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Delta Center – Salt Lake City, UT
E e e e e okay morning everyone uh just some a few housekeeping items the satellite coordinates for the press conferences this week are 1 9935 vertical s s-3 14k slot D9 Delta 9 on that a few other items uh the use of flash photography and uh video recording are prohibited by the
NCA and uh we ask that you all uh silence your cell phones electronic devices and when you ask a question of a student athlete or a coach we ask you to please identify yourself and the media Outlet you’re representing please for hi this Steve in the interview room do
We have a uh confirmation on Long Beach State student athletes coming to the press conference room e e this me they’re on the way okay you got it for those that are participating in this on this press conference via Zoom we will take questions from those in
Attendance first and then we’ll open up to any Zoom questions prior to the end of uh each session right can I have you over one to your spot the 1020 press conference for Long Beach State the 15 seed Long Beach State will be taking on number two seat
Arizona at 2 pm eastern time 12 Mountain here in Salt Lake City to my left is Jon Jones abubacar trior and Lina trior and we will open up questions to our student athletes U Alex tum ksl.com jayon um as you’ve been preparing for this this game and
This opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament uh with abua car and Lina and uh the rest of the kids um have you been able how you been able to take in the experience so far how’s it been for you being here in the midst of all this
Madness and the media availability and things like that um it’s been a great experience so far um obviously we’re very blessed and and humbl to be here we were just enjoying it um it’s obviously a new experience none of us have been here before so try not to come with any
Expectations just really be in the moment take everything in you know we’ve worked hard to get here but we still know that we have more work to do and you know it’s the first game of the tournament um we’re not not satisfied with just you know being here we want
More out of this we want to take it as far as we possibly can go so we’re going to enjoy it but we’re you know we’re still hungry to win hi it’s Eddie pels with Associated Press I’m going to just throw this to you three you know the storyline this
Week what was the feeling when you first heard about your coach last week and and you know what did you do last week did you guys just start playing better just because did that motivate you what was the the feeling there seen it start with that please he said you
Start uh is it’s been a tough week uh when we first heard that the the coaches in the school pting the ways he was really a shocked in the locker room everybody was s because we wasn’t expecting that so we kind of uh we knew that Co our coach leaving is not it
Wasn’t only his fault it was us as well because we on the cour doing we playing we wasn’t playing well that’s that’s why uh that uh he got to the point so we had a talk we had a lot of meetings as a team and Jon Jones kind of
Brought us together and we talk about it we didn’t want to let the coaches down and we just used that as a motivation to start playing better like we never done it before we just wanted to send it send him off uh in a better way and we just
We went to Vegas and we just kept playing well like we never did before that was just yeah it was amazing yeah car um um I think like uh Lina said you know uh we were disappointed at first but we just use that disappointment
Um as a as a motivation as a team you know I think this was the best moment for us to just come together and like coach mson been saying um playing for each other you know not worried about or personal stats you know but worried about um what your action you thinking
About your next your next move for your teammate will have the team you know so it’s been uh Team first you know instead of um personal stuff or personal matters like stats and stuff you know um yeah we just we just kind of like uh have like a
Common goal on and of the Court you know um make sure that our coach leave uh on the better not you know um just just make sure that people remind remind him like his last season he brought the team to the um to the NCA tournament you know
Yeah uh yeah just to pretty much Piggy back off what they said um we felt like failures you know um we went on a five game losing streak and truly I don’t believe it was his fault you know we were the guys out there we’re the ones
Guarding and putting the ball in the basket um I think you know I know it’s a business and they have to make business decisions but to do it you know before the before the tournament was you know was it hurt you know it felt like we had
Let him down and they had completely given up on us you know they didn’t believe that we were going to even compete and we knew that we had to to prove him wrong um I think you know coach taught us that that you have to play for each other and not with each
Other and I think that’s you know a really powerful statement cuz it’s really a big difference you know when you’re playing for yourself you know you can only kind of approach the game differently but when you’re playing for someone else you’re really you’re really willing to do whatever you know you’re
Not you don’t want to let anyone down you never want to be a disappointment to anyone and I think that’s kind of the mental space we were at is we were going to play for the for the betterment of the team and for you know coach you know
We want to make sure he was he was going to enjoy his last season and and go out on a special note so we just we rallied together we decided that we’re going to do whatever it takes and we’re just going to trust in the process and the
Coaches and and live with the results Davis ramman daily 49er jayon being from Long Beach how does it feel to represent the beach and where that L be on your chest in the NCA tournament um it feels great you know um I’m a local kid uh I’ve been in Long Beach
Pretty much my whole life um you know it’s it’s special um not a lot of people get the opportunity to play for their for their home city um I get to have my friends and family around every home game uh all the big West games are pretty local so most
Games I have friends and family around and you know it’s something special you know I’ve gotten messages and things for you know people being proud of me and saying I’m strong respect to my city but you know I’m also here to to represent this team and you know my teammates you
Know it’s not just about me and my city this is me these two fine gentlemen next to me coaches you know everyone it’s it’s not just about you know me and my narrative and where I’m from I’m I’m a part of this team and this Brotherhood so I’m representing everyone right down
Here uh Austin gets with kqtv and Spokan jayon I’ll ask you because you played for him the longest what do you like about Dan as a coach and just having him around uh there’s a lot of things you know um I think our relationship has gotten better over time you know
Obviously I came in as a freshman just trying to you know do whatever it takes to to get on the court do the right thing but um you know as time gone on and I’ve gotten to really know him he’s a he’s a great dude um
Um where do I start man uh first of all he gave me the opportunity just to be here um he he puts a lot of trust in his players I will say that you know he’s not he very rarely tell you you know you’re doing something wrong or you know
It’s a bad shot he’s never going to really put you down he might correct you he might say like look we need a better look but he’s never going to try to take your confidence away and I think that’s one of my favorite things um he opens
His doors to you you know he’ll he’s had plenty of us at his house he you know he’ll host family meals his wife Mama Darcy’s been great to me I love her she’s back there she’s been nothing but an angel to to us you know she’ll make
Food and snacks for us she put pillows on the bus for us one time to make sure we got good rest so you know they’re they’re they really care and they’re looking out for us and and you know he may not always express it but he goes he
Goes out of his way to make sure we’re all right and I think he needs more acknowledgement in that regard because he’s been a great coach and and it’s been a pleasure being you know one of his players for the last four years so I’m extremely grateful for him and you
Know I I wish him nothing but the best CU you know I’ve had a great experience with him down here U Alex still up again ch.com uh this is for all three of you guys I mean I you guys played with the real chip on your shoulder the last three games of
The big West tournament I mean it’s not easy to beat the number one and number two seats backto back knights in the big West tournament tournament especially with teams as good as Irvine and Davis was um and I’ll just be a little bit biased here I think abakar you should
Have you should have been big West tournament MVP for the triple double you have but Len I think you were worthy very very much a worthy recipient as well the MVP award as well um but what’s it going to take to to carry on that to carry on that energy into a game
Like the team you’re into a game that you’re going to where you’re going to face a really really talented team like you guys will against Arizona Carell have you start with that please um I don’t think I understood your question honestly I I would want me to say I go okay
Uh uh honestly we are play against uh a team at this caliber before we play uh in during the preseason I think we have play we play against USC Michigan and Depot so uh we not going to come into this game thinking it’s going to be easy
We coming with the chap our on our shoulder we we’re not coming to just play we just coming to win you know what I’m saying so we know it’s going to be tough we know they got super super great athletes on the team super basketball players and I’m pretty sure we do also
We do got a lot of good players on on my team kadaka mares AJ George Amar St everybody we all good and so we all here to win we not going to be easy but I’m pretty sure if we play uh we play for each other we going to come out with
A win so thank you yeah um do you want to go no um I think the most important thing going into this game is just making sure we don’t lose our chip um I think a reason why we played so well in the big West is because you know we were hungry
For it uh we felt like we had something to prove and that fuel really pushed us to be you know the best team we could be and we know we can play with anyone obviously Arizona’s a very uh decorated and and respected school and we’re not taking them lightly we know it’s going
To be a tough game but you know we’ve proven you know in the preseason we played with Michigan we played with USC uh we played with the Paul so our talent is there uh we have the guys for it we have the coaching for it it’s just on us
To to go with the mentality of what we had in the big West which is you know we’re not satisfied with where we are we’re not satisfied with you know um how we’re viewed and we still have a lot to prove so it’s just going in hungry and
And and with faith cuz we know there’s going to be a lot of adversity and being able to be mentally strong enough to to stick through it and and just play as hard as you can no matter what is is how we’re going to view
It okay uh before we uh get going uh we got to try to stay on schedule here a little bit uh if anyone on the zoom have has a question uh please raise your hand right now uh Roger Kirk is is the sports information director for Long
Beach State uh if you have any of further questions for our student athletes he can help coordinate that for you anyone on the zoom have a question for our student athletes how many people uh there are three yeah okay seeing none we will excuse our student athletes and uh coach Monson
Will be here in a in a moment thank you thank you we’ll be here in a minute e e e e e okay uh okay I don’t have to answer anything I don’t want to because I’m working for free today so it’s like a you guys see the
Sign Feld when he when when George castanza was trying to get fired couldn’t get lose his job and still going to work every day and that’s that’s me I’m a I’m a Seinfield episode going on right now in real life is it opening statement was that it
What do we got going yeah I thank you nelon coach we’ll go ahead and uh start with questions right here please coach Eddie pels from AP well along those lines um is there a story line here I haven’t noticed this I’m trying of tease one out of here but um
What has it been kind of Twilight Zony for you or are you you know absolutely it’s it’s it’s been it’s it’s I keep saying it’s it’s it’s worth every job I I’ve ever had to have the experiences I’ve had this week with my with my players with my family with my
Spiritually everything it’s just been uh uh I keep using the word surreal Twilight Zone might be part part true it’s uh it’s it’s been awesome I mean that the Monday of the of the decision you know was the hardest thing professionally you know you go through I
I guess you know top two because I went through it in Minnesota also but professionally is different than than than your your your rest your life and I think separating them is hard sometimes but then to go to the to the locker room and tell the players you know it was
Super super hard obviously but to see their reactions you know as a as a parent or as a coach uh you’re always disciplining your kids you’re always holding them accountable you’re pushing them and you don’t really know you know how they’re taking it until they tell you they love
You or they show you and those guys showed me they loved me that day and I’ll never forget it I mean that was just all all you need in you know I just have I’ve reflected this week that I don’t have a job but I got I don’t need
One I’ve got everything everything I got with my family with my players uh with my friends uh it’s it’s been life-changing week and and in a good way and and next week I got a car payment house payment I don’t know how I was going to do it but don’t really care down
Here Coach Alex tum up here from ksl.com um you know as a big West guy I’ve been following this this just incredible run um for the last week or so since you guys won the big West tournament in in Henderson um you know what let’s kind of rewind the clock back
To the big West tourney last week like when when did you when did you start to realize during the big West tournament run that your kids were about to do something special like when was it when was it all starting to hit you I think it hit me Monday uh because
I wasn’t prepared for our guys to you know to to react the way they did Monday when when they got the news and and I said to him I said look you know we we still have this week and we have to you know uh you know uh respect their decision but they
Also could have not given us this week and uh I I I have a gratitude towards you know having this week because you know a lot of coaches don’t when when they when they when they’re done they’re done and and so let’s take advantage man this week but I said we’re in this
Together now this is just us against everybody else so if you guys need to take the day to gather if you need to you know I was I said we’re going to sh watch a little film and shoot today but if you don’t want to do that great if
You want to do a little bit of it so they they they said let’s just can we get 30 minutes by not they said can we get a few minutes by ourselves and it took about 30 minutes before they text back and they said uh um we would like
To watch a little film so you know I come in there and it’s it’s still we got a couple of them that couldn’t really watch film they went into our other room and they’re still you know couldn’t get their emotions together and you’re watching film and you got hear guys
Sniffling and everything and so the first the first thing I said is you know just bonding together in this galvanizing is not going to be enough our defense has got to get better we’ve got to be a better basketball team this week and I said just look at this first
Defensive clip guys I said you know we we close out short here I said the guy’s wide open we don’t get a contest these are the kind of place that would get a coach fired and the whole room just broke up and it just started right then
It was like okay you know we’re going to be all right here and uh you know we we we went to practice on Tuesday and it was terrible and and I told them afterwards don’t cry in the locker room and say that you’re you know this this
Bothers you and then come out and and and not practice well something’s got to be different for us to be different and when when to answer a long question here I guess the that Wednesday they we come off the bus in in at a high school in in
In Las Vegas and I waited for each of them to get off the bus and I knuckled them up and I said be different today be different today and it was maybe our best practice of the year and that’s when I’m like okay we got a shot here
And it it just kept growing and growing as a week went on Julian minone KX Y and Spokan Dan what do you make of the uh gos what do you think of the the connections here with Salt Lake with you going against Tommy and and Mark what are those group
Texts like or text messages like Tommy owes me that’s that’s that’s bottom line okay I gave him his first opportunity um hired him his mom knew U my or his JC coach knew my mom and uh so wala wala pomoy connection um and I told I I promised uh
Jeff Ryland that he get uh have a position when I and when I took off I had three or four different um uh promises that i’ made think Kyle bank had to walk on Scott Snider to be the dbo all those things so Mark of course
Just I helped him get the job and he new yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah so about two weeks after I get back to Minnesota and uh we’re both reeling with these new jobs and we’re talking and about halfway through the conversation Mark says uh this grad guy you got here what’s his
Name again and what did you promise him and uh and uh I I just laugh at that now because you know Tommy is Tommy whoever he is and one of the best coaches in America and making enough money to buy my pizza last night and I get I’m a
Little bit late we get there late last night it was the few family and uh the Lloyds and M and those are the things as you said you just cherish in these thing deals that’s above and beyond uh the game is is the relationships and that’s something that I’ve reflected on this
Week you know to watch uh Marcy F taping his the boys and my nephew watching the last 30 seconds of our game coaching it and Mark not being able to you know sit down and yelling at the TV those are precious and last night when I when we
Go to the pizza place and we’re we’re a little bit late Tommy tries to give me some grief I said Tommy we’ve been putting in that princeon office for three days now it’s it’s complicated it took a little extra time today so uh Austin gets with KHQ and
Spokan coach just Gonzaga on this incredible run of consecutive tournaments which started with you just how much pride do you take in in being you know one of the first to make this long run and also being there in 95 as well the zag father to Dog Father I
Gotta have a name for that right I got to be because that’s that’s my claim to fame I can’t be I can’t be known as the only guy that get fired and work in a NCA tournament for free um I that’s got to be my legacy is starting that and I’m
Super proud of it you know and and uh and my only regret is is that that Elite eight run was the second year of my career as a head coach and I didn’t realize just how special it was or how you know just uh uh how hard it is and
So you know for the zag people you know it’s just uh selection Sunday and and uh uh you know the NCA tournament is part of their culture for me it’s it’s something that that I cherish and uh and uh it’s something that uh I’m so grateful for because my kids you know
Were were you know at at younger ages at 12 years ago the last time we’re here and for them to not just experience but one be on my staff and one be playing for me you know only bummer is is that my daughter who’s a captain of the crew
Team uh at gona was not able to get out of practice today I’m going to get that coach someday know he was uh awesome he he he he made it happen last week but you know obviously uh this is a you know second week you can’t do that but but uh
For her to be able to be there last week and that was what was so special last week is that that um I had just you know God God looking over me or something but before any of this happened my parents at 90 years old you know had scheduled to to travel that
Tournament for and they hadn’t they hadn’t been on a plane in two years since they went there two years ago my all four of my uh kids were there my two sisters were there to help my parents so as I’m waking up every morning wondering
If this is my last game I have my all my family with me and that’s where it’s like okay I don’t need a job I got everything I need right here and it was just a great perspective week but I’m I’m rambling but the gona thing is you
Know they can’t ever take that off my resume you know and I’m super proud that you know obviously sustaining it and what Mark has done is incredibly more difficult and and the the mind-blowing part but but I was there at the beginning and that’s something that that
Uh that uh I’m super proud of okay we have time for a couple we have time for a couple more questions we’ll go with this gentleman here and then this gentleman here Damen Alam 133 News 2 s Dan what is your earliest memory of Tommy
Lloyd uh wow um I don’t think I don’t think my earliest memory of Tommy Lloyd or Mark F or Billy Greer or any of the zag people are are ones that I can really describe because we’re all uh hard charging youngsters as I as I said last night I’m just glad they
Didn’t have cell phones when we started you know you know uh it was uh uh you know I we there was a lapse there because I never really uh uh worked for him I just hired him uh uh but but I guess uh there’re you know um Jeff R who
Sold him to me kind of kind of gave a a different impression of him that he was U this kind of uh well-mannered quiet uh uh basketball only uh guy and he certainly was basketball only but uh he had a lot more personality I guess you would want to say than than was
Advertised and more um more our players call it your bag you know more more pieces to his personality than maybe uh any of us wanted to say or see and uh I think that’s about as far as I can go with that I’m trying to I’m really
Trying to to but but he was just one of us I mean Tommy’s a guy’s guy and Tommy you know last night he’s like hey I got my two mentors here the two that got me and it was it was it was emotional in a good funny joking way as we always do
And and uh the zag family is deep and it’s thick and it’s wi gonzas is still going where it is and Tommy Lloyd had a lot to do with it I’m still going to run to Princeton offense on him but tomorrow I know that works Dan B gorian
Kansas City Star um you’ve probably said this in as many words but I wonder if this has become sort of a this is your life moment that it wouldn’t have been without the firing and if somehow that’s kind of Amplified all these feelings that maybe you wouldn’t have ever
Experienced the same way I I I I think that’s 100% true you know uh I’m not thanking them for firing me for any any means but I I think uh life is life and and how you you know some of it is good and some of it’s bad and how you pivot
Through it defines who you are and uh uh I’m I’m hoping that uh people people look at me and say hey he’s you know he had a great job I mean what are we feeling sorry for him he had 17 years driving that car and it was a great ride
And it was I knew the car was uh least I mean and they wanted the keys back I you know but they but but it’s not insured this week but I still get to drive it you know and I’m going to I’m must try
To keep it on the road you know the road to the final four I’m going to try to keep it on there and and yeah I I don’t I I you know sometimes you need to step back and say I’ve got it pretty good and
Uh this is how allowed me to do that you know and it’s been it’s been a very uh emotional spiritual what however you want to put it uh I’ve been on my knees this week more times than than not you know I mean it’s been very uh good to to
Know that I’m in a good place and uh I’m looking forward to next year and I don’t even know what it is but as I tell my players I’m not worried about anything but tomorrow I mean we’re got we’re we’re trying to stay in the moment and
Staying in the moment’s been pretty good to us this week okay um we are also on Zoom if any of our Zoom attendees would like to ask a question please raise your hand now for those here in attendance Roger Kirk is the sports information director here uh and
He can help with any other further questions you may have for Coach uh we are trying to get ready for our next press conference at 11:05 all right seeing none well what I’ll see you guys on Friday right thank you co and good best of luck tomorrow tell Tommy I said
