2026 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 10, 2026

Alex Jensen

Terrence Brown

Keanu Dawes

T-Mobile Center

Utah Utes

Postgame Press Conference

Cincinnati 73, Utah 66

ALEX JENSEN: Happy our guys fought and came back. Give Wes and Cincinnati credit; they made good adjustments, good game plan. Unfortunate, but I'm happy that our guys fought, came out -- we played really good for 15 minutes. Had some lulls, but we fought and came back. So, proud of them.

Q. Coach, your team cut the lead down to single digits. What adjustments did you make, and what do you feel prevented the group from getting over the hump?

ALEX JENSEN: I think we simplified it, and I think guys were aggressive. I think 10, 11 maybe the first half. But I think we were more aggressive just coming down and trying to score off our defense in transition. And it's a lot easier to do that when you're down, like, nothing to lose.

No, again, just a few mistakes. We gave up two rebounds off of free throws, a couple of timely turnovers. The margin for error is so small that, you know, we kind of talked about that.

But yeah, we cut it to, what? Was it four there at the end? Yeah. But happy we fought and never gave up.

Q. Terrence, you kind of got into a rhythm in that second half. What were you thinking? What were you seeing and just how comfortable did you feel in that second half?

TERRENCE BROWN: Really just, like, thinking I don't want to be done. Like, the mindset that I didn't want to be done playing. That's really what I was saying. When I hit one of the shots and we went into time-out, I was just like, I don't want to lose. That's what I was telling Coach, I don't want to lose. That's really all I was playing for was just not to lose.

Q. Coach, in the first half, this was especially notable, but Cincinnati was struggling with free throws when they were facing your team's band side. The band had a lot to say. They were making their voices heard during those free throws and making it a little bit harder for Cincinnati. Anything to say to that group for showing up and what they were doing today?

ALEX JENSEN: I think the band was great. The cheerleaders, the fans that came -- considering the year, I think the fans have been great all year. I mean, I played here 30 years ago, and I know what the fans are like. Yeah, always appreciative of them.

Q. Just wondered what the message to the guys is over the next 24 hours. What's the next 24 hours look like for you and the guys, sort of reassessing the season?

ALEX JENSEN: Well, we'll go home, give them a day off, and then we'll have a team meeting and then we'll meet with all of them individually because it's obviously interesting times, and have conversations, continue the conversations that we've had all year long.

Again, it's always hard when it comes to an end. Give them a day off, and then we'll meet as a team and then individually with each one of them and then go from there.

Q. Alex, what were some of the biggest lessons that you learned transitioning from the NBA to the college game, and particularly the Big 12, just lessons you learned in this first year navigating this.

ALEX JENSEN: No, I knew it's a different game. There's very -- it's different than Europe and obviously the NBA. Then the Big 12 is a whole other beast. Very physical, a lot of good teams.

I think the main thing I've learned is, like, just the possessions are more precious because there's fewer of them. I tell these guys all the time, control the things that you can control. Like, you might not be making shots, but you can block out and do things like that because a lot of times the game -- that's the difference in the game, free throws, blockouts, turnovers, and just try not to replicate the same mistakes and learn and get better.

But yeah, it's been a fun year in that respect. I've learned a lot because it is different than a lot of other leagues.

Q. Keanu, the team shot under 20 percent in the first half and you guys were able to flip that around and shoot over 55 percent. What changed offensively in that second half for you guys?

KEANU DAWES: I just think we had more intensity and kind of more energy. Like, obviously in the first half, you could come to the game -- you come into every game not wanting to lose, but whenever you go into halftime down, you kind of come out with more energy and more attentive to the little things.

Q. Alex, in this day and age of college basketball, a lot of coaches talk about the difficulties in building a program rather than just a team because of the turnover. Do you feel like the groundwork has been laid at Utah for the program to build and grow?

ALEX JENSEN: Yeah. I think it's been there, and I think, obviously, I played there, but I know there's definitely a history, and there's a base. There's a fan base, more so than maybe some other places. That's why I admire what Kelvin has done in Houston.

I think there's definitely a base there, and myself and the rest of my staff, we didn't come here for -- we came here to build it to be good, not only next year but the years after that.

I think, having gone through this year, I think that that pathway for us has become clearer. But definitely I do.

Q. For Terrence and Keanu, obviously a difficult season, but how much development and growth do you each feel you've made over the course of the season under Alex and his staff?

KEANU DAWES: I feel like for me personally, this is like the first year where I've kind of had to be in a larger role of producing more. The staff and Coach Jensen has gave me nothing but confidence, and there were spurts where it really helped me, and I think long-term it will really help me elevate my game to the next level.

TERRENCE BROWN: I'd definitely just say, to hit on his point, I came from being a leader last year, but having to do it in a bigger conference and a bigger stage and having to show up every single night and just play against bigger defenses, harder schemes, things like that, definitely showed me to just use my other attributes other than scoring, like finding other guys, things like that. And then, obviously we play in the gauntlet every single night, the Big 12, so you've got to bring defense, things like that. I definitely think I've gotten better way more from being at FDU coming to Utah.

ALEX JENSEN: I and my staff have asked both of these guys to get out of their comfort zone. And Keanu, you know, probably the only coach that's gotten mad at you so much for not shooting. But he averaged 3, but tonight he was 2 for 5. I think he's comfortable, and he's done a great job, because I've asked him and pushed him to get out of his comfort zone, and the same with Terrence.

I think you don't always see it, but I want to thank both of them because I think they've -- it's not easy with the injuries at the beginning, but the things that we've asked them, I think they've made big strides, and I think it'll help all of us.

But yeah, definitely get you both out of your comfort zone, right? That's how you get better.