UConn Postgame Press Conference (2026 Men's Elite Eight)

[0:01] wait till you find out why oh it's a cliffhanger i'm gonna leave it i'm gonna leave it there [0:25] yukon student athletes are making their way up onto the dais here in the interview room yukon [0:33] heading to its third final four in the last four years josh why don't you come up front for me to [0:49] the right and we're joined now by braylon mullins terrace reed jr silas demery jr and alex caraban [0:56] of yukon questions for the yukon student athletes we'll start up front with zach on the right [1:05] zach peerless cbs sports uh for terrace and alex the duke players said they thought that they maybe [1:12] lost a little bit of a competitive edge in the second half i think that it could be argued [1:15] you guys took your competitiveness up a notch when did that shift happen and how did it happen [1:23] um i think it happened in the second half i think it was the start of the second half we started [1:27] being more physical we started really playing to the calling card that we play at and um you know [1:32] we just felt like we let our offense really dictate how we were playing in the first half [1:36] when we necessarily didn't have shots fall or the flow of our offense really um you know it got [1:42] disrupt disrupted so um i think when we took pride on the defense event everything changed yeah [1:48] piggyback off what ak said i mean it was definitely that second half i mean going into halftime coach [1:52] like yo we got we got swinging for the fences you know we got to give it all we got so they're [1:56] coming out of the halftime down what 15 whatever it was uh just going down like i said giving it [2:01] our all keep chipping away keep chipping away at the lead and and they're getting it back and the [2:07] defense is getting it back and the defense is getting it back and the defense is getting it back [2:11] coming up on the left side dom first dom memory hartford current braylon as i'm sure you've been [2:18] asked already talk us through it what did you see what did you think what feel how did it happen man [2:25] uh it's just i mean yeah it's still loss of words still processing all of like what just happened [2:31] but uh i mean i think that last possession it was just we were trying to foul the worst free [2:35] throw shooter on the floor and uh silas ended up deflecting the the [2:40] pass to the other end of the floor and it's just i had the ball and i i know ak had just hit one so [2:45] i threw him at four seconds left and man he just threw the ball back to me i knew i had to put one [2:50] up so man i'm just happy that was that was the one that went down tonight up front on the right ralph [2:57] ralph russo from the athletic i guess i'll go to braylon and silas because you guys came over with [3:02] the trap if you can take us through a little bit of like the defensive play that led to the shot [3:08] what was what was the plan what we're supposed to be doing it looked very [3:11] distinct and reactive we'll ask silas first i think connor we were all in the backcourt i think [3:19] it was pat behind us and maybe one more person so i kind of just sold out i was like either we [3:25] get to steal here or they just get an open dunk so just gave him all jumped and deflected it and [3:30] we recovered it and braylon hit that big time shot right i mean yeah i think he kind of just [3:36] he spoke that one uh to to a t so i mean it's just i think we were just trying to try to get [3:41] the ball out of uh all whoever had the ball in their hands and [3:45] just try to make a play on the ball and uh i mean silas made an incredible incredible play [3:49] and i mean everything else just happened as it is i mean yeah i knew i knew we were the back two guys [3:57] and uh we we left whoever was behind us and we were just i mean we were just trying to make a play [4:01] and uh so yeah that's just that's just how it happened up front on the left side mike uh would [4:09] love your perspective as well wind up with the ball did you raylan did you sense his presence [4:14] there just what were you seeing um as you delivered the ball to him and then when his shot was in the [4:20] thinking in that moment i mean i've seen braylon for some reason i just had that gut instinct to [4:25] pass it to him and um i think i looked at the rim and i saw we had like five seconds left so i was [4:30] like maybe something better could develop because i think i had boozer um cam boozer in front of me [4:35] so like a harder more difficult shot so i passed it to braylon and you know when i saw it go when [4:40] i saw him release i was like that really might go in and you know i went in and the indiana kids in [4:47] indianapolis so um [4:50] you like that