That thank you co do you know Joe Hill up oh yeah absolutely e e e e e e e e e e e e 10 four gentlemen how you doing welcome nice meet you got you set up right there with water all right this is the Arizona press
Conference ahead of the Wildcats game tomorrow at 2 pm Eastern 12:00 noon here in Salt Lake City as as the two-seated Wildcats will take on number 15 seed Long Beach State join us on the day is Umar valo and Pella Larsson and we’ll open up with questions for our student athletes
Umar and paella Hayden silly Arizona PBS um wanted to ask you to about Kad because he went to the national championship game last year um was there anything that he has taught you to um with him being here this season has there anything that he’s taught you to
About kind of what it really takes to get to that National Championship stage I think maybe just the way he carries himself every today and he knows what it takes so uh he knows what to do every day how to act and uh that just it’s contagious you know so I think just
The way he um works hard every day and tries to get better better is uh is been contagious Mar you like take that oh yeah I mean p just said all we are lucky enough to have key you know he’s a tool he’s well experienced he have been he’s
Been there and he know what it takes to to be there so we are fortunate enough to have him happy he’s with us John Associated Press I mean obviously besides key Shad Caleb love had a final four experience as well for uh before coming to Arizona what what has it done for the
Team to have a couple of key players and team leaders have that kind of postseason experience in terms of preparing for the postseason this time around there are um they’re just a help you know for us cuz uh they’ve been there uh they’ve done it and they know
What it takes to together you know and and we we are happy they with us this this postseason I mean and Omar has been there too and in the bubble too so that was probably even harder um so yeah got experience all over the place Paul Schultz with Arizona PBS uh you
Guys obviously in the Pack 12 tournament with the goals and high aspirations you guys have as a program maybe didn’t make it as far as you wanted to so what was the process like this week kind of resetting getting ready for the NCAA tournament and and what has that Journey been like
Throughout the past week to reset and get ready for this moment uh just got some really good rest really um got our legs under back under us and um obviously learned a lot from from that game and uh that week and uh yeah we’re just right away we’re just excited
For the next week to you know prove ourselves again and and come back stronger like we always have and and stuff like that um yeah last week obviously didn’t go the way that we wanted but it’s it’s over right now it’s behind us and this is a new season
Beginner mindset you know we come into this tournament as like a new season 0 and zero and uh we have to do whatever it takes to get a job done John Co Associated Press um looking back to last year’s tournament and coming into this year’s tournament are
There things that you learned about last year that have kind of helped you this year in terms of how you prepare mentally and physically for this game yeah of course we did you know obviously we all know what happened last year and uh me and Pelle was there you
Know and we know now like uh in in postseason every single game is important you cannot take any game for granted anything for granted and then we come locked and loaded uh for this game yeah I think it’s one day at a time one t ask and you know any any game
Could be your last as a wild cat so you just got to treat it like that and uh play with that energy and effort okay we’ll open up uh questions for anyone that is joining us via Zoom if you have a question for our student athletes please use the raise hand
Button on your Zoom window and we will open it up to you okay sing n any other questions here in the room all right we will excuse our student athletes we appreciate you coming and good luck tomorrow you take your water feed we’ll be uh here at 11:20 that is scheduled time e
E e e e e oh wow okay joining us is uh coach Lloyd uh from the University of Arizona we we’ll have him open open with the statement and we’ll open the questions for the uh media gathered coach all right well it’s uh good to see
Everybody uh excited uh to be here and uh you know have lots of great memories playing in Salt Lake in the NCAA tournament over the years so uh you know here we go yeah Tommy Steve Rivera all sports ton.com uh was basketball never ever not
Going to be in your in your future as a kid or whatever well I mean I think it always was you know I mean I I fell in love with the game at a young age and you know to be honest with you I kind of
Fell in love with coaching at a young age you know and and of course like all young guys I probably thought I was going to play in the NBA and then you know then I kept playing and realized I wasn’t close to good enough so the coaching bug you know really hit me
Early and I had some I I was just you know like a lot of kids that get into coaching you know you’re you’re really influenced about by your coaches when you’re younger and and I had a lot of great coaches you know from from Little League and youth basketball and you know
Grew up in a small town so um that made a real impact on me so yeah I I think basketball me and coaching were something that was probably always going to be uh be together John Associated Press uh coach Monson earlier talked about how you guys went out for pizza and had a
Nice time together um what what’s what was it like being out with him being able to catch up with him and what what kind of influences he had on just kind of the direction of your coaching career well you know I I mean I I never actually worked for Coach mson you know
Because he you know he’d kind of give me the opportunity then then he hi tailed to Minnesota and then I was kind of you know left there and uh and and then you know Mark F inherited me so um you know he’s a great guy I mean we have a ton of
Fun together I mean you know he he’s somebody that you know you’re always going to smile and laugh when you’re with and you know I know he’s going through a tough time um and you know he he but he’s handling it with an incredible Grace and uh you know just
You know I think he’s thankful for the all all the opportunities he’s had and the relationships he’s made in this business and uh and I think we all know it can be a tough business in there’s another side to it and uh unfortunately he’s going through that right
Now coach Hayden silly Arizona PBS it’s nice to meet you um I wanted to ask about key shad and the experience he brings from San Diego State last year being in the national championship game um was there any advice that he gave to any one of the players or maybe even
Yourself or your coaching staff about getting to that point um yeah you know we’re fortunate you know we have a lot of guys have their own own experiences you know with the tournament you know me coach Rob um you know uh obviously kead uh Caleb even Umar you know they’ve all
Been part of those runs and you know I mean Kad he is he has been very vocal and I think his message to the guys is you know you don’t ever assume anything and it’s literally a one game at a time approach and you know and you got to
Come out and you know be willing to to lay it on the line in that one game and and so that’s been his message to the guys which I think is you know it’s simple but it’s beautiful because it’s very true Tommy Steve Sports t.com what do
You talk or or say to Caleb uh he’s in this little slump do you tell him to shoot yourself out of it just continue to play what you play how what do you say to him well that you’re a great player and and you’re fine you know I
Mean he he’s a player like him that you know is a is a scorer you know they they’ve had these stuffs happened to him before in their career so they know how to respond and you know I mean there’s no guarantee that he’s going to play
Really well tomorrow but you know um I wouldn’t be surprised if he did and you know I think he’s in a good way he’s had a good approach all week and you know now just we need to get to noon tomorrow and and get out on the court and and he
Needs us to let it rip John K Associated Press I you look at guys like kesan and and Caleb who had those final four runs in the with their past teams what what has that experience done for Arizona in terms of helping you guys be successful this season prepare
For the postseason I mean how much does their leadership matter to you guys I mean it matters a ton you know I mean I mean first off you know they were significant contributors to teams that made it to the championship game so that tells you they’re really good players
And you know it takes really good players to to have great seasons and and and they’ve been been awesome all year I mean my my only um regret is that I only get to coach them one year um because I’ve Loved coaching them and and they’re
Both just awesome dudes and uh I mean they’re a joy to be around every day they bring it every day um so so it’s been a ton of ton of fun with them and and their experience has been significant you know to to Our Success uh Austin gets kqtv in Spokane
Uh you were talking about your relationship with Dan how what is it like when the world of basketball brings you also together with Mark and that relationship well I mean I mean we’re genuine friends I mean you know more more than you know I mean I think our friendships are before any professional
Relationships we have and you know and then the our wives are friends U our kids are best friends more like cousins than than you know friends so um I know all our kids were were were really excited they were all together last night and uh so it’s fun I mean it
Brings a smile to our face cuz you know that that’s what our summers are like you know our summers you you know everyone at the lake together hanging out and um yeah so so it just comes really easy for us to be around each
Other and um you know um yeah I mean I’m grateful for what those two have meant to me Tommy Dan wanted make to wanted us to let you know that he’s going to run the Princeton offense he told me that 50 times last night reaction cuz he’s
Obviously joking not yeah well I mean I I just told him it’d be great to see some semblance of offense so you know uh no I mean um Hey listen he you know D Dan’s a veteran and you know he I think he knows this opportunity he has and I
Have no doubt that his team’s going to come out you know ready to play with a spirited effort tomorrow uh coach you were there for so many years at Gonzaga making the run to the tournament every year and now you’re a head coach kind of making a similar
Streak um just do you have a different appreciation for it now that you’re a head coach or has your view on it changed since being a head coach um I definitely have an appreciation for it I mean I I don’t know if it’s different I
Mean it’s hard I mean I think what we do is hard you know um you know and and I know we’re we’re you know open for public scrutiny all that stuff that’s fine but like these jobs are hard and they’re hard on your family you know you
Know and and you literally have a 247 allc consuming job that it’s it’s tough to get away from and and you know I think one of the greatest gifts coach FW ever gave me was you know he made me feel like an owner you know I didn’t
Feel like just an assistant coach there I felt like you know I I was in ownership with him of the program so um so I I felt you know the the importance of it and you know the the the agony of defeats and all that stuff and and I
Know you know hey and and now it’s probably you know magnified a little bit for for me so I definitely have an appreciation you know for for what he’s had to go through all those years when I was you know you supporting him um yeah it’s it’s it’s not easy it’s definitely
Not easy I mean it’s awesome I love every second of it but but it’s not easy and I think you know just being able to have this opportunity you know being my third years as a head coach you know you you you’re like wow this guy’s done it
For 25 years and and Coach Munson’s done it for 27 years it’s a yeah it’s I couldn’t imagine so hopefully hopefully I can get to that number someday but yeah it’s a lot Jason Sher Wildcat Authority coach obviously we know what happened last year and all that how do you deal with
Maybe an increased pressure on the guys because of that there’s no increased pressure I mean that’s just I mean that’s you you could fabricate manufacture anything you want we got a 40-minute basketball game tomorrow against another team that’s a worthy opponent you know we got to come out and
Play I mean there’s no you know if we’re distracted by what happened last year then you know then maybe we haven’t done a good enough job focusing on what we need to do this year Brian Peterson with a desert swarm when you had Umar Balo at Gonzaga you
Read shter in the first year wasn’t ready limited role that second year gets into a couple late minutes of an NC Tournament game could you see at that point the potential of a fifth year now he’s a guy 12 out of 133 double doubles
I mean no I mean I I couldn’t see I couldn’t see that I couldn’t see myself being the head coach at Arizona there’s a lot of things you know when you go back to when we first had Umar at gona and um yeah I’m just really proud of him
I’m really proud of of how far he’s come uh I I think those are the the stories that need to be celebrated in in college basketball these days because you know that that to me that’s the essence of what this sport has been about you know kids you know transitioning from high
School to becoming an adult you know dealing with adversity growing having their own experiences and and Umar you know really stared those down and O and overcome a lot I mean it there were some dark days you know that that last year at gonz I mean he got in
A he got in a pretty tough spot you know he wasn’t wasn’t wasn’t a happy person and you know for for us to get the opportunity to come down to Arizona you know I think been really impactful on his life and I know he’s been really
Impactful on my life and so I I love where he’s at and you know I uh um I’m I’m I’m grateful that he’s a significant contributor to a really good Arizona team coach this this may be a silly question I don’t know but um Dan was talking about his relationships with the
Players uh few does you you’re been adamant a lot of times we talk to you about how special it is in your relationship with guys like um and all that was there someone that that taught you the importance of that relationship so is that something you kind of just
Well I mean there probably a lot how you ra Le you know I mean I’ve always been a relationship person um you know I I’ve always enjoyed other people’s successes you know so um I just you know when when I started coaching you know at at gona
You know I was young and and I could kind of still get out there with the guys a little bit and uh and and I just realized really early that you know these relationships are really valuable for me and they’re really impactful on the guys to to have a coach that you
Know is willing to put their arm around him and love him like a brother so uh yeah I mean I think you know part of it’s just you know basically how you’re wired with your personality but but more importantly I you know you want these relationships to be authentic and
Organic um but you also want to be intentional because you know what what what I found is as you get busier in life um and and your own kids get older it’s hard to manage a lot of relationships you know and and so you have to be intentional with with the
Effort and energy you put towards your players cuz it’s really important and I I don’t ever want to lose that or forget that okay we’re going to uh check our Zoom participants here see if there are any questions for Coach Lloyd if you have any questions for Coach LD please
Use the raised hand button on the zoom window and we’ll turn the chime over to you and not seeing any do we have any questions for the room okay thank you coach for your time thank you good luck tomorrow thank you coach appreciate next press conference will be
At 11:50 a.m. with the Nevada student athletes e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
12 we still got 12 more of these to go yeah e okay a couple of items before we have the Nevada student athletes join us on the uh Podium uh the salite coordinates for this week’s press conferences 11993 do5 vertical ses-3 14k slot D is in Delta 9 also couple housekeeping items uh
Please silence your cell phones and uh the use of flash photography and any video is prohibited by the NCAA during this press conference session uh if you have a question for our student athletes or coaches please identify yourself and the medi atlet you are representing and with that we welcome
From the University of Nevada Jared Lucas and Keenan blacksher as the 10th seated wolf pack will’ll take on the number seven seed Dayton uh Thursday afternoon at 2:30 Mountain Time 4:30 Eastern here at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City and with that we will open up questions for our student
Athletes Matthew Kohl’s Associated Press just wanted to ask you guys you dropped a few games in January and then since about February 1 you guys have been hot not losing playing together what’s been the difference I think it was when we lost to New Mexico in the pit we lost by 30
Um and and we’re an old veteran team and we knew that uh that that wasn’t us um so for us we knew that uh we just had to get connected cuz we felt like um that was not only was that a bad game but it was embarrassing um so I feel like ever
Since then we’ve changed and our one key word as a team has been connected and I think that’s been us um from that game on we’ve been connected we say it every time we break the Huddle uh the piggyback off what he said uh we had the players meeting right
After New Mexico uh got embarrassed uh we told each other uh we’re in this for the Long Haul we’re going through the valleys and the uh the mountains together and just staying connected is the most important thing that we could do uh through this time and it’s shown in those February
Past Alex marg’s Nevada Sports Net uh for both of you guys um this is what you dream about man you know you you grow up playing Backyard Basketball whatever and you always think about playing March Madness for you Jared first I mean you’ve obviously been here a couple of
Times but how much of it do a dream come true to be able to play on this kind of a stage I think it’s awesome and then for us to be able to play in Salt Lake City uh the closest uh location you can get to Reno is awesome uh easy for my
Family to get to as well as for all of our fans I mentioned it before but uh kind of hoping for a home game um you know for all all of our fans to get there so it’s pretty cool obviously a dream come true but like you mentioned
Um you know I’ve been here before uh so it’s key and the rest of our team so uh I know we’ll be ready to go and to us I don’t think we’ve SE we’ve pretty much seen everything you can see in college basketball so uh I don’t think they’ll
Be any any surprises hopefully but we got to handle business uh this is a dream really uh my second time around the first time I was in a really just being around all this and just seeing all the March Madness stuff everywhere and now like I feel a
Little bit more comfortable and now I have to instill that in my teammates who haven’t been here now and then and then that’s it really for both of you guys uh it’s the last time potentially you put on a a uniform uh wearing Nevada across your chest uh let’s start with you Keenan
Just how badly do you want to you go out on a high note knowing that you came to the NCA tournament get a win and and kind of wash away what happened last year and be able to kind of Make Your Mark you know as a player as as you go
On this kind of final stretch uh I always just wanted to elevate each year for me personally like from my first year to this year uh it’s been tremendous uh elevation really and I think uh the Legacy that they’ll leave uh here at Nevada uh haven’t been here in a while
And just getting back to the getting back to the uh expectation of what this group can do and I feel as if we can do that uh I think you know it’s definitely going to be a little different knowing that you know potentially could be last
Time we’re in inada Jersey take a lot of Pride uh having invada Jersey across my chest so I don’t want this thing to stop uh it’s a really good group of guys and um you know I know that uh for me and key uh We’ve enjoyed every moment um so
We’re going to do everything we can to keep this thing rolling and me and him both being seniors uh we got to lead this team to Victory we’ve been in this situation before being the NCA tournament um and we got embarrassed against Arizona State in Dayton um so
Now we get opportunity to play Dayton this year so uh hopefully we can go out there and play our game David jablonsky Dayton Daily News for both of you what sticks out about Dayton on film and Don Holmes specifically uh I feel as if uh there
He’s a real good presence in the inside and it’s we going to have our hands full with uh with him and he has Shooters around him so it it makes it kind of hard to help and things of that sense but we have game plans in intact for him
And for the team uh he’s a really good player um you know that we know he’s a NBA guy and obviously very very skilled um he’s done a tremendous job leading his team then I know that um surrounding the floor they got tremendous Shooters I think they probably the best shooter in
The country uh in br so they got Shooters around them they got a really good big and uh obviously they’ve had a tremendous year so it’s going to be a tough matchup but uh hopefully we can go out there and and handle business Matthew koh’s AP um you guys are great
When you get off to a good start I think 24 and0 when you’re leading a halftime how important will it be for you guys to get out of the gate quick tomorrow uh it’d be very important uh this team is a like he said one they have one of the
Best Shooters so uh we have to just we have to put our our foot on the neck early and just continue to have that momentum throughout the whole game yeah I think it’ll be important for us to go out there and play our game keep our identity um you know things can’t change
Once you get to the N tournament so hopefully we can go out there and uh play our game we’ve been a really good defensive team all year I think we had a lapse the other night uh in Vegas when we lost Colorado State so hope we can go
Out there and uh you know play our game slow them down a little bit um and on once again get off to a good start when you look at uh Dayton on film is or anyone they remind you of that you’ve played this year whether it’s
Mount West play or or just out of conference just the style you know that they play Slow a lot of Threes big guy inside is there anything that can kind of stick out in your mind uh I don’t I don’t think so I I don’t I don’t think that there’s too
Many Bigs like Don Holmes in the country I mean we’ve mentioned I just saw he was all American um so you know they’re probably the first type of Team we’ve seen then Elite Shooters to surround them um so I think they’re they’re going to be good really really good team and
Obviously a tough match up with Don Holmes being the player he is so uh you know hopefully we can do our best to slow him down but it’s not going to be easy like I mentioned 20 points eight rebounds All American so it’s not going to be
Easy uh I can’t really uh think think of no other team probably the closest is probably Utah State but uh with him in the and Utah State’s big kind of how how they surround him but I don’t think it’s no other team like them at uh Holmes you obviously took on Jaden
Le who’s a big kind of powerful guy inside how could you compare you know the challenge of Holmes Versus Le at least from what you’ve seen on tape uh probably their Motors are similar uh never giving up really uh I feel like oh also they they draw fouls
At a high rate both of them uh they do uh I I think those are the two biggest similarities that they have I feel uh yeah know ke Keenan mentioned it both those guys both J L and drawn Holmes do a good job of drawing fouls uh both
All-americans Jaden Le All American this guy uh Holmes is All American um so they’re both really good players um I think they both they both kind of have their own types of games Jaden Le is a little more physical and you know obviously Jaden Le there’s aren’t too
Many physical specimans like him in the country uh but they’re both really good players in terms of their three-point shooting you guys have done a great job this year defending the three-point line what do you feel like is some of the key in terms of the way you guys play defense
In order to you know keep that three-point shooting at Bay I think we got to close out with a high stick hand um but I don’t honestly I don’t think there’s another team that we’ve faced all year uh like Dayton with their ability to shoot the three ball um so
