March 17, 2012

South Florida - 58 RAMONE MOORE: I think we put those Temple – 44 guys on the free throw line. I'm not sure how long we held them from making a field goal, but I think An interview with: they got back in the game with a couple free throws and then we made a bad foul and then it came back and made a 3, which put those guys back in the game. Our coach said we did a great job in the first half defensively, but we kind of let down, gave those guys life. THE MODERATOR: Any other questions?

Q. Ramone money, also for you. You

seemed like you guys were able to get some

penetration and kick early, too, and that sort of

disappeared. Did they do some different things

defensively to sort of keep you guys on the

perimeter and prevent some of that THE MODERATOR: Take an opening statement penetration? from Coach Dunphy first, followed by questions RAMONE MOORE: Yeah. I would say only for the student athletes. Then they'll head to they made, you know, great adjustments after the the locker room. When we're finished with that, half, you know, made a lot of dumb mistakes in the we'll take questions for coach. Coach? beginning of the second half which allowed those COACH DUNPHY: I thought South Florida guys to get on a run and got a nice little lead, did a terrific job in the second half, made shots which we tried to come back, but I guess it just when they needed to. Obviously we had a few wasn't enough. open looks, few opportunities to finish plays at the rim. We did not do that. I thought their defense Q. Ramone, what did guys like was very good. I thought our defense was pretty Fitzpatrick and Robertson do in the second half good in the first half and obviously they shot lights to jump passing lanes and come up with a out in the second half. I thought we were in a little couple steals against you guys? bit of trouble when we cut it to three, and I think RAMONE MOORE: I think those two guys Rudd made that 3 that banked in, but those things were the key to their run in the second half. I think are going to happen. Robertson did a great job. He got out in transition, We didn't get it done. We didn't do a good got two dunks, got those guys going, and enough job and turned it a few too many times at Fitzpatrick, we knew coming into the game he was critical points, and again they stepped up and a great 3-point shooter. He hit a lot of big shots made the shots when they had to. down the stretch which helped their lead as well. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the They were a tougher team tonight and it showed. student athletes?

Q. Khalif and Ramone, talk about the Q. Ramone, you guys are up 19-8, disappointment of you guys won 11 straight middle of the first half and things seem to be and were really rolling and just these last few going real well offensively. How do you think it games, for whatever reason, you weren't able got away from you guys after taking that 11- to play your guys style in the A-10 tournament point lead?

Temple – 03.16.12 1

visit our archives at asapsports.com and now here. game, but I've learned a lot. I love my teammates, KHALIF WYATT: I mean, it's really and I'm going to miss these guys. disappointing. I mean, I don't know, I don't know THE MODERATOR: Two more questions what caused it or anything, but, I mean, tonight so if there are any more. far they played better than us in stretches and we just couldn't, couldn't pull it off. Q. Ramone, along those lines, just the RAMONE MOORE: Yeah. I would say fact that you guys while you were here weren't the same thing. We're disappointed. You know, able to put together that big run in the Coach Dunphy said it's on him, but I think it's on tournament, how disappointing is that? us. There's only so much he can do. I think he RAMONE MOORE: It's very does a great job preparing us. We just didn't come disappointing. I think coming into the tournament, out and do our job, and we got to put it on you know, we wanted to make it as far as possible. ourselves and too bad. I can't do anything about it We got to give credit to South Florida. They did a now. It's the end of my career. Just want these great job. There's nothing we can do now. Just guys to learn from this experience and do better look back on it and say we could have did more, next year. but, I mean, wanted to go further, but it didn't happen, so we're very disappointed. Q. Ramone, was there any point in the THE MODERATOR: Anyone else? game when you were on the court with Juan Thanks, guys. Questions for coach. and Mike just saying, you know, this could be our last game together, it's now or never? Q. Fran, I'd like to ask you the same RAMONE MOORE: Not at all. I didn't say question I asked Ramone. Early on, were you that. I regret it. I was too into myself because I getting some of those penetrations and kicks was struggling during the course of the game. So, and good ball movement. Was it stuff you you know, I never got a chance to say anything. stopped doing, or did you see adjustments that they were making? Q. Ramone and Khalif, talk about just COACH DUNPHY: Well, I think Juan how tough it is going against that Bulls' getting in foul trouble hurt us a little bit the rhythm defense. What do they do that sets them apart of who we are. I thought we had a couple of plays a little bit, do you think? that we needed to make maybe late in the half. KHALIF WYATT: They don't do anything Khalif threw a pass to Mike. If he bounces it, special. Just long and athletic and just play solid maybe Mike catches it and scores. Khalif had a defense and make sure they contest every shot. I play at the rim as well that he made a great play mean, they don't do anything that different. They on, didn't finish it. There were a couple of those just play solid. Just close out possessions. plays. I thought the intentional foul hurt us, hurt RAMONE MOORE: I'll have to say I think our rhythm of the game. they're the best defensive team we played against Then Noriega at the end of it made that all year. Coming in, we knew those guys would jumper. He's such a terrific shooter, we didn't hold their own on the defensive end. They take guard him like we should have. We had our pride in stopping their man. Like Khalif said, chances to expand our lead, and we didn't get that they're long and athletic, do a great job of done. switching as well as the big man keeping the To answer your question, I don't think it guards up front. They play team defense, and I was anything special that South Florida does. think it disrupted us tonight. They just do a great job of keeping you in front and battling all the time, and we didn't respond like we Q. Ramone, could you reflect on for us needed to. your time here at Temple and what it feels like to end your career here? Q. Fran, when you hold them 15 and a RAMONE MOORE: It's been great. This half minutes without a basket and the lead only man to my right I got give a lot of credit. He's goes up to -- I think you went from down 3 to believed in me the whole five years here. I'd like to up 7, did you kind of feel like -- then they get 39 thank Temple University to play here. It's been before the half. It's kind of a tough deal great. Still hasn't hit me yet that this is my final

