NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL FINAL: USC VS GONZAGA

March 30, 2021

Jalen Suggs

Lucas Oil Stadium - Equality Court (North)

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Elite 8 Postgame Media Conference

Gonzaga - 85, USC - 66

Q. Congratulations on the win, Jalen. I was just wondering, you guys are one of the best offensive teams -- of course, you guys know that. How much has Coach emphasized defense, the importance of defense, in this tournament?

JALEN SUGGS: A lot. That's a piece we've been working on, and I feel like we've gotten better every day. It's showing now. We started to crack the top ten in D around the country late in the season, and it's continuing to get better every night. When we lock in on that end, we can be excellent.

That's a piece we've really tried to improve on, and I think that's helping us a lot in some of the wins we've gotten in the past couple games.

Q. I think the guys are the third team since 1976 to get to the Final Four undefeated. Can you just describe what this year has been like and what this accomplishment has been like to know you're in such select company?

JALEN SUGGS: It's been challenging, but this group of guys here have made it a lot easier. And us being away from family for a majority of the year, I didn't get to see them or have fans at our games until the last couple of games of the regular season.

It's been really challenging, but through it all, we've done a great job of staying together. Our team chemistry and our brotherhood really helped pass the time and make it all a lot easier. Just getting to this point is extremely special. We want to celebrate, but we have two more we need to get done, and we're taking it one game at a time.

Q. How exactly did you finagle that net around your neck?

JALEN SUGGS: Coach Few gave it to me. I thought he was going to give it to me for a second, and he said, no, you keep it. I didn't want to carry it, so I kind of just threw it on my neck.

Q. Just on Nembhard, what does it mean to you that a guy comes in two days before your first game, tries to make himself a part of the team, tries to build a relationship, comes off the bench, and now is starting in the tournament, plays great against Creighton. What's it mean to you to see how he's progressed throughout the year?

JALEN SUGGS: From the day Andrew came in, we all embraced him with open arms. Me especially, I was extremely excited to have him. Playing with another guard who can handle it. Andrew's one of the best point guards in the nation. I don't think he gets talked about enough. Man, he's good. I've seen it with my own eyes all year long.

So this is no surprise to me. I don't think it's any surprise to anyone in our locker room. Andrew's a great player. He's a great basketball mind and is a big piece in what we've got going on right now. Seeing other guys play like that, it makes me better and makes the whole team better.

Q. Talk about attacking the USC zone. Their reputation, statistic ally and otherwise, was to stop points in the paint, two-point percentage. How did you guys attack that zone, and what was so successful?

JALEN SUGGS: We just tried to stay moving. The more stagnant we got, the more the ball started to stick, and the easier it was for them to defend us. When we were moving and guys flash in the high post and didn't get it, they're popping up. We had somebody else come in and flash, it was just a lot for them to deal with. We were getting really open floaters, good cuts on the baseline, vertical cuts off the wings.

Again, we were really moving in unison. Drew did a good job ducking in Evan on a lot of those that kind of took the shot blocker out of the way so we could have easy lanes. We were working together all night, not letting the ball get too sticky. We really did a good job, especially in the first half, in breaking that zone down.

Q. I know you just talked about how you guys manipulated their zone a little bit, but you putting up a stat like you did tonight, where you almost had a triple double, what did you see in the zone? How were you able to work on that on the offensive side and get your teammates involved? Everybody on your team had a fingerprint in today's win. It wasn't just a single stat by you or Drew. You got everyone involved. I know you're not concerned about it, but how did you manage to pull off the numbers and get the team going?

JALEN SUGGS: Just trying to play basketball, just trying to make the simple right play. A lot of the guys ended up finishing a lot of the threes and cuts and layups and things like that to help me get that. You can't have assist numbers like that or really open looks that I got a lot of the game without the rest of the guys on the court.

So, again, like I said, just playing together, not letting the ball get too sticky, everybody moving around. Whoever gets the assist, gets the assist. Whoever gets the bucket, gets the bucket. When we get back, get a defensive stop, and come do it again.

Q. Hey, Jalen, I know the job's not done here. You guys have two more games to win, but just kind of as you reflect -- obviously, you guys have had a lot of time on your hands. As you reflect on your own decision to come to Gonzaga, kind of break convention for a really highly rated guy like you, what stands out to you about that choice? Is it what you imagined?

JALEN SUGGS: Yeah. I mean, coming here, I knew that we were going to win. Gonzaga historically has always won and gotten to the tournament and has been a great team in the tournament. So that was one of the main things, but also, again, I always talk about it. It's the family piece. I didn't want to come and be another piece of the puzzle just so they could use me for these six, seven months, get wins, and kind of ship me off to the next part of my journey.

From the day these guys started recruiting me, they were straight. They were up front. They treated me like I was one of their own honestly. Like I was part of their family from day one. I saw Geno come in, and he told me how much he loved it. I saw how much fun he was having and how much he grew as a player after coming here. He was already great, but I think that over the years the coaches have done a great job of developing their guys and getting them better.

That's exactly what they've done with me. Looking back on it, this is the best decision I ever made. I miss football every day, but I couldn't see myself anywhere but here right now.

Q. I wanted to ask if you watched the women's game last night between UConn and Baylor and if you had texted Paige a little bit and you were wondering if her exploding on the court motivated you at all tonight?

JALEN SUGGS: Of course. I was extremely nervous all game. I was pacing back and forth. I couldn't sit down. Yeah, I had it on, and then I texted her after, and we FaceTimed and talked for a little bit.

Last night, she said some things that really helped me. I've been kind of struggling, trying to get my footing in these tournament games. Of course, seeing her go out there and play great like she did and then talking afterwards, she kind of said some words, it kind of got me uplifted. It got me going. Definitely helped tonight. Yeah, it's a great game last night. She's the GOAT for a reason. Yeah, I was definitely tuned in.

Q. What was it like you guys being undefeated and being part of history, I think you're part of like Indiana and Kentucky and all that? What's it like being part of that? I know you guys have two games left. So I guess that's what's exciting.

JALEN SUGGS: It's great. It's hard not to think about it. We try to keep our minds off of it and keep focused on the task at hand. It's a great accomplishment to be mentioned with those teams because they're amazing. Again, we just come in every day to play to the Gonzaga standard and for each other. I mean, this is the result that we get from that.

So we're not chasing anybody or anything. We're just coming in and trying to get better every day and have fun with each other out here on the court.

Q. How much of a tone does Drew Timme set for you guys when he's performing like at both ends like he did tonight?

JALEN SUGGS: Man, he gets us all going. He gets us all fired up. He gets us going. That's my best impression of the mustache celebration, and we all feed off of it. We all run with him.

He was dominant today, especially early, man. He came out and set the tone, attacking Evan on the inside, and on the defensive end, man, with the steal to start the game off. Like, what, Drew with the pickpocket? No, he was great tonight. He was spectacular like always. His impact is massive. We all feed off of one another, and that's what gets us going every night.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time, Jalen.