We’re going to have to close out uh urgently knowing that um they’re Elite shooting the three so it’s not going to be easy we got to go out High hands and I know we all got to do a good job of helping each other out when they drive the
Gaps uh our pressure uh it really just comes down to our pressure and how in the ball we are I feel as if when we’re pressuring the ball and just pressuring the uh the offensive player feel as if we always have the the answers uh we’ll
Be in the Gap more we’ll just be more connected really cuz that’s what our uh our defense is really predicated off his pressure okay we have a a question from Chris Murray who has joined us via Zoom uh for for both you guys could you just talk a little bit about what it
Would mean um to you guys to be able to win an NCA Tournament game for Nevada and to be able to advance in this tournament uh I don’t know the last time probably 2019 if if I’m if I can be correctly I think 2019 was the last time
They won a NCAA game and yeah mean a lot uh to to Reno really to just have their team just Advance uh and you know the historic history with the twins and the and the people that came before them I feel as if they’ll be big I think it’d be awesome uh knowing
That you know Areno Community takes a lot of pride in uh the basketball uh especially in our team we’ve gotten great support all year so I know that uh wouldn’t this game be awesome and to be able to do it uh and salt Lake City where we’re very very close to Reno I
Think it’d be pretty cool and uh I know that our fan support isn’t like anywhere else in the country so um you know once again I think’ be pretty cool different caliber of basketball to end this season compared to last year I don’t know if looseness is the right
Word or maybe freedom I guess how would you compare how you guys are feeling heading into this tournament compared to last year uh I feel like it comes down to experience really uh being that that me and Jared are the leaders uh it starts
With us really uh we have to have a calm head that that that gives our soldiers calmness inside within and just just tell them enjoy this moment and then just go out here and just have fun really cuz this is the last moments that we have as a team together uh Keenan
Mentioned it but you know I think especially for our seniors we got decent amount of guys um who you know could be their potentially their last time we’re in in Nevada Jersey so got to go out there have fun and I think another big thing is just enjoying the moment not
Everybody gets to play in the N tournament so enjoy the moment have fun and uh you know if you put the work in you know it’s going to show when the lights get on last one for me but um I know you guys are playing for yourself and your
City but also playing for the Mountain West to a degree given how the seating broke out uh you know Colorado State getting a win for the conference I guess um do you feel like the mount West has something to prove in this year’s NCA tournament getting those six bids but
Maybe not the seeds you guys felt like you earned yeah uh I think that we we definitely were disrespected uh as a conference um andan it was great to see Colorado State win uh last night and hopefully Boise State does the same um you know but as a Mountain West is a
Conference but also here at Nevada we got to go out there and win games uh to prove the committee um that the Mountain West is a real deal yeah just piggy back off what he said I feel as if we did have a uh a little hate toward the committee uh with
How they treated the mount West teams and and it’s been a good good League all year really and just we wanted to uh show why our league is so good okay any other questions here in the room for that’s we have one more right here gu picking backing off that
Mountain West question I mean the league was so physical this year a lot of great defenses how much you guys want to kind of put that on display you know first and foremost is to be a physical team on the floor and and to be a team that you
Know obviously defends at a high level is that something that’s on your mind going into the game yeah uh our defense carried us the whole year really uh our identity is defense uh we have a defensive coach really uh and I feel as if if we just
Show that how how physical our defense is I feel as if they’ll feel us yeah you know I think you know our conference as a whole is a really good defensive League uh you know San Diego State has obviously been known for plenty of years for being one of the best defensive
Teams in the country and I Feel Like Us in Nevada we’ve done a tremendous job um on the defensive side this this year so hopefully we can go out on big stage and show that we can defend okay thank you thank you Kenan Jared appreciate you we’ll excuse our
Student athletes and Coach Alfred will be here momentarily e e okay we’ll begin with an opening statement from coach Alford and then questions for the coach yeah uh obviously just excited to be here um we talk about all the time it’s a blessing to be in this tournament and um our guys
Have done an awful lot of good work over the last four months to get to this point and very rewarded um because of it and hopefully we can uh continue to play well we’ve done a lot lot of good things on both sides of the basketball year and
Um our guys have listened well and worked well and matured well so um being a part of March Madness is always a very special feeling I think our guys are uh very excited about it we weren’t very experienced last year we got a lot more experience this year so hopefully that
Uh equates to playing better basketball this year so uh very fortunate and pleased to be here at what point this year did you think that your team had the talent to to to make it here and to to to Advance yeah it’s always um that’s a tough one
Because we knew we could be pretty good but didn’t mean you’re going to make the NCAA tournament you know we talk about it all the time 362 schools and only 68 make it it’s the most exclusive tournament it’s the hardest tournament to get in in college athletics let alone
Try to advance and win so um you know in the next three weeks everybody’s ending their year with a loss except one so it’s a it’s a very demanding tournament but we knew this time last year uh when we got beat in the tournament and we started putting together a little bit of
Additions to our roster and just watching our guys last spring come out of the late season and the postseason that we had last year we knew we were going to have more experience and that experience has been one of the reasons why we’re back here um they tasted a
Little bit of it last year uh but they wanted more of it and they’ve been able to accomplish a lot more this year along the lines and they’ve been very very consistent so we knew had a chance to get there but uh then being in a very demanding League like the Mountain West
Conference um you knew you were going to have to play well and we’ve played really good basketball uh January and February and early March that have helped get us into this tournament so we’re well prepared because of the league we came from and we knew we had a
Very good team but that doesn’t mean there are a lot of good teams that aren’t in this tournament so uh but we knew we had a collection of guys that could get us back here can we ask you to please identify yourself and what your me Outlet please
Alex marg’s Nevada sportset um you look at the the big man inside for Dayton Holmes um your thoughts and just what you’ve seen from him on film and how maybe he compares to Jaden Le who is maybe the Mountain West best big man and and what kind of stands out there yeah
You know one our our league again the Mountain West Conference has helped prepare us for that uh playing against osore playing against Le other bigs um you know New Mexico’s big uh so we’ve been able to play against really good bigs and this this individual Holmes is
Outstanding um um he can shoot the three a little bit he handles the ball a lot uh he’s got an an EP ability to draw fouls he gets the free thr line like 10 times a game so uh that’s where it all starts but their guard plays outstanding
They’re one of the best shoot three-point shooting teams in the country so doubling him and giving him a lot of attention opens up a lot of things to the perimeter so we got to be very careful we got to be diligent in how we go about guarding him uh and the
Rest of the team um but uh obviously a huge concern cuz he’s a he’s been a dominant player all year and he’s a he’s got a looks like a very good Pro Prospect uh as well so uh hopefully we’ve been prepared by the league players that we’ve had to guard
Already Matthew koh’s AP how do you get your players to focus and you know it’s not just another game it’s a tournament game and you guys experienced a little bit of that last year but how do you get your point players to play their best to
Have the energy but you know play within themselves yeah I think it was a great question I think a lot of that has to do with what your experience is last year we had no experience you know Jared was the only one to play in an NCAA
Tournament when he was at Oregon State and that was a CO year there was nobody in the stand so even he had a different experience last year so sometimes you as a player you worked so hard and this is what you want to get to and then you get
You get to a situation like this and you you exhale and it’s like we made it well if that’s your approach then it’s quick lived and it was quick lived last year and we didn’t play good basketball um there’s a different feel to this team doesn’t mean
We’re going to advance that justes just doesn’t happen you got to go out and play you got to play your aame now we have again have been in an outstanding league and the Mountain West has drilled us for the last two months that if you
Don’t play your A game you lose uh the difference when you get to this point you don’t get another game uh and I think our guys have a little bit bit more experience now that um I haven’t seen this team exhale last year there was an exhale because it was like we got
In we’re last team in but we got in and um this team’s been a little bit different uh I think they wanted to prove themselves all year long which is what they’ve done and I think they want to stay here as long as they can because they they want to experience more of
What March Madness is all about so hopefully we just stay in character and we put our best foot forward and if we stay in character and do what we’re supposed to do then things take care of themselves if it’s not good enough then we can still look in the mirror and say
Hey this is who we were this is who we are and we did those things the best of our ability and hopefully that’s what happens to these young men because they’re very deserving of it Alex margal Nevada sportset um two areas for Dayton you mentioned the three-point shooting and then the the
Slow pace that they play with in terms of your defense and trying to defend the three-point line what are the types of things that you hope to see from your guys and the type of physicality to bring to be able to kind of keep that at Bay yeah again you know our league
Has been very physical uh because one of the maturity of our league in the age of our league we got a lot of teams that are playing four or five seniors in fact it was ironic but every time we put up a uh Scout board in our offices it’s
Senior senior grad grad senior so you’re playing a lot of older teams now um and Dayton is a team that you know wasn’t in the tournament last year now that are in the tournament um and Anthony’s done an incredible job with them and they got a
Lot of guys coming back in fact I’m not sure they have a senior um that’s in in the rotation so it’s a team that is scary that way and so we’ve just got to be who we are um I think that’s the thing that we’ve got to do our our
Offense we’re I think we’re one of 13 teams right now currently in the country that have a Ken Palm that’s in the top 40 of both offense and defense so that’s a that’s what you want to be that’s what you want to you want to be pretty solid
In both areas and our team’s been that and it’s going to they’re a very good defensive team so it’s going to be a challenge for our offense and they’re hard to guard cuz they stretch you to the three-point line and then they’ve got a they got a a pro that’s in the
Middle so it’s going to be a challenge to our defense as well but again we’ve played teams like this we’ve been prepared for teams like this because of the league that we play in and hopefully our guys can sense that and um you you
Got to get off to a good start you kind of you got to impose your will a little bit and hopefully we can do that uh yeah Tom AR Deon from Dayton uh Steve you you have a at least a familiarity with Dayton basketball right going back
To Doner I guess or just talk a little bit about absolutely well Newcastle is only about an hour from Dayton so uh a lot of familiar there didn’t know I knew about Dayton growing up uh in Newcastle uh but I didn’t ATT 10 camps the only
Camp I atted was coach Knights um but I knew about dating a lot U but didn’t really really become familiar with it until 84 when I was on the Olympics and Coach donur um was our assistant coach and then I really started following Dayton and understanding that and
Obviously we were in the first four last year and it was great getting to see coach and spend some time with Coach when I was there um uh for the tournament last year but uh just incredible respect for coach donaher and what he’s meant for not just not just
For the University but what he’s done for basketball because he uh uh incredible what he’s done for the game of basketball over his entire uh lifetime so my recognition of what Dayton basketball is all about goes all the way back to coach Doner uh you just reference Ken pal um
Ken Palmer actually lives be careful I referenced it just because of KB telling me about it morning F don’t uh let me have to dive into Ken Palm analytics cuz that’s out of my well I guess my question is Mike’s actually talking to Ken pom said he lives in Salt Lake so
What what is the the the extent that your staff is you know dives into analytics and uses that when it comes to prepare very much just because we’ve got a young staff other than coach Neil and I we’re the experienced old guys but and there becomes a part in our meetings
Alex to where all this analytic all this graph stuff all this is great but then you know coach Neil and I’ll throw in he can really play period or he’s not that good you know we we go back to the old school stuff uh as well but uh yeah
Analytics today are are huge they’re a big part of what you do and and how you set things up but we are still a little bit old school too you got to you know it’s like um the custodian that that said that a long time ago when I was at
Uh Manchester you got to put it in one end you got to keep it out of the other end sometimes we make it a little bit more complicated than that you mentioned Mountain West and and how much that’s prepared you last night Colorado State went out and had a nice
Statement win over Virginia I guess your thoughts on that and then just the Mountain West is a whole going into this thing I think being a little undervalued nationally and and maybe the chip on the collective Mount West shoulder that you all as you know individual schools want
To kind of prove yeah it’s the first time I think uh in my career that we actually had a group text of of the head coaches uh after the selection show so it was good that Nico and and his team kind of got things rolling in a very
Fired up way CU they obviously played really well to to dismantle a a Virginia team that’s very very well coached and a lot of experience was very impressive so the our League’s gotten off to a really good start and hopefully we can continue that Matthew Cole’s Associated Press
You’re talking about being an old school coach an older coach how much is nil and transfers figured into it where it didn’t really figure into it just a few years ago how how’s that changed your job yeah a lot and it’s it’s made it uh just a busier time you know I was
Talking to um our athletic director and staffs and boosters that we have in the Hotel this morning about it that normally this is all about just watching tape on Dayton watching as many game tapes as you can that they’ve played and and and the schemes that you want to try
To devise both offensively and defensively and yet you know we’re on the phone doing zooms last night for almost two hours um with recruits uh it’s very very different now you know recruits are on visits now um it’s an odd that part of it’s odd uh I I still
Wish there was a a period of time that um the 68 teams that are in the field can enjoy being something that you’ve worked for for four or five months to be a part of something special like this that’s your only focus um and then when
We get past Phoenix and the final four then we open it up for that’s always been the norm coaches know that once your season’s over then recruiting happens it’s odd that the recruiting now is happening before your season’s even over I think that’s an odd thing that that really shouldn’t happen uh it
Should be and we do a good job it’s all about our current team it’s all about what we’re doing but the rules are the way they are now uh or the lack of and you have to you have to do the things like we did last night to prepare for
The next the next wave of recruits that are coming in we have time for a couple more questions we’re going to go to zoom and Chris Murray has a question for you coach hey coach I I know you’ve worn a patch honoring coach Knight throughout this entire season I’m I’m curious what
You thought he would have thought of this year’s version of the Nevada Wolf Pack and how you guys have played basketball yeah you know um Chris for I think the major of the Season he he would have really liked what he’ve seen just because uh I know what kind of
Characters we have on our guy on our team these are High character guys that they do the job in the classroom they do the job in the community they represent you play for coach tonight you always know it’s about the the front of the Jersey so um I think he would appreciate
What our guys do and how hard they play they’ve understood we’ve talked about it here late in the year they’ve understood and it’s one of the things that coach was great about was going about the will to prepare and then the art of going from being a hardworking team to a
Really good competing team going to that next level of work um and I think he would he would have been impressed with how we value the ball we don’t beat ourselves very often we take care of the B we get good shots um and then we
Really try to guard um you know I think if anything he’d be he’d probably be shocked that it was somebody like me that’s coaching a team that is guarding well I think that’s probably what he’d be most most shocked about you guys have obviously built this
Program up and and take a step every year I guess what would it mean to be able to go to the NCA tournament this year and win a game and Advance toward what you guys are building here at Nevada yeah I think that’s that Chris that’s the game that’s the plan that’s
The next step cuz and I hope our guys you know uh can play well and give ourselves a chance to do that because and we know we’ve got a incredible opponent uh to do to do that against but that is our next step you know this year
We were able we took a next step in the league play we took a next step in nte winning a championship in Hawaii our non-conference was much better uh everything has been better better better and this team’s better than last year uh again it doesn’t M doesn’t mean you’re
Going to win doesn’t mean you’re going to advance uh but we got a group of men in that locker room that uh that’s their goal that’s their game plan so hopefully we can take another step uh in continue to build this program the way we want to build
It thanks good luck tomorrow thank you any other questions in here in the room or Zoom okay thank you coach so much thank you thank you on at 12:35 e e e me up or something Eric um and we’ll just do a quick are you ready rolling Kev
All right let’s just check the lip sync in and see that’s we’re off as everybody say e e let’s do one more time would you rather have them here here here or how many you got I’m just putting down three got you got a coach two players well I don’t
Know if they got two or three I didn’t know if you okay if I do this or if I which one let’s go here yeah let’s go here that our lights better in the middle everybody ready Eric you rolling all right e e e e e e e e e e e e
E e e okay it says network connection failed so I don’t know if I got kicked off the internet or not yeah I got kicked off the internet on me all right all right we’re good now sorry about that okay this is the Dayton uh student athlete press conference we are joined
Right now by Kobe Brea Kobe Elvis and donon Hol Holmes II and uh just a reminder that uh please identify yourself in the uh uh Med Outlet you are representing and we’ll open up questions for our student athletes uh Larry Hansen wh radio and Dayton um first question is to Kobe
BR when you were in a wheelchair this summer did you think this moment was possible I’d be lying if I said you know I I didn’t think this was possible you know honestly this whole year I just kind of been reminiscing about this summer just some everything I’ve gone
Through and um just to be in this position is a blessing you know and to be able to to play in this tournament you know my brothers and my coaching staff and everybody it’s just a great opportunity for us so I’m excited and for the people who aren’t
Familiar with your story could you tell the others here why you were in a wheelchair this summer yeah uh last year I played with um stress fractures in both my tibas and um this summer I I put rods in both of my legs to you know just
To give my tibus of support um I was out for about five to six months got back on the court right before the season started and um we’re here now so Matthew koh’s Associated Press Don you’re the highest rated recruit ever to go to to Dayton is this I mean first
What attracted you to Dayton and is this moment making the tournament kind of what you envisioned when you committed um I appreciate it uh yeah so what attracted me to D was the people you know um through social media um a kid from Arizona uh and just having him in
My final four dating actually like stood out with everybody who wanted me to come so um and also just getting to know the coaching staff everybody was very nice and genuine so um definitely main reasons why just a culture here and yeah I’ve always en Vision us getting here to
March and it’s been a goal of ours and um I’m just very excited that we’re here uh Ryan Phillips dayon Athletics uh this is for each of you we’ll start with deuce and then go down can you just talk about what coach Grant and the coaching
Staff have done to help prepare you for this moment and how they’ve gotten you guys to this point and really what they’re doing right now to help you guys prepare for tomorrow words can’t even describe it’s uh everything like it’s just a bunch of little things that they teach us um day
By day that we lock in on and they did a very good job of preparing us for this moment so I can’t really say it’s one thing it’s just so many things they do well uh yeah I definitely agree with dece they do a bunch of things really
Well but I’d say the main thing was um just prepping us for each game and how to focus in on each game and understand that it’s a it’s a season of worth of you know winning and that sort of thing to get us to this point yeah I agree
With the both of them I think I’ll add them I think they did a really good job this year with the scheduling um with our non-conference I think um going out to Charleston and playing against those teams over there I think it prepared us for what we’re going to be seeing um
This weekend and you know the rest of the way uh Larry hansin again this is for Kobe Elvis you’ve had to take on a leadership role especially this year did that come naturally to you or was it something you had to learn how to do um since I’ve been here I’ve always
Been somebody that’s kind of been one of the loudest people in the room um especially with this group of guys um just my personality but um definitely just try to do a better job of understanding each guy individually and understanding what they need for me to help lead
Them Matthew Kohl’s AP when I talk to players that it’s their first time in the NCAA tournament they all talk about how they’re a little bit overwhelmed the first time they didn’t quite know what to expect what are you guys doing to prepare to not be have the moment be too
Big to play your regular game and to go out there and just have it be another game tomorrow um kind of like you said at the end of the day it’s just another game for us um so it’s a blessing to be here you know but we’ve gone through a lot of
Adversity a lot of things that prepared us for these type of moments so um we’re just going to do what we do you know and I think that’s going to prepare us pretty well uh yeah I I would agree with Don uh we just kind of need to be normal and