Temple – 03.16.12 2

visit our archives at asapsports.com because you played so well defensively and a whole lot in the second half. We didn't go to our you're only up 3, 4 going into the half, is that bench obviously too much in the second half. Just kind of a tough thing for them to deal with? TJ played and wished we could have gotten more COACH DUNPHY: Certainly we should minutes for Aaron Brown and TJ. That wasn't the have been -- had a bigger lead in the first half flow of the game. We put ourselves in a bit of a holding them to the shooting percentage that they hole and needed to try to dig out. We got it back to had. There were a couple fouls that went against 3 and the one long jumper by Rudd kind of took us, and they stepped up and made their foul shots that wind out of our sails. We should have been like they needed to. For us, we needed to do a able to play through that, but we didn't. better job on the offensive end, and we didn't. If we're going to hold them to 11 percent shooting in Q. Fran, do you think that after the first half, we just -- we didn't run our offense as advancing to the third round last year the guys good as we needed to and finish plays at the rim. put a little bit of extra pressure on themselves We had a couple of open looks about, but it just this year coming into tonight's game? didn't work for us. COACH DUNPHY: I don't think so. I think Of course the first part of the second half, they wanted to win. They wanted to play as hard we made some foolish decisions that lead to easy as they could and as smart as they could. The baskets for them. When they had a chance, they game got away from us a little bit in the first part of stepped up and made shots. They deserve a lot of the second half. I thought they battled back like credit for that. we needed to. I think we were just about over the hump and then we needed to make a shot or two. Q. You spoke pretty highly of Anthony We couldn't get that done. Pressure is a Collins yesterday. What did you think ever him privilege, and so we were privileged to be in this tonight? situation, privileged to be representing Temple in COACH DUNPHY: He's got great the NCAA Tournament. I wish we could have done patience and great poise out on the floor. As a better, but in terms of putting more pressure on freshman I think he's terrific. He made a terrific themselves, that's what young people do. It's what floater in the lane that I thought we had them competitors do. I think that's what you want. stopped, and he did a terrific job there. He just controls the game, and the way they play, he's a Q. Can you just talk about the three perfect player for them and I really like his game. I seniors that are your starters and their unique think he's really a talented, poised kid. careers here, Juan, Mike, and Ramone? COACH DUNPHY: They've won a lot of Q. Fran, how would you explain Juan's games together. They've been to four NCAA game? He only shoots twice and didn't score tournaments together. I feel badly that we ended in the second half, turned the ball over four up like this, but I hope that they will continue to times. play basketball for a long time to come and all COACH DUNPHY: He had a tough night. three of them will -- Mike has already graduated. Other than that, I can't really explain it. He's a kid Juan and Ramone will do that this year. Very that wants to do very well, very badly, and just kind proud of everything they have given to Temple. of got away from him in a couple of possessions, especially there in the second half. He's had a Q. Fran, can you share with us what fabulous career. He's a great guy and feel bad for you said to your seniors after the game? him right now, but hopefully he'll have some great COACH DUNPHY: You know, we had a days playing basketball over the next 10 to 12 phone call from Bill Cosby before the game and years. one of his comments was "Just go out and play the best basketball you can, because you'll remember Q. Fran, how would you describe how this game for a long, long time to come." your bench played tonight and I saw maybe TJ I mentioned that to our guys. The got a little banged up in there and came back. abruptness of the season ending, especially for a How does that really show his performance and senior, like where do you go now, what do you do? his dedication to get back in the game? There's no practice to go to, there's no routine that COACH DUNPHY: He's a tough kid, TJ. Turned his ankle in the first half and he didn't play

