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NCAA MEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS REGIONALS: SPOKANE


March 16, 2007


Gary Ervin

Stan Heath

Sonny Weems


SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from coach.
STAN HEATH: We faced a very good basketball team today. We really felt that we had a legitimate chance to maybe get the win today.
Unfortunately, it just didn't happen that way. They had some matchups that were very difficult for us to guard. They utilized them very well against us.
The foul problems early in the first half set us back a little bit, just trying to be able to guard them with foul situations. Guys with two fouls.
And we got off to a good lead and I thought that we would keep things going, but the game changed and ones they got a few runs going, it didn't seem like we were able to slow them down. But I'm proud of our team, the way we were able to fight towards the end of the season and we we're excited about being here. Unfortunately it didn't go our way.
THE MODERATOR: Now take some questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Sonny, just on the inside, what were they doing especially Gibson that made him so effective?
SONNY WEEMS: I don't think they did anything different. I think they just came out with a high intensity level and they wanted it more than we did I think. They came out to play like it. So I don't think they did anything different.

Q. Was it their defense that really affected your shooting tonight or? Sonny?
SONNY WEEMS: I don't think it affected our shooting. We had open shots we just wasn't able to knock them down and those are shots that we usually make. They just wasn't falling for us tonight.
GARY ERVIN: Well, like he said, we started the game off playing good and once we started missing shots they kind of got on a run and we just didn't knock down shots that we usually knock down, like he said.

Q. Coach, can you talk about in the NCAA tournament --
THE MODERATOR: Let's finish up with the student-athletes first. Did you have any more questions of them? Okay. Then we'll let the student-athletes go.

Q. Could you just talk about in the NCAA tournament how once you fall behind even by double digits how difficult it is to try and mount a comeback against NCAA tournament teams.
STAN HEATH: Well, everybody who is in the field is good. And everybody is probably a league champion are a team that finished very high in their league. And have learned through the season how to get a lead, how to hold on to a lead, how to hold a team off.
There's normally at this particular time teams that are very efficient and very effective. And USC is definitely one of those teams. Their guards, we knew that coming in that their guards were very good, they know how to play, they can make shots, they are able to guard you pretty well. And it just seemed like once they got the lead, it was hard for us to just cut into it. Either by us not finishing a play or them making a timely shot as we were maybe scored two or four points in a row.
But they're definitely a team that has a chance to have success as they continue on.

Q. What did they do to kind of keep your big men from taking the height advantage you had hoped that y'all would take?
STAN HEATH: Well, I think it was two-fold. We probably didn't get it in there as much as we needed to. But the times we did get it in there we either got it stripped away or knocked away or we didn't finish the play.
So it was a two-way street and they did a good job too at times of just denying fronting and not letting us get it in there. Once we got behind, what made it difficult to play in that area was trying to play one of my four men against their guards and their guards having the ability to take us off the dribble, make some plays.
Charles Thomas was able to go, that helped us, but he still didn't have maybe the same mobility that he's had in some games where we played at Vanderbilt, Mississippi State where we had four guards where he was able to guard those players more effective than he was tonight.

Q. Also with Stefan was he just pressing because obviously you needed him tonight with the foul problems and everything.
STAN HEATH: Well, I think that all of our guys maybe if we would have made one or two in a row or so and just got a good rhythm going and confidence going, it would have helped us. There's it's the first time out there for quite a few of those guys and they're trying so hard. Sometimes when you're trying to hard you press a little bit. And then the shots that you're used to making they just don't fall. But we struggled shooting the ball. And this wasn't a good day to pick to miss shots that we can make.

Q. What did you think of USC's defense overall?
STAN HEATH: They're a very good defensive team. They got great quickness, they can pressure the basketball. They can recover. When there's a mistake made or if they need to get some help and get back.
Gibson is in person gets a lot more done than maybe what it shows on film. His ability to guard people, move, and even his offense. Offensively he was able to do some things I wasn't sure he was able to do. And he was a big factor in the game, but they're a very good defensive team. I think it was a combination of us missing some shots that we can make and them being a very good defensive team.

Q. Can you just talk about mixed feelings of the way you guys ended the season, getting on that run just to get into the tournament, but then to turn around and lose the way you did in the first round.
STAN HEATH: Well, we're disappointed about that. One of our goals was to not only get into the NCAA tournament, but we wanted to advance. And I felt our guys were focused, they were practicing very well. I didn't see anything in preparation terms of not being on this stage and performing at the level we needed to. Sometimes you have those games where it just doesn't work out and sometimes you face a good team that makes it difficult for you. I think that's what happened to us in both areas.

Q. Do you know what comes next as far as your personal situation? Is there going to be an evaluation, has Coach said anything? Where do y'all stand?
STAN HEATH: Since I've been here five years, nothing has ever been any different. Every year we have a season, Coach and I sit down, we talk. And we make evaluations, he picks my brain, I pick his brain, he gives me his thoughts and he has never come to me and said, hey, I want to talk to you or anything, it's always been the same. So I know there's sources and speculation and people who have all the answers, but the guy who's in charge, my boss, he hasn't changed from the first day I have been here.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks coach.
STAN HEATH: All right. Thanks.

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