You know go through our own normal routine and that sort of thing and I think just being normal being ourselves is going to help us you know throughout this process yeah I’ll agree with the both of them man it’s kind of just like Kobe said just be normal you know just
Do what we done all year and um I’m pretty sure you know the rest will take care of itself Ryan uh Dayton Athletics again uh this is for Kobe Elvis and then Kobe BR too uh I think that a lot of times getting to this moment you notice the
Coaching staff you notice the players and and everything but there’s a lot of people behind the scenes too that are are making it happen um not sure of you guys know it’s National athletic training month um so can you just talk a little bit about Mike m and and really
What he’s done in order for both of you guys to get to sitting right up here today getting ready to play a game tomorrow um you know Mike’s phenomenal uh you know throughout the course of the couple years we’ve been with him he he’s
Kind of always had to be the bad guy you know pull us out of games pull us out of practices just because you know we want to you know go out and compete all the time um but yeah I’ll let you go with that yeah I mean Mike um I have a
Special relationship with him just CU of you know since I’ve been here in Dayton I haven’t been the luckiest you know with injuries and things of that nature but he’s somebody that he’s really taken care of me and he’s made me family of his own and I’m just seeing the the role
And the initiative he took um this summer with me with the the whole rehab process and going through the whole surgery and everything and like he he really he really was there for me you know just like in a way that nobody else was and um he took care of me and you
Know he’s he’s one of the biggest reasons I’m here today so I’m really grateful for him yeah Larry Hansen again kind of a follow-up question to Deuce what have you know the trainers strength coach Casey what have they done through your entire career to make you
Bigger stronger quicker oh man um like I said with Coach Grant and the rest of the coaching stuff I can’t even like really put a finger on it’s so many things uh especially coach Casey coach Mike do um they just make sure that we get everything we need to be the best
Versions of ourselves you know so um in the weight room Casey pushes us as hard as we can even though we might not like it some days um sometimes he we feel like hey this is a lot but you know what it’s helping us out so we might not see
It all the time but it’s like um uh growing up with your family and your parents you might not understand until you know you get to that point so um with them they do a very good job of that and they don’t stop you know just because we’re um in postseason it hasn’t
Stopped and after season it won’t stop so that’s that’s what the the Love of the Game is for them for people who haven’t seen Dayton play this year and this for any of you um What Makes You Different what makes you you so hard to guard what makes you guys
Unique um yeah I’ll start it off uh I feel like what makes us unique is we have so many different weapons on our team um and we all can go together we play really well together um and we’re very streaky so if we get hot it can be
Very very uh problematic for the other team so um like I said like we just play together and we have fun out there yeah i’ I’d say you know just how resilient this group is I think you know throughout the course of the year we find different ways to win and that’s
Just something that’s going to be huge for us in this process yeah I say the the versatility of our group you know it’s like Deon said we have a lot of weapons but we also have a lot of players that could play different positions and Excel at that position and
I think just um just how United and together we are that helps us a lot too in the court you know things that we do off the court we’ve seen um how how it’s helped us grow on the court and um I think we have a really really good team
And we’re going to make some noises this March Madness so Ryan Dayton Athletics again um really quick just flyer fans are known they they go around everywhere uh what are you guys expecting from flyer fans tomorrow here in Salt Lake City Utah three and a half hours away plane ride
From Dayton Ohio what are you expecting from the flyer faithful tomorrow um yeah I’ll start off uh like I’ve stated before like we could be anywhere we can be on Mars Jupiter they’re coming you know know they they’ll come to wherever we play that’s just what um the Flyers do flyer fan
Base flyer faithful day and six so um it’s a blessing to have them you know so they really they really do their job uh yeah just you know blessing like donon said um it’s crazy that just we the expectation that we have of them to
Just show up all the time um but they’re definitely going to be here and be loud and we’re going to be grateful for them being around I’ll be honest when um when I first saw that we were going to play here in Utah I was like yeah I don’t I don’t think
Our fans are going to be able to make this one but just knowing you know how consistent and how passionate our fans are like I think the the least we can do is expect you know a good crowd to be here and I’m super excited just to see
Them in a different environment and just to support us so okay we’re going to check uh Zoom to see if we have any questions for the participants who are watching this via Zoom if you have a question for our student athletes please use the raised hand button on the zoom window
Please all right any more questions for the student athletes here all right we will excuse our student athletes thank you very much and good luck tomorrow coach Grant will will be here at a approximately 12:50 e e e e e e there right we’d like to welcome coach
Grant from Dayton the number Flyers will taking on the T seed wolf pack tomorrow at 2:30 Mountain Time 4:30 eastern time here in Salt Lake City at the Delta Center and we’ll ask coach grant for an opening statement and we’ll open up with questions for the coach yeah well we’re
We’re uh obviously excited to be here excited to be a part of the tournament um you know for our guys uh this has been the goal you know from the beginning of of of the summer when we got together to put ourselves in position you know to be an NCA
Tournament team so so we’re excited for the opportunity Matthew Cole’s Associated Press Ian you just talked about how that was your goal at what point in the season did you think I think this is a tournament team yeah well we had a chance over the course of the time we
Got together you know we went we took an overseas trip this summer had a chance to you know get together and have some practices and we felt like this team had some pieces that that could could put ourselves in position to be here obviously you got to go out and play and
And do it on the court you know in the non-conference we were we were tested early you know from going on the road the second game of the season after losing our starting point guard and playing a very good Northwestern team and uh coming down to the wire obviously
We didn’t come out Victorious and then from there going to Charleston and the competition we played there and making it to the championship game and losing to you know very talented Houston team we felt like coming out of that tournament we found out some things about ourselves early some of the tests
That we had uh in the non-conference at SMU Cincinnati uh some home games that were very challenging the guys were able to respond to the challenges and then obviously the gauntlet that we went through in A10 play you know with uh the sort of a Target on our back every night
Um you know our guys were able to answer that and we didn’t come out you know unscathed I think we we’ve been we’ve been battle tested so uh this team’s been through a lot this year and I think they’ve earned the right coached for a Matthew colp you’ve coached for a long
Time what what’s unique about this team compared to some of the other teams that you’ve coached over the years well that that’s a great question I don’t know that I’m I’m prepared for reflection because this is still kind of a process for us still kind of going on but I I
Like the um the chemistry that this group has been able to to build among each other um like I said it’s it’s been a lot in terms of from the summer uh take going overseas for 10 days bonding together and then the experiences that they got to share uh throughout the
Course of the Season uh you know it’s it’s a team that has been able to to to meet the challenges you know and I think uh certainly in this tournament that’s what it’s all about Coach we got uh sorry Andy Larson Salt Lake Tribune uh we’ve got Long
Beach State playing here Dan Monson is the coach who was fired uh last week and then won three tournament games to get here and I’m kind of curious what your thoughts are on that situation A just in kind of in general a unique situation in college basketball and be it’s a tough
Question but do you feel like there’s a right way and a wrong way to fire a head coach from a head coach’s point of view um I I don’t know the details of it I know I don’t know coach Monson personally I know his his history um
When I was an assistant coach at Florida you know we played his team at Butler and you know whenever that was in uh two 2000 maybe I think I think that was the final four year for us uh and just uh you know his his journey you know through coaching he’s he’s he’s
Done it for a long time you know and I think uh from my seat you know there’s certainly a lot of respect for him and the way he’s gone about doing it you know in this profession we’re all Stewarts uh you know it’s it’s a it’s a
Job that that we do knowing at some point you’re going to hand it over to somebody else we we got the job from someone else and whether it was a situation where a guy moved on to another opportunity or a school made a decision to make a change uh I think at
The end of the day the perspective is it’s about helping people it’s about helping young people to achieve their goals and dreams it’s about you know putting uh the University uh the fan base in a position where they can be proud of the product that you put
On the floor not only in wins and losses but the the type of young men that come out of your program you know at the end of the day when it’s time to hand it over you know and I think uh credit to him you know and his character that uh
However it ended whether it was a firing or a mutual agreement uh that his young men were able to keep the main thing the main thing and continue on their journey and go out and and win a championship and put themselves in a position you know where they’ve created memories of a
Lifetime this is something that they’ll always have and for Coach Monson he’s done it for a long time you know and and whatever he decides to do next I think um you know what he’s done speaks for itself uh Larry Hansen wh radio uh coach the nation is going to see the Dayton
Flyers tomorrow but they’re also going to see a representative of the Atlant 10 to those not familiar with your league what would you tell the Nation about the A10 well like I said you know I think Larry you know this you know I felt like going through the A10 was a gauntlet I
Mean it was really challenging from just the not only the talent the type of coaches you have in the league you know but the different styles of play that you see on a night in and Night Out basis and the preps that you have to go
Through in order to play in our league you don’t really see two teams that play similar you know and it’s it’s uh it’s challenging and I think obviously you know for us in the A10 a lot of the reputation of our league gets kind of it gets made in the non-conference and and
You know we were fortunate this year that some of those games we were able to win and put ourselves in position where we could be in at large team some teams weren’t necessarily fully healthy in the non-conference or just trying to find themselves like most teams do in
November and early December and suffered some losses but you you know to go through 18 games in our league uh it was a challenge it was it was very challenging and I think uh you know obviously uh Duke Kane ended up you look at the way they started conference play
And the way they finished conference play and to go out and be able to win the A10 tournament and be a team that that’s in the NCA tournament and then I think they have four teams also invited to the to the NIT you know it’s impressive for our league so uh you know
I think the league uh is is very healthy I think it’s very competitive really talented coaches and really talented players okay is Nevada Sports Net um is there anybody that you played this year that you seen Nevada on film that they remind you of to style of play Personnel any
One kind of stick out it’s a good question um you know in in Blacks here you know I think he’s he’s unique you know for a guy his size uh and his skill set uh probably the closest thing I would say uh to him
Um is is uh guy that was in the in the same league that’s now at at VCU uh bar barall is that his name yeah that’s the close CL thing I think um they’re different but that’s probably the closest thing in terms of uh individual Personnel uh their skill set uh you’ve
Seen individuals in our league that I would say similar skill sets but as a style of play the the way they play the game uh U and I’m thinking SMU is probably similar um uh probably combinate I have to put combinations of teams together because their system and the and the Personnel
Skill set wise is is is similar to other teams but the Personnel makes it different or the Personnel is different in a similar system so it it’s hard to really say but but they’re really good they’re really good and um you know just watching them on film uh you know it’s
Impressive what they’ve been able to do and in a very tough League you know their their league got six I think six teams in the in the Nate tournament you know you look at what Colorado state did just last night you know to a talented you know Virginia team and this team
Beat Colorado state twice you know so they’re they’re really talented really really good team on both sides of the ball and then as you evaluate NADA on film you see what they do best I mean what kind of stands out to you about some of the biggest challenges that you’ll face tomorrow
Afternoon what a variety of things start with their personnel they got they got really good Personnel I think they the coaches do a great job of putting that Personnel in situations where they played their strengths and uh they do a good job of that and then I think
Defensively they got great length uh I think one of the top 50 defensive teams in terms of what they’ve been able to do uh nationally uh so they make it difficult for you uh so we’re going to have to be at our best on both sides of the ball tomorrow Matthew K
AP as a veteran coach how much has your job changed with the way nil is now the way transfers are and transfer portals already open you’re still playing how challenging has that been and how much has it changed for you as a head coach yeah it it’s changed a lot I think uh
You know obviously part of our job as coaches is to adapt you know to situations um you know I think it’s it’s uh it’s in flux right now College athletics period you know because there’s been so many changes you know you mentioned a couple with the transfer portal and
Nil you know to go along with you know um the impact of uh the extra covid year you know and and you know college basketball’s gotten a lot older where you’re seeing 24 25 year olds competing against 18 and 19 year olds you know I think uh along with the nil is the
Influence of you know uh you know the agents and then the different sponsors that guys you know have a responsibility to um you know along with you know uh the ability to change locations multiple times you know so I think it’s a different game than what it than what
It’s been and um you know I think the beauty of College athletics has always been uh the ability to to bring a team together and to grow a team together and so you know I think some of that um as a coach you you be getting to question if
If if that piece of it uh can remain uh a part of the game and I think um whether it’s basketball or football or really any sport um I think that’s in the balance right now so we we’ll have to see where it ends up okay we will check the participants
Who are joining us via Zoom if you have any questions for Coach Grant please raise your hand there we go we have uh Chris Murray coach Grant a couple of mid- major teams here in this matchup on Thursday obviously a couple mid- major teams made it to the final four last
Year with San Diego State and FAU um do you think that was kind of a one-off or something systematically changed with college basketball like you mentioned nil transfer portal maybe the co extra year that’s given more of an open path for mid- major teams to make deeper runs in this
Tournament um well I think just your your question to me is more of um I guess from from your Viewpoint maybe I think in basketball you’ve got really talented guys all over the country I think when you when you really examine the game not just last year but most years um what
Some people call upsets you know those of us in the in the business look at it and say it’s about matchups you know and I think um that’s the beauty of the NCA tournament this is not in the NBA you got to play a seven game series and typically if all
Things are equal the best teams going to win a seven game series in college sports you know whoever plays the best on a given day um and the matchups are huge you know so we’re we’re we’re not playing a team in Nevada that you know we’ve played a couple of times this year
And now we’ve got data on each other this is our first time matching up against each other and uh you know so the matchups become really important the ability to to have your guys healthy and available is really important and and and so there’s a lot of different
Factors that go into it but you know for me uh in in basketball it’s it’s a lot of good players all over the country you know and so you put five out there at a time and and uh you know it’s it’s it’s really about the
Matchups to me so I don’t I don’t really get caught up in the you know so-called mid- major High major low major thing I think that’s that’s kind of antiquated can you walk us through the recuitment of Don Holmes II um and what he’s meant to your program and also you
Know with this kind of transfer nil era how you’ve been able to keep him on campus for three years well I think you know just knowing Don he he’s just a super human being uh I think his parents his family’s done a great job in terms of who he is as a
Young man his values his work ethic number one and we were able to build a relationship with him uh a lot of it was during that that covid period um where he saw kind of what we did with a young man like Obie toppen and uh it felt like
The style of play uh the relationships fit him and what he wanted to do and and so uh you know I think it’s it’s really a product of just relationships and and I think he’s he’s been able to stay true to who he is and Trust his process
And not get caught up in in the the things I think a lot of young people some can get caught up in is is wanting instant gratification he’s trusted his process he’s grown as a player on the court I think he’s grown maturity-wise in terms of his understanding of who he
Is and and and what he’s all about and he stayed true to that and I think it’s a testament to him and testament to his family uh that he hadn’t gotten caught up and and the other things that sometimes we can get caught up
In last one for me and this is the way back machine but you did play at Nevada in a bracket buster game when you vcu’s head coach do you have any recollection of of that game from 2009 wow wow you’re reaching ah man uh I do remember we got beat in a
Close game uh and I thought the the result of that propelled us for the rest of the season and allowed us to be an NCA tournament team so I think that experience made us better thanks good luck Tomar thanks okay do we have any other questions for Coach one more right
Here Alex Mar about Sports Net but what do you make of The Narrative of a team that’s never played in the NCA tournament not having experience versus maybe a group that has been here before do you put any stock into that as a coach yeah well I think experience in
Anything matters you know I think uh you know obviously if you’re experienced in the tournament you know you know what today is like right you know what tomorrow’s going to be like and and and you get a feel for that I think uh you also have you know
Experienced players in terms of the leadership that you have on the team and and and the type of competitive character that you have on the team I think all of that stuff kind of plays into it so so certainly yeah yeah certainly I think it is a factor and
Then last one for me um there there’s a lot to be made of you know you know you guys coming out west and playing at 4,500 ft uh is that a concern for you playing at elevation I don’t think so you know I think obviously we got here yesterday
Our our guys uh were able to get some practice time in we’ll get some practice time in today you know and I think the the excitement of the game uh the stakes of the game I think our guys will be will will will adjust you know we’ll we’ll be ready to
Go okay thank you coach appreciate your time good luck tomorrow thanks e s the for e no State Mages Mages State I’ve got their you got their guys yeah 13 and 24 13 and 24 Wells and shate shate sord no wonder I see a cowboy CH Cowboy
My who’ you say again uh sorry wadee mate mate and 13 and Dam 13 and 24 13 and 24 so Wells Wells sweet for for h e e e e e e e e e e e for e e TR 10 four no okay this is the 120 press availability for mnes State
Student athletes first couple of house keeping items the satellite coordinates for the press conferences this week 1199 3.5 vertical ses-3 14k slot D is and Delta 9 also reminder for those in attendance here in the room please silence your cell phones and also a reminder that flash photography and any video is prohibited
Uh video recording prohib by the NCAA uh we are joined uh by MCN State student athletes the MC State c m Cowboys will be take with the 12 SE will be taking on Gonzaga uh tomorrow afternoon here at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City game time is
525 Mountain 7:25 Eastern and we’re joined by shahad Wells and Christen shate and we’ll open up questions for our student athletes John Associated Press uh looking at just the season you guys had and winning 30 games and getting a 12 seed here in the NCA tournament what what kind
Of led to your success and just really having the breakout season that this program had I would say um just the hard work that we put in throughout the summer just building as a team um coming together just being connected always and just knowing we could win these games
Knowing that we have a team able and that we can do it uh with these guys being a part being by my side and me just being one of the leaders I just knew we could do it by in the summertime so feel like anything is possible for us
Uh yeah same thing that uh he really said you know it started in the summer you know working out and doing all of the uh hard work and the preparation that um coach had us going through and um just the belief that we had we had high beliefs from the beginning and um
The work and the belief translated into winning some games so Jim Gaz American Press U for both you guys what else do you have left to prove this year um you both said you wanted to be on the center stage what does this mean to you and what do you have left to
Prove um I feel we don’t really have anything to prove um feel like just playing being us um we’ve gotten this far just being us so I feel like we just got to stick to that stick to our principles our standards and just just
Go out and be us Win Lose or Draw we fought we we got here and we’re trying to win but but I mean we just got to be us at the end of the day B the dvis KPLC Christian for you shahadi has obviously been here before
With TCU but for you we’ve talked a lot about what this feeling would be like but now that you’re finally here what is this getting here yesterday today what has this been like for you um it’s been good so far um you know you dream of moments like this all the time and
Finally be here it’s it’s an amazing feeling and um we want to do more than just be here you know we we didn’t did all of the prep preparation like we said we didn’t work super hard to be here and um you know it feels good but I’m sure
It to feel even better winning and we just want to leave it all out there and do what we do like you said just be us do what we do be connected Relentless all our um standards you know just do what we do Alex fart uh s you here here in the
Front um I don’t know how many times you guys have been to Utah or even Salt Lake City but um Mike Saunders Jr played high school here he played some college here how have you kind of seen him in the leadup to coming back here just like