Temple – 03.16.12 3

visit our archives at asapsports.com you're typically in anymore. They'll work at their games and they'll try to get into post season -- into NBA camps and all those things, and hopefully they'll all have a chance to continue to play professionally somewhere. But it's an unbelievable abrupt ending for these kids. Again, I thought Bill was very poignant in his remarks, and I mentioned that to these guys. It's one of those things. It's a right of passage for a senior to take a step back and now it's all over and what do you do? I think it's -- the finality of it all is staggering.

Q. Fran, every season has ebbs and flows, and you obviously can't predict when they come about. You had a little bit of an ebb towards the end. Did you feel in practice leading up to this game you tightened things up? COACH DUNPHY: I did. I can't tell you that I can explain the first five minutes of tonight's game or the first five minutes of the U Mass game, but it really hurt us, both ever those stretches. Somehow, some way we didn't tighten our stuff up enough. I thought our guys were in pretty good shape physically and mentally with our practice. Again, I wish I could put my finger on it. We'll watch film again with those guys that are coming back, and we'll see if we can tighten it up even more and look forward to in a week or so we'll get with the guys that are coming back and try to prepare for next year and see if we can get back here. THE MODERATOR: Any other questions? All right. COACH DUNPHY: Thank you. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

Temple – 03.16.12 4

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South Florida – 58 through us, and once we made those adjustments Temple – 44 in the second half, we were able to knock down shots and get better looks at the basket. An interview with: ANTHONY COLLINS: We just settled for jump shots because they were playing off. In the second half, the coach said attack and just keep attack. I thought if I attacked and basically the team will follow and just create easier shots for me and myself and the teammates, and thank goodness they knocked them down.

Q. For all three of you guys, first of all, Victor, for you, I look and I think you scored something like 13 of the last 17 points. Every one every one of your 3's was farther out as you progressed. Is it just one of those situations that all three of you guys you start THE MODERATOR: Coach? feeling it. It seemed ever since Robertson hit -- COACH HEATH: You know, first I want to made that dunk, the whole complexion of this give Temple a lot of credit. They gave us a lot of game changed. Your thoughts on that. What problems. We couldn't figure some things out, happened out there? especially in the first half. I know that was about VICTOR RUDD, JR.: When Robertson got as poor a first half as we played all year long, and, the dunk, it was off of Stu, our defense knocked you know, we went into halftime, I just thought I the offense off. Shaun came out of his shots, can't believe we're only down 5 points, whatever it Toarlyn came out of his shots. I started hitting was, and I just knew there was no way we could -- shots. It got contagious. we may not shoot great, but we can't go 3 for 27 ANTHONY COLLINS: Like Vic was again. saying, our defense sets up our offense and then I got to give our players here just a lot of we just start having fun. Basically that's when we credit. I'm so proud of them, to be so resilient and play our best basketball, when everyone is having come back and fight and scratch and claw and fun and locked in on defense and executing the give everything you have, just shows the kind of offense. character these kids have. I'm very blessed and TOARLYN FITZPATRICK: I think the God has been good to me with having guys like basket looked a lot larger for us in the second half this on my team. once we locked in on defense and Shaun came in THE MODERATOR: Okay. Questions for and made a couple big plays for us and got the the student athletes. bench going. We just rallied around his couple shots that he made and everybody started to pick Q. What was -- for the players, what up their game. was going wrong in the first half, missing 22 straight shots. Did you start to wonder if were Q. For the players, do you guys feel you going to get a ball to go in again? like this is the best defensive performance TOARLYN FITZPATRICK: Temple came you've guys have had in the season to hold out, they were ready to guard. They scouted us this team to 44 points, given what you did really well and they switched on ball screens, went

