UConn Set to Face Georgia Tech in the National Championship Game on Monday Night

SAN ANTONIO, TX (April 4) – With the national title on the line, the Connecticut men’s basketball team seeks revenge on Georgia Tech Monday night in the NCAA Division I Men’s National Championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. Game time is set for 9:21 pm (est) and will be televised nationally on CBS.

The Huskies and Georgia Tech have squared off once in program history, which was earlier this season in the semifinal game of the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden on November 26. The Yellow Jackets went on the capture the preseason title with a win over Texas Tech. In the 77-61 win over the Huskies, Georgia Tech’s Isma’il Muhammad scored 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting, while B.J. Elder scored 22 of his own.

UConn enters the national final game with a record of 32-6 overall and are fresh off a comeback win over Duke, 79-79 in the semifinals on Saturday night. Okafor was in foul trouble early but scored 18 points second half points, including five decisive shots in UConn’s 12-0 run to end the game.

Connecticut enters the national championship game for the second time in program history after capturing the title in 1999. The Huskies stand at 3-0 in Final Four action and are now 4-4 against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents in the NCAA Tournament.

In UConn’s win over Duke, junior Ben Gordon became Connecticut’s all-time three-point scorer surpassing former Husky Chris Smith (1988-1992). Gordon stands with 243 made three-point field goals. He also cracked the 700-point mark this season, tying him fifth in the UConn single season record book with 702 points.

Gordon also paired with junior Emeka Okafor in notching 600 points apiece this season, the first time UConn men’s basketball history that a pair in the same season both scored over 600 points. Okafor’s 18 points on Saturday night pushed him over the mark with 611 points.

The Yellow Jackets stand at 28-9 overall and maintained the lead against Oklahoma State (67-65) to advance to the championship game. Will Bynum sealed the win on a layup with 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation, ending the game with 11 points.

Georgia Tech will be making is first appearance in the national title game in the program’s history. The only other Yellow Jacket team to advance to the Final Four was during the 1990 season in which Georgia Tech fell to UNLV in the semifinals in Denver.

En route to the championship game, Georgia Tech defeated Northern Iowa (65-60) and Boston College (57-54) in the First and Second Rounds in Milwaukee, and Nevada (72-67) and Kansas (79-71 OT) to capture the St. Louis Region title. Tech has won its five NCAA Tournament games by a total of 23 points and is the fourth team in NCAA history to advance to the finals winning four of five games by five points or less.

Tech is playing the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in history and is in the Final Four for the second time. It is the second NCAA Tournament in the last four seasons under Tech head coach Paul Hewitt. Georgia Tech is 21-12 all-time in the tournament, having advanced to the Sweet 16 seven times and the Elite Eight three times.

Elder, who has been Tech’s top scorer averaging 15.0 points in the Yellow Jackets first two games, has played just 34 minutes and scored just two points in the last three games due to an ankle sprain.

Luke Schenscher dominates the inside play for Tech averaging 11.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Jarret Jack is averaging 12.6 points for Tech.

PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Senior Taliek Brown
On losing to Georgia Tech earlier in the year
“We look at it as more motivation for us since they beat us last time. They beat us by a couple of points so this time we are going to be ready to play. We know them a little bit, but we are both different teams now. That was really early in the season when we played.”

On the difference between tomorrow’s game and the first meeting with Georgia Tech
“Our backcourt is healthy and they didn’t have Will Bynum and just a lot of things are different now. Both teams have gotten better over time.”

On playing a team that has already beaten them
“It’s a motivation factor. We know we have to win this game since it will be our last. Before, it was early in the season and there was not much to lose if they did beat us. Everything is different now.”

On his performance last night
“I don’t think I played very well last night but we got the W. Right now I want to do whatever it takes to help my team win.”

On the way Georgia Tech played in the first game
“We didn’t realize they were that quick and we didn’t know their perimeter play was that good. They came out running and they played hard. They played harder than we did.”

On the challenges of this season
“It’s just everything. Going to the gym everyday, working real hard and putting all the work in and getting to where we needed to. We just finally got here.”

On the play of Jarrett Jack
“I think he is better than some of the guards out there. He’s a great point guard and he likes to score a lot. I think you have to play a little shallow on him and shut him down a little bit and we will be alright.”

On the difference between the play of Emeka Okafor and Luke Schenscher
“The way Mek played yesterday, if he can do that on Monday, we will be alright.”

On if the team has talked about the previous loss to Georgia Tech
“We haven’t really talked about it that much. To everybody that knows, that’s going to be a key for us, a motivation game. We talked about it in a little meeting we had on how they beat us. We are going to use that to redeem ourselves. It has been on TV a lot, we watch ESPN and all of that, but we don’t really pay that no mind since that was the beginning of the season. Right now we are a much better team than that.”

On Georgia Tech’s confidence since they won the first matchup
“I think they are real confident. We have been confident all year and we don’t have to worry about that game and how they beat us in the beginning of the season so we know we just have to come back and play hard on Monday.”

