Big East Conference Men's Tournament Thursday, March 8, 2018

Chris Mack And if you're going to press, you essentially get a free press if you're not willing to attack. And I think it wasn't Kaiser Gates a seven-point lead; it was a 15-, 16-point lead, and we're going to keep our foot on the gas pedal.

Trevon Bluiett And Tre, on the one in front of our bench, it was right Xavier Musketeers on. He looked at me, Coach, we'll get good ones next time down the floor. And so I don't have any bad Xavier - 88, St. John's - 60 feeling about how we executed down the stretch.

COACH MACK: Coming into the game we have a ton Q. What was the key to taking Shamorie out of the of respect for St. John's knowing that in both contests game as you guys did until pretty much the game this year it was nip and tuck. They could have beaten was in hand? us at Cintas, they could have beaten us at Carnesecca. COACH MACK: It's tough, I'll be honest, he'll make I know it got the attention of our guys. And they've got some contested shots that can zap your confidence some threatened players. defensively at times.

And I'm sure the quick turnaround for those guys didn't But he missed some of those. We made him use the help. I thought in the first and second half we defended ball screen rather than reject it. And, again, I think our our tails off. I thought we really locked in, tried to keep guys on the backside did a really good job of limiting Shamorie out of the lanes as best we could, had really his options, roll man, skip pass. good backside coverage on whoever was rolling for St. John's. But it starts with really good communication from our 5 man so they know the ball screen is coming and which And offensively I thought we did a really good job. We direction and try to corral them as best we could. And I had five turnovers at half. We just missed a normal thought our guys did a terrific job of that today. amount of shots around the basket. And told those guys, hey, can't control sometimes when shots go in, Q. Trevon, you've gotten a lot of attention on a but what you can control is your effort on the offensive national level this year, but how motivated are you glass. When we got a couple to pop in the second half to prove that you're one of the best in the country on the offensive end it kept up our defensive intensity, on this stage and in the weeks ahead? that's where we gained the separation. TREVON BLUIETT: You know, necessarily prove -- I don't think I'm really trying to prove something. It's just Not easy to beat St. John's on their home floor. But we my confidence is how I feel. I feel like who I am is who did. And hopefully we'll be ready to go tomorrow night I am, and a lot of things is coming down here and against the winner, Creighton or Providence. trying to win one goal and that's just trying to win the Big East championship. And that's just me playing my THE MODERATOR: Questions. hardest for my team, making sacrifices for my team.

Q. Coach, the game was pretty much in hand at And if my work for my team comes out and says, hey, that point, but was it frustrating to see some of Trevon has proven himself, so be it. But not your players hoisting 3-pointers with such a big necessarily trying to prove myself, just trying to come lead, not using much of the clock or errant passes down here and win games. not using much of the clock up in the final minutes? Q. Points off turnovers, one of the strengths of the COACH MACK: We want to certainly get the most out St. John's team, you guys held them to two points of possessions. But I think I have a very experienced in that part of the game. What went into that group, guys for the most part make the right decision. aspect for you guys, stopping them from scoring? TREVON BLUIETT: I think we were locked in. We

Rev #1 by #188 at 2018-03-08 19:34:00 GMT page 1 of 3 knew that Justin Simon and Shamorie Ponds used a lot regular season title, is that kind of the hilltop for of ball screens and they're the ones to make a lot of you just being able to reach that level at Xavier plays. And I think our guards did a good job executing, especially being a Xavier guy? taking them out of their game a little bit, staying in tune COACH MACK: I don't look at it as my success. I to the game plan, knowing what we're supposed to do don't. We can run some really good plays. And if Tre on ball screens and kind of taking them out of the goes 0-for-11, those plays don't look really good. game a little bit, kind of worked for us. If Kaiser doesn't have great energy to go to the glass, Q. Just what happened in that postgame get some offensive rebounds, we all don't look very handshake right there? good. COACH MACK: I'm not going to throw anybody under the bus. Couple of guys didn't want to shake hands. What I love about our team is the connectivity we have, But it was quickly squelched. Let's concentrate and the togetherness that we play with, and we're playing worry about the game. some really, really good teams.

Q. For the players, just how much of the focus is So the mountaintop, the mountaintop for us was coming here proving you're not only the best team winning the Big East regular season championship. in the Big East, that you can beat Villanova and can And now we've got hopefully some more mountains to do it when it really matters the most? climb. KAISER GATES: I didn't hear the beginning of the question. Q. Coach, how much focus goes into developing a game plan knowing you're up against a team that Q. How much is it coming here the focus to beat played 19 hours earlier and rotating your players in Villanova when it matters the most in the -- and trying to run as much against them to make KAISER GATES: Our focus really isn't on Villanova fatigue a factor in a game? right now. We've got to take it one game at a time. COACH MACK: I didn't tell it to these guys, because I Right now we focus on winning the next game. didn't want to put any negativity in their heads. I felt -- I know you're on it. I know if there's any team in the Q. Could you talk, Macura played a great all-around conference that didn't necessarily, weren't necessarily game. Talk about his passing, seems to not only going to get tired it would probably be St. John's. All make the right pass but hitting people right in the those guys play 36, 37 minutes. shooting pocket constantly. COACH MACK: J.P., I got asked this when I was asked They're athletic. They're not -- sorry, Matt -- they're not the question about him not being on the first- or huffing and puffing up and down like Stainbrook like a second-team all-league, and again it's a terrific league. couple of years ago; Bluiett as a freshman. There are some great plays; it's no slight if you don't make an all-conference team. (Laughter).

But I think so many of the things that he does very well But we knew -- it's hard because we didn't know who don't necessarily resonate or show in the box scores. we were playing. The guy that had the scout for my staff didn't come over and watch the game because we Certainly he might get an but again is the guy felt by the time he would get back to the hotel, get shooting in his shooting pocket or is he catching it at ready to present it, it would be 11:30. What advantage his toes? He also makes those plays where he just is that? We had it live scouted by another assistant. seems to maybe deflect the pass that one of his teammates gets credit for the , but he was the guy But St. John's for us is simple in the fact that take care that was sort of the instigator in that. He does a lot of of the ball, which we didn't do really well the first two things whether it's set screens, plays multiple positions games. I think we had, what, seven turnovers today. as do a lot of our guys. To do that on their floor, that was the biggest thing of keeping them out of transition with our turnovers and He's got win-first/J.P. second, and he's not alone. tough shots. And we did that. And I think that's one of We've got a lot of players like that in the locker room, the reasons the outcome is what it was. all of them. Q. How do you feel about Trevon's shooting today? Q. Chris, obviously knowing there's a lot of COACH MACK: I liked it. (Laughter) I like it almost postseason left to play, but is the success you've every night. had at Xavier this year with the record in the first

Rev #1 by #188 at 2018-03-08 19:34:00 GMT page 2 of 3 Q. I know there's a lot of basketball left to be played, but there's a chance we could get two 1 seeds out of this league. Considering where it started from, people questioning whether it could last, what does it say about how talented this league can possibly be? COACH MACK: Says a lot. We had 70 percent of our league making the NCAA Tournament a year ago. So often they talk about how many teams get in. Well, we have a smaller pool of teams, and this year's been a dogfight. We certainly came on the right end of a couple of one-possession games.

But I'm not smart enough and haven't been in this position enough to know 1 seed, 2 seed. I think these guys are always cognizant of the fact when we were an 11 seed it added an extra 1 and it didn't matter a year ago.

We've got to go out there and play with desperation and want the game more, and hopefully we continue that ride here as we play on in March.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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