South Florida – 03.16.12 1

visit our archives at asapsports.com offensively in the first half? the high of winning another game in a tournament, ANTHONY COLLINS: I don't know. I we're going to lock in and -- like we always do and have to look back at the stats. It was a great focused on the next opponent and prepare to get performance. We played well. We couldn't make another W. a shot in the first half. To be down only 4 points like the coach is saying only made three shots the Q. Following up on that, though, how whole 20 minutes was incredible. much of a grind is this playing basically three games in five days? How much of a grind is Q. Guys, in that second half, tell me that going to be? what it is, how do all of a sudden you guys ANTHONY COLLINS: I would say it's not start having fun? Is it just a matter of making much of a grind, because before we all came to shots to start having the fun, or what is it that college in the summer, we were playing maybe flips the switch? three, four games all in one day. The next day you TOARLYN FITZPATRICK: Once you see probably play another three, four games. Your your defensive stops translate over into offensive body is tired, but once the ball gets in the air, you buckets, I mean, there's no other motivation that just go out and play and you go out and try to play you need, you know. Getting an easy bucket is a basketball. great way to get you going offensively for anybody, THE MODERATOR: Any other questions? I think. Thank you guys. We'll take questions for Coach Once you see the ball go into the basket, Heath. regardless if it's a fast break layup or a baseline dunk like Hugh Robertson had, that's all it takes Q. Coach, I wanted to ask you about before your jumper starts to fall. the end of the first half there, the decision to VICTOR RUDD, JR.: Ron said in the bring Noriega in and the spark he gave you huddle "Let's have fun." That's what we did. We guys, even though it's just 3 points at the time, came out with a big lead. That's what we did in what it did to kind of springboard toward the this game. second half in the points that were there? ANTHONY COLLINS: Basically having COACH HEATH: Shaun is a special kid. I fun, seeing all my teammates and everyone can't blame him for wanting to play more and making shots and just happy to play defense and probably should play more, but regardless, he get stops and stop the person they're guarding, stays ready, and I think, you know, both myself and just coming back defense and scoring on them is Shaun and probably my whole team sensed that, no better feeling. you know, they're sagging in, packing things in, and we need to bring in our shooter. And he's our Q. Victor, were you guys aware of the 3-point specialist, and the guys have a lot of Ohio game? How much did that spark you confidence in him. guys to see another upset on the same court And, you know, right away when he got right before yours like that? into the game, we went right -- we tried to run VICTOR RUDD, JR.: We watched a little some action to get him a shot, and it's unbelievable bit before we went in and got dressed, but we how he can come into a game and be ready to couldn't worry about that game. We couldn't worry knock down a shot. I think that momentum he who was winning or who wasn't. We had to get gave us was the initial fuel that helped us in the this game first before we could worry about the second half. next game. Q. Stan, down by 4 in the first half, 19- Q. For any of the players, now the fact 15. I'm sitting along the press row with people you won your second game and you get to play that have never seen you play basketball on Sunday, have you had a chance to think before. How did that happen? Explain about about that and how close you are to playing this team, from your perspective, of why people next weekend? shouldn't be surprised at what they saw TOARLYN FITZPATRICK: No. We just tonight? take it one game at a time. I mean, we're going to COACH HEATH: Well, I know sometimes celebrate for a split second on this win, and then, you know, once everybody has come down from

