Big East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Saturday, March 10, 2018 Ed Cooley Providence Friars Q. Could you talk about going to Drew to put him on Brunson and just your thought behind that and Villanova - 76, Providence - 66 (OT) how you thought he played? Seemed like that kind of turned the game a little bit. COACH COOLEY: There's a lot in my head right now. COACH COOLEY: Again, I coach on gut. I trust Drew. I feel for our young men. I thought we played great. I He's been in some high-level games. A year ago, thought we played tough. I thought we played together. couple years before he was hurt. I thought his size was a little bit bigger than Makai. I thought his overall I thought we had a great game plan coming in. You awareness of what we do as a basketball team being a know, they got out to a couple of quick starts to start junior, new, and I thought it would work. We just came the half, but we weathered both storms. up a little bit short.

What beat us today was little things, not the big picture. But I'm really proud of Drew and he was ready for the Rebound the ball, game over. It's really that simple. moment because he didn't play the whole game. Their offensive rebounds in a critical part of the game, I think they had four offensive rebounds in five Q. Much of the offensive rebounds that you're possessions. If you just get one of those, one of those talking about, it just seemed like they were four, you win the game. bouncing off the baskets and finding their way to Villanova's hands -- Overtime, you know, they had a lot of players on the COACH COOLEY: They found their way because floor. I thought we got a little rattled in overtime. Just they're really good players and they went after the ball. speechless on that, but I've got to give my team a lot of But I don't think we checked out the way we're credit. And more importantly, Villanova is a great team. supposed to, the way we practiced. We practice Brunson, Bridges, two high-, high-level players. The blocking out all the time. Sometimes a 50/50 ball is other guys played off -- they carried their team today. going to get to you. They more than carried their team today and made some tough, tough shots. Bridges two 3s both came But a couple of ones we should have had. We should off of offensive rebounds in overtime. Foul at the end have had. You are one stop away from the other coach of the game, offensive rebound. being in this seat right now feeling as bad as I do.

We just weren't fortunate to pick it up. But credit them. I hope I do a better job for my team next time to try to They did a great job. Congratulations to them. What I get them over the hump. Because it's sad, looking at told the team in the locker room is cherish this moment. those kids there. I feel for them kids right now. It's tough watching them like that. But that's part of If you would have told me back in September that we'd growing up, too. Hopefully learn from it. be playing in this game with the ball to win a postseason championship, I would have signed up for Q. You said that you would have signed up for this it. We got the shot we wanted in regulation. in September or when the season started, making it. What were your expectations starting and how I wanted the ball in Kyron's hands. Wanted to try to did your team sort of grow or get better through bring two to the ball. It worked for us all game. We just the season? weren't fortunate to get the last shot. But I'm proud of COACH COOLEY: Well, the expectation is always to our players. become a great, great group, be connected, on and off the floor, build chemistry. We start with that. Start by I'm really, really sad for our players because I thought giving accountability and discipline. we did enough to win the game in regulation. But little things got us. And hopefully we'll learn from it for next And then you talk about who are we? We had some week's tournament. seniors. Right now I'm thinking of Emmitt Holt who is

