NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - TEXAS A&M-CC VS ALABAMA

March 15, 2023

Steve Lutz

Legacy Arena

Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right. We're joined by Steve Lutz. He's going to give us an opening statement.

COACH LUTZ: Well, thanks for being here. Obviously we're excited about the opportunity to continue our journey here in the NCAA Tournament. Obviously Alabama is the No. 1 overall seed and is a really, really good basketball team that's very well-coached and has great players. So we know that we're kind of up against it a little bit. But that's why you do this, that's why we play this tournament. You have an opportunity to come into what will essentially be a home environment for them and shock the world, so we're excited about the opportunity.

Q. How tough is it getting here more late than other teams and then, like you said, a home environment. It's kind of a double negative. What do you tell your guys with that?

COACH LUTZ: I tell them be thankful to be here and don't bitch. There are a lot of teams sitting at home that are wanting this opportunity. It is what it is. They deserve to have every opportunity afforded them, they are the No. 1 seed and overall seed in the tournament. We had to play the playing game to get here. I wouldn't trade this for anything. We have a chance to go play them, and everybody in the country and most of the world will know who the heck we are if we beat them tomorrow. This is what you dream about when you're a little kid. This is what you dream about when you're a coach. You have this opportunity. So you have to enjoy every moment. Life's too short not to do that.

Q. You mentioned everyone would know you guys if you pull it off tomorrow. Have you talked to the team about the UMBC-Virginia game from a couple years back, the last time and I think the only time.

COACH LUTZ: We have not talked specifically about the UMBC game. As I said before in other interviews, we have been on the road at Mississippi State and had the lead. We have been on the road at Arizona and had the lead when they were top five in the country. We have been to Notre Dame, on and on and on. The difference is we're not going to get a guarantee check for this game. But if we win this game, it's more important than any guarantee check that you're going to get. I promise you that. We talk about living in the present. We talk about enjoying the moment. We talk about doing your best every single day. If you do your best and we beat Alabama, man, they will never ever forget it. If they do their best and they lose to Alabama, they will forget it because they did their best. And that's what matters.

Q. With your team and the current makeup, the guys were mentioning you have a couple bigs hurt right now. What's the recipe for the upset. What are you going to have to do?

COACH LUTZ: I think we'll all go to Mass before the game. We'll start there. But no. We've had some injuries. We lost Terrion Murdix, he's a First Team All-League Player, he's a Defensive of the Year in our league. That hurts. But we beat Northwestern State without him; we beat Southeast Missouri without him. Now, I would be an idiot to think that Southeast Missouri State and Northwestern State, no offense to them, are of the same quality and caliber as Alabama. We have to do what we do every single game. We have to get ourselves easy opportunities on the offensive end through our defense, and then we've got to get our butts back in transition and not allow them to excel, because they are fantastic in transition. You got to guard the three-point line with these guys. Almost every other shot is a three. And that's different for post players because post players typically run back to the rim. Well, now you have to run back and guard somebody who can shoot a three. So you have to make some adjustments there. You can't foul them and put them to the free-throw line. And we obviously have been one of the better free-throw shooting teams in the country. We have gotten to the foul line at a high rate, and that's been a great recipe for success for us. We have to stick to what we do and be great at it.

Q. What did you talk about stepping up in the absence of several players that are absent, Jalen Jackson has shouldered a lot of the scoring for you guys the last two games. He had his career-high last night in winning against Southeast Missouri. What have you seen from him and how has he been able to pick it up and add to what you do without Murdix?

COACH LUTZ: Jalen Jackson, this is his fourth NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, he was on the other team, he was at North Texas when they beat us when I was at Purdue. We were a 4-seed, they were a 9-seed. He's got a lot of experience. And he's a really good basketball player. The thing about it is we played both point guards together, we played Murdix and we played him. He didn't get as many opportunities to score, but now the ball's in his hands a little bit more and he's taking advantage of it. He's as powerful and fast a downhill driver as I have coached in a while. So he's got physical abilities and now he's getting a chance to showcase his talent. Couldn't be more excited for him. And for him to make all the free throws last night, man, that got us over the hump. I'm obviously very thankful for that.

Q. Coach, what are your thoughts on facing Brandon Miller and having to have the guys guard him tomorrow?

COACH LUTZ: I was kind of hoping he would get the flu or something tonight, not to wish ill will upon the young man. I think he's fantastic. We're going to all have to all guard Brandon Miller. I know there's a lot of good coaches they have played this year, and they have all tried to guard Brandon Miller, and it wasn't always successful. Again, kind of like I said a minute ago, we have to do our best. You can't put one person on Brandon Miller and expect to hold him below his average. It's going to have to be a team effort. And we're always going to have to know where he's at. And give the guy his credit. He has a chance to have a lengthy, lengthy NBA career.

THE MODERATOR: Okay, Coach, thanks and good luck.