TCU's Emanuel Miller and Ernest Udeh Jr. talk 77-79 loss to UCF on March 9, 2024.
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00:00 >> Start with our players and then we'll go with you, CF coach.
00:03 You're gonna get coach Jackson after that.
00:05 We got Ernest Hude.
00:06 >> [INAUDIBLE]
00:11 >> Ernest, how you feeling against how
00:12 was the rehab process for you the last couple weeks?
00:14 >> It's been good.
00:15 Most importantly, it was just real good for me to be able to get out there and
00:19 watch the match.
00:20 I wanna just be a part of every game that I can, regardless of what I'm going through.
00:24 So it was a good feeling tonight.
00:26 >> [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:30 >> Hey man, what's the message to the team,
00:31 big 12 tournament, how you guys kind of start building some confidence postseason?
00:35 >> We got an opportunity.
00:39 That's the only way you can look at it, right?
00:41 Everything that's led up to this point,
00:45 regardless of what happened, that went in the past.
00:50 That's what I'm telling my team, cuz we have an opportunity Wednesday.
00:52 I think we play Oklahoma.
00:54 We play them here.
00:56 I know they're gonna be hungry to play us again.
00:58 And Wednesday is gonna be a fight.
01:00 It ain't gonna be cute.
01:01 It ain't gonna be sweet.
01:02 It's gonna be a dog fight.
01:03 And the winner of that fight is gonna be the winner that advances to the next round.
01:07 So that's what I'm gonna tell my team.
01:09 I'm gonna tell my team, regardless of what happens, I'm always proud of them.
01:12 I love every single one of them.
01:14 But we gotta fight.
01:15 And Wednesday's a fight.
01:17 I'm ready for that fight.
01:18 >> Emmanuel, did you feel like the mystery throws really hurt the game for
01:21 you guys?
01:21 >> Yeah, any game when you get an opportunity to make some free throws and
01:25 you miss them, it's gonna hurt.
01:27 Those are freebies.
01:28 We need those.
01:29 We work on those.
01:30 And that's the game maker right there.
01:32 That's the game changer.
01:33 Just getting to the line, knocking them down.
01:35 But I have confidence in my guys.
01:37 I know Wednesday they're gonna respond.
01:39 But you could say we could have done a lot of things differently, right?
01:42 Our defense could have been better.
01:43 They shot 50 from the field.
01:45 Our rebounding could have been better.
01:47 They out-rebounded us.
01:49 >> They were tougher.
01:51 They were the tougher team tonight.
01:52 And that's why I said we have an opportunity Wednesday.
01:56 >> Darius Johnson had 33 tonight for them.
01:58 What did he do to make life so difficult for you guys defensively?
02:01 >> He got a lot of shots in the free throw line.
02:04 He did a good job of setting up his teammates, executing,
02:08 getting down in the middle of the paint, collapsing the defense.
02:11 He made a lot of good reads tonight, whether it was hitting a roller or
02:14 going to the rim for himself.
02:17 He's a good player.
02:18 He's a big 12 player for sure.
02:19 Kudos to him.
02:21 He works hard.
02:22 But we just have to find those moments and those stretches just to slow it down.
02:27 Make every shot more difficult.
02:29 Make it feel a little bit more pressure when you're on the ball screens.
02:33 I think just taking them out the game, down the stretch, we know they're going to him.
02:37 He's killing.
02:38 We just have to find opportunities to take him out again.
02:40 >> Anything else for the players?
02:45 >> Hey man, I know it's your senior year and last game of the show.
02:48 How has it been these past three years?
02:50 I know it was a tough loss, but that whole ride?
02:52 >> The past three years have been amazing, man.
02:58 Every opportunity I got to put on a TCU jersey, it fills my heart, man.
03:04 I know a lot of kids wish they could be in this position.
03:08 That's why I'm extremely blessed that I got three years to play with not only one
03:12 of the best coaches in this league, but such tremendous players and teammates.
03:16 TC was everything.
03:17 TC was my everything.
03:18 And I'm thankful for three years this community took me in and helped build me.
03:23 I always have positive reinforcement from my peers,
03:27 my classmates, my professors, the students, everyone.
03:32 This community, Fort Worth, it's always in my heart, and I'm just thankful.
03:36 >> Kind of just to follow up to that, like you said,
03:38 the community kind of helped build you up.
03:39 You also helped kind of build this program up from kind of being
03:42 a basketball school to a house special, is that for you?
03:45 >> Just, it's been a journey, right?
03:49 Since before we came here, back when Eddie and Mike and
03:53 them were by themselves and a whole new group, my group, came in.
03:56 We saw potential from the jump.
04:00 When Jamie Dixon recruited every single one of us, we wanted to make a change.
04:04 We know TCU has more than enough potential to be back at the top of the pedestal.
04:10 We did something special.
04:12 We did, we won at Iowa State for the first time.
04:15 We won at West Virginia for the first time.
04:17 I mean, you go down the line, the list of accomplishments we've been able to create
04:20 over this past three years in this span, it's not heard of,
04:25 especially with such a new group.
04:28 And for us to make the turn in these back to back years last year, and
04:32 just to continue to set these accomplishments, it's huge.
04:38 And I'm just thankful.
04:39 >> Yes, sir.
04:42 >> Okay. >> Thank you.
04:42 >> Thank you.
04:43 >> Appreciate it.