Players and coaches from all men's and women's 2025 NCAA Tournaments step to the media room for full March Madness press conferences before and after their NCAA tournaments games, including First Four, First and Second Round, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, the Final Four and 2025 NCAA national championship game.
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00:00you
00:30we welcome to the stage the Texas Longhorns and head coach Rodney Terry
00:38Caden Chedrick had 11 points 7 rebounds Trey Johnson led Texas with 23 points
00:45and Trevon Mark 16 points in the game before we get to our student-athletes
00:56coach your thoughts on your season well for one I'm really proud of these guys
01:03I said in the locker room after the game how much it's been a joy and pleasure to
01:08work with these guys each and every day you know through the highs through the
01:14lows they really turned into everyday guys in terms of being consistent with
01:18great attitudes and a great approach every day through their hard work they
01:23were warranted an opportunity to be in this great tournament and play in this
01:28great venue tonight and I thought they they held themselves well I thought we
01:33had one of our better first halves of the year I thought we came out in the
01:36second half we knew that they were going to come with the run we withstood their
01:40run and it still had had a little bit of separation I just thought down the
01:45stretch give them credit they made big plays big shots and it finished the game
01:50down the stretch and end up winning this ball game Sean's a really good
01:55coach they have a really good team and but I'm proud of my guys and I love
01:59these guys and I love how hard they competed for myself each and every day
02:03and nothing to hang our heads up hey nothing to hang our heads about at all
02:08I'm really proud of these guys I will open up the floor questions for student
02:15athletes first row in the middle
02:22if I could just ask you about the last few minutes how hard it was for you guys
02:26to you know get some stops and score that after kind of having control of the
02:30game most of the game I just think we were playing good as a team it just got
02:37late and we had a little miscommunication on some shots and they
02:41made big shots in big moments I get out to them but we played good defense as a
02:46team the whole almost a whole shot clock we just had a little bit
02:49miscommunication I'll stay in the row I said you're golden Austin American
02:55statesman Caden it seemed like several points of the second half you get those
02:59guys on the ropes how are they allowed how are they able to get back into it
03:04and what were your conversations like during the timeout when they made that
03:08first run yeah I mean they were they were able to get back into it just by
03:14staying the course of the game playing the full 40 minutes they didn't give up
03:18at all and they hit big shots when they needed to and that kind of pushed them
03:22over the edge against us today for us in the huddles we were just talking about
03:27you know continue to try and get good shots getting guys off the three-point
03:32line things like that but credit to them they played really well especially down
03:37the stretch to to win this game today first row Caden and Tremont you guys
03:44you've been a lot of games you're both seniors what was this crowd like
03:47compared to what you've played in before and how much did it impact y'all Kate I
03:53thought they had a really impressive crowd today we expected that with
03:56Cincinnati being an hour or so away I don't know how far it is but they had a
04:02really good crowd I'm sure it gave him a lot of energy we've played in
04:05environments like this all year long so I won't say affected us too much but you
04:10know I'm sure they fed off of it and it probably helped them a bit but it is
04:14what it is it's part of basketball Tremont yeah they definitely fed off
04:22their crowd you know they had a great crowd and like Caden said we played in
04:25crowds like this the whole time so it really didn't have an effect on us but
04:29they hit timely shot after timely shot in that second half and once that
04:34happens the crowd gets more involved they're juiced up and it's just it's
04:38just tough to kind of go on a run from there and we just didn't get stops when
04:43we needed to any more questions for our student athletes in the third row Mike
04:50Petralia CLNSNC.com Trey how aware were you guys of the foul
04:55trouble that they had Zach Fremantle and obviously Conwell thank you Ryan
05:03Conwell were in foul trouble in that first half I'm wondering if you guys
05:07were aware of that and made an effort to get into the paint and try to score the
05:12way you guys did yeah we were most definitely aware of it especially like
05:16the last two media timeouts we was talking about it for sure they just did
05:21a good job but I guess not fouling we talked about it we expressed it we drew
05:26a plays forward we just couldn't get them to pick up that next foul let's go
05:31to the second row Kurt Bowles from the Houston Chronicle Tremon they obviously
05:38had a very strong game but turnovers was not an issue in the first half but it
05:42became the second half is it anything they were doing on defense to kind of
05:46make those plays they were doing the same thing in the first half and in the
05:51second half to it is got away with some slippery cause of grabbing we just got
05:56beat strong with the ball we had some some slip-ups and it led to easy points
06:04for them and then that was that was that last question for our student-athletes
06:10first row Trey you're gonna have a decision to make about the NBA this game
06:15what do you think you learned most from playing in an atmosphere like this and
06:19getting to the NCAA tournament I was just just thankful for the opportunity
06:24playing in a tournament the environment really didn't really didn't bother me as
06:30much I heard him making noise especially on a runs but just knowing timely stops
06:36I guess because especially when the crowd getting into it we got to find a
06:40way to string at least three stops in a row just to quiet it back down so now
06:44they got to play us and we not playing them in the crowd so I guess just knowing
06:48when to get timely stops. Jermon, Caden, Trey really appreciate your time I want to wish you safe
06:58travels it was an electric atmosphere here tonight and we really appreciate
07:02your fight thank you. At this time we'll open up questions as our student-athletes leave the
07:10stage and let's get to the floor questions for coach Rodney Terry first row in the middle there.