On watching the first half of Georgia Tech’s game with Oklahoma State
“They are subbing four guys out at one time and they have a lot of perimeter guys on the court at once. They just run and they do their thing they did at the beginning of the season, but they have a little more depth.”

On what to do to beat Georgia Tech
“We have to be really solid especially on defense because we have to try and slow their perimeter guys down. I think that what it really comes down to is perimeter play.”

On playing in his last collegiate game
“I have been thinking about every game being my last game throughout the whole tournament. We have been playing really well and to our potential and we just have to take it as a regular game and come out and play hard. We can’t get caught up in all the hype and all the media and how they beat us last time. We just have to come out and play. This is a different day and a different game.”

On what type of game it will be tomorrow
“I think it will be an up and down game because they like to push the ball a lot and we like to push it a lot, so it is going to be an up tempo game.”

On the negative press he has received this season
“Everybody can say words. I don’t think they (the team) could have gotten this far without me playing point guard. We are in the championship and I am the point guard, so I hope this shuts everybody up and that would be real good for me. I would be proud if we can win tomorrow. It has been hard playing through all the bad things said about me. I just keep my head up and try to stay positive and try not to let anything get to me. I just need to go out an play my game and play hard.”

Junior Ben Gordon
On comparing the two teams in the championship game to the old Knicks teams…
“I think each team has a mismatch that the other team is going to have a problem with. Georgia Tech’s speed is going to be a problem for us. They don’t really have a big team but they are really athletic and can run the floor. I hadn’t really thought about the teams in relation to the old Celtic vs. Knicks games. The Celtics had a lot of big guys like us and the Knicks were smaller but quick like Georgia Tech.”

On the match-up tomorrow
“Georgia Tech has lots of big guards and they are very good and effective. They are probably one of the biggest backcourts we have seen. Not really their size but how athletic they are.”

On Georgia Tech’s player Luke Schenscher
“I remember that he is 7-3. He has gotten a lot better as the season has gone on. Even in yesterday’s game he turned in a great performance. He has improved a lot and he will give us some challenges. He will be tough to shoot over for the guards when we get into the paint. He poses that problem for us.”

On importance of free throws
“Anytime you are in a championship situation, free throws are a big part of if you win or lose. Last night it was a very integral part of the game, and hopefully, we can continue to shoot free throws like we did last night.”

On his hometown support from Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
“My mom is here with me but I have been getting a lot of calls from back home. They have been watching.”

On number of minutes played and pacing himself
“I am getting used to the number of minutes I am playing now. As a player you never really want to be on the bench so you just fight through the tired feeling. In these types of games I don’t think you can really pace yourself, you just have to run off adrenaline.”

On pressure of being a preseason No. 1
“I think it is a big burden especially as a player you look at that and put pressure on yourself. If you just take it in stride and play hard you can overcome that. Georgia Tech didn’t have much pressure at all because they were a team that most people didn’t know much about. They took advantage of that and now they are in the national championship game.”

On who has the advantage in Monday night’s game
“It is hard. I think it is just who ever plays the best 40 minutes tomorrow night.”

On the number of turnovers Connecticut had Saturday night
“I think a lot of it was the way the game went last night. If we want to win the game, cutting down on turnovers will definitely be key.”

On the impact of the earlier loss to Georgia Tech
“We have put that game behind us now and lots has happened since then. We know we are a better team now and the earlier loss is definitely a motivation factor.”

On Will Bynum’s addition to Georgia Tech’s team since their last meeting
“He is another athletic guard and a combo type player. His addition along with the play of Jarrett Jack really gives them a lot of potential.”

On his next steps after Monday’s game on returning to Connecticut
“I haven’t really thought about it. I am just trying to win a championship and what happens after that happens. Right now, my main focus is on winning a basketball game.”

On the poor play of Connecticut earlier against Georgia Tech
“It was very frustrating. We missed 20 free throws and so many things were going wrong. It was so frustrating and it took a toll mentally. Hopefully we can play a lot better than we did in New York.”

On the impact of a win tomorrow night on the Connecticut program
“It has definitely crossed my mind a lot over the last couple of days. The fact that we have a chance to make history and win the second national championship for our school is a great feeling.”

On key to beating Georgia Tech
“I think that all depends on what kind of game it is going to be. It could be a grind-it-out physical game or it might be an up and down game. There is no way for me to know how it is going to be tomorrow. We just have to be ready for any type of game situation.”

On the talk that basketball has lost its team flavor in response to Georgia Tech’s coach Paul Hewitt
“I think Coach Hewitt is really right. You look at his team and they have a lot of different guys stepping up for them different nights. That says a lot for their team with so many guys stepping up. The way he coaches his team and that concept of team is evident in his players.”

On the men’s team watching the women’s team tonight
“We are definitely interested and we will be watching. We always watch them during the season and we have wished them lots of luck.”

On the team with the advantage on the rematch
“That is a very good question. I think it is pretty even because the team that won the first time has the confidence of already beating that team. But the team that got beat has the revenge factor and motivation to play a really good game in the rematch. So I think it is pretty even on both parts.”