What’s his mood been like and also is he has he given you any tips of where to eat or maybe what what to do in the little off time that you may have uh no not not not really any tips or anything like that but you can tell he’s
Definitely been excited to be back here and he even told us when we came like this was is basically his second home you know he’s been here for a lot of years like you said and um you could just tell his Energy’s been good his Energy’s been real high uh he’s excited
To be here you know uh Kings uh Shu the uh the air is a little thinner here in Utah so uh are you going to jump a little higher for us here than you do back home we’ll see we’ll see it’s maybe so you know it’s
I’m going try to keep it the same as it always is but it’ll be good if I can go high so we’ll see for both of you guys we we’ve talked a lot about the turnover margin obviously Gonzaga has had one of the best turnover margins in in college
Basketball this season is that something you guys have been focusing on as you guys have been preparing for tomorrow’s game not necessarily um I think that we we kind of just been kind of sticking to our standards you know um a lot of the things that we do uh it’s it’s Universal
For a lot of lot of different teams and um we we don’t want to turn the ball over we want to try to turn teams over but that’s never that’s a focal point sometimes but we just more so want to just just play our game and if that
Creates if that creates what you’re talking about then that’s that’s good but yeah piggybacking off him just basically what he said we’re really we’re really not like too much intrigued on doing those type of things but if it happens it happens um feel like we’re just going
With coach’s game plan just whatever he tells us to do whatever he thinks work um we’re seeing what he what he’s told us in the past that it worked so now why not stick to it h um you’re the only one that with experience you played Gonzaga last year
This year’s all been about kind of your Redemption and showing what you can do how much do you want to show them that uh you can do more than you did last year I want to I want to show everybody just not them um not just us being here
We want to we want to win games here not just to be here to be here so I feel like I got to step up as a leader and just lead this team as I’ve been doing all year um just talking to the guys keeping them focused keeping their heads
Right um even in practice today coach told me don’t criticize as much uplift and just have everybody’s head right before we enter these games and hopefully we get a win sh it just looked like you wanted to answer the the question about Mike so I want to give you the opportunity to do
That oh like he said um this is kind of like Mike’s second home he’s been happy to be back um I actually played here last year TCU played Utah last year and I got a chance to meet Mike I really didn’t talk to him much but I did get a
Chance to meet him and seemed like a good dude and now that I now we’re teammates he’s a very good dude and we just click together and like he said this is Mike second home so he’s just happy to be back will Wade is the coach that’s had a
Lot of success at previous stops with VCU and LSU what about his system and his approach to the game allows you guys to have the kind of success that you’ve had this season um I would just say the time that he puts in um the scouting reports him
Just watching video all the time um we’re seeing the time he puts in and we know how serious it is to him and his winning and we’ve seen his records and the schools he’s been to and we see that it work so why not listen to somebody
That that’s been there that’s been to March Madness multiple times W SEC won his championships and whatever but I feel like just listen to the guy he he knows what he’s talking about uh yeah basically the same thing I I also think that it’s um he believes in
Us and we believe in him um so with that trust Factor we go hard for each other you know like whatever he wants us to do I mean we just go out there and do it to the highest of our capabilities and um what he says works so if we go out and
Do that as much as we can we we usually be in be in a good stance Conor cuon taate Kings seeing the way that the Southwest Louisiana Community has embraced yall how has that helped push yall to this moment and push the team forward to get to this
Moment I mean it’s huge you know along with um what you said like everything that’s going on back there and how hard they uh go for us and all of the things they do for us you know showing out to gam selling out Games showing up to
Basically everything that we hold um you know we want to get back to him and you know it feels good to have a community like that behind us and we always appreciate that and um you know we love our fans we love the community and they
Love us too so you know it’s a big thing for us to have that behind us and we just want to keep on giving back to them and give them something to be proud of sh would you like to answer that as well oh he pretty much answered it
Okay uh Jim from the spokesman review for for both of you guys um is there a little class of styles here with gona playing the three bigs pretty much all the time and uh maybe you guys with more of a a smaller ball approach or is that
Uh is there a a give and take there I would say it is a give and take um us just having faster guards them playing three big man um feel like we can move faster uh some coach told us about we were going to have to rebound
More the guards are going to have to at least help rebound just them having sides on us so feel like it’s a give and take on offense and the defensive obviously in your last game against Nicholls you got out to a fast start I think you had you guys hit two threes in
Less than a minute how important is a fast start going to be for you guys tomorrow coach Wade talked about it earlier in the week as well it’s very important um he told us that we don’t want to be digging ourselves out of a hole early so we’re
Going to have to hit first like he always says be aggressive just hit first just come out with the first punch and I feel like that’s what we’re going to do so we’ll we’ll see how it plays out yeah no same thing you you just don’t want to get to get get behind
Early in the game and got to dig your way out of a hole and um you know you want to kind of set the Rules of Engagement early so they can’t feel like they can do whatever they want against you and if it gets to that point then
It’s pretty much too late so we want to come out and set the Rules of Engagement early corner I’m Christa Bell with the Poke press is there a particular we’ve got all all over Lake Charles and on campus there are all these different watch parties that are set up is there any particular
Message that you want to send back to the students in the Campus Community uh I just want to say thank you thank you for everything that y’all did this season and thank you for the continued support and you know basically what I was saying earlier you know y’all
Y’all living in DBS right now and it feels amazing to have this community behind us so I just want to say thank you to them all and we appreciate it more than y’all probably even know you know so me as well I just want to say thank
You to everybody supporting us not just the student hand but the people in Lake Charles everywhere so I just thank you for just supporting us all all the way through this season how they they say in football defense travels y’all got the D you bring it with you oh most definitely uh
I’m not sure if we’re still Number One D in the country right now but I mean we were there but we know what we could do defensively uh my steal shoes blocks everybody else just they just align with us so we’re going to bring
It yeah okay we have a time for a couple more questions we’re going to check the three participants that are joining us via Zoom if uh any of you three have a question for our student athletes please use the raise hand button on your Zoom panel and we will uh come to you
All right sing done on that said Do we have any more questions here in the room for our student athletes for Christian how would you describe shihata’s game how he scores multiple ways what he does out there um he’s amazing I never seen nothing like it he’s a scoring guard
He’s a defending guard he does basically everything you want out of a guard out there on the court um I’m glad to be his teammate and glad I only got a play against him um but like you said he scores at all three levels he defense
He he does everything you know so I would describe it as amazing okay one more right here we’ve talked about a little bit Christian this year but now to actually be here you’ve been through the drgs of the last couple of years with the program what’s it like to be in this stage
Now it’s it’s crazy um I never would have thought to be in this position and I’m I’m always going to be grateful and thankful of everything that put me here and um I just never take these moments for granted you know cuz I I didn’t seen
The other side of it and uh I know how dark it dark it can get sometimes so now that I didn’t seen some light you know I’m grateful for it it’s an amazing feeling um and I don’t want it to leave yet so we’re g to do everything we can to keep
It okay thank you uh Christian shahad best of luck to you tomorrow thank you okay we are joined by head coach will Wade of MCN we’ll uh begin with an opening statement from coach then open up for questions yeah we’re excited to be back um excited for the opportunity Salt
Lakes a tremendous uh host City I was here in 17 with VCU and so they do a phenomenal job and uh we’re excited to be back and get ready to get going John K Associated Press looking at what you’ve been able to do with MCN State this year and the the steps the
Programs taken forward what’s kind of been the underlying key to your success as a team being able to reach 30 wins get a 12 seed in then see tournament well the biggest key was getting shahad Wells um he he’s I mean he’s everything for us he’s the league player of the
Year league newcomer of the year um Conference tournament MVP and then look we we got some other good players and we have really good um support from our University from our athletic department our athletic director from our president’s office and so everybody’s um on board with with basketball being very
Very good and and they’ve given us the resources to go out and compete and and we’ve gotten you know we’ve been fortunate to land some really good players Matthew Travis KPLC um we talked earlier this week about kind of the different styles of play Gonzaga obviously PR primarily with forwards in
EK and uh Watson just talk about kind of the different styles and what challenges that might present for you guys tomorrow yeah I mean the biggest challenge is going to be their speed and their size uh they play extremely extremely fast um they’re one of the elite teams uh in
Transition in the country and so we’re going to have to be able to get back that’s going to be critical especially early in the game I think we don’t have time in a tournament setting like this to adjust to their speed or will be down
Big um so I think their speed is is is a huge part and then I mean look they’re three man’s bigger than our Center so I mean you know they’re huge uh they just they’ve got big bodies and we’ve got to be able to you know to find a way to you
Know try to get our quickness in the game as best we can but they do a really good job of exing out on ball screens and and moving those guys around and and so it’ll be a big challenge um if we can get back in transition somehow and try
To limit them to one shot as much as possible which is a lot easier said than done hopefully we can give ourselves a chance in a six-minute game coach uh Alex F hard with the Salt Lake Tribune um you have a player on your team Mike saers who played high
School here played some college here what is his kind of just mood and excitement level been you know coming back here you’re uh Christian and Shahar said that it’s kind of like a second home for him you know just what he what has his mood been like lately it’s
Exciting I think he’s rather be here than playing in the NIT so uh he’s uh you know he’s uh he’s excited uh he went to wasach which is away it’s about two hours from here over there in the mountains but um you know I think that
Uh he he’s fired up um he certainly has some some friends here in in Salt Lake from his time here and his his high school coach who was very close with he has a family in town that kind of adopted him when things weren’t going as
Well at Utah for him and so uh he’s excited to uh excited to see uh excited to see them but at the end of the day you know he knows he’s got a job to do we got to we got uh we got to get down to
Business will Joe Goodman al.com I was hoping you could provide some insight into Bucky McMillan the best I know that what were your first impressions of him when you were starting to recruit Trend in and it’s if you can offer any kind of insight yeah I’ve known I’ve
Known Bucky a long time um so Bill Armstrong who was my assistant recruited Bucky to Birmingham Southern so even before we recruited trendon I was familiar with Bucky and knew uh and knew Bucky actually talked to him the other day for a while but I mean look I told
Everybody when he got the job because everybody was like I said listen I don’t know how it’s going to work I don’t know exactly how he’s going to do it but I promise you he’s going to win and win big there now I don’t you know how he’s
Going to do it is going to be a little bit different than probably most people would do it but he will win and win big everywhere he’s won translates and everybody talks about his run at Mountain Brook at the end he had Watford and he had Colby Jones and he had some
Of those guys he was winning state titles with you know w- with just whoever kind of showed up his first couple state titles then other kids wanted to other kids wanted to come and play for him there but I mean he’s a phenomenal coach he’s very analytical
Mind very linear uh thinker plays to the numbers and he he the biggest thing is what most people he has a unique system a unique style and he doesn’t let anybody uh stop him from uh from implementing that some people would get scared you know you move up
From high school to college to keep doing the same thing he says no what I do works it works really well and we’re just going to keep doing it and you know I know with Sanford probably wouldn’t like this but when he leaves Sanford and goes to a higher level which he will
He’s going to be able to win doing the exact same thing I mean what he does what he does Works across any level uh he does a great job in practice getting the guys I mean we were recruiting trendon he was always quizzing me about analytics and numbers and what do you
Think about this and what do you think about that and you know he’d be doing those 6: a.m. workouts and be like you know he’d be over there talking to us all the time so I mean he’s just very very very very smart guy and he’s Fearless you know he doesn’t care what
Anybody thinks he doesn’t care what you know he’s not trying to be the most popular guy in the room he’s just trying to win games and and does what he does and he does it at a very very high level and he’ll keep he’s going to keep
Winning I mean what Sanford had been the NCA tournament since they got to the socon the last time they went was in the ovc right and he just goes and he wins League almost every year and finally punch through in Asheville which is hard to do uh coach Jim gazol American Press how
You doing good Jim how are you you called this uh getting here the greatest accomplishment of your career what would it mean to win a game and and will that top it yeah I hadn’t even thought about winning a game but getting here definitely was with this group and
Everything that they’ve been through and everything our community’s been through our school just I mean absolutely um As Good As It Gets for us and um to have such a narrow path to get here and to be able to still do it just phenomenal I hadn’t even contemplate of winning a
Game but it would certainly uh ratchet up the uh uh the the accomplishment if we could if we could do that coach Matt Dy tailgate Kings uh Javon Garcia DJ Richards both made the all tournament team and DJ Off the Bench can you talk about how their growth this
Season has uh has has impacted the team and the how you’re going to need them in this tournament yeah I thought they both should have been on the all League team too I don’t know what some of the coaches in our league were watching all
Year but um you know I thought I thought both of them should have been on our all League team they didn’t even make second Team all league and both guys were were certainly capable of doing that but Garcia’s just so steady for us he does so many so many uh little things really
Well you can count on him he’s reliable he’s dependable and DJ’s just instant offense Off the Bench I mean every time he shoots it you think it’s going in it’s disappointing when he misses it’s deflating because you just count it every time every time it leaves his hand
And so he’s uh you know those guys have been really really good players for us you know those guys you know like DJ would start on just about any other team at our level but he’s accepted coming off the bench which has been a huge huge
Part of our success and a huge piece to what we do uh coach Tony Jones from uh the athletic you know just kind of piggybacking off of an earlier question did Utah Jazz you’re the Utah Jazz uh expert somewhat um I appreciate that um you know just knowing some of the things
That you’ve been through personally you know some of the adversity that that that you’ve been through you can say it I got fired some of that is it is it good to to show the kind of adversity I mean to show the kind of resiliency to get back to this stage you
Know just kind of translate that to to your team you know just not only over one day but over you know just a string of days and a string of you know months and you know just the year in general yeah I mean I think look it’s it’s not
About me but we have a lot of guys who have overcome a lot of adversity too to get here if you look at our roster I mean it’s littered with transfers from multiple Schools transfer you know guys who have overcome a lot of things to get
Here and I think that’s what bonded all of us you know we’re all kind of a mismatch group and we’ve come together pretty quick because you know everybody everybody’s got a Common Thread that you know we all need each other we all needed MCN and MCN needed all of us and
So it’s kind of bonded all of us uh all of us together as a uh as a group and that’s been that’s been the most rewarding and most exciting part of the Year coach you talked on Monday about uh how important the turnover margin is going to be tomorrow just expand on that
A little bit and how important that is going to be considering both both teams turn the ball over an average less than 10 times per game yeah if we come in here and have a bunch of live ball turnovers might as well get on the plane
And head home so uh mean we cannot we cannot have live ball turnovers I’d rather punt it in the stands where we can at least set our defense but if we if we come in here and turn the ball over uh you know more than eight times
It’s going to be it’s going to be extremely challenging uh for us to win coach Eddie pels with ap um since we ripped the Band-Aid off you weren’t the only one who got fired obviously there were a lot of people who got into all kinds of trouble seven eight years ago
Do you think anything uh positive came out of that investigation that was kind of supposed to change college basketball or fix it no I mean I think it ruined a lot of people’s I mean look I was able to recover there’s a lot of people that
Were not able to recover I think it ruined um a lot of people’s lives for for for you know very little reason and I think that uh it was extremely unfortunate I stay in touch with a lot of the people who you know haven’t been
As fortunate as me to be able to to be able to find a find a route back but um it’s uh uh no I mean I I I don’t I don’t see much good that came from it because it it ruined good people’s lives um you
Know for for very little I mean look we’re talking here today I mean everything that some of these people got their lives rued for is I mean it’s standard operating procedure today uh so I mean it’s just it’s just extremely disappointing I wish the NCAA would step in and say look we need
To like we need to let these other folks back in we need to get rid of the some of the some some of these punishments that they had and we need to let these guys back in the books the Lamar the lont those guys like they they need to
Just wash it start clear and let those guys back in and let those guys get going and give them the opportunity to rebuild uh their career they’ve been punished I promise you they’ve been punished enough they’ve been punished enough we talk about anniversary days kind of ironically things happen on
Other days of your career um seven years ago today you were hired by LSU what are your thoughts on the last seven years in this ride I didn’t know that you always bring that stuff up um I mean look it’s it’s been uh you know we’re never we’re never short for
Excitement on our roller coaster so um you know it’s been it’s been uh it’s been fun and you know look if if I didn’t get the LSU job I wouldn’t have been introduced to the state of Louisiana if I wasn’t introduced to state of Louisiana I was at LSU I
Wouldn’t have been fortunate enough to be able to get this MCN job and you know H have uh you know have this magical and special season that we’ve had so I’d say it’s a net positive coach over the last couple weeks damn Travis you ask every question I’m trying
Trying to do my job coach all right but um you’ve talked a lot over the last couple weeks about H’s experience being the only player who’s been to this stage now that you guys are here are you kind of leaning on him a little more to help
Out his teammates yeah absolutely I mean he’s one guy that can that can talk to our guys and one guy that can um you know that can that can put our guys in the right mind frame and he’s definitely had he always has a voice but he’s had a
Little bit more of a Voice this week Andrew quinnn crem T and Spokan Will Graham EK was just named AP All-American honorable mention um you mentioned that you guys are a little undersized compared to Gonzaga how do you propose to stop him or what’s kind of your plan
To to try and neutralize him as best you can pray um I mean look he’s he’s uh he’s tremendous player uh you let him get to his left hand I mean he’s going to make that every time um and so I mean look I’m worried about him on the duck ends
Especially in transition I’m worried about him on the offensive glass uh I mean look our our best chance to stop him is to get him in foul trouble the last couple games he’s had some issues with foul trouble I think he’s had four fouls four fouls five fouls four fouls
Five fouls I think in the last five or six games so I mean you know that’s a lot easier said than done but we’ve got to find some way to neutralize him on the court because when he’s out there we’re going to have a very challenging
Time uh stopping him okay we had time for one more question right here well I’m sure you’ve heard about the Dan Monson situation over at Long Beach State that they’re playing here and you know I’m curious if what you think about them in general and also is there a
Right way way and a wrong way to fire a head coach in in college basketball well I got I’m an expert in this you asked the right guy you know when they fired me they didn’t let me coach again so that’s probably what Long Beach wishes they’d have done now you
Know they they fired him and they let him Coach you know they LSU just fired me and said get on out of here we’ll let somebody else coach him so that you don’t risk something like that uh happening I mean look I I I I think you
Should always let the season play out I think you know I don’t know that situation I don’t like to comment on stuff I don’t know a ton about but I think in general you know I don’t see any reason to have cut the cord when they did they could have just waited
Till after the conference tournament what were they going to do get a jump start on their coaching C I mean like a three-day jump start I mean they should have just let it play out and and then whatever happened uh you know whatever happened happened and they wouldn’t you
Know this doesn’t look good I wouldn’t assume for for what they’re doing but I’m happy for Coach mson I don’t know him very well but I’m I’m thrilled for him I like anybody who can kind of rise up and go against the go against the grain a little bit I think that’s a
That’s a good thing but yeah I think in general you either let it play out or if you fire him then you fire him and you put an interim coach in there and you and you move it but I I I I would let it play out more generally okay thank you coach
Appreciate your time and congratulations good luck tomorrow thank you thank you apprciate e uh yes I do yeah he told me he told me he was gonna do audio audio only after I talked to him so hey we can get a free m grab me a me voucher yeah please you’re awesome