07:21Kirk Bowles from the Houston Chronicle you know how impactful did you think Marcus
07:27Foster's threes were and how hard was it to try to keep them from attacking the
07:32paint as good as three-point shooters they were? You know we give those guys a
07:36lot of credits they made 12 threes tonight he made four of those you know
07:43he's a guy that when you're going into the game was a guy that we need to try
07:47to really try to force him to make tough twos you know and that he was a capable
07:51three-point shooter could shoot the basketball really well from the perimeter
07:54made some really big ones down the stretch you know I thought Hunter threes
07:59would be I mean he made three threes in this game those are huge threes for
08:04those guys and Hughley throws one in and Fremantle throws one in so between their
08:09bigs and that they made five threes and Foster throws in four we did a pretty
08:14good job on Conwell pretty good job on Maddox you know and stuff but you know
08:20give them credit they made they made big shots down the stretch and Foster was a
08:24big part of that down the stretch. Farrion. RT you've been a lot of NCAA games this is
08:32your first first four did this feel like a first four game or what did it
08:35feel like to you? Oh this is you know I've been in some great battles with
08:38Sean Miller. Sean Miller's a great coach he and I've had some really good battles
08:42against each other that Arizona at Fresno State here we had a good battle a
08:47couple years ago sweet 16 game we've got a good history with with Xavier Peart
08:52three games when we play for you know sweet 16 go to lead eight games with
08:57those guys so great history between the two schools and in NC tournament play
09:02you know you get here just an incredible venue to play in great fans here in
09:08Dayton wish we would have more Dayton fans than Xavier fans but but but
09:14nevertheless you're always excited about competing in postseason playing an NCAA
09:18tournament this had the feel of a sweet 16 game tonight you know it really did
09:23much more so than even a first-round game so two teams going at it you know
09:30two teams you know really trying to stop one another it's kind of a heavyweight
09:34fight down the stretch and you know the last one standing you know getting it
09:39done was gonna gonna walk out of here with the win. On the end. Hey Rodney
09:45Cedric Golden Austin American Statesman Dayton played in the NIT tonight that's
09:49why their people stay at home so that's kind of a tough breakup midway through
09:53that second half you pulled Jordan Pope aside because he forced a shot and you
09:59could I could see you saying you need to show some poise how was that important
10:05because you had some uncharacteristic turnovers there to kind of spur their
10:09run what were you saying to your guys on the side? Well we have four turnovers at
10:13the half I thought we did a pretty good job of taking care of the basketball we
10:17knew their team that's gonna load to the ball anytime you drive you got to hit
10:21the open guy you know three of our turnovers in the first half was because
10:25of driving in there and they got their hands on some balls I thought in the
10:29second half you know for a better part of it we did a pretty good job of taking
10:32care of the basketball just give or take here or there you know we had a we had a
10:38maybe a basketball related turnover you know and things but I thought down the
10:45stretch when I was talking with Jordan it was more about you know keeping his
10:48head in the game he picked up his third foul pretty quickly there and we had to
10:52take him out I wanted him to stay locked in the game you know and ready for us
10:58that at any call for an opportunity to come in and continue to help us in this
11:02game so you know that's that's basically what I was talking to him about. First row.
