UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins is joined by Jaylin Sellers and Darius Johnson to talk 79-77 win at TCU.
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00:00 >> Coach, we'll start with an opening statement,
00:01 then we'll open up for questions for everybody.
00:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:06 >> It was a hard fought game.
00:09 I thought both teams played their hearts out.
00:13 You look at the score of this game, I thought it never seemed like it was more
00:17 than a five point lead either way through the entire game.
00:19 It was well contested by both teams.
00:22 And I just thought our guys did a really good job at the end of making some plays
00:26 when we really needed them.
00:27 But as of their really good basketball team, I'd watched them in tape.
00:32 Coach Dixon does a great job with his group and the show because they played
00:37 a lot of winning basketball, made a lot of winning plays, and so did we.
00:40 >> Coach, did you feel like you were expecting this kind of game against TCU?
00:44 >> I was expecting, I watched them on tape, I was just very impressed with
00:48 how they execute offensively, how physical they are defensively.
00:53 And so I was expecting a very physical game,
00:55 like it's been pretty much every game in Big 12 play.
00:58 For us being our first year, just everything we faced,
01:01 it's been a challenge, just the physicality, the level of skill.
01:06 And tonight was no exception, a very good basketball team.
01:09 >> Darius, you really took over the game in the first half and
01:14 carried over into the second half.
01:15 What were your approach mentally?
01:17 >> I just had to be there for my teammates.
01:20 I had it going early, so I just kept my aggressiveness going to the second half.
01:24 Shots were falling, I felt great, and my teammates were finding me for
01:27 open looks.
01:28 >> On January 27th, you scored just two points in the loss against Cincinnati,
01:32 and now it is the 11th consecutive game you scored at least ten points and
01:36 a new career high.
01:37 How does that feel for you personally?
01:39 >> It just motivates me, you keep pushing each and every day.
01:42 I help my teammates, I'm one of the leading scorers on the team, so
01:46 I have to be able to do my job each and every night, whether that's scoring or
01:49 getting my teammates involved with assists or rebounding.
01:52 >> Coach, your first year in the Big 12, 7-11 overall,
01:55 was it more competitive, obviously, at the AAC?
01:58 Or what was the approach now that the first season in the Big 12 is done?
02:03 >> It's an unbelievable conference.
02:05 I've been around basketball all my life.
02:08 It's one of the best basketball conferences I've ever been involved with,
02:11 from top to bottom.
02:12 I think Coach Samson said it best after our game.
02:16 He said, the amazing thing about the conference is there's no real bottom.
02:21 It's only top and middle.
02:23 And that was a great way of putting it,
02:24 just what a great compliment to the conference,
02:27 that everybody's very competitive every single night.
02:31 And it just makes everybody better.
02:32 Riding tide lifts all ships, so I mean, just everybody's better because
02:37 everybody puts forth an amazing effort and they're very competitive.
02:40 >> With a win like this, now you go to Kansas City.
02:43 How can you ride this momentum into the tournament?
02:46 >> Well, we're looking at it as one game at a time.
02:48 It's great to get this win to close out the regular season.
02:53 And then we have to reset and get ready for conference tournament.
02:56 And that's how we're gonna approach it.
02:58 But just happy for our guys.
02:59 Like I said, just the effort they put out.
03:02 And this is a tough place to play.
03:04 And for our guys to keep battling, keep battling, and
03:06 give ourselves a chance to win and to win the game at the end.
03:10 Just very proud of them.
03:11 >> Jalen, in the Big 12 tournament, you will be playing Oklahoma State.
03:14 You guys won against Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
03:17 So is it good to get an opponent that you beat in the first game of the tournament?
03:21 >> I just think we just gotta take the same approach that we take for
03:25 every opponent.
03:26 I know we beat them once, so
03:27 I think they will just come in with more energy and effort.
03:30 So we just gotta make sure we lock down on our cylinders and
03:34 just make sure that we listen to what Coach Dawkins wants us to execute.
03:36 >> Any more questions?
03:40 All set.
03:41 Thanks, everybody.
03:42 >> All right, guys, appreciate it.
03:43 Thank you.
03:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]