Here's What Purdue Players Said Following the Team's NCAA Tournament Win Over Texas
MILWAUKEE — No. 3 seed Purdue basketball took down Texas 81-71 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday inside the Fiserv Forum arena. The team advances to the Sweet 16 to play Saint Peter's.
Following the victory, players Jaden Ivey, Trevion Williams and Ethan Morton met with the media to discuss the game and what comes next for the Boilermakers.
Here's the full transcript from Sunday's postgame press conference:
Q. Jaden, can you just walk us through the three there with a minute to go and what does it say about this team that you guys were able to kind of see that 10-point lead get down to three and then respond the way you did?
IVEY: It's big time. We've been in situations like that all season. It just comes, you know, with preparation. I think we were ready for this game and to finish it the way we did is great. I'm super proud of all our guys.
Q. Trevion, just for you guys to get back in the Sweet 16 and for the seniors to kind of get you there, what's this moment mean? How's it soaking in for you?
WILLIAMS: Oh, man, I just -- man, I had a lot of fun out there, man. Just knowing what I've been through with those guys. I'm sorry, I have no voice, I've been screaming all day.
Man, just knowing what I've been through with those guys, it means a lot to be in this position. This is what we work for. As I said, we put ourselves in this position and we fought today. I think everybody -- obviously last year we lost in the first round, but I said it before, I say it all the time, it's good to have guys come back that's been through it. I think everybody's been through it and they knew what was on the line, they knew what it meant to our seniors. So everybody came out to play and we played our hardest and we got it done.
Q. You have the most tournament experience of anybody up there. At this point, do you just expect other teams are going to make a run, that everybody that's in this tournament is good, it's something that you know is going to come at some point?
WILLIAMS: Definitely, man. Like I said, you've got to respect every team, understand that everybody's here for a reason and that's the good thing about the tournament. Anybody can get beat on any given night. So you've just got to be prepared and you've got to be locked in. It all goes to the small things, those little things, boxing out, rebounding, hitting free throws, that stuff means so much more this time of year. It's all about understanding what's on the line.
Q. For Trevion, I know you guys like to play inside out, but today, once you got going, did you feel like you had a particular advantage on the inside that your teammates were looking for you to score once you got inside the post?
WILLIAMS: They definitely were looking for me. I felt like I was a little more patient today. I kind of took my time and got to my move, you know, just doing what I do best, getting to my jump hook. I kept it simple more than anything. Sometimes we get out there, we get the lead and, you know, we try to be flashy or we try to do something cool on the court. Today was about being solid, it was about being solid down the stretch and like I said, we got it done.
Q. This is for Ethan. What does it mean to you to take advantage of the situation and play so well today?
MORTON: I mean, it's really just a credit to my teammates and my coaches. They put me in position to succeed and it's just about being ready. I think that's what this team's embraced all year. When we're 10 deep like we are, you kind of don't know when your number's going to be called just because you don't know how the game's going to unfold. So today when they went small for stretches, that's something that I've had experience being in the game a little bit more this season.
But at the end of the day, it's a credit to my teammates and stuff, these two guys on the stage with me and everyone else made my job so much easier, along with the coaches. Just excited to play in a game like this. These are the games you kind of dream about playing in growing up, and to be going to the Sweet 16, I think we're excited for the opportunity and we've still got games ahead of us.
Q. Trevion or Jaden, could you speak to what Ethan brought tonight, especially the way he guarded Marcus Carr?
WILLIAMS: Man, he did a great job on Marcus Carr. He stepped up. Obviously, Eric guarded him in the first half and he had a couple tough shots. Everybody got a piece of him, but I thought Morty, he did a great job, he stepped up. Like he just said, you never know when your number's going to get called. He took pride in the ball, you know, he stepped and guarded him pretty well, and it helped us down the stretch. We knew that Marcus Carr was a huge part of their offense and if we can keep him off his right hand, which is what Morty a good job of, like I said, he stepped up, man. It was big-time for us.
Q. For Jaden, just wondering what you think of Courtney Ramey and then to shake him loose and bury that three. In your mind, was that the dagger?
IVEY: All game he was chirping, just trying to get me out of rhythm. I just stay poised the whole game. That's what it comes down to. People are going to try to get you out of rhythm and try to talk to you. You've just got to stay focused on the main goal and I felt like I did that.
Q. For Ethan, you've talked about it a couple times this year, but just being in a position ready to shoot. You're not a volume 3-point shooter, but just the opportunities when they come, the fact that you're ready, was there just a higher level of readiness tonight from your standpoint?
MORTON: Yeah, goes back to the game plan again, you know. We talked about how they do a great job of kind of swarming to the ball on drives, especially with Jaden. So just being ready to shoot in those corners and fill in behind I think was really important. Then just being ready to shoot, having my feet set and not missing short, I think that's always been my biggest problem. So just being ready to shoot and taking them, even if you miss, yeah, just shoot it basically. That's what the guys tell me, so that's my job.
Q. Jaden, to kind of follow up on that, how much confidence do you have in Ethan when you see him there in the corner and people are cutting you off from the basket and he's standing there open?
IVEY: I have the most confidence in Ethan. He comes in every day and puts work in. He's constantly working on his shots. I trust him to take, you know, a lot of shots during the game. When he's open, I can't miss him, I've got to throw it to him.
Q. Question for all the players. What are your initial thoughts about making the Sweet 16 and your thoughts about facing Saint Peter's in the Sweet 16 here in Philadelphia?
WILLIAMS: Like I said, every team's here for a reason. We're going to dive into film, I'm pretty sure, when we get back. Just got to hit singles against them and be as physical as possible and just be ready, respect them as a team. They made it this far obviously, so we've got to respect them.
MORTON: Yeah, I agree with that 100 percent. Like he said, everybody's here for a reason and they've shown us the past few days. Obviously, we've been watching. You know, they can beat really great teams, and they are a great team, really well-coached. They're going to come out with a chip on their shoulder and we, I think, have a little bit of experience seeing maybe a smaller conference team in the tournament last year and how -- not to say we underestimated them, but I don't think we were as ready as we thought we were. So I think we can definitely draw on that experience knowing we're going to need our best basketball not just in that game but from here on out if we want to go where we want to go.
IVEY: I would say we have to come out with the same intensity that we had today and just listen to what the coaches say and what we talk about pregame. It all comes into play in the game, so we've just got to stay focused. And, you know, obviously, we're happy to be in the Sweet 16, but, you know, we've got to win the game.
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- PURDUE TRIUMPHS OVER TEXAS: Purdue made 33 of its 46 free throws during its NCAA Tournament win against Texas to advance to the Sweet 16. Trevion Williams recorded a team-high 22 points while Jaden Ivey scored 15 in the second half. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE, TEXAS LIVE BLOG: Purdue basketball faced off against Texas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night inside Fiserv Forum. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.