11:07RT after every team season Crystal O'Connor always says okay I'm gonna meet
11:12with their coach after this season do you know when you're meeting with him
11:15and has he given you any clue about the direction of the program? Well I think
11:20at the end of the day I think you always control what you can control you know we
11:24were excited we were excited about being in this tournament I thought we had a
11:28team that was playing really well and capable of making a really good run here
11:32got off to you know one of our better halves of the year I mean first half was
11:37terrific but we knew again as you play this game that it's always ebb and flow
11:42and there's always runs you know I think when when everything's said and
11:45done I think you always thank the guys that have laid it on the line for you
11:49every night and and that was our players they did it every day for me they did it
11:54every night for me there's not one guy in that room I wouldn't do anything for
11:58the rest of their lives and I think when you talk about you know evaluating the
12:03season you do that when the dust settles you know and just like you would after
12:07any season so I'm sure there'll be an opportunity where we'll get a chance to
12:11sit down and talk about the season and and what our thoughts are what our
12:16thoughts were about the season and and and you kind of go with it from there a
12:21couple more questions for coach let's go to the back of the room
12:24Rick Brewing musketeer report coach you talked about how great of a first half
12:28it was for you guys and coach Miller talked about how easily you guys got to
12:32the paint in the first half what happened in this second half did they do
12:36a better job defensively I thought we did a pretty good job still getting to
12:41the paint you know sometimes you got to demand fouls to be called you know and
12:44stuff I thought we were we weren't as strong with the ball in the second half
12:48as we were with the in the first half we we made we made those guys have to make
12:53calls in the first half you know and stuff so you know they were still they
12:57do a good job but we call them Jordan Swipes they're gonna swipe when you
13:00drive you got to be strong with the ball you know and you got to be the finish
13:03those plays or have an opportunity to get to the foul line we're probably you
13:08know one two best teams in the league this year and shoot free throws so we
13:12wanted to make this a paint-touch game we wanted to get to the foul line I
13:17wouldn't say they did anything different in the second half I just thought we
13:21could have played a little stronger in terms of of demanding calls be made you
13:26know we're around the basket you know nearside second row RT Eric Henry 24 7
13:33sports I know it's not the question you want to answer after the game but
13:36they've already been reports about your job status if this was indeed your last
13:40game coach at Texas what will be most proud of about your tenure as Texas
13:43coach I've been at Texas 13 years man and there's not a year I haven't made
13:48the NCAA tournament being a part of the NCAA tournament so I have a lot of I
13:52have a lot of pride in terms of being a Longhorn I love being at Texas I don't
13:58think anyone's been a part of Texas basketball has been more successful than
14:02myself I've been a part of the top five seasons in this programs history of this
14:06program and you know our guys I give our guys a lot of credit for putting
14:12themselves in a great position to be here tonight you know at the end of the
14:16day it's in God's hands you know what I mean at the end of the day I live my
14:20life I'm a believer and and you know if you know God has plans for me to be here
14:27then I'll be here if he has plans for me to be somewhere else he's the one with
14:31the master plan at all times and that's what that's what I live my life by I
14:35don't live my life by you know man I'm living my life by God man I got strong
14:39faith one more question for coach second row
14:43Kirk Boles from the Houston Chronicle just being a part of this game Rodney I
14:48don't know how it felt it was definitely felt like a playoff game but not a
14:52play-in game so can you describe just the intensity of coaching in this game
14:56yeah I don't think I think anytime you you get to the NCAA tournament I wouldn't
15:01say it's a plate it's a it's a it's an NCAA tournament game you know I mean I
15:07mean two teams and every team that's in this tournament they've had a good
15:10season they wouldn't be here you know you know most of the time you're playing
15:15on a neutral court but nevertheless you're excited about the opportunity
15:22right and so you know again we give Xavier a lot of credit we've had some
15:27great battles with those guys over the year years I'm happy for Sean you know
15:32his team persevered and won this game it's a great game you know you know for
15:37this tournament you know we it didn't end the way we wanted it to you know but
15:42I'm proud of my guys for for what they did this season you know they got to the
15:47NCAA tournament they had an opportunity to win a game in the NCAA tournament and
15:53they're gonna be winners in the game of life they're gonna be great husbands
15:56great fathers and you know that's what I'm most proud of I gave our guys three
16:01things to take with them the rest of the season and the rest of their lives you
16:05know you never ever disappoint three people you never ever disappoint people
16:11in terms of your relationship with God you always have a relationship with God
16:15man it's gonna always fail you cause never gonna fail you you never
16:19disappoint your family you always man you know never want to disappoint your
16:25family and your loved ones and then at the end of the day you have to love
16:28yourself more than anybody if you can look at that mirror you can feel good
16:32about yourself nothing no one says no weapon form that gets you ever in life
16:37it's never gonna dictate what you do okay with your your destiny in life and
16:42so they don't learn anything all season long and learn those three things to
16:46take with them the rest of their lives to be great fathers great husbands go
16:50back and be great contributors in their communities boy I tell you what they've
16:54gotten the only one to get out of their experience at the University of Texas
16:58because we know that they're getting a first-class education and and they
17:03wouldn't be at this institution if they weren't fat first-class individuals so
17:06I'm proud of them proud of the way they stayed the course and we came up a
17:11little short tonight give Sean a lot of credit give Xavier a lot of credit hope
17:16they have a good you know a lot of success in this tournament coach we
17:19appreciate your words we're proud of you thank you thank you thank you more
17:25fun for tomorrow March Madness it continues Hammond communications will
17:29post the recordings of this