TCU beat Texas Tech 73-52 on Wednesday in the final home game of the season. After the win, TCU head coach Mark Campbell talked about the win, the roller coaster season, growth of the team, and having momentum going into the postseason. Campbell is now the winningest first year coach in program history with 19 wins.
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00:00 All right, thanks everyone.
00:07 We have Coach Campbell here following tonight's win over Texas Tech.
00:11 We'll start with an opening statement from Coach and then take questions in the room.
00:15 Well, tonight was just really special.
00:18 Obviously, Senior Night is a really big night for every program.
00:24 So, really happy that we could send our seniors off with a victory in their last game at the Showwire.
00:33 Really proud of our defensive effort.
00:36 It's just incredible, the journey of this season to go from a high-powered offense to now a team that's really defended.
00:44 We used our zone for the first time in about seven weeks.
00:48 So, we have been working on it and so tonight I'm glad that we were able to use it and be really effective.
00:54 And then, I guess you could say Sedona is shaking off the rust from missing those seven weeks.
01:01 So, great team effort.
01:03 Really proud of this group and where we're at and excited for the opportunity that's ahead on Saturday.
01:10 How does it feel to pretty much have your team back?
01:14 Kind of like you alluded to, knowing everything that's happened over the last two months.
01:18 Yeah, I mean, we have a big chunk of it back.
01:22 I mean, missing Jay Nowans, who's one of the best point guards in college basketball.
01:26 You can't replace Jay Nowans.
01:29 But, to have Madison back, to have Sedona back, and to start working out the kinks.
01:33 Again, it's just not as simple as plugging them in but figuring out how to play together.
01:37 That's why we need to be good defensively until our offense catches up.
01:42 Today, I thought we had a much better rhythm and flow compared to the game against Houston.
01:47 We did a great job taking care of the ball.
01:50 Only had 11 turnovers tonight.
01:52 If we can take care of the ball and defend like this, we're hard to beat.
01:56 You mentioned Sedona. She hasn't had a double-double.
01:59 Like you said, still working through some of the kinks.
02:02 How would you kind of, I guess, grade how she's done two games back?
02:08 Sedona's such a unique basketball player because of her ability to impact the game
02:15 on both ends of the court, every single possession.
02:18 Defensively, she changes every shot around the basket.
02:22 So, an elite rim protector, which not many have.
02:25 She's an elite rebounder.
02:27 And then offensively, I mean, you saw it today.
02:29 She was hitting three. She was posting up. She draws fouls.
02:32 She just impacts the game in so many ways.
02:34 There's not many players like her in college basketball.
02:37 Coach, after dominating in the first half,
02:39 what was your message to the team in the locker room going into the second half?
02:43 Yeah, we're guaranteed 120 minutes of our season.
02:49 That's all we're guaranteed.
02:51 We have 40 minutes tonight. We get 40 minutes at West Virginia.
02:54 And we get at least one game in the Big 12 tournament.
02:57 We're down to 120 minutes left in our season.
03:00 And we've got to value every one of those minutes.
03:03 And we've got to continue to get better.
03:05 And we've got to continue to compete at a high level.
03:07 And so, you know, a lot of teams this time of the year,
03:11 they've played together as a unit for, you know, 27 games at this point together.
03:17 And we're not that.
03:18 We've had like three seasons within a season.
03:21 So, you know, we're down to 80 minutes left.
03:24 And we've got to continue to play good basketball.
03:27 And we still have a lot of long ways to go as we get this group dialed in.
03:32 And then what are you looking for against West Virginia?
03:34 They lost three straight.
03:35 Obviously, that's not fun.
03:36 You've won four in a row.
03:38 Like what is --
03:39 Yeah, this league's tough.
03:41 It's really tough.
03:42 It's -- depending on who you play and where you play,
03:45 you can lose a couple games in a row.
03:48 Fortunately, we've been able to get hot at the right time.
03:51 I haven't studied West Virginia.
03:53 When I get up to the office,
03:55 I'll have a scouting report on my desk and dive into that field tonight.
03:58 But after playing them the first time, they do a matchup zone, they press.
04:03 We have grown so much in handling the ball against pressure.
04:07 I'm so proud of our team.
04:09 Una's done a phenomenal job growing in that area.
04:12 And so, West Virginia, you've got to take care of the ball,
04:16 and then you've got to find a way to attack their zone.
