NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST FOUR

March 19, 2024

Tra'Michael Moton

Jourdan Smith

UD Arena

Grambling State Tigers

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Grambling.

Q. Jourdan, talk about the excitement and the week and being here, an historic moment for Grambling State?

JOURDAN SMITH: It's an exciting moment. We've been on the road two weeks before this. We're kind of getting used to it. But at the same time it's still the first time in program history. There's been a lot of emotions going on this road trip lately.

Q. Tra'Michael, your excitement?

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: It's going to be a great experience for us. We're looking forward to everything and being in the moment.

Q. Just curious about what kind of emotions your team has had the last couple of days, making it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time, and how you have processed all of those coming into this week?

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: It's been very exciting. We're very happy to get a chance to come out and show our talents on March Madness. It's going to be wonderful.

JOURDAN SMITH: It's been really exciting with the championship being a couple of days ago, but at the same time we know we still have things to do. It was a lot of happiness, but there's still more work to do.

Q. Curious about what the preparation for Montana State has looked like since Sunday. What stuck out about them on film that you guys know that your team will have to be mindful of?

JOURDAN SMITH: They score the ball a whole lot. They have a whole lot of shooters. We've been focusing on closing out more farther than normal, stunting to the guy -- if that's not your man, stunting to the guy. You might have to take him instead of just stunting. They have shooters, so we have to get out of there quicker than normal.

Q. Just curious, you guys played a handful of teams that are already in the tournament. How do you think that experience will help you as you guys experience your first-ever tournament experience?

JOURDAN SMITH: I feel it helped a whole lot. Coach said that coming into it, he made our schedule specifically for us to come to the tournament. He also said he put Dayton on our schedule ahead of the season because he knew once we get to the tournament we'll be here. So he was just setting everything up so he could get used to it before it happens.

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: Just like he said, he prepared us for moments just like this, so we can come in and be better prepared.

Q. For those unfamiliar, are you able to take us through what kind of team identity you guys like to have or believe that you have? And maybe the second part to that, what kind of identity does Coach Jackson have? What's he like to play for?

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: Defense, really. Come out, be aggressive, play defense. The defense is always going to be with us. The offense is not always going to be with us, but defense is going to turn into offense.

JOURDAN SMITH: Just like he said, a whole lot of defense, a whole lot of energy. Coach always says basketball starts on defense. You can get turnovers and stops that creates your offense. Like he said, defense wins games.

Q. Jourdan, you mentioned the experience playing in Dayton. You were out during that game but just the atmosphere, do you feel like that will be an advantage looking ahead towards tomorrow night?

JOURDAN SMITH: Definitely because coming into games like that you already know what to expect. I didn't play but at the same time I understood how it felt, and it looked like almost a sold-out crowd. We had a couple games like that. Once you play in some games like that, once you're in the game you're used to it.

Q. Tra'Michael, you did get to play in that game. Talk about that experience and how you feel you might be able to benefit from it looking ahead towards the First Four?

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: It was a great experience. It prepared us for we come out, we won't be so rowdy and we can be calm and just play basketball.

Q. Just the fact that you guys get to play on national TV -- everybody in this tournament gets to play on national TV -- but you guys get to play the singular game where everybody's going to be watching. What do you think of that opportunity both for yourselves, your team but for your university as well?

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: It's going to be great. Just this is something we've been looking forward to and to be in. I know it's going to be a great experience.

JOURDAN SMITH: I think it's a great experience. At the same time, Coach has been preaching the whole season we were going to be here. It's just preparation, now we're here, so we have to take advantage of the situation.

Q. Looking at your guys' schedule looks like you won nine of your last 10 games coming into this week. I imagine it speaks to an amount of confidence or things going really well. What do you think has gone to plan over this last stretch that maybe brings you guys a little bit of momentum coming in?

JOURDAN SMITH: I think honestly everybody started to click at the right time. I think everybody bought in at one time. You could sort of feel the difference on defense, like it wasn't as many missed assignments, missed plays, accidental plays and things like that.

And the energy just picked up on defense. And once we had those situations we started making more shots and started to play with even more energy.

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: Everybody's on one accord. I think everybody just really want to win. And we gel together really good.

Q. You played such a tough non-conference schedule. Looking at the bracket, you played four, five teams that are in this tournament. How much do you think that prepared you for both your conference run and now coming into this NCAA Tournament?

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: It prepared us very well. I know there's going to be tough teams out there to play but we're ready for them.

JOURDAN SMITH: I think it helped a lot coming into the tournament, coming into our conference tournament. There wasn't anybody that we were really shaken by. We feel confident against anybody.

It wasn't really who we were playing; it was just the confidence we had in ourselves based off of who we played and the progression we made. I feel real confident coming in.

