MOUNTAIN WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2026

Steve Alford

Tayshawn Comer

Corey Camper, Jr.

Elijah Price

Thomas & Mack Center

Nevada Wolf Pack

Postgame Press Conference

Nevada 80, Air Force 45

THE MODERATOR: For Nevada we have student-athletes Elijah Price, Corey Camper, Tayshawn Comber, Steve Alford. Coach, let's start with you.

STEVE ALFORD: These guys have been a blessing all year. We've talked about it all year how fun they have been to coach.

After playing Air Force just four, five days ago and beating them twice during the year, we knew that it's always hard to beat somebody three times, and it was really going to be about our maturity and how we approached the game, how we approached the last two days in practice.

These guys, these three, and the other guys in the locker room have just done a really good job of doing that. They've been a very close, united group, and it's been fun to coach them.

Was happy for them, because I thought our start was really good. We started 12-0 at Reno and come out here and start 13-0. Really put them in a tough spot going into halftime is a credit to the effort of the guys.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. 12 players on the score sheet, I think nine with at least five points. Regardless of the result, how much of a positive impact can that make just spreading the ball around, getting everyone points?

ELIJAH PRICE: Yeah, definitely a positive impact when everybody gets involved. It's a team game, so when we move the ball and share it at a high level and everybody eats, it's fun to play.

TAYSHAWN COMER: That's what we do it for, to be able to get the guys that don't play as much time to be able to get in this type of tournament.

We know we're going to play great teams, and for us to just get a lead and be able to have those guys come in and get some playing time was big.

COREY CAMPER JR: Yeah, like he said. When all 14 guys can get out on the court and give us great energy, great playing time, it's always great.

Q. I think the biggest reaction from the bench was when Christopher came in. Can you tell us why the bench reaction was so loud and rowdy when he came in, for people that don't know?

ELIJAH PRICE: Told Coach, bird has got to fly. You got to let the bird fly. No, Chris is our guy. He works super hard in practice every day and he's there for everybody when we don't have great practices and games, so we love him.

Q. What most impressed you? And you guys were obviously focused. Can you take us into the mindset coming into this one?

ELIJAH PRICE: Yeah, Coach talked about us being mature at halftime, that we needed to be mature going into the second half. I think we started the game off being pretty mature knowing it's a team we've beat twice already, but understanding the importance of how we come out and start the game.

Q. Tayshawn and Corey both, your first taste of this tournament. Just your impressions? I'll start with you, Tay, and maybe getting a game under your belt and a game where you got to rest a little bit and maybe learn the rims and all the above?

TAYSHAWN COMER: We already played here, so it wasn't really a big difference, but really just getting comfortable early. You know, just getting comfortable. It's nothing really crazy. Just another basketball game.

COREY CAMPER JR: Yeah, I would say I'm just glad we looked at this game one game at a time and didn't look too far ahead. It's always hard to beat a team three times, so I'm just glad we locked in and got the job done.

Q. Jumping into tomorrow now, Elijah, I'm sure GCU want to do see you guys again down here. You obviously did not visit them, the game that happened at Lawlor Event Center was a crazy win for you guys. How do you size up this match-up tomorrow, because it should be fun?

ELIJAH PRICE: Yeah, it will be a big-time game. We're just focused on what we have to do on both ends of the ball and playing our best, and we'll live with the result.

Q. Tayshawn, I know it was a while ago, but when you look at that contest and the way it turned out and now to see them again, what do you expect to transpire, or what are going to be some of the keys tomorrow, I suppose?

TAYSHAWN COMER: Well, expect to win, of course, but just going in there, go back to the drawing board, look at their last couple of games and how they've been playing and, you know, do our diligence on them and come here ready to play, ready to fight.

Q. Corey, do you feel like you guys are clicking and have the right chemistry at the right time to maybe win four in four days here?

COREY CAMPER JR: Yeah, I definitely feel like we're clicking at the right time. Not even just on the offensive end, but on the defensive end as well.

THE MODERATOR: We'll dismiss the student-athletes. Questions for Coach.

Q. In a game like this in a tournament setting the score becomes what it does, it could be easy to lose focus. You talked about the maturity. Definitely didn't seem like you lost focus at all. What are you saying to your team late on in the game and especially after the game as you're preparing for a big game tomorrow?

STEVE ALFORD: Well, we just coach them during the game, but now we'll get back to the hotel, we turn our focus to Grand Canyon. So like we've done all year long, it's just in a tournament setting. You don't have a lot of rest. You're going to suit up again and do this at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon.

