with a loose mentality, and, yeah, just the ball didn't fall in our favor today.

Q. You touched on it briefly earlier but were you a little surprised at how kind of how nervous everybody looked early on and were you trying to get guys to just settle down and settle in?

MATT COLEMAN: Wasn't quite surprised. Like I said last week, it was going to happen. And I still think that we fought, we just played too many mistakes in a make or miss game.

Q. I know you guys probably saw on tape what they do with the hard hedging and things like that object defense. Why do you think that gave you guys some trouble in the half court and also too what was going through your head that final sequence, that scramble for the rebound at the end of the game and they end up calling a foul on you?

MATT COLEMAN: I mean, it was a loose ball, we both went for it, he got to the ball first and he threw it up and they called a foul on me. The ref called a foul so I guess it was a foul. Yeah.

Q. You guards yourself Courtney and drew are the barometer of this team and you guys just didn't take care of the ball like you usually do. How bad is this going to be going into the off-season, knowing that you were playing as good as anyone in the country and came up short tonight?

MATT COLEMAN: It hurts. Like I said, I just feel like a bad dream. I haven't woke up yet.

Q. Jericho he only had three shots, only got one in the second half. I can't imagine if I told you that before the game started you would have believed me. How do you think that happened? How did Jericho he not get -- how did y'all not get Jericho he more touches?

MATT COLEMAN: I'll have to look at it on tape. Just it was a rough, it was an ugly game.

Q. How would you describe the season as a whole? You guys hit like a No. 4 ranking, you win the Maui, you win the Big-12 tournament, you guys get that No. 9 at the end of the regular season and then this. As a whole how would you describe how this season was for you?

MATT COLEMAN: It was exciting. We had our highs, we had our lows, just feel like I failed my team for the expectations that we set and I set for myself and my team and I feel like I failed it.

Q. I know you and Coach Smart are extremely close, what do you say to those folks that say it's time for him to go?

MATT COLEMAN: They're not in the locker room every day. He built a culture here. He can't win a game, he's not on the court. His guys just didn't play up to their skill set, their what we know we can play at. It's not on him. I failed him.