Q. Jourdan, obviously it's exciting to be here, but you look at last year's team and winning the regular season in the SWAC, and then not being able to sort of take advantage have the full squad there for the SWAC Tournament. How good does it feel this being able to win both the regular season and the tournament?

JOURDAN SMITH: It feels real good because last year we got to the championship, but we lost by three. But we had guys banged up on the court and we had guys that didn't play.

Winning this year, it was really for those guys from last year, after we won it. I called a lot of those guys, they called me on the phone and said how proud they were of me. It's more than just the team that we're playing for; it's last year's team as well.

Q. Tra'Michael, to add to that, sort of the target coming into your back coming into the season with the expectations and then being able to come through?

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: We had a target on our back from the beginning of the season, since last year. And we just know we have to come out every game and knowing we got a target on our back and don't take nobody for granted.

Q. Tra'Michael, being from Shreveport from Louisiana, to represent Grambling in the NCAA Tournament, what does this week and what does this game mean to you?

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: It means a lot. But I know the city they're behind us no matter what we do. So it's going to be a great feeling.

Q. You worked so hard for so many years to get to this point. How emotional was it after winning the SWAC championship. The feeling, the excitement. I think you sort of covered that?

JOURDAN SMITH: It was a whole lot of excitement, a lot of emotions going on in that game, especially from the beginning because it was a real back-and-forth game. But once we started to pull away we just knew it was a great team at the end, so we kept going.

And once the confetti came down, there was a whole lot of emotions going on, understanding it was the first time in Grambling history. So just gotta keep going.

Q. For both of you, making history, being here, the first time in Grambling history to make the NCAA Tournament. Have you taken a moment to kind of let that set in and what that means?

JOURDAN SMITH: I've been trying to take a moment to let it sink in, but it still hasn't kicked in yet. But I feel like once we get on the court, step on the court, I feel like it will kick in.

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: I think I'm still in the moment of is it really. It's a real great feeling. Ain't never been done at Grambling. So to be the first to do that really feels good.

Q. What does it mean to you to be able to represent HBCUs on a big stage like this?

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: It means a lot. Just being here really -- being here feels great. And being the first to do this is really a great feeling and just in the moment.

JOURDAN SMITH: It's a real good feeling, especially with the situation that we're in, being the first basketball team in our program to be here. That just gives us more of a reason to go out and show everybody what we have to prove.

Q. Why did you want to play for Coach Jackson?

JOURDAN SMITH: Coach Jackson, since the day I met him, he was just a real stand-up guy. I knew from the day I met him it was all love. He told me coming in when I transferred here, you're a great player but at the same time you have to work for everything you have. And also he's been there for me, with everything I've been through.

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: He came to my high school games, built a relationship with me and met my family. Came to the games and everything. And it's close to home.

Q. Jourdan, obviously or anyone up there, have you had a chance to look at Montana State? If so, what stands out about the Grizzlies?

JOURDAN SMITH: We watched a couple of games on them. We've seen there's a lot of shooters on their team. It's a lot of -- they play a lot of high-paced games. So we just have to play defense, get them to stop the ball, get them running the half court, (indiscernible). If we get them going at a half court pace, that's more of our game, because our game is stopping them and getting in transition into our offense.

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: Watched a couple of games. They like to shoot it a lot. What it's going to come down to, who really wants it and who is going to get the most stops.

Q. Tra'Michael, you were named MVP of the SWAC Tournament. Talk a little bit about that experience, but more importantly what happened in that semifinal game when you really sort of caught fire and the feeling of having a game to where it seems like everything's going in.

TRA'MICHAEL MOTON: At that time, I know it was just -- I just felt like we needed a push. And I felt like I had to do that to get my team happy and ready to just take over.

Q. Jourdan, following up on that question to Tra'Michael, talk about your balance, because it seems like where he's the guy scoring the basketball against Bethune-Cookman in the championship game, you were scoring the basketball. Seems like you have a lot of guys that can put the ball in the hoop.

JOURDAN SMITH: With this team, coming into any game, with the type of guys we have, you never know who is going to be the leading scorer. It was just that moment, that day the shots were falling for me. I had to be more aggressive. Like you said, the shots were falling for T-Mike. I had to get him the ball. It was just that game.

Q. From last year's championship game to the regular season to then this year's championship team and the regular season and the tournament, what is sort of the difference from a year ago?

JOURDAN SMITH: I feel like, well, last year we had older guys, so everybody kind of knew everybody -- everybody kind of knew coming into the game what the game plan was, what was going on. It was more of a mature thing.

But this year it was more like young guys, so it was kind of a teaching moment at the beginning. But once we bought in, I feel like it was nearly the same thing. Everybody was just going out for each other. Once everybody connected in one belief, it was the same team. Got the same result.