one i've been using it a lot lately so um but you know he did that and you know [4:58] i mean every time braylon shoots it from no matter where it looks like it's going in [5:03] on the right side turn the back we have three questions we'll take all three don't be shy guys [5:08] yeah there's one all right nate's side and scene for the horror terrorists coming out of halftime [5:13] a lot of production have been coming from you and duke started to double you what did that open up [5:16] for you as a playmaker yeah i feel like uh even in the first half where i had a couple turnovers in [5:23] here blocked me from behind a couple times um going into the media time i started telling me [5:27] like yo if they're going to come and double you know kick out to the corners but don't overthink [5:31] it at halftime so like i said being able to take my time and yeah seeing the whole floor knowing [5:36] that i had a high production in the first half knowing that they were going to collapse on me [5:39] in the post and like i said trust my shooters and trust the guys around me same area terras [5:45] congratulations on the win george gerber washington times uh the first half kind of felt [5:49] like you versus the boozers almost in some ways did it did it feel like if you could get keep your [5:55] team there getting that lead from 19 down to 15 that you'd be able to make this second half come [6:00] back and the guys would come back around you and score yeah mic up one seat just real quick oh yeah [6:06] honestly it was just trying to win at this point you know like this could be my last college [6:10] basketball game and it was just like go for it all i mean coach told us before the game like you got [6:14] to swing swing for the fences go as hard as you can so i'm like i said trying to keep the team [6:18] alive and eventually guys going to knock down shots and like they did and like i said we're [6:22] just trusting in each other one or up right carl baltimore [6:26] district buckets uh this one's also for terrace uh so they'll be able to get you a little bit that [6:30] matchup when they had boozer bringing up the ball a lot um like how does that speak to really your [6:34] versatility were you able to take on that matchup and kind of the success you were able to have a [6:38] little bit later when you got some of those switches yeah cam boozer's like i said a terrific [6:42] player he could guard at all three levels so that was going to be a five-man five-man issue five-man [6:46] job for us this game and like i said he was going to be allowing a perimeter and yeah showing my [6:50] versatility being able like i said trusting the guys around me calling out ball screens left right [6:56] but like i said just really playing team defense helping each other out and you know stopping the [7:00] ball up front on the left alex over to hartford current the obviously the game wasn't going your [7:09] way until like the final minute but terrace gets that steal and you pull up for three can you just [7:13] take us through you know what you were thinking at that going into those final moments and and [7:18] hitting that shot how good it felt no it felt really good and you know i knew eventually the [7:23] shots would fall i mean we had we had so many good looks this game they just weren't falling and you [7:29] can't really let your confidence die down when you you don't see shots go in so you know just [7:33] continue to believe in myself continue to you know thank that my teammates trust me no matter what and [7:39] you know when i shot it looked good to the center of the room and this will be the final question [7:44] for the uconn players terrace matt demick daily campus you've right here you've had a lot of those [7:51] top of the key pokes free and then you break out in transition and slam home a dunk that was a [7:55] big momentum swing for you guys today is that uh have you working on that timing on those plays [8:00] i've racked up a couple of those in this tournament yeah crazy to say that coach gets [8:03] gets mad at me all the time in practice telling me don't steal don't reach you know don't don't play [8:08] sometimes too aggressive where i could get easy fouls but like i said this this is the game on [8:11] the line you know this is my career on the line so i was going for it all but just knowing that [8:16] have good hands good timing and yeah just trying to do something got a couple breakaway dunks this [8:21] this march so looking forward to getting some more i want to congratulate alex silas terrace and [8:27] braylon we'll see you next week in indy let's go boys [8:33] gonna head back to the uconn locker room which is still open coach want to give us a few thoughts [8:51] then we'll take some questions