Sorry I gotta mime it as best I can right and then and then the guy on the end is like wow it’s I connect four all of a sudden you know so I apologize oh no there’s no need to no need to As Long As everybody’s happy and they get their
Question asked it’s all good I promise I okay e to e e I was wondering if I had space too close those they it seems like they moved together as days gone like they’re kind of migrating yeah so I moved them apart all right perfect how you doing
Today I’m doing all right I’m doing great oh yeah have a couple souvenirs couple souvenirs will’ll be fun for you they banned us you know figure silag your back up how’s it going e e e e e e e okay we’ll give it a couple minutes you guys are a couple minutes early
E e e this is the 205 me availability press conference for Gonzaga as the fifth seed Bulldogs will be taking on the 12 seed MCN Cowboys in the first round of the NCA tournament tomorrow afternoon at 5:25 Mountain Time time 7:25 Eastern here in Salt Lake
State at the Delta Center joined on the day today by Ryan nard Graham EK and Anton Watson and we’ll open up questions for our student athletes Jim from the spokesman revie for Anton and Graham uh can you talk about the class of styles you guys seem
To have the three bigs and they more guard oriented and uh the importance of trying to take advantage of it from from your guys’ end at both ends yeah I think that’s just been a big focus in our practice of uh you know for me and Graham just being physical inside
And um you know just getting to our post moves quick um they’re probably going to try to throw some doubles at us or something but um yeah it’s two different styles of play they play a lot of guards and you know a lot of dribble drive so
Uh me and Graham are probably going to have to guard a lot of guards and you know play good defense so um I think it’ll be a fun game yeah just going off that um we’re just going to have to be physical um assert our will um we know the doubles
Will come probably from the Baseline side so just making the right read taking care of the ball and um not getting in too much of a up and down Pace uh Theo Lawson with the spokesman of your Ryan kind of along the same lines about their guards they bring a
Lot of pressure force a lot of turnovers what what have you seen on film the last few days and what’s kind of the key in that matchup uh yeah like you said uh they like to force turnovers so obviously we just got to take care of
The ball um not make risky passes and just be 100% with with the plays we’re making and then we we saw that they like to switch a lot so just be patient with our offense um take the right shots and try and just take care of the ball so
Yeah John K Associated Press uh a little over a month ago you guys were going into the game against Kentucky considered a bubble team and people were questioning is gona going to make the tournament now fast forward month later you’re a five seed back in Salt Lake
City I mean what what’s kind of that Journey been like what when did things really kind of click this season and you guys kind of got back to the Gonzaga way of of success we’ll have Ryan open it that uh I think it’s just been a process
All year you know we had a bunch of new guys um that that came to the program a bunch of new guys that had to learn the system and it just took a while for us to to figure it out I think Kentucky was a big turning point for us where it just
All came together and we finished out the game finally um and um I think everything then it’s been it’s been pretty smooth and U we’re just our camarad and our chemistry is at a high level right now and uh we look forward to that taking that into the tournament
And and uh two big ends this weekend hopefully Graham Anton um yeah the Journey’s been pretty fun um with these guys and the staff and all um we kind of new like early on it’ be some rough patches just with everybody being so new having different roles but we always
Stay positive and was like you know it’s going to work itself out and it did um Kentucky was definitely a big turning point in that and um ever since then you know we’ve been skyrocketing yeah no kind of what they said um it just took a while for us to
Really start clicking you know figuring each other out how we play with each other and I think that Kentucky game gave us a lot of confidence and momentum going forward and um yeah we just want to use that going in the tournament right uh Alex vhar the Salt Lake Tribune
Um you know you guys have a a teammate in Nolan who played high school ball here I mean like two hours from this specific place but in the state um you know first off like what is kind of his mood been like in anticipation of coming
Back here and so what do he meant uh to you guys’ team and to your success this season yeah um I think first obviously it’s probably just nice for him to get back in town and uh play in front his probably some people that he knows um
But I think he’s just excited to be back in the tournament with with a good group of guys and hopefully looking forward to getting two dubs and then sorry what was the second part of your question yeah um he’s been huge for us I mean I think he’s been he’s been great
For us this year um he’s been super consistent knocking down three ball just just doing whatever we need to do to win and um I feel like through ups and downs this year he stay consistent and um always thought next play mentality and he’s he’s just been a huge part of our
Team yeah um to second that uh he has been a huge part of our team he’s been playing so many minutes um and just to see the level that he’s playing at it’s amazing honestly U I’m not sure I haven’t really talked to him about how
It feels about coming back here um we’ve had a couple talks about him playing that W hatch and what that was like um so it probably be enjoyable for him to be back here yeah um I would just say no one’s been a good leader this year um
Especially from seeing him last two years I played with him you know just the way he stepped up and the way he’s fought adversity I think he’s done like the best job I’ve ever seen him do um this year so yeah I’m proud of him and
Um no I think he’s happy to be back in Utah especially since we’re in the tournament so you know you can’t complain about that for Ryan and you guys run up against all American guards a lot of good guards along the way what what do
You make of wells’s game and kind of his his style how he puts up the points and and all the all the stats he does yeah um obviously he’s he’s a really good player uh we watched a bunch of film on us on him coaches uh gave us a lot of
Film and he’s he’s playing at a really high level right now shooting the ball well gets to the rim scores at The Rim so he he’ll be a tough cover for us but um I think we have a pretty solid plan and we’re going to go in there confident
Like we always are we played against good guards all year and um we have a good bunch of guards over here so we take our guards over theirs okay we have a couple of participants here on Zoom we’ll give them an opportunity to uh uh take part if they’d like if you
Have any questions for our student athletes please use the raised hand button on your Zoom uh window we’ll see about getting on okay not seeing any do we have any other questions for our student athletes here in the room all right we’ll excuse our student athletes gentlemen thank you and good luck tomorrow
Coach F will be on at 2:20 so in about eight minutes e yes it is just for you we will go ahead and uh first introduce coach F and have him uh give us an opening statement then open up for questions uh well hey we are uh absolutely ecstatic and Overjoyed uh to
Be back uh in the tournament I think for 25th straight time which is is uh uh we certainly don’t take uh it for granted um up at our place and in our program and uh to me that’s one of the greatest things we’ve done done uh during this
Entire run is to to qualify and be part of the greatest sporting event uh in the world for 25 straight years and uh again I just think I was so proud of our guys there was a time this year where maybe that thing was in a little bit of
Jeopardy and they fought like crazy uh you know last four or five weeks of the season and and put us in great position to get here again so uh we’re fired up John Associated Press uh coach VI looking at just kind of how the season played out you obviously had some key
Transfers that you brought in a lot of new parts new faces to mesh together early in the season at what point did it feel like it really clicked and these guys kind of figured things out and and figured out what they needed to do to win and get back to the tournament I
Mean I think it it uh uh probably mid January is is it started kind of coming together I think kind of lost in all this especially when you have guys that are you know leaving for the NBA and you have an iconic player like a Drew Timmy that’s just such a
Huge entity uh in every facet of your program there’s there’s there’s a real adjustment period I think even that I underestimated and uh uh the best thing I can say about this group is they just hung in there and they hung in there and kept working and uh stayed together they
A very tight-knit group and I think staff kind of figured out best schemes best uh uh actions best things we can do defensively with the group and rotations and then they then they started understanding how to play together you know I mean you got to remember Graham EK didn’t play the year
Before he took the entire year off and and uh uh you know Ryan neh har was new coming in and and uh uh guys were playing different roles we obviously leaned on uh Anton Watson uh a lot harder and he was he’s been fantastic all year so there was just a
There was a real adjustment uh period we switched up our lineup a little bit then too and and uh uh played the three bigs you know with Ben uh in there and and uh you know we’ve been kind of rolling with that ever since hey coach Eddie pels with ap we’re
Having kind of a Dan Monson love love in this week and I just I just wanted to kind of get your thoughts first of all have you ever seen anything that’s weird the way it played out and also just kind of your thoughts about him as a as a coach and a
Guy uh wow that I mean we could be here all day uh uh with all that but uh uh first of all I mean just couldn’t be happier I mean there’s a uh my wife actually filmed us the last seconds of or the the I it was excruciating
Probably the last 30 seconds of the the big West championship game you know when they won and our whole family was there uh going crazy uh so just absolute absolute pandemonium I think he’s got so many friends in the profession and obviously uh families are close and uh
So so fired up uh then when it obviously when he got sent here uh I mean I mean it’s a tough one because he’s playing another member of the family and Tommy but uh we had a great night last night I tell you some of those things that that
That you know are probably every bit is as big a moments in your career we had you know my whole family the Lloyds the msons and then all the people that have worked for us that are intertwined over the years uh were able to get for
Together for dinner last night and uh it was great so he’s he’s a great coach okay he’s he’s you know what what now he’s LED three different teams to uh the NCA tournament um multiple occasions um he’s a he’s a unbel able guy he’s he’s he’s the sole reason why I
Got into this profession he got me into it uh gave me the opportunity so my my career never would have even happened if it wasn’t for Dan mson um so hey I I um I think it’s a story worthy of a Disney show or something man the way it’s playing out
And uh you know I’m hoping it’s a lesson for all those athletic directors out there to maybe take pause once in a while and uh realize you know these jobs are hard and sometimes when you got a good guy there you you know hang with it so hey Mark vah Gregorian Kansas City
Star also related to Dan I um I just wonder your thoughts about how he’s handled this it it seems to have made a uh a bit of a ripple and a statement in itself the way he’s he’s he’s dealt with it it it’s been unbelievable I’m so
Proud of him uh for that and and I mean I I watched how he’s handled it and I just uh admire how he’s there’s no bitterness uh whatsoever he’s just handled it uh in a real real classy way and and uh you know I mean I can’t say
The same maybe for Long Beach State there’s it’s ridiculous it is you know health health insurance and things like that when you lose your job everybody out there in the real world usually gets an extended deal with you know stuff like that for a while and and everything
And so I think you know I don’t want to get into the Weeds on that stuff but he’s been it’s been remarkable it’s something I think we all can take a lesson from as coaches to to kind of you know hey just he’s he’s grateful for the
Experiences he’s had and uh uh feels very very blessed to have have had all these years coaching college basketball which is you know I feel the same way about my career coaches kind of seems like a little bit of a mashup of styles you guys run the three bigs they’ve got
Their star guard little guy shahade Wells just kind of how do you see that playing out and obviously with graham as a All-American honorable mention as well yeah Hey listen uh Will’s done a uh incredible job building uh this program up and to get 30 wins and then when you
Start watching them play um you can see why uh uh uh very very uh opportunistic uh defense that can turn you over and and they like to run like we run and they can really convert turnovers into baskets they do a great job with that uh their defense is is extremely disruptive
It’s not what you see every day they’ll switch everything and and uh swarm to the ball and and you’ll see him doubling our posts really really hard tomorrow um you know kind of page out of the uh you know Chris beard when he was at Texas
Tech so we’ve dealt with it there and even when we played Baylor a couple times and and Texas you know so our guys have kind of dealt with it a little bit but uh very good there and then spread you out at the other end and those
Guards are lightning quick and they got some really nice three-point Shooters and then uh shoe made inside is reminds us a lot of we have a really good player in our league uh called Jonathan MBO who can really really uh athletic explosive around the rim and just dunks everything
And and so I think our guys are kind of used to that that so we’re prepared for uh uh quite a battle so um it’s going to be interesting to kind of a little bit of contrast and styles there we go Alex with the Salt Lake tribute um what is Nolan meant to
Your team um especially this season and considering that he played his high school basketball here in the state have you seen any extra anticipation for him getting to start the tournament here uh I mean not I don’t know about that he’s he’s exited like our whole
Team is to play in uh um you know just the NCA tournament uh obviously fact that we were a little bit somewhat out west here I mean that’s easier for his friends and family to get to but uh Nolan’s had a really really good year
He’s grown up a lot I think he he’s done a good job of being a little more even keeled uh a lot of times last year he’s kind of an emotional roller coaster usually based on performance and now he’s kind of he’s leveled off a little bit as far as just
Being there for us night in and night out out irregardless of maybe how his how his offense is going so I there there’s there’s been some huge steps uh um leadership wise and uh just kind of mental growth wise uh yeah Mark Bruce Pasco with the Arizona Daily Star I just following up
On what you’re saying before about uh your guys you’ve worked with there was I think before you moved up to a five there were some projections that you and Boise State would be in a 710 and then there’d be Long Beach in Arizona in a 25 were you worried
About that you even think about that kind of stuff uh you know my kids were all over that stuff and they were yeah I mean hey look you don’t want to have to play you know friends in this deal and it’s hard and when there’s so many I
Mean you got to remember I mean my kids and Leon’s kids were basically raised together as as were mine and and uh uh Tommy’s kids and uh you know we have overlap of people working for us and so we all big fans of each other’s programs
And and great friends and all that so um yeah some of those brackets were like whoa uh and then heck you got Tad and Billy or yeah Tad Billy and Leon playing tonight uh you know all have connections with me and us and Gonzaga and all that
So uh yeah we we seem to be the ones that luckily were unscathed and and escaped uh the the Gonzaga Family Feud or whatever we’re calling it so Coach Jay catch mle Sports Zone I want to ask you does you guys having played BYU as often as you did during
Their era in the West Coast Conference help you at all playing here in Utah H I mean not really I mean I no but man they’ve had a heck of a year I mean they’ve been uh just exceptional I mean basically the same team that was in our
League last year and they’ve just they’ve done a great job just on the national uh uh Spectrum but also just grinding it out in that League uh uh 9 out I mean the only thing I’d say is we’re very used to you know what we did
Today we stay in Salt Lake usually when we played BYU so we’re used to kind of practicing at Utah and the uh you know hotels and restaurants and everything around here so yeah Mark Steve Rivera all sports ton.com uh those of us who covered Tommy
For the last three years kind of got a feel of who he is who was the Tommy you inherited many years ago uh again uh I mean just funny story like that was one thing when Dan and I were going through the transition was uh you know last little piece about two or
Three weeks in you know I just called him like Ms what what the heck’s the deal with this this guy he said he said you told him you know he could be a grad Aid here and it unbeknownst to me and he’s just kind of hanging out so uh uh
And he explained that he did and and at that time uh you know Gonzaga wasn’t quite his resource resource rich as as maybe we are now and uh so uh you know I said great and and you know I mean and then it just turned out to just be a you
Know just the greatest gift ever right because Tommy’s Tommy’s had a huge impact on on our program and on us and obviously the relationship our families or wives are best friends or kids are best friends and all that so so just a quick followup you’re probably not surprised of his
Success to his not at all yeah no not at all no not at all yeah he was and he spent a long good you know and he grew during that time uh obviously a lot and uh um and now he’s you know implemented a lot of the you know same kind of style
Style of play and everything we do kind of down there and it’s it’s it’s uh been such a seamless transition there it’s been really really impressive I could just want ask one more annoying Arizona question but I believe turning into an Arizona press conference here let’s talk about loot for a while
Yeah you want to Great the thing is like when Tommy got the job he inherited a game he was supposed to play at your place that first season his first season obviously that was postponed do you think that game would ever be played or in light of what you’re saying maybe
Maybe not I mean who knows I mean I don’t I don’t know I mean like I said I I don’t have I don’t like playing friends especially ones that are that close and that close to the program and so at this point in my career I’m not
Don’t know why we put our wives and kids through that so but who who knows hey Mark beron Quinn from the athletic uh with all there’s uh anxieties out there about tournament expansion and all of these things and you know whether it helps or hurts smaller schools non-power conference
Schools just wonder if you have any thoughts on the entire discussion that’s out there uh I mean I like I started this uh press conference with I me I think it’s the greatest uh sporting event out there I really really do and uh um so I mean I you know that that
Gives me pause to want to change it you know if it’s not broke don’t fix it but I also think you know everything around us is changing so fast uh I read some comments from coach Kay the other day that I thought were really you know Wise
To just like maybe just take a pause and let’s see where everything’s going before we you know just start changing and overreacting and that I kind of agree with that that probably be the most prudent thing but you know I also know that you know sometimes if you’re
Not changing and adapting you get left behind so I think we just got to be very cognizant of uh what’s going on and not overreact act everything uh we certainly in my opinion overreacted a lot in this nil and transfer uh stuff and now we’re in a now
We’re in a messy spot there so I think we just got to take a deep breath and wait and see what happens just to follow up there’s there’s certainly um messaging or concerns whatever it may be that there is you know uh a few power conferences making decisions for that
Will impact everyone 300 60 plus schools I just wonder how you feel the um non-power conference programs are represented in that conversation I mean I feel great I talk to Greg sanki all the time so yeah I mean hey first of all I think he’s a great leader and I think he’s
Very cognizant of that I think he’s cognizant of what’s going on uh and how how the the effect of basketball is and and how the tournament is so uh um and and and certainly again I I think this thing is so great and so big I know I think cooler heads
Will prevail and we’ll do anything and everything to to keep this thing as as close as we can to what makes it special and if we have to make some tweaks we make some tweaks you have a question right there okay let’s uh check the zoom we
Have three members of the media on Zoom see if they have any questions for Coach F if you do please use the raised hand button on your Zoom window and we will turn this time over to you if you have any questions okay seeing none do we have
Any more questions for Coach F here in the room okay thank you coach congratulations good luck tomorrow yeah you got it thanks for e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
E e e minut for TR Steve in the interview room will you let me know when the sford student athletes are on their way s we Che see e than you e this is the 250 media availability for Sanford student athletes the 13 seated Bulldogs will be facing number four seed Kansas
In the final game of tomorrow’s opening day of the NCA tournament and with that we will turn the time over to you here for questions for the student athletes start with you second John Associated Press this questions for Ryland um coming back to Utah you obviously played high school
Ball here had stint with Utah and Utah State what are your feelings just being able to to not only come back here and play in the NCAA tournament but to do so having had a fully healthy season where you’ve been able to contribute to your team in the way you probably hoped and
Envisioned you know it’s kind of a dream come true uh to come come back and play here uh a couple more times in Salt Lake City um obviously it’s home and it’s just a feeling that it’s kind of a full circle moment honestly um you know
Played four years in the state of Utah probably played 95 college games here um and I wouldn’t you know trade those times for anything but going to you know Birmingham Sanford uh been the best decision I’ve ever made loved every second of it and for me to come back
Here and be able to play uh in the hometown with you know these guys my brothers and my teammates it’s a surreal feeling that I really can’t describe and I’m just uh Happy And You Know thankful to be here Tony Jones Sony athletic two-part question Ryland um did you ever really
Come close to like not playing ever again especially after you know what you kind of went through injury-wise at Utah State and you know what were your initial thoughts and feelings when you saw Sanford pop up on on the screen to head to Salt Lake City yeah uh no I knew
I was playing again um I had obviously last year you state was tough um you know we made the NCA tournament but I did not get to compete and you know that was a lifelong goal of mine was to play in the NCA tournament um and so no I
Knew I was playing basketball again um was not at Utah State but you know after being cleared by multiple neuro neurologists and uh doctors I was going to play basketball again and I’m just happy that uh Sanford Came Calling I’ve loved every second of it uh my teammates
My coaches everything about Sanford is is amazing it’s a it’s a great place and when uh you know seeing your name pop up on selection Sunday is one of the coolest feelings you can feel I think especially when you know you you have to win your conference tournament to get
There um and you know the hard work and everything we’ve done uh to get there is it all paid off for that second and then just an added bonus was it was in Salt Lake City and I get to come home and see all my you know family and friends I