Rev #1 by #188 at 2018-03-11 02:41:00 GMT page 1 of 3 not at the game. He's recovering. here, I'm really, really fortunate to work for and try to help that program win a national That was a big, big, big, big blow to us, a major blow to championship. And we're trying to get there little by us. And we were able to withstand that. We were able little. to withstand early injuries. We were able to withstand late sicknesses. The entire team went through the flu But if you can't enjoy this moment, win or lose, on that and pneumonia, bronchitis. And every team around stage, on this day, Saturday night, you got a problem. the country weathered a storm similar to it. So we all should be smiling, because we're all very, very fortunate. But when talking about Providence we had to weather all that to get to this point. So when you look at how Q. What did the last two nights teach you about we developed over the year we had some inconsistent your team looking ahead to the NCAA play and played well at the right time. But again we Tournament? just weren't fortunate to win this game. COACH COOLEY: We just played two No. 1 seeds back to back in overtime. That told me my team Q. At the risk of being personal, the towel you were matured at the right time. It told me my team is gritty. fashioning, I assume there was a sartorial mishap? It told me our team is tough, resilient, passionate, really COACH COOLEY: When I sat down I felt the great good leadership. breeze in the crack. (Laughter) my pants ripped. I saw Kyron grow up more. I saw Diallo grow up. I saw Q. To that point, the intensity of this game and the grow up. I saw some guys come together way it was, I think there's a lot of people at the right time and hopefully next week we can questioned a lot of things with continue to play that way. this season. What does this kind of game say about the caliber of what this sport can be? I couldn't be more proud of a group who went through COACH COOLEY: You know what, this has been a a lot of inconsistencies, of which you wrote about, rough year for college basketball with respect to right? I hope you write about how consistent we are everything that's going on and the culture of it. And I right now, bro. think some of the national attention that's been on the negative today accentuated the positive. Q. You spoke about the leadership that you saw in terms of growth, especially with Kyron and Diallo in We have a great game. It's unfortunate that there's these last three games, OTs. What did you see some things that don't go, people are not doing the from them in terms of leadership that really right thing. That's to be decided by someone other brought the best out of everyone else in the group? than us. COACH COOLEY: I think part of that -- and I think your question is great -- you know what brought that out? But there's some great players. There's some great The atmosphere of the Big East Tournament, the coaches that have changed lives of hundreds and energy in this building, the fans, the National Anthem. thousands of young men and women, and we shouldn't If you can't get excited listening to the last two National be painted in a bad light because there's a few bad Anthems. The energy brought, I think, our team apples. Don't let those few bad apples destroy the together. And that's what our league is all about. bunch of the goodness of this game, and more importantly how it changes lives. It's a tough league, man, really, really tough league. And somebody had to lose, and unfortunately the At the end of the day we're not going to win every Friars were on that side. game, but we have to make sure we win the battle making sure we help these kids grow up. Q. Ed, the sport has a lot of especially during conference tournament times loud players with Q. I couldn't help but notice several times during gimmicks or people who draw a lot of attention, but the game you had the brightest smile on your face, for Jalen Brunson to have his fourth 31-point game like, this is really fun. I mean, what was it like and be as kind of quiet and stoic as he is, does he coaching in this game? deserve as much attention as any player in college COACH COOLEY: My man, this is something you basketball? dream about when you're a kid -- as a player first and COACH COOLEY: I know Jalen really, really well. I've then when you grow up, say what do you want to do. spent a couple months with him. We won a couple of gold medals together. I said this from the beginning, The coaching side is unbelievable. The atmosphere in the best player in college basketball was the MVP of

Rev #1 by #188 at 2018-03-11 02:41:00 GMT page 2 of 3 this tournament. offensive rebound. Then they juiced the clock late and he made the play. Same with us, we made some plays He's terrific. He guards. He makes big, big, big shots, similar, but it just wasn't a 3. big shots. And he plays on the best team in the country. Q. There's a couple 3s that Bridges made in the overtime period that really seemed to stifle your He's deserving of everything because he's a great momentum. Overall just coming into the game and young man. I've seen his character from his gratitude having experienced it, the toughest part about and appreciation. I've seen him compete. He's very trying to guard Mikal Bridges overall? friendly to my family. Texts my son, my daughter, texts COACH COOLEY: I thought we did a hell of a job me. We compete against each other. I'm really proud guarding. You're not going to shut teams out. You of him. can't throw no-hitters in basketball. You're not going to shut anybody out. And I hope he goes on to do some great things in his life, because he's an incredible ambassador not just for We played great defensively. So it wasn't about Villanova but for the Big East. Bridges. They just made some timely plays. And the overtime, I think they had two 3s back to back, I Q. When you guys started the overtime, were you believe. surprised at all with how you guys came out, given the sense you played two overtime games here I thought we defended great. I don't know what our already and won them? You would think you would percentages were, but you hold a team like that in the have been more comfortable as a veteran team? 60s in regulation, come on. I think, was it 60-60? I COACH COOLEY: Played a great team. And again we don't have my glasses. I can't see. 63s. I don't know didn't get a couple of bounces. I thought we had a what it was in overtime. couple of early looks that just didn't go in. We didn't shoot the ball from 3 particularly well in this tournament But you hold a high-level offensive team like that, come at all. What did we make, six today and then we made on, man. I'm pretty sure some of you are surprised the 14 in three games. game was played the way it was, because everybody thought the Friars were going to come in here and lay It's hard to stretch any -- defensively I thought we did a down. No way, man. That team got fight. They've got good job in regulation. I don't know what the score passion and we believe. So it's not what he did. The was in regulation. But I mean we defended really, ball found that basket at an inopportune time for us. really well in this tournament. We defended really well in this tournament against the three, quote/unquote, THE MODERATOR: Thank you. best offensive teams in the league.

I give our defense a lot of credit. We just couldn't make -- we had how many open shots we missed. You're the writers, you tell me. We had wide open shots. We just didn't make them.

Q. The second 3 by Bridges, I think there's like maybe two or three seconds on the shot clock, Brunson has the ball tipped away and it goes right to Bridges and he steps into a 3. Is that just kind of typical of Villanova? They get maybe a little luck and they just make the most of it? COACH COOLEY: You create your own luck. He's a great player. Great player. He lived in the moment. Just like our players.

Those kids live for this moment. And he had his moment. So I don't think it's luck. I've seen him make 100 of those 3s at the top of the key.

But if we get the rebound, they can't even get the shot. That was one of the 3s that came off of another

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