yeah you know listen i i you know obviously that's uh you know [8:57] just the epic just another chapter in the uh in the uconn duke ncaa tournament uh you know dramatics [9:06] um you know obviously a a really tough way for their season you know to end i you know i thought [9:13] they played great i thought they they punched us in the mouth uh with incredible force [9:18] um you know the the boozer boys i mean i i've been admirers of you know of their [9:25] approach to basketball i mean all i've ever watched these guys do uh you know it's just [9:31] win everything um that they play in over the course of their career and grassroots and then [9:36] what the impact they've had on duke and you know obviously across the board um you know just their [9:42] program you couldn't have more respect for you know john shire and and and uh um what they've [9:49] done uh you know because of the fact that they've been a great team and uh they've been a great team [9:54] since he's been here uh but you know i think for us um you know the story was just uh that that game [10:00] was a reflection on the season it's been a season where we've been dealt with injuries to key players [10:05] uh at critical points of the year that we've had to overcome and we've had to show a lot of [10:09] fortitude and resilience and just kind of claw our way through the season and uh just the game was a [10:16] microcosm of that just we fought we clawed put ourselves in position uh to take advantage of a [10:19] a mistake that they made and you know one of the most brilliant shooters that [10:24] you'll ever see shoot a basketball you know made an incredible legendary March [10:29] shot. Coach up front to the left we'll start on campus. Sam Callahan daily [10:34] campus. I know you I know your grandfather great. Obviously you just [10:42] mentioned one of the great March shots and you you've seen I mean you were you [10:47] were in the stands for the Leitner shots. Have you seen anything like what [10:51] Braylon just just did to seal the game? Oh no I mean I've had it done to me. I've [10:59] been on the bad side maybe not a shot like that but just in a game of that [11:04] magnitude you know especially when we were I mean they make it tough on you [11:09] because they're obviously an excellent defensive team but you know we probably [11:13] were gonna look at film and see shot quality on on a number of the threes [11:17] that we missed and [11:18] man like we it felt like a little bit of you know some type of justice where [11:24] you know we missed a lot of really good shots throughout the game and then you [11:30] know we had to make a really hard shot you know so you know the things just [11:38] evened out at that point let's say. Staying up front to the left Hartford. [11:42] Joe Hartford current. Dan what does it take you go down 19 in the first half [11:48] against a team like that you know they've [11:50] only lost twice this year and you know the players that they have but what does [11:53] it take for that your team to stick in that and for you to stick it in as a [11:56] coach. I mean strong men you know it takes strong men it takes uh it takes a [12:02] strong team it takes a tough team it takes tough men it takes strong men it [12:07] takes a bunch of players that that let us coach them let us coach them hard that [12:13] starts in June we run a very intense program you know we're on these guys' [12:16] we're on these guys' We're on these guys' [12:20] We put them, we stress them in practice. [12:23] We put a lot of pressure on them on a daily basis to do the right things, [12:29] to do everything at game speed, to do everything hard, [12:32] to do everything tough to be prepared, [12:36] because that's what it takes to win games like this [12:39] or to stay in a game like that where you're getting outplayed. [12:44] You're having a really bad shooting night at the absolute worst time. [12:48] But what kicks in at that point is just a bunch of strong men, [12:52] a strong team, players that let their coaches coach them hard [12:56] and prepare them for tough moments. [12:59] We have two on the left side all the way back. [13:02] We'll start on the left side. [13:04] How are you doing, Coach? De'Andre, The Way Network. [13:07] I'm doing great, bro. [13:09] Hey, you too, Coach. [13:10] I'm doing great. [13:12] What's something that happened tonight that you saw [13:15] that didn't show up in the stat sheet but radically changed the momentum of the game? [13:19] Well, I just thought that, you know, [13:20] to start the game we were a little bit on our heels. [13:25] I thought we were too defensive defensively. [13:29] I think that we didn't get after them and try to pressure them [13:34] or make them uncomfortable. [13:36] I just