Know it wasn’t the best destination for my boys right here but uh I was happy to see it I think they want to be in Brooklyn or you know somewhere else but um it’s been you know I couldn’t have asked for anything else and I’m just cherishing every second of it um just
Happy to be here um Alex veart with the Salt Lake Tribune um rattling this this question is also for you um how much of a I mean quote unquote culture shock was was it to leave Utah and go to Alabama and like what was the adjust adjustment period
Like how did you handle any homesickness if you had any no I mean the people of Birmingham and you know my teammates especially I mean I was on a visit to Sanford and these two guys were right here at dinner with me and I felt right at home right
Away I mean Germaine you know he made me feel like one of his brothers right then I had a great time with him at dinner and at chore as well and you know we went to Top Golf I felt right at home you know there was no culture shock
Nothing it was just you know great great people birmingham’s a great place um yeah no homesickness you know I’m 20 you know I’m old I’m 23 years old I’ve been in Utah my whole life um it was super cool to experience uh a new area a new
Part of the you know country um yeah no Sanford Birmingham has been great hi uh Carter Williams ksl.com this one is not for you Ryan this is for your teammates here these are the guys that get us here well I’m curious uh your experience of playing in altitude has
That have you at least taught everyone else around you what it’s like to play in this conditions and and what have you guys done this week to kind of adjust to those uh yeah altitude I mean we’re a well- conditioned team uh you know the
Way we play makes for us to have to be well conditioned and altitude yeah you know it’ll be a little bit of shock that’s why we got up here you know two days early practice yesterday practice today um you know we’ll get used to it but you know it’s all about toughness
And heart and that’s what we’re made of uh so I don’t really think it’ll be that big a factor to the guys in our locker room oh uh let’s have Germaine and aore also answer that question please thank you um yes this actually my first time
Here um in Utah so I’m not sure what to expect I just been hearing stuff they’ve been um make sure that we here practicing make sure we get our wind up because I know it will be different but I’m not sure what to expect I just know
We just got to go out there and do what we do play hard and Give It All We Got just a lot of hydration days before to be honest that’s one thing they mentioned a lot of hydration days before was one key one thing we try to key on a
Lot R this question Joe goodman.com this question might not mean anything to you but what what was it like here as a kid you know as a young basketball player during the time of jimers run at BYU yeah obviously he was a special player um I was usually trying to
Against him but I loved watching him play and you know Jim Rania that year he had an unbelievable run he was an unbelievable player and you know that’s what you know everybody sees you know and remembers Those runs and that’s what kids growing up dreaming about uh is
Playing in the NCA tournament and making a run uh like Jimmer um and so yeah it’s just it’s just dream comeing true you know you see your name in you know and playing in the NCA tournament you know have a chance to make a run um
Yeah we’ll have uh back in the back Brian Hennessy NBC 13 in Birmingham for all three of you I’ve talked to all you individually but it seems like every story is about Bucky McMillan believing in you and telling you this was the dream and it happened want to start with
Germaine I mean it was a longer goal here at Sanford for you tell me about that and can you guys kind of explain Bucky’s dream that turned into reality to be here today um yeah see so I was at akan Ohio um for Co year and really
Wasn’t playing that much and once I ENT my name in transfer portal um coach Bucky was one of the first coaches to reach out to me and everything that we done this year he told me that he was going to do and we we did it he told me
We going to cut down Nets he told me we was going to be a team that go dancing and just to see all the things that he told me um came true without us seeing a blueprint because nobody ever heard of s for being a a team that they talked
About in March Madness and um I’m just grateful that do with these guys right here I mean I have unbelievable teammates I mean one of the best pgs in the country um always trying to find us get us open shots always throwing loss to a chore I mean this man down here is
A dog I mean I would love to go to battle any day of the week with this man on my team and so I’m just happy to be here I’m just happy to be coached by a great coaching staff and I’m just enjoying the moment we’ll have aore and Ryland also
Answer that uh I want to say not a lot of people really believe in my life in me throughout my life and like Bucky is one of few and off rip I felt like he believed in me when he got in a little two passenger plane not a lot of people
In my recruiting process you know went to that length of extense and when he seen he did that and then even last year when I wasn’t playing a lot he still believed in me he just you know keep at it keep at it and you know months later
Look at us now you know what I’m saying came true yeah everything uh Bucky said uh has come to for in this year and you know his belief in us uh allows us to be confident and you know play at our best when we go out there and I just want to
Touch on like what Germaine said I mean Germaine right here he’s the hardest playing dude in the country um you know like he said go to battle with us I’ll go to battle with him any day anytime in anything not just basketball um anything that involves competing or heart I mean
He’s the toughest meanest most fierce competitor I know and when he’s on your team you love him and when he’s not on your team like those days in practice when he’s not on your team you absolutely hate him but uh that’s why you know that’s why he is the player he
Is and that’s you know a big piece in why big piece in why Samford um has made the jump they have made in the last three years a lot because of this man right here and his just determination and un like he won’t lose he doesn’t
Lose and then same here right here at chore I didn’t get to see him uh last year but this the strides that I’ve heard that he has made comes from a lot of it belief in bu Bucky coach Bucky believing in him but he’s also you know
He’s in the gym every night at 11: 11:30 um he’s the hardest worker I know he loves the basketball game he’s contagious everybody loves playing with him you want him on your team in practice too I mean these two going at each other in practice there no fun it’s
No fun but it’s fun to watch and you know without these two guys uh sford you know they’re they’re the heart and soul they make our program go and the belief that Bucky has in us has allowed them and allowed us to be where we are today
Today so it’s just you know starts with Coach Bucky and the belief in us but then these two uh leading and you know showing just their hard work competitiveness everything in practice that’s where it starts and we just follow suit and they make the game easy for
Us David Lawrence with Jayhawk radio aor talk about the Improvement that you’ve had this season you said you didn’t play a lot last year and now you got one of the best lines in college basketball and and all your weapons shooting the three Etc and then also the matchup you have
With a 7 foot2 guy in Hunter Dickinson the give or take with a guy that’s uh a lot bigger but perhaps you know you got more outside game uh honestly I played behind a really good Logan die last year and me obviously not playing I’m a
Competitor I took a I took a personal honestly and I just took it in a mission this whole summer just to work every day day and out with Coach nette working in day in day out honestly and in terms of um matchup it’s basketball you know I’m
Saying it don’t matter you 75 73 62 you know at the end of the day you got to step between the lines you feel me that’s how I look at that H this questions for for all three of you guys um I mean I don’t think it’s
Any secret that it’s been 24 years since Samford has been in the NCA tournament you guys are playing Kansas which has like a storied history and there a couple people out in the media at least who are picking you guys to upset how are you guys kind of me mentality wise
Kind of coming into this game like are you thinking like upset um no we don’t well I know me personally I know the way these guys think we don’t think that anybody better than us we feel like every time we on the court we supposed to win and I don’t
Feel like it’s upset I feel like we going to win and when we win it’s not going to be surprise to us it might be a surprise to all the brackets that going to be messed up but it it definitely won’t be surprise to
Us I feel like what you put in is what you get out and we put in a lot of work a lot a lot of work for months so us winning this game no matter win or lose I know we going to ball out hard as hard
As we can and that’s what really matters to be honest they answered it exactly how I would answer it okay I have time for a couple more questions we’ll go with you first and then Jake Jordan gusy top Capital Journal for all three of you Bill self
Said the other day that Kevin mcculler is not going to play for Kansas do you have any reaction to that and does that change anything for you all as you prepare for the game tomorrow no um I actually kind of like s and like disappointed that he’s not playing um
One I want to say I hope he get healthy but two I also want to play Kansas at a at their strength I don’t want to play Kansas when they got guys out I want to play the opponent at their best cuz I know we are at our best and I know what
We can do at our best so I’m kind of like disappointed that he is um he isant playing as they answered it exactly how to answer it Ryland J catch from the KSL Sports Zone here in Salt Lake City we had your dad on radio this morning and he made a
Quip about you saving him $10,000 in terms of the travel what was just your family’s reaction when they found out you were playing here in Salt Lake City kind of you know that surreal just emotion of just you know come get to play here again uh you know my mom made
Uh countless countless trips to Birmingham um you know she was almost at every one of our home games my dad made it out to a couple my girlfriend my grandparents um you know I had 15 16 people out there in Asheville from Utah um and for me yeah I obviously Sav him a
Lot of money but uh it also is just you know not just my you know close family get to come watch me and play again in person but all my Olympus family uh my Logan High family uh just the you know whole Utah Community that I grew up in
Here for 22 years just so they can you know have tickets and come watch uh you know get to watch me play again in person is just just extremely lucky I’m just happy that I get to be here and happy that I get to you know play with
My brothers right here where I’m from um you know took him to one of my favorite restaurants right that last night we went to Crown Burger um on Highland Drive I had to introduce him to you know Big Mike’s restaurant um but yeah no it’s just I’m extremely lucky I’m
Extremely happy and my whole family’s happy that uh you know we get to play here okay one final question right here could you each describe for Jayhawk fans that have not seen your your action your your style of play is is it called bucky ball is what running threes forcing
Turnovers just your description if you would um yes we press for a game we shoot a lot of Threes layups on try to get to the foul line but that’s just like the stuff that you guys see um but you also see like how hard we play we
Play with so much heart and passion and grit and we do all the stuff that don’t really show up on the St she like diving on the floor for a loose ball and doing all like the intangible that like that you don’t see that often and we just
Play so hard and we play for one another and I feel like that’s what kind of make us special and kind of make what bucky ball is doing is so special exactly what Jermaine said you know a lot of bucky ball is the intangible stuff and just how hard and
Tough and how deep and you know we’ll play 11 guys and there’s no you know there’s no let off all 11 of us could start Play 30 minutes um and we all just a lot of his togetherness and the self unselfishness that we have you know
We’ll be out some of us may be out there for one or two minutes at a time we’re going to Give It All We Got for that you know one or two minutes denying diving on the floor boxing out moving the ball you know if you’re open make a three um
And it’s just all the little stuff and just how hard determination G that we’ll play with um and no fight like we’ll fight and there’s no give up in us buckyball to me honestly you we going to create chaos and make uncomfortable cuz no one really practiced getting press
The whole game never and then it’s just like play hard you know what I’m saying really attract meat it’s really really attract meat if you can not a lot of people in the country condition like us to be honest and I don’t think a lot of
People equipped to run with us the whole game okay thank you to our student athletes they are now excuse and we’ll have Coach McMillan on here shortly thank you I I can keep this can we keep these uh not today thank [Laughter] you’all like to welcome coach McMillan to the
Deis now we’ll have him uh with give us an opening statement and we’ll open up questions for the coach thanks for covering glad to be here looking forward to tomorrow ready to roll John Karan Associated Press um having a point guard like Ryland Jones and just
He he is coming back here playing in front of his hometown fans family friends and everything had played a lot of basketball here in the state of Utah um what was it like just getting him into your program and what what impact has he had on your team this year
Just having him there on the court leading the your offense and defense um I mean tremendous you know we got him late in May 30th I believe had him on a visit talked to him coming on a red eye flight him and Jonesy his dad we know everybody knows Jonesy out here and
Um his mom we had a great visit I know we had a lot of great options and um so glad we got him just such a leader on the floor he uh can do it all and I mean obviously he has some great stats but uh
I don’t think you can even measure his intangibles and just everybody knows that you know his heart is in the right spot man he just is all about our team doing well and uh his heart’s team first and so when you got a leader like that everybody’s going to kind of fall in
Line so uh I’ve been around a lot of point guards I play that position I’m hard on that position and you know half the time in a Timeout I’ll pull him aside and ask him what he wants to run here you know just a true coach on the
Floor who sees it and um has been a joy to coach Bucky juger man.com how do you think the new interpretation of the offensive charge call is going to affect the NCAA tournament man I I tell you I don’t even know if there’s discretion a lot of
Times with the charge call anymore it’s just like they’re not going to call a charge sometimes they’ll just tell you like we’re not calling a charge so um and I I mean it’s just it’s different that’s for sure but I I’ll say this it’s been somewhat consistent all year long I
I saw someone called charge and like our last game of the season I was like I forgot that call even existed you know uh how does it affect teams probably affects teams that are more athletic it’s probably an advantage for them you know because not going to call
Charges then it’s it’s more challenging but uh by this time you everybody should know the deal everybody should be used to it when you learned that Kevin mcculler wasn’t going to be able to go for Kansas I guess does that change anything for you and were you surprised uh that
Kevin’s not going to be able to go you know we prepared like they were everybody was playing um doesn’t change much doesn’t change much with the plan I mean obviously Kansas is going to have good players no matter who they put in the game and um you know we’ve had guys
Out all season and had still had have had a great season so I know that they wouldn’t be um as good as they’ve been without having perseverance and without having other good players that can step in there but um um I do know that that
You know you you lose a player you don’t just lose a good player but it can shorten your bench slightly you know what I’m saying and um but other than that you know they’re going to be same Kansas be a good good team and a good
Match back in back you Ryan H C wvtm NBC 13 in Birmingham we were talking to your team or your team and they were saying they love the style of play that you guys have I know Kansas has some of the best players in the country but you have a unique style of
Players can you explain to us what you look like look for in player and what your team’s made up of yeah I mean a lot of our guys besides these freshman they didn’t have division one scholarship offers coming out of high school a lot of them didn’t you know I know Ryland
Did our freshman that are here now obviously do because we’re division one and um but most of these guys didn’t have divisional offers and so we have a unique team with players that probably at some point coming out were told they weren’t good enough and they’re coached
By a coach that never coached college basketball before he took this job so our bus is a unique bus and is filled with players that aren’t going to have any entitlement and so when you’re asking what I look for in players I look for players that aren’t entitled that play
Extremely hard that play unselfish and that when you have that and you play with the chip on your shoulder you’re going to see guys that play they got something to prove and they play with a lot of confidence and um you know it’s hard for me to coach players that aren’t
That way I do think we have a team in a day and age of portal and nil and me me me me me I do think we have a team that’s a throwback team that um I see they play for the right reasons they play for each other and um they’re not
Looking to the next step right now you know this is it for these guys they’re looking at this step and being together in this moment coach uh Alex V with the solv Tribune um you know the Sanford program hasn’t reached the tournament for I think since 2000 right 24 years um how
Important would winning tomorrow be to this program um and the win would be perceived as an upset well anytime you can win it’s always big for the program the further you go in the season it seems like the bigger it is obviously mainly you know I
Just want to win so these guys can keep having another game you know I just I’ve never I have not since I’ve been in college I’ve coached high school ball for years and me I had some fun teams that I really enjoyed coaching and um since I’ve been in college I’ve never
Wanted a team to continue to win more than I’ve wanted it for this team I just really want it for them you know to play well and have the opportunity to keep playing more games it’s and I I tell you for coaches that’s really kind of rare
Sometimes you get to this point in the season it’s like I got to live with these guys another day you know what I’m saying and it’s this team it’s like you know I would never want to in with these guys they’re just a joy I don’t know you
Get to see some of their personalities I was in the back but just a bunch of dudes who you know they just fit each other they’re a bunch of fun and um but for Sanford it’s always big to be on this Spotlight but this you know this is
Going to be the last time we’re in this Spotlight like we’re going to be in this tournament on a more consistent basis than we’ve been the past 25 years and and hopefully it’s hopefully it’s tomorrow we win but we will make a run in this tournament right we’re going to
Win games in this tournament you know you don’t know the crystal ball will it be this year will it be the next you don’t know but um you know we’re going to be here and if it’s Year great if it’s down the road great but the more
Further you can get deep in March the more you’re in that National Spotlight the more people get to learn about our program and the more people get to learn about our University and I think our University is one of the best kept secrets in the world people in the
Southeast know about it but not everybody across the world knows about Sanford and all the unique things that go on at that place back in the back Brendon Quinn with the athletic um why don’t you think more teams go all out press and what does it take to believe in an outlier
System well I would say my roots of coaching I started off coaching when I was 15 years old coaching over the mountain basketball in Birmingham then when I was 16 to 17 years old I was coaching Au basketball I was Co then I was coaching 1700 basketball then I
Coached JV basketball and then I coached varsity basketball and then I got a crack at this job so everything that I wanted to experiment with I got to do it in some back gym with three or four people watching you know what I’m saying a lot of times people in this spot get
Their first D1 job after being assistant for years and everybody’s watching and they’re going to do what oh they’re going to trap every missed shot well if it do work they’re like hey what are you you’re the only one doing that like what are you doing and so I think our system
Or the way that we play was kind of just modified through the years and I was fortunate enough to be a head coach and do a lot of things through trial and error and um you know Rick patino very good coach says you know everything he learned in coaching was learning from
His mistakes I got to do a lot of trial and ER and learn from a lot of mistakes now you ask why they don’t do it at this level you know I think uh pressing and playing fast I think you got to coach your personality you you have to you’re
A risk taker you’re not but you know you got to coach your personality I would never be great just sitting in two three Zone the whole game you know Jim beam’s shown that he can win national championships doing that I couldn’t even do it with the same player because they
Would say I don’t believe in that that’s not that doesn’t match my personality so I think a lot is personality you know there’s no one way of doing it I’m not saying our system is better than somebody else’s or theirs isn’t but I do know for me this is the best because I’m
Comfortable doing it okay we’ll check with our uh the two individuals that are joining us through Zoom if they have a question for Coach please use the raised hand button on your your Zoom window if you have any questions for Coach okay do we have any more questions
For Coach here in the room okay back to back um you talked about the um how this how you’re able to kind of share the message of Sanford and have everyone discover the the school and all that when when you hear some of the conversations out there about tournament
Expansion and access to the tournament for lower you know low Majors mid- Majors whatever maybe being even squeezed tighter what’s your reaction to that and and how can this like event be a tool for a place like your school well you know you hear that Athletics can be the front porch to a
University we’ve all heard that and I think that’s very true like I mean there’s people out here in California and Utah they don’t know anything about sord but they’re going to watch our team play and they’re going to see a team that plays with tremendous courage tremendous heart and they’re going to
Say what is samper they’re going to look it up and they’re going to look on there they’re going to find a school of excellence academic Excellence athletic excellence place of faith and um you ask what happens when you get away from this March Madness what makes Mar March
Madness unique is the Cinderella stories and you kind of look at this year was the first year that the conference winners didn’t get to participate in nit necessarily and you know teaches their own but I I you see a lot of the high Majors turning the ni invitation down
And um when you start squeezing what makes this unique because in America let’s let’s be real you have your upper percentage then everybody else is an underdog you know what I’m saying everybody else is an underdog to get to the top and that’s why they can identify with Underdog teams because most people
Are that team and if you take that out this ain’t America right right and so they identify with underdogs so the more PE more teams that we can have in this tournament that are those mid- Majors Cinderellas um I think the better okay one final question question
Right there I bucky to your right V Gregorian Kansas City Star two questions if I might one is along the lines of what you’re talking about now does it present more of an opportunity to have a a school with such a name as Kansas in this situation when you’re you’re