We have to get back. Staff will get our guys fed, get them some treatment and a little bit of rest, and then staff will work through dinner and we'll meet them sometime tonight to go over things.

But obviously a quick turnaround. You're in a quarterfinals and the final eight that are in it are all going to be outstanding teams. You have to play your best basketball. I thought we played really good basketball today.

Q. It's already been mentioned, but a crazy game against Grand Canyon already. They're new to this tournament. Just what are some of the unique challenges that they pose?

STEVE ALFORD: Yeah, but they got the conference colors, so they should be very pleased with that. This is my 13th year in this league, so I got to talk to Gloria when this is all over, because can't have purple.

We got a team now in our league that's purple. They got a huge advantage because they got the entire conference wearing their colors right now.

That game back in Reno was fun. It was exciting. Bryce and I are dear friends. The Alford family and the Drew family go way, way back. He is an Indiana guy and his dad was great a coach at Valparaiso. So I've known Scott, Bryce, Homer, the whole family for a long time.

That was a crazy game, and we talked about it afterwards. They have played extremely well. They're well-coached, and they're a very hard team to play against, and we know that.

I think they're the fourth seed, so they'll be in more white than purple, so that might help us a little bit. We'll throw a lot of blue at them.

Q. Steve what was the most satisfying part of this effort for your guys?

STEVE ALFORD: Just the start of both halves. Like I said, to start the last game we played them was 12-0. This game was 13-0. We got held them to 10 first half points.

I thought the something was outstanding. The guys followed the scouting report. They listened. We made some minor adjustments from game two and they just executed well. We shot the ball well because we got good shots.

So at halftime when you're up 29, then it's about maturity level. How is your approach going to be, especially in the first ten minutes of that second half? I thought it was outstanding.

Any time you can have a game where you got 14 guys you can play, and they all get in, and 12 of them score, all of them made a difference. Chris didn't score, but he got a rebound. Myles didn't score, but he had a rebound and three assists. Everybody did something, and that's always a lot of fun from a coaching standpoint.

Q. A lot of smiles all around toward the end, and you have spoken about how quick this season has went, which has meant it's been enjoyable for you. How much are you guys leaning into the joy of it all and soaking in these moments together down here?

STEVE ALFORD: Yeah, that's what we're trying to do, but as we talk about, that's what makes March so maddening. We're not allowed -- we get another game because we won one. Once you lose, you're not guaranteed you get another one. It's the only month that's like that had.

November you always have another one. December you always have another. January, February, you always have another one. But when you get into March Madness, there's a finality to it.

You can't have anxiety. You can't have worry. You got to trust. As a man of faith, I'm not worried, but I got concerns because I know how good Grand Canyon is, but I know we're very good, and I think you got two teams playing really good basketball right now. That should make for a lot of fun tomorrow.

I want our guys always playing with joy and having a lot of fun, and I think they're diagnose that.

Q. In that game against GCU it was a struggle at times for you guys to score. I guess what do you feel like are going to be some of the keys in this one, at least as much as you're wanting to reveal?

STEVE ALFORD: Well, I haven't seen it, and obviously I'm not going to reveal any game plan, but I think both teams struggled to score.

You throwing shade at us is -- I think both teams struggled to score, so it's going to be who can guard the best tomorrow, who can be the -- I've said it all along, March is about teams that defend and teams that make shots.

Those are usually teams that advance. You're not going to have a lot of games where you don't guard well or you don't make shots and expect to advance in March. It usually doesn't happen that way.

Q. You talked about how playing all these different players today was impactful. You had 39 bench points today alone. How important was that for the team today and then going into GCU tomorrow?

STEVE ALFORD: Well, I hope it's great, because I think we only -- Corey played 22 minutes, and that was a high for us. Nobody else played 20 minutes. For us to start a tournament where obviously we know what you are on deal is. We have to win four games in four days. Our depth is crucial, because I do think we're a deep team. We're healthy.

Again, we went 16 games without Joel. Our starting center was gone for 16. Corey was gone for four or five.

It's about now if we're late in March -- we're into March Madness and we're healthy. We have 14 healthy bodies. Nobody got hurt today, so we're healthy going into that game tomorrow. Nobody played more than 20 minutes. One guy played more than 20. That's a plus.

If we had to play eight guys 30-some minutes, that's a little different going into tomorrow. I think we will be as rested as you can be after playing a game here. We've gotten our feet wet. We've got ten new guys.

We've played UNLV in here, but they've never been in a Mountain West Conference Tournament. They have a taste of that going into tomorrow's game, and I think that helps.