think that we probably maybe gave a little bit too much respect [13:41] to their individual players, [13:43] and I just thought that Malachi Smith with some ball pressure, [13:46] I thought Silas with some ball pressure, [13:49] Jaden Ross, I just thought that, you know, [13:51] we got after them a little bit more and turned them over. [13:55] And turnovers have been an issue for them like they have been for us. [13:59] So, you know, just upping a little bit of defensive energy I thought helped us a lot. [14:06] One row forward. [14:07] Hey, Coach. [14:08] Jake Cotter, The Way Network. [14:09] Three Final Fours in the last four seasons. [14:11] Just curious, what do you think are some of the similarities [14:13] from those teams to this team and some of the differences? [14:18] Oh, I mean, the 23 and 24 teams, [14:22] I mean, they just smashed everybody. [14:25] I mean, we just ran through this tournament like it was nothing. [14:29] So, I mean, more of a team that had to be clutch, [14:34] that's had to be clutch the whole year. [14:36] We've had to win a lot of close games throughout the year, [14:40] and I think that that, you know, [14:42] honestly just gave us a level of comfortability in a game that we were, [14:46] you know, it's a one-possession game, it's a two-possession game. [14:49] We've been in this spot before. [14:50] We've, you know, [14:51] I think that that's what's really helped. [14:54] You know, this team's got NBA players, NBA-level talent, [14:58] just like those teams from a talent standpoint. [15:01] But, you know, I think maybe just a guy like Tyrus Reid, you know, [15:12] just elevating his game for this tournament and changing his legacy, [15:17] changing his trajectory, you know, put himself, I think, [15:20] in position now and walk away from this tournament. [15:22] You know, he looks like he's playing himself into the first round. [15:25] You know, I would just say, you know, just not as dominant, [15:30] just a resilient team that's got a lot of confidence in close late games. [15:35] On the right side, in the back. [15:37] Dan, you guys started one of 18 from three-point range, [15:41] finished four for five, and hit the game-winner from three. [15:45] How ironic is that? [15:47] What do you feel was the – what turned for you guys down the stretch there? [15:51] What the hell did you just say? [15:54] What did you just say? [15:55] One for 18? [15:57] I knew it was bad. [15:58] I kept asking the assistant coaches and no one would tell me what it was. [16:03] I knew it was bad. [16:06] Yeah, I mean, listen, I thought a lot of them were pretty good looks. [16:09] You're not going to get great looks versus Duke or a great defense. [16:12] So, like, when you play great defenses, the windows are tighter. [16:17] And, like, we obviously – we were kind of wearing Tyrus out in terms of catches [16:23] and stuff. [16:25] That's a focal point. [16:26] But if we were going to win the game, like, we were going to have to make a couple of [16:30] threes down the stretch because, you know, I thought we were getting decent looks. [16:36] Obviously, Braylon's look at the end was, you know, was a bomb. [16:40] But, you know, Silas' looks, they were clean. [16:44] I thought we got a lot of good looks. [16:46] We just – you know, for whatever reason, this team has not shot to solo ball. [16:54] Braylon Mullins. [16:55] AK. [16:57] I mean, those are three of the best shooters in the country. [16:59] We just haven't had that shooting magic. [17:03] But then we did. [17:04] Up front. [17:07] Hey, Coach. [17:09] What's the thought process after that steal of not calling a timeout and just letting [17:12] Braylon and Alex make a play? [17:14] Oh, it's scary, man. [17:16] It's like, yo, what the – you know, because Duke is so good defensively. [17:22] It just felt like you're almost – you know, you're watching Alex and seeing, you know, [17:27] kind of like as Braylon's catching the ball, does he look like he's in some type of a rhythm? [17:33] You know, does he look like he's going to kind of rip drive it? [17:37] I mean, you're torn right there. [17:39] And you're almost like – and you're just – it's instincts. [17:43] It's gut instinct. [17:46] But I think with their size, their length, their ability to switch everything, you know, [17:52] it just – it felt like the window where you just got to let March Madness take over. [17:58] March Magic. [18:00] We want to thank Coach Hurley. [18:01] Congratulations. [18:02] Thank you. [18:03] I got the socks. [18:04] I didn't wear them today because I got my lucky socks, but I'm going to wear them in Indy. [18:06] You got to stay with the lucky socks. [18:07] Yeah. [18:08] But you can wear them Thursday in Indy, and I'll see you there. [18:09] Yes, sir.