04:19 And Sedona's a game changer in regards to attacking the zone.
04:23 And so, that's a great opportunity for us.
04:26 I know our kids are really excited to go compete.
04:29 The defense, you kind of talked about this a little bit,
04:32 but another standout performance kind of second game in a row.
04:34 But you said approached with the zone this time.
04:37 Just talk about how much the defense has grown.
04:40 Yeah, tremendous.
04:41 I mean, last time we played Texas Tech, night and day of where our program's at.
04:47 Last time we played them on the road, we were just trying to figure out a five-out motion.
04:51 And Aliyah was trying to figure out, do I front to post, do I play behind, all that stuff.
04:56 And so, we've taken that seven weeks, and it's been behind closed doors.
05:01 We've got to get better fundamentally as a unit defensively.
05:05 And you can't always see the growth.
05:08 You guys can't, but we could.
05:10 In the win-loss, we weren't using that to judge how we're doing.
05:14 The evidence is now.
05:16 We're getting to see a group that grew up when Sedona and Madison were away.
05:21 And we're just a much better team now defensively.
05:24 How much does that depth help, where everyone had to grow up during that time?
05:29 Major.
05:30 I mean, we could go down the list.
05:31 Aliyah has absolutely blossomed.
05:34 And what she's done during this stretch in playing out of position,
05:38 but as a winner, as a competitor, Agnes has blossomed.
05:43 Aliyah and Agnes, those two have been the quiet soldiers within our team.
05:47 Luna's growing up as a point guard
05:49 and figuring out how to be a point guard at the Big 12 level.
05:52 And Sydney Harris had just emerged, and she missed eight weeks,
05:56 and so she missed a big chunk of time.
05:59 And Tara, going into this game, I think she was leading us in assists in the Big 12.
06:04 And so, you have this group that's all just kind of blossomed,
06:07 and now you're adding Madison and Sedona back.
06:10 It's a tough unit.
06:12 With the Big 12 tournament, there's the opportunity for that first-round buy,
06:16 and I know things still have to kind of shake out with that,
06:18 but knowing this win could help you potentially get that first-round buy,
06:22 how important is that buy for you guys?
06:23 Oh, Major, we've talked about our team's been locked in on it.
06:27 You want to stay out of that first day.
06:29 To have a chance to win it, it's a big difference playing four games in a row versus three.
06:34 And our team doesn't have depth, so we needed to control our own destiny.
06:40 We handled our business tonight, and we have another opportunity Saturday.
06:45 I haven't had time to check any of the scores yet,
06:48 but I knew if we took care of our job tonight,
06:50 there was a pretty good chance you're going to be in that 8-9 game.
06:54 What do you feel like you've learned throughout this process?
06:57 How do you feel like you've grown as a coach over the last year?
07:01 Leaps and bounds because your hand's forced due to the injuries.
07:06 I have a long list of things that I've learned,
07:08 but I'm going to start with our five-out motion, which kept us afloat.
07:12 Figuring out how to survive undersized, and so you're playing small ball.
07:18 How can you control a game?
07:20 You've got to figure out what your postee is with Aaliyah,
07:22 who's not a center, playing these monsters in the Big 12.
07:26 Short bench, how can you control the tempo and manage a game?
07:31 Everything, the script got ripped up for that seven weeks of just how do we survive?
07:36 These kids did.
07:37 Those wins that we scrapped out while Sedona, Madison were gone,
07:42 have kept us afloat to stay in the fight for an NCAA tournament berth,
07:47 which is incredible, you guys.
07:48 It's a testament to these kids and the coaches that have been in the trenches
07:53 finding ways to keep this group together.
07:57 They have a special spirit to them, and I said that when we were 14 and 0,
08:02 the same spirit was in that locker room when we were going through the growing pains,
08:07 and now it's back.
08:09 You guys, this is a time you need to peak.
08:11 You need to be playing your best basketball heading into March,
08:13 and we're heading down the home stretch on a four-game winning streak
08:17 with a chance to go play a really good West Virginia club.
08:20 You couldn't ask for anything better.
08:24 Any other questions for Coach?
08:26 All right, thanks, you guys.
08:27 See you against City.
08:28 You guys, thanks for all your support all season.
08:31 Truly appreciate it.
08:34 I'm very grateful.
08:36 Thanks, Coach.
08:37 Thank you.