Watch Mark Few's postgame press conference after Gonzaga's 96-64 WCC victory over Portland.
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00:00 >> Mark, it seems like the court kinda always dares you to make and take threes.
00:07 >> No, that's exactly what they do.
00:09 I mean, I think that's how they think they have their best chance to win.
00:14 And so we knew that going in, so we spent a lot of time just having feet,
00:19 hands ready out there on the perimeter.
00:21 I thought our guys, for the most part, did a really good job of just taking
00:23 the right ones.
00:24 I mean, you can take a lot of them if you want, but it's gotta be the right ones.
00:29 And then there's always a context to it, too.
00:32 And obviously with the bigs we have, it's nice to be able to mix in and
00:36 be able to go inside out.
00:37 >> Kind of the second straight game where you were able to set the tone with
00:41 the defense, kind of similar to Saturday.
00:44 What have you seen from that standpoint?
00:46 >> No, we had a great start on the defense, and
00:49 actually had a great half, I felt like, on the defensive end.
00:52 Especially, that team's got some real skill, and they spread you out, and
00:56 it's just different playing them.
00:59 See five out and five in, pop up and shoot threes, and fade to the corner.
01:05 And then a guy like Roberson in there, kind of wheeling and
01:10 dealing in the post, and just, so on relatively short prep,
01:16 our guys did a nice job executing the defensive play.
01:21 >> I was just gonna say, the whole Robertson and Moosey,
01:26 some of those shots, he's been scoring it really well.
01:29 Pulled those guys down.
01:30 >> Yeah. >> Way below their averages.
01:33 >> Yeah, yeah.
01:34 Now, we did a nice job with that.
01:36 I actually thought we did a good job on Gorsito, at least in the first half,
01:41 and then he got going in the second half.
01:43 But he's dangerous, so he's really, really, really shooting a well coming in here.
01:47 >> What makes Braden so good at finishing around the rim?
01:51 >> He's got great hands.
01:52 He's a hand-eye guy.
01:53 I mean, I'm sure I've played him in ping pong or pickleball or anything like that.
02:00 But I mean, he's just one of those hand-eye guys.
02:03 So, but he's really done a good job of growing that and
02:08 finding, he does a great job of finding the ball.
02:14 And either off the offensive boards or just in our flow of offense.
02:18 That's what we're trying to get Graham to do, is just,
02:21 you just gotta find it, kinda like that's what Drew did.
02:23 The guys are looking for you.
02:25 Sometimes you can't drop a play or whatever, you just gotta find it.
02:29 And he does a good job of that.
02:31 >> Is he a better ping pong player or pickleball player?
02:34 >> I don't know anything about his game.
02:36 I'm just saying he's a hand-eye guy.
02:38 So I would assume he has the potential to be really good.
02:42 >> Could you tell from the practices in the prep from Saturday leading into now,
02:46 that the guys were really chomping at the bit to get back out there?
02:49 >> It's typical, it just takes some time.
02:53 That was a high emotion and there's a lot put into that thing.
02:57 And sometimes you just gotta let them recover and heal and all that.
03:04 And again, I say this all the time, I mean, last loss of the year,
03:09 NCA tournament and all that.
03:11 Players come back faster than anybody, it takes like 24 hours.
03:15 Staff takes a little bit longer and the fans never recover.
03:20 So I mean, it's just like it goes like that all the time.
03:24 So they were fine by the time they got around to practicing Monday.
03:28 >> Is this the game you're looking forward going into this weekend,
03:32 you're hoping to have, I guess, to get back on track?
03:34 >> Sure, I mean, obviously you want one where you make 15 threes and
03:42 play good defense and all that, so you feel good about it.
03:45 I mean, obviously, it's a whole nother entity we're gonna deal with in rough.
03:50 And they're desperate, just like we are.
03:54 And man, they got some high level talent.
03:59 Cal's done a good job bringing freshmen in and
04:03 then mixing in some experienced transfers.
04:06 Keeping a couple guys around from last year.
04:08 And they're really, really something on offense right now.
04:13 So we'll have to prep for them tomorrow, it's a long flight.
04:18 And then get ready for us, a relatively early game on Saturday.
04:24 >> With EK and the fouls,
04:26 you kind of shake your head sometimes at where he's getting them, I guess?
04:31 >> Yeah, it's just tough, who knows?
04:33 I mean, it's all these collisions and wrestling matches and
04:39 everything going on down there.
04:41 To me, he plays pretty dark, clean, and
04:43 he's found a couple fouls lately in these games.
04:47 So hopefully we can avoid them on Saturday.
04:51 >> How do you make it a skill level you're gonna see Saturday?
04:57 >> I mean, I'm so impressed with their freshman skill level.
05:01 I mean, it's crazy.
05:04 Shepherd and Billingham, I mean, just how skilled they are.
05:09 Obviously, they're talented, it's amazing how they shoot it,
05:11 shoot it so easy, and how confident they are.
05:14 The whole group is very impressive.
05:18 I don't think offensively they were quite there last year.
05:23 This is a really, really, really good offensive team.
05:27 They're deadly in transition, so we gotta get back, guard the three line, and
05:31 then try to set our defense and keep them in front.
05:36 >> They've been giving up quite a few points in some of the SEC games.
05:40 Where do you think you guys can kind of take advantage of them on that side?
05:43 >> I mean, we'll just have to play the game and see what they're gonna do and
05:48 play our way.
05:49 And we'll just do what we do and see if we can find some matchups and
05:54 advantages, and hopefully we'll make shots like we did tonight.
05:56 The game feels a lot better, looks a lot better,
06:01 and the result is usually a lot better when you just make those open shots.
06:06 And I hope somebody made 15 threes instead of three or four.
06:11 >> Coach, you kind of hit on it, the hostile environment you guys are gonna be
06:15 going down to, but just talk about Roperino,
06:18 talk about what you guys are excited about.
06:20 >> Yeah, no, it's one of the legendary places to play in all of college
06:24 basketball, and we've been pretty much everywhere with this program.
06:29 We've just never been there, so that's what was so cool about Cal agreeing to do
06:35 this, and it deserves a lot of credit for that.
06:39 We didn't have to, and the fact that it's in season, in conference play,
06:44 I think it bumps it up a couple notches.
06:47 And when Gonzaga plays Kentucky, that's a really,
06:50 really big thing for college basketball, regardless of what's happening with their