On wanting to get back to San Antonio
“We all wanted to get here, but our real goal is to win the championship. I am not content on just being back in San Antonio, I want to win the title.”

On college experience versus going straight to the NBA like some kids
“I couldn’t ever picture myself leaving straight from high school to the NBA. I just don’t think I would have been ready mentally. It is one thing to have the physical ability but I think basketball is a lot more mental than physical at that level. You have grown men having to feed their family and stuff like that. Going from high school to the NBA is a really big transition for those kids to make. I just hope that they take that into consideration.”

On his first impression of Josh Boone
“Truthfully when Josh got here I didn’t know he would be this good. A couple of the earlier games he had some ankle injuries and didn’t play all that much so I didn’t get to see much of him. He has really improved and has become a big part of our success this year.”

On which team has accomplished the most between Georgia Tech and Connecticut
“Georgia Tech. People didn’t expect them to ever reach this point. Georgia Tech playing for a national title, I think they have accomplished the most.”

On being the favorite team
“I have been in both situations before. Either way you have to go out and play.”

Junior Emeka Okafor
On Pressure of National Championship Game
“There was a lot of pressure yesterday (Saturday). It’s two and half, three minutes and we were down eight points so it’s not a situation (pressure) that I haven’t been in before. Throughout the season I’ve been in pressure situations, so been there done that. I’m trying to go out there play and have fun.

On Georgia Tech’s Luke Schenscher
“He’s a seven-footer. He’s a good seven-footer with good decent skills and he’s got a lot of confidence right now. He’s coming off of a big game, 19 (points) and 12 (rebounds); those are good numbers. He’s going to have all of that working for him.”

On Being a Late Bloomer
“I think it was good, me being a late bloomer, just because that helped my work ethic. In high school, I wasn’t a McDonald’s All-American or anything like that, but I thought that I could have been, should have been so I just worked harder. I didn’t have anybody in my ear spoiling me telling me how good I am or how much I don’t need to work. I saw that things were up for grabs so I went out and tried to go get it.”

On Earlier Loss to Georgia Tech
“As far as Coach’s (Calhoun’s) reaction he just challenged us. He said ‘Ok we lost, it’s early in the season, how are we going to react, either we could cry about it or we could go about fixing it.’

I think now, first of all we’re more confident. The roles are more defined. Everybody know what they can and can’t do. Back then we were still trying to figure out the starting line-up and getting all of the quirks out of the system. Now we have a starting five. All of our players right now are 100 percent healthy. We’ve been through our ups and downs. We’ve lost games, we’ve bounced back and now it’s the ultimate test of tests to see if we can put to use what we’ve learned and capitalize.”

On Dream of Cutting Down the Nets
“That’s been going all season since the get go. That’s been going on since we lost here (in San Antonio) last year. I tell the story about how last year after we lost San Antonio had a funny feeling. I was like ‘man something doesn’t feel right, I feel like there’s something more here.’ The next day coach said, ‘Hey great season and you know what, we could be back next year to do it again’. Then it all made since why I was feeling that way. I day dream, I dream at night about how it would feel to stand center stage at the Final Four in San Antonio as champions and the fact that we have a chance to do that tomorrow, it’s a good feeling.

On the College Experience
“It’s kind of like a Mastercard commercial right now, you can’t really put a price tag on the experience. Mine is a unique one. I wouldn’t trade what it for the world. For me, it’s one of the best times of my life.”

On His Back
“When my back was at its worst, it felt like two steel rods were in my back and I couldn’t really move and it wasn’t the most pleasant feeling in the world, but I got through it. As far as my recovery, now, I’m feeling good. This past week I’ve been able to go full practice and even get some extra work.”

On The Hype About The Rematch with Georgia Tech and the Revenge Factor
“It’s for the National Championship. If we had to play the Spurs tomorrow our intensity would be the same. We’re talking Championship, the whole thing is Championship, no matter who is there we’re going to try to beat them.”

On the Perspective He Got From Parents Struggles
“I think it has given me perspective on everything. My dad used to tell me horror stories and I was like, ‘man you had it rough, how did you do it’. Given that and knowing that my dad’s high school education was interrupted by a civil war and they weren’t sure whether they were going to eat the next day, much less graduate and here I am in the United States wondering what I’m going to get for Christmas. As I got older I got a better understanding about what they had been through and the advantages that I have. I just understood my advantages and took advantage of it.”

On His Display of Emotion in Saturday’s Win Over Duke
“That’s three years in the making. Especially I came so close to making the Final Four my freshman year and then my sophomore year I had a better understanding of what the Final Four was and to miss it again and now this whole year we’re supposed to make the Final Four, we’re here and I’m on the bench. I had the best seat in the house that first half and it was killing me. You could probably see it on my face, I wanted to be out there, but I couldn’t. When I got back in I just saw the season perhaps come to a close in my mind. A whole lot of stuff was going through my head and when we came back it all came out.”