Talking about the very things you’re talking about with the school so well known and such a reputation over so many years well obviously they’re very good program um more I’m assuming more people tune in right you know than compared to if we were playing a uh maybe a lesser unknown seed and it
Goes right in hand to hand with kind of the quote Underdog Cinderella opportunity um so that’s what this tournament is right it is what it is and that’s why I think when you some of the most uh the best memories we have in this tournament are memories that started with that Cinderella and
Continued and continued like we’re never going to forget the butler runs the St Peters runs right BCU all right George Masons like in some of those games in those clips that’s edged in people’s minds forever and I’d be up real with you you know I coach college basketball
But before that like I wouldn’t have know what George Mason was right and I’m guarantee if you started looking at those schools and you started looking at the number of applicants and stuff that brings recognition to those universities is special and just the followup is do you
Do you know Bill self at all and and if not or in what ways do do you see his influence or understand his uh achievements in the game how do you see him who no I you know I coached some uh very good uh high school players that was
Recruited by everybody across the country you know coach self I I don’t think he recruited some of my guys that’s some that went on played in the NBA or whatnot but look what to all the coaches that came before me I’m so respectful of all of them for Paving the
Way to get the game to this point you know and a lot of people when they got in the business a lot of people get in the business now because there’s tremendous Financial incentives in the business but some of those that started years ago that wasn’t the case and they
Made this game what it was and paved the way literally for all of us to be sitting here because it’s such a big deal now and um so more than anything about being a good coach I just respect uh what he’s done to help Advance the game to where it is
Today okay coach thank you very much appreciate your time and good luck tomorrow thank you all for covering can I okay Kansas will follow at 3:35 with the student athletes e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e bless you for for
E for 10 for thank you for get you set up right here he’ll be here he’ll be he’ll be next okay we will begin the Kansas media availability here in the meet interview room the number four seed of J Hawks will take on number 13 seed sford in the
Final game of day one of the NCA tournament here in Salt Lake City tomorrow at 7:55 Mountain 9:55 Eastern we are joined by Hunter Dickinson and Dean Harris Jr from The Jayhawks and we’ll open up questions for the student athletes hear them Gary Bor Kansas City Star Hunter
Everybody’s been wondering how does your shoulder feel are you practicing with any pain and what percentage would you say you are um the shoulder feels good um you know good enough to be out there with my teammates um you know I feel like everybody’s dealing with a little injury nowadays especially towards the
End of the season and so um you know I I feel good and and ready to get out there with my teammates really for both you guys vah gorian from the Kanas City Star just from a morale standpoint how much had you anticipated Kevin would be able to
Play and what’s the process been like to try to say okay we we’re we’re moving on and we’ll we’ll be ready anyway how how has that been um yeah I think we we were obviously all you know hoping he’d play because um you know he’s you know one of
The best players not just on our team but in the country um but you know we’ve seen um you know the amount of work that he’s put in to try to get back uh especially me personally because I you know I was rehabing my shoulder and my
Knees and my hips and stuff like that so I was in the training room with them and he’s been doing you know two to three sessions every day for the past like two months and so you know it’s not not his fault by any means um but um you know it
Just it just wasn’t feeling right um you know I was with him when he was trying it out and you know he’s just going through a lot of pain um you know wish the best for him um hope that you know he can get back um as soon as possible
But uh you know I feel we got a good group of guys um that are going to try to rally around him and try to win a couple games here for him uh yeah basically what hunt said you know he’s been dealing with it but you
Know we’ve been trying to as a team been trying to like go forward without him cuz we never knew was going to happen so we just wanted to keep trying to get better because we got to start we got to work on us so we just wanted to get
Better you know get ready prepare for this week so Matthew Cole’s Associated Press when are you guys at your best you’ve had some up and downs this year but what are you guys doing when you guys feel like you’re playing your very best I feel like when we start out the game playing
Defense if we start with our intensity on the defense end I think that carries a long way for us and you know we start making shots after that but I think it it really starts with defense and we get that going I think we’ll be in pretty
Good shape yeah um to piggyback on that um defensively if I were to be more specific I think you know guarding the three-point line um that’s something that I feel like you know when we H when we hold teams to you know less than like um 10 threes but definitely less than
Like eight threes I think um you know we’re very successful at the end of the game so just guarding defensively and I think offensively just getting the ball moving um really just having it not stick out there having all Five Guys touch it and not really worried about
Who’s shooting it but you know just looking for that Best Shot thank hi David Lawrence jhawk radio uh full-court pressure that’s what they’re known for forcing turnovers we’ve gone against it some in League Play but just talk about that longer timeouts to maybe uh to get to get some air but it’s
Certainly going to be high intensities your your thoughts on that both of you uh you know sford they play 10 to 12 guys so you know they they’re going to be prepared but you know I think we going to have to take our time outs and
Know you take a deep breath and like just be focused because you know like you said they’re a high intensity team and we’re low on our mans right on on our team right now so we just got to stay focused you know just follow the game plan you know not know coach he
Knows what he’s doing so we just got to like I said follow the game plan yeah um I was watching uh one of their games um uh one of their and one of the announcers said that you know the players are more worried about um you the amount of possessions that they play
Instead of the amount of minutes that they play and I thought that was really interesting because the um you know I feel like their team is really just centered around you know trying to get as many possessions as possible um I think that’s why you know they’re top
Five team in scoring um you know a top team at forcing turnovers and stuff like that so they’re constantly trying to make sure they get up and down and have as many possessions as possible and I think that’s a reason why um you know they’re able to play so many guys and
Have that kind of teamed chemistry to where you know guys aren’t really worried about their minutes is because uh you know they’re really um having a lot of possession so that uh leads to a lot of you know shots a lot of scoring opportunities for guys so I think that’s
Something um and that’s a big reason why they’re uh so successful with their style of play and Hunter I know you guys switch off a lot but aor aor is uh a 6’9 kid that shoots well from Beyond The Arc he’s not as big as you just talk about
The matchup and the challenges that presents yeah no I don’t think I’ll be switching off him much um he’s he’s a really good player um you know I’ve seen a couple games uh one when you know he had I think like 36 verse uh Western Carolina and you know he can score from
All different levels um you know I think they do a lot of playing him to the pick and pot because you know they have a lot of good Shooters out there so they keep trying to space the floor and he’s really good at you know putting the ball
Down on the floor being able to drive um big men but also you know on short close out he’s able to shoot it as well and so um he’s a really skilled player but um I think it’s more than just him they got you know a trio of bigs that are pretty
Talented and like I said earlier you know they’re always rotating guys in and out um because of you know the pace they play at and so um it’ll definitely be you know a tough task for me and Parker to kind of you know have that um kind of
Rotating belt of you know bigman that we got to face danan uh Hunters come back so quickly from a dislocated shoulder what does that say about his toughness uh I mean it says a lot you know we need him he knows we need him so
You know we going to R him R him along this whole March run but you know he’s one of the best centers in the country so we just got to you know follow Beyond him and make him make plays for us you know I got to make plays for for me and
Him too so we just got to play play together what is the team’s attitude uh you’re going into the tournament on a little four out of five losses I think has the team had many meetings or anything and what do you look what do you think the team’s attitude is going
In uh we had a meeting every loss so we needed them no meeting so to get better but you know this we we got to play our best basketball here in March you know we lost a couple games but you know it’s new it’s a new season so everything
Starts over you know I think I believe in my teammates you know I believe my coaching staff too so we just got to come together you know play together play for each other okay let’s check the zoom participants that have joined us we have three reporters in the zoom uh portal if
Any of you have a question for our student athletes please use the raised hand button and we will come to you okay not seeing any do we have any more okay one more question down here I wonder what you guys thought of playing in the altitude we’ve heard a
Lot about it what’s it like to practice in it and play in it uh to me it really doesn’t matter I don’t think it affect me or I don’t even think it affect my teammates as well I think we just gotta play our game you got to come out with some intensity you
Know just play basketball so yeah I would say I feel like you know the more you think about it the more it might affect you I feel like if you’re just out there playing um it really won’t affect you that much I think uh maybe you know you might get a little
Bit more winded a little bit faster I think for me um you know just making sure I’m well hydrated getting enough rest I’ve played in um Colorado before so you know I know that’s not Utah but it’s a high elevation spot so I feel like um I have a decent experience with the
Elevation okay back in the back hey guys Scott ree KCTV Kansas City uh obviously when you’re at Kansas you’ve always got a Target on your back in this tournament uh but the national narrative sees Kevin out sees Hunter’s shoulder and says oh you know this is a
An upset special I’m sure you guys have heard that I’m just wondering does that sort of noise resonate inside the the locker room uh not really because we beat some pretty good teams without Kev this year so it’s just we got to come ready to play you know like I said on the
Defensive end you know we got to play together but yeah we beat some pretty good teams without Kev so I don’t think that really matters really that much yeah I would say that’s one of the benefits of playing at Kansas you know um like you said everybody can there’s
That Target on your back so everybody’s going to give you your best game and during the regular season you know they can be you can kind of be like man like why why is every team playing so good against us every night but um I think that really prepares you for the
Tournament I think a lot of teams you know when they’re high seats they’re not used to you know teams playing great um verse them every game and I think that can kind of catch some people by surprise sometimes and that’s you know what leads to upsets but uh here at
Kansas um you know you’re you’re used to that every time you step on the floor somebody’s going to give you their best shot because you know they want to try to make a name forsel um you know versus one of the best uh college basketball programs of all time and so I think
That’s you know a reason why Kansas is so success so successful in March is because um you have that Target on your back you’re used to people hitting shots that you know normally they might not hit and stuff like that so I think we’re well prepared for you know Samford to
Come out and and probably you know make a couple shots that are pretty tough okay do I have any more questions for our student athletes all right we’ll excuse them and Coach SE will be here momentarily thank you watch thank you thank you good luck app e e e
Hey we’re now joined by coach Bill self we’ll have him open with the statement and open the questions to the media here gathered well I know I am and I know our team is as well thrilled to be in the tournament thrilled to be in Salt Lake
City uh uh uh the weather’s been better than perfect and and hopefully our our play will match what the weather’s been but but uh we know we got a tough draw but but certainly uh looking forward to it and playing a very good team tomorrow questions right here
Please hey Bill um two things I guess one is just it just did you have to work with Team morale at all after after the loss of Kevin did you feel like the guys might sag a little bit or how’s that been I don’t know that we’ve done
Anything much since necessarily the loss but we did do quite a few things as a not quite a few we did some things as a group uh uh since the Big 12 tournament uh which I think has been very good for us and and uh we rented out of theater
Watched movies uh done several motivational type things and things like that and and and uh been trying to dwell on what we have accomplished as opposed to what we were in the last 10 days because the last 10 days we haven’t been very good specifically with Kevin too
Though the guy had the guys really come to expect he’d be back and is that something you’ve had to work through with them a little bit I I actually think that it’s it’s it’s been a strange deal vah because we’ve known for six weeks what the deal is I mean and some
Days it’s good and some days it’s not good uh uh uh some you know he’s good enough to go get 19 in a game against good competition and and then not be able to go for two games later uh uh so uh uh so I really felt like and I think
That he did too he tried but I think he felt like and I did too hey nine days off was just something that we didn’t have the luxury to do would put in position to be ready to go by Monday uh this past week and and and just didn’t
Work out each ey just couldn’t get there the only other thing for me for now is just do you remember what it’s like to be where Bucky is now three four seasons in and at your first NCA tournament and just what what what is like to be a
Coach in his position well when I was uh uh uh getting started uh we lost 18 games in a row so I didn’t get we didn’t getting that large bid that year so so the the thing that he has done and I don’t know him personally but the thing
That he has done in a short amount of time is remarkable a great roster got got depth uh uh uh trust his roster cuz he plays everybody you know 10 plus minutes or or I think he plays 10 10 plus and and two more more seven and
Nine uh the style is fun style you know there’s pressure all the time it’s it’s a it’s a it’s a style that you don’t have to play perfect but you have to play athletic and quick uh uh to create havoc and force teams to make plays
Maybe at a pace that they’re not as accustomed to making plays to so so you know what what are they 29 and five something like that and win win both the league and the tournament and I think he done a fabulous job and I and I also
Think he plays a way that will warrant continuing to get good players because people want to play like that but I but I but he’s in a far better place than I was uh early in my career uh uh sorry about that coach back at the back Bill
We’ve gone Against full court pressure transition a lot of three-pointers forcing turnovers talk about how they look different or similar to what you faced in that full court pressure and uh using the extra time out perhaps uh minutes does that help you and what’s your
What’s your well it needs to help us you know it needs to help especially playing in a little bit altitude you know it’s not like playing in laramy I don’t believe but but I mean there’s obviously you know some altitude here and we’ll play eight guys and they’ll play 12 or
Whatnot so so yeah sure that’ll be a factor but I don’t remember ever playing against anybody that presses after misses that presses is on Miss free throws that press on Miss field Golds uh they’re going to get after us and they mix it up so sometimes it could just be
Man sometimes it could be Run and Jump sometimes it could be a 221 sometimes it could be a lot of different things but what it forces you to do is players make plays as opposed to players run offense uh in a lot of ways
And so so a lot of things that you do well we we’re going to run this play and we’re going to get the ball here well a lot of times you won’t even get your players in position to get to that play until there’s 15 seconds left on the
Shot clock then it’s too late to run the play so so you you got they they make you go make plays and so I think it is different than anything that I’ve ever gone against I think it’s actually more aggressive then their 69ine kid aore he’s a three-point shooter shot block he
Does a little everything good yeah he’s good you know and and and and stats are misleading with him he’s scoring over 16 a game but he’s playing 22 minutes you know if he’s playing 32 minutes a game you know he’s getting 22 23 a game so so
Uh yeah he’s a load he’s a load they they they’ve got they’ve got really good Personnel right down here Bill I’m curious Long Beach State is here and Dan Monson here as well and obviously that’s such a unique story kind of curious what you think of that situation overall and
Kind of whether you believe believe there’s a right way and a wrong way for a coach to be fired in this day age I will say this I’m so happy for Dan but I’m not near as happy for him as some because when I was at Tulsa my first
Year he had us down 34 to8 at halftime when when he was at Gonzaga so so so I I I I’ve held that I I’ve harbored that feeling for my entire career so but Dan you know obviously was at Minnesota when we were at Illinois so yeah we’ve known
Him for a long time and you know I I I I I read his quotes uh uh I thought absolutely on point and classy and everything he said and he’s been there a long time uh uh I know that administrators uh administrations are forced to make hard decisions they’ve
Been made all across America already this year uh uh and some of them don’t seem right you know from the outside looking in but we’re not on the inside so we don’t know what’s right or not but uh you know there’s not too many guys
That can go out the way that they would dream they could go out and Dan gets to do that so I I think we should all be happy for him on that back in the back hey beron Quinn from the athletic um in I know you said
That Hunter looks okay and all that stuff but like is there anything that he’s in any way limited to or situations you’re not trying to put him in or anything like that no no no limitations the the the the question we had initially was if he tried to go up and
You know dunk the ball hard hang on with one arm something like that but there’s been no limitations uh uh uh that doesn’t mean he can’t get a you know can’t get a stung and come right back but he’s done really well so far and also you were asked about um Bucky style
And and specific to the Press like you know obviously there’s been some coaches that lean really hard into it and but it’s not been something that is you know kind of far spread and I just wonder what what what you think it takes to kind of lean into an outlier system
As a head coach I I think sometimes as a coach now this this is me so I can’t speak for Bucky I think sometimes from a philosophical standpoint we look at it well okay what do we have to do okay we can’t give up layups we can’t give up a a a second
Shot opportunities you know those are things that from my philosophical standpoint I would say you know let’s try to stay between our man and the basket more from his philosophical standpoint we’ll create more Havoc than we give up and and so like with me if I
Was pressing we’d be terrible at it all the time because if a team you know same thing we go Zone they make a three what do you do you’re mad you get out of the zone you know team shoots a layup against the Press what do you do get
You’re mad you get out of the press he’s like no let’s just keep rolling with it because over a course of time it prevails and I think that’s what you know he he has strong uh uh a strong commitment to that which I think it’s hard for a lot of coaches to do
Matthew kl’s Associated Press with with this season especially the the tail end with the losses and the injuries what’s been most challenging about it for you I would say uh uh really probably not knowing daytoday what your hand is uh uh you know you go you go into a practice
And you say we’re going to practice this way with these guys and that may not even be the team that you start the next day so so so you know that that that’s been but hey hey injuries are part of it and and uh you know maybe we should have
Uh you know been a little deeper so that may we could overcome some some of those things better but but uh that’s part of it and and to the point earlier that I think Dave made the NCAA tournament is good for a team like us you get the
Extra timeout in the first half you get longer timeouts there’s there there there there’s more time so that way if you’re going to play five six seven guys there’s actually an opportunity that they can get more rest than could during the course of a regular season
Game bill with alluding to that but in general with losing four five at at the end and Kevin’s injury and the thin thin bench do you have to mentally prepare the team a little differently going into this tournament that maybe you can remember I it’s a different kind of feel
Isn’t it it is uh uh uh I think that with with the uh when you’re feel you’re more talented uh you go into it believing that you can score enough and sometimes when you don’t when you take out the offensive Firepower or whatever now I think it’s okay that your
Mindset kind of changes saying well uh if the other team can’t score we can’t lose whereas before we’re going to be fine if the other team scores so I I I think there’s kind of a mindset like what is our personality going into this situation and I I know
What I want it to be and and I know what we stressed and I believe it’s going to be that but but uh uh but certainly you don’t have that uh you can run crap offense and get it to a guy and he can make a hard shot you don’t have that as
Much you better run pretty good offense the entire you know the entire time how do you feel about the State of Mind of the guys that you know when they’ve been going through this sort of tough streak basically that you haven’t many times come into the NCA tournament with no no
We haven’t we haven’t very many times at all uh uh I kind of you know I I kind of like it uh be honest with you I think it’s a I think you know even though people will equate Kansas and and uh seed and all this stuff as well you
Positively should still do well I equate it to this is one of the first times I’ve been in the tournament where we should be the one with the chip on our shoulders uh uh so I I I think that’ll be good for us Che time for a couple more we’ll go
Right in the back here Bill Nick said uh when you guys had your team bonding sort of thing the other day that you watched a movie called boys in the boat I’m just curious why you chose uh that movie uh I’ve got a buddy that is the sports
Psychologist for the Cowboys and the Yankees and I think that he knows far better than me what to watch and and uh uh it was that or Barbie and I went with boys in the boat I went with boy boys in the boat no he told me it was good and
And in all honesty it’s pretty good you know it’s it’s a you know kids that have been dealt a hard hand and and and rallying out of that it’s it i’ I’d recommend it to anybody to watch it so right we’ll check the zoom participants here we have three on the
Zoom call if you have any questions for Coach self please use the raised hand button here on your Zoom all right seeing none do we have any more questions for Coach here in the room all right coach thank you very much good luck tomorrow thank you guys thank you
As the final press conference of the day we’ll see you all tomorrow e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e for
