"I'll be forever indebted to that group (of seniors)," Les said in postgame press conference . "For the championships they've brought to this program, for the wonderful ambassadors they've been for this program and the quality student-athletes that are going to be, in whatever they choose, very, very successful."
Highlighting what Shorts II meant to the program throughout his two years at UC Davis, Les added that he "couldn't be more proud of him. He'll go down, and this is my eighth season, but he'll go down as one of the best Aggies' I've coached. Maybe one of the best I've ever coached."
“I’ll just repeat what I told this team in the locker room, how much I appreciate their effort today, which I thought was exemplary, but also the effort (the players) gave us all season,” said UCD head coach Jim Les.
“None of us had the season we wanted to have, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort or for trying. Sometimes life doesn’t bounce your way — but they kept battling, especially that senior group.”
It was a tearful goodbye by Shorts, last year’s BWC Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection earlier this week:
“I’m thankful,” he said. “I’m thankful for my coaches. For my players. I appreciate what they’ve done for me. They let me showcase (what I could do).”
Les was asked about what Shorts meant to the program and him personally as a coach…
“Just so much respect for him,” the former Bradley standout player and coach said. “It’s easy to respect him as a player, but what he’s done for our program, for the guys. … Since the day he came in here, he put this team on his back. He did it with great moxie and character. I couldn’t be more proud of him.
“He’ll go down — this is my eighth season (at UCD) — as one of the best Aggies I’ve ever coached. Maybe one of the best (players) I’ve ever coached. He’s a warrior, works hard.”
“Big West basketball at its finest. That was a highly competitive game,” said Titan coach Dedrique Taylor, a former Aggie basketball standout. “You have to tip your cap to UC Davis for their competitive spirit, and obviously T.J. had his way with us.”
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