South Florida – 03.16.12 2

visit our archives at asapsports.com we struggle on offense. I've never seen them making shots like that and they get excited and struggle that bad, but what's really impressive happy, we're not bad. about our team, and I've never had maybe a team That's probably my halftime speech from like this, that a lot of times when you're struggling now on or pregame speech. Guys, go have fun. to score, and I hate to admit this as a coach, but We'll have fun from now on. your defense does start struggling because guys get frustrated and all of a sudden you have Q. Can you talk about the big picture breakdowns in the defensive end. for what this means for the USF basketball This team has been exceptional at not program going to wins in NCAA Tournament. letting -- maybe some offensive woes affect what You guys are opening up the dome in the fall. they need to do on the defensive end. As you Just the big thing for this team. mentioned, I mean, when I saw the stat sheet, I COACH HEATH: I haven't had a chance said how in the world are we down by 4, 5 points? to really digest it. I'm sure at some point I'll have a I couldn't believe it myself. I felt, shoot, this is better answer for you, but obviously we're trying to where we are, we're not going to play this poorly create and build a history and tradition even more again. We have a legitimate chance. so. We have -- we don't have much, but we Q. Can you talk maybe even more have a little bit. Our guys talked about leaving specifically about the adjustment you made at some footprints in the sand, and I told this group halftime? I mean, it's a pretty amazing that we've already done a little bit but let's try to turnaround when you score 43 points in the make it bigger. And I think the guys, you know, second half. You score 15 in the first. It was know that there's more opportunity for us. I think like a 360-degree swing in an NCAA we get one more win, it will be the most wins in Tournament game. It's not something that we school history. If we continue to win games, it will see all that much. be the furthest our team has ever gone. Talk about adjustments, what you told the So every little thing I think is good guys at halftime. It was a pretty amazing motivation for us, whether we have ugly offense or turnaround, wasn't it? whether we have a chance to create more history. COACH HEATH: Even for my eyes I It's all good things that help fuel us. couldn't believe how well we shot the ball and scored in the second half, and basically their Q. Stan, this is four straight games that switching defense was bothering us quite a bit. Rudd has been in double figures. How much The things we were running we weren't quite time in practice you're working on the banked getting what we normally get out of some of that in 3's? action. The biggest thing I want our guys to do is COACH HEATH: You know, I think what's look for matchups, look for -- and we played with changed in our team over the last maybe three, more of our offensive guys out there, Toarlyn four weeks has been, you know, Anthony's Fitzpatrick and Shaun, some of our better 3-point development and growth, not just running the team shooters and Rudd got hot as well to open up the but scoring more. floor. And Victor Rudd, I think his last two weeks I also wanted to attack more. I wanted to have been really, really good. He's really stepped us see if we can get some transition, see if we can up in a big way. And he's -- he's just one of those get some offensive put-backs, see if we could guys. spread the floor, driver and kick. I thought the I remember my dad used to come down guys did a great job of doing that. and said he used to call him a gunslinger. When Anthony Collins, his second half he gets it going a little bit, he can roll. He can performance was just stellar. His ability to just really make some shots go in. I know some of make some plays, make something out of nothing those are lucky, but they went in. I've seen them and just seemed like one guy would make a play, go in before in practice before, and it's kind of one another guy would make a play, and momentum of those things with him where you want to let him kept going and we just kept feeding that energy go and sometimes you got to pull the reins back. and we rode it out. As the guys say, I know we get When he gets it going, you got to ride him out a after on the defensive end, but when they start

South Florida – 03.16.12 3

visit our archives at asapsports.com little bit. the paint changing shots, blocking shots, and even more physical than I thought. He was able to Q. Stan, interested in your thoughts on score a little bit as well. you guys as part of a huge story today. Today Our post players never really got as was upset city in the tournament and you took effective as they normally are. A lot of that had to Kent State on a pretty incredible roll when you do with Eric. At the same time, you know, both first started out in the head coaching Ron and Gus battled and competed and stayed profession. You went to the Elite 8. I'm sure within themselves. They realize, hey, maybe their you probably didn't have time to see the other role today was to rebound, defend, and be a games, but you know for the first time in facilitator offensively. There wasn't one guy come tournament history, two 2's went down, Duke to the bench, hey, give me the ball, I need more and Missouri, and you guys are alive, when, shots. There was no conversations about that at from all the speculation, you guys might have all. We tried a few times, it didn't work. been one of last teams chosen for the field and I think that's -- that typifies our team. you won two games for the first time in your These kids are very unselfish and really all they program's history. Just talk about all of these want to do is win. They've had a taste of not upsets today. You guys are part of the story, winning and their focus is on winning. If it's you've been part of it before. sacrificing some things individually, they're all COACH HEATH: Well, I did see the willing to do that. Missouri game, so I was -- that was a shocker right THE MODERATOR: Okay, thank you, there, and I didn't know about the Duke until you Coach. just mentioned that. But that's a part of the COACH HEATH: Thank you. tournament. Actually it's been almost true, the brackets been going true to form until today, and FastScripts by ASAP Sports that what's what was really surprising to me, because normally you see upsets, you know, at some rate. We feel very fortunate to get in. We think we earned our way, but it was splitting hairs, I'm sure at the end, deciding who should go and who shouldn't. But we felt like, hey, we did quite a bit. At the same time, once we got in, you know, I know anything can happen, anything can happen, and sometimes, you know, this team gets upset, this team gets upset, and all of a sudden the path is made that gives you a chance and, you know, both Ohio and ourselves have a great chance to get to the Sweet 16. One of us is going to get there. One of us was not a team picked I'm sure on many brackets at all. It's exciting. We're going to stay focused on the next opponent. We can't look past Ohio at all. Obviously I coached in the MAC and took a team beyond the Sweet 16, so I know it's very possible. We won't take Ohio lightly at all. THE MODERATOR: One more question.

Q. Coach, could you comment on Ron Anderson goes scoreless but he battles Micheal Eric in the paint for most of the second half. COACH HEATH: Well, Micheal Eric is tough. He was probably one guy I maybe underestimated a little bit, how imposing he is in

South Florida – 03.16.12 4

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