Julian Reese, Maryland Terrapins Forward

We continue this Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio day one of the opening round of the NCAA tournament and what a game to open things up for this year of March Madness with Maryland finding a way to take down West Virginia by a final score of 67 to 65 and the man that led Maryland with 17 points 9 rebounds and 3 blocks is their sophomore forward and of course Julian Reese who's on the Zach Gelb show right now on CBS Sports Radio. Julian first off congratulations appreciate you doing this I would ask you how you're doing but I think I know the answer to that one.

Yeah I'm doing I'm doing good you know um hanging in there. What was going through your head walking off the court with the game that you had and helping Maryland advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament? You know I was proud very proud moment for me you know coming the last year um playing in the Big Ten tournament not scoring any points you know losing that first round and then our season like that like just thinking back to that and that disappointed feeling compared to this feeling this is just a blessing you know all the work put in in the summer and you know I feel like it just all paid off I'm just grateful. Yeah take us through the work that was put in this summer obviously there was a transition a new head uh basketball coach and Kevin Willard coming in but what was the vibe like with this team in the off season?

Yeah just the overall new culture new system put in and I feel like all the players me included um just bought into that new new um culture you know you know and just winning and I feel like everybody bought into that attitude and we were able to get it done today. You've been given more of an opportunity this year how have you changed as the player from your freshman year at Maryland to now your sophomore year? You know a lot of confidence um things off the court you know mental watching watching film learning things and learning how to stay in the game more with like with fouls and things like that and I feel like I did a pretty good job of that today. Julian Reese here with us you guys have a tough team you guys had a little bit of a sluggish start out of the gate today how were you able to fight through that and still find the way to walk out with the victory?

They you know um kind of underestimated the physicality you know they were able to get us off our plays and and we weren't able to run offense um and I feel like because Willard made some adjustments and we were able to adjust to their physicality and we were able to match their toughness and we were able to get it done. Take me inside the locker room after the game that's my favorite part of the NCAA tournament after a hard-fought victory you guys go into the locker room and celebrate describe that scene to me. You know pretty hype you know um just just overall hype you know just ready to look forward to the next game and get it done you know um I feel like everybody and everybody in there deserve it and know where we are last year you know everybody else came from like losing programs and and where they weren't trying to be and I feel like that that was just a overall great feeling and great um we're trying to look forward to that on Saturday. If I would have told you in the off season that you guys would be in the NCAA tournament this year and you would have the game that you would have had today with 17 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks and you'd be advancing to the second round what would you have told me this summer?

I probably would have said I had more points than that you know a lot of work to come. So this isn't surprising to you what this team has been able to accomplish? No um the sacrifices we made as a team and as an organization I feel like second to none throughout the whole country I feel like we just we worked hard it's out of everybody we you know why we dedicate a lot to this. I saw your coach Kevin Woolard after the game said I think Julian Reese has been one of if not the best big man in the Big Ten Conference the last two months and so anyone that's surprised by what he did today hasn't been watching us. How do you react when you hear your coach say that about you? No that's great um my coach has that much confidence in me especially man so young and sophomore and with so much order guys on the team this is another blessing um I feel like that confidence is going to get better and increase more over the time I'm here.

Has it settled in yet what you guys accomplished today can you appreciate that in the moment? Yeah um right now we just focus on the next game and focus on the winner of this game that's going on right now. Well it looks like it's going to be Alabama we all know they're the number one overall seed in the NCAA tournament they have Brandon Miller who's probably the best player in the country just how do you guys try to slow him down and what are you gonna have to do on the defensive end?

No just um just stop that one person and I feel it would be good um you know they got other weapons you know the other guys Charles Bidiaco is a pretty good matchup for me pretty pretty limping guy and I feel like we just take care of our matchups would be good. Where's the confidence of this group at right now? I feel like confidence is pretty high right now being a being a great team in West Virginia um especially when everybody doubted us I feel like since we did that we we can do anything um I feel like we can take it take it all the way in this tournament. Well what did you guys prove today what what do you think you you sent the message to the nation today about Maryland basketball and what you guys were able to do up against West Virginia? I think we proved that we like we can compete with the best you know compete with we have some pretty good wins throughout the season you know Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana at home and I feel like we just proved that throughout the whole season. I'm not sure I'm not sure why we're still getting not never the respect we deserve but I feel like it will come sooner or later.

And what do you think uh you showed today individually to all of America? Yeah I feel like I feel same thing though I compete with some of the best bigs and some of the best competition in the country. I'll tell you my favorite part about this win was the dunk that you had to put you guys up by five with three minutes to go that was awesome that was with authority. Yeah um you know I tried to send a message with that and get my team going and I feel like that that run just sealed the game for us and put us put them away. Was that the moment where you said okay you guys are going to win the game because like I said earlier it was a little bit of a slow start for you guys? No not really you know it came close towards the end but you know that's that's the moment where I felt like yeah I got it going now we want to keep going and we might have good energy for the rest of the game and we're on top we got like we got the most energy and most heart on the court. Before we let you run Julian Reese as part of the Maryland basketball team led them in scoring today as Maryland did defeat West Virginia. What was going through your head last night like when you put your head on the pillow and you're about to play in the NCAA tournament knowing once you get up in the morning what was going through your mind last night? Yeah it was kind of nerve-wracking so you know I was pretty nervous and I really played it I never played in the tournament before so it was kind of more of that and a mix of that and just ready to play and to play against a team like that you know I feel like we just got it done and it was a great game. Well Julian heck of a performance before we let you run well I know you come from a basketball family what's your family said to you after the game just wondering? You know just congratulating me and just give me encouraging words as always you know probably my mom would probably come to the game on Saturday and they're just encouraging me as they do always when I lost. Well enjoy this ride congratulations once again on a heck of a game today and we'll be watching up against Alabama coming up on Saturday thanks so much. Appreciate it.