C
ChrisWellbaum
Guest
Press conferences in Columbia have wrapped up, but they are still going strong in Greenville.
South Carolina (MBB)
Sindarius Thornwell said the players haven't felt any pressure from fans to win the Gamecocks' first tournament game in 44 years or get over the late season slide.
"Everybody just trying to do what they can to relieve the pressure from us," Thornwell said. "Everybody's just been saying just go out there and have fun and play our game. That's all we can do and control what we can control. And that's what we're focusing on is just having fun and enjoying the moment."
Longtime equipment manager Mac Credille, who has been with the program since 1977, did speak to the team about how proud he is of the team for making the tournament, and how much a win would mean.
"If we were to win the gametomorrow it would be for Mac and all he's done and for all the players that play for the University of South Carolina," Thornwell said. "We all have a relationship with him and how much he loves and cares for the program and the work he put in goes unnoticed. And if we win it will really just be for Mac."
Frank Martin is more aware of the drought. He didn't know about it when he was hired at South Carolina ("Nobody really cared what we were doing so nobody spoke about it," he said), but it has become a nagging thought. Being able to erase that factoid would make Martin very happy.
"It's remarkable, it's one of those stats that you're like how is that happening," Martin said. "How does Frank McGuire not win an NCAA game since 1973? How does Eddie Fogler, Dave Odom? Keep going -- the names of the coaches and players that have come through there. How does that happen?
"To be able to accomplish that I think would soothe a lot of people. It would make a lot of people smile. At the end of the day that's what our job and life is to make others smile."
The players are not worried about the late tipoff. Martin is a little concerned. "I hope I don't nod off on the bench," he joked.
South Carolina (WBB)
The Gamecocks' turn at the podium was dominated by talk of the injured Alaina Coates. Earlier this week, Coates was declared out for the NCAA Tournament with an ankle injury. Head coach Dawn Staley said the decision to sit the senior was a difficult one, but was made with her long-term playing career in mind.
" Our medical staff wants to make sure Alaina is okay for her longevity in basketball. They think it is best she rehabs and stays off of it," Staley said. "She'll be able to have a long professional career where she'll be able to take care of her family.
"And hopefully makes a few donations back," Staley added, laughing.
Coates' absence changes the Gamecocks' look. They go from a dominant post team to a guard-oriented roster that is extremely thin up front. A'ja Wilson and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan are the only post players on the roster now. Fortunately, the Gamecocks had a chance to learn about life without Coates at the end of the season and in the SEC Tournament, and they have yet to lose with Coates out.
"The last few games in the SEC Tournament showed me what I need to do and how we need to play to move on and continue to win," Wilson said. "It's attacking the paint, whether it's guards driving or getting it in to our post players. It's really nothing different that we haven't been doing in the past except instead of having two posts instead of one."
"I think the SEC tournament was a good test for us with not knowing her status," Kaela Davis said. "We've gotten past the test a little bit and we know what we need to do."
Staley said the biggest thing South Carolina loses with Coates out is her rebounding. Coates led the SEC in rebounding and was seventh in the nation. But with Coates out there are some areas South Carolina can exploit.
"We're different. We can play a little more free as far as space people out," Staley said. "We can also fly around out there and press a little more."
South Carolina will be heavily favored against UNC Asheville, but the players are wary of an upset.
"This is the time where the higher seed may think they have it in the bag, and the lower seeds have nothing to lose and want to go out there and just beat that team," Wilson said. "I think that plays a huge factor in a 1 versus 16 matchup because it's anybody's game. Basketball is a funny game."
A reporter asked Wilson about declaring for the WNBA Draft, mistakenly believing Wilson was eligible. Staley jumped in to cut off the question.
"She's not eligible," she said. "Thankfully she's got a late birthday."
UNC Asheville (WBB)
The Bulldogs hope to become just the second 16 to beat a number one seed. When they were asked if they knew about the only time it has happened, when Harvard upset Stanford, everyone laughed.
"We definitely know about that game," KJ Weaver said.
UNC Asheville was hit hard by injuries this season, losing two 1,000 point scorers. But it pulled together and won four games in four days to win the Big South tournament as a seven seed. The turning point came in early February, coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick said.
"If I could point to one thing, it’s Chatori Major deciding to expand her role from a scoring player to a leader on and off the court," she said." After our Charleston Southern loss, I spoke to the team and was pretty forward after that game. She spoke to her teammates and said ‘This is not the way this season is going to go.’ She was very determined. She stepped up in that moment, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her. It changed the trajectory of our season."
On the court, Kirkpatrick had to adapt to injuries and reinvent the Bulldogs' style of play on the fly. She scrapped the run-and-gun high-powered style that had been the Bulldogs' trademark. Now they pick and choose when to run and when play half-court.
"We don’t have the firepower offensively, and we can’t press any longer," Kirkpatrick said. "We’re a combination of go and gold. We’re going to try and push tempo when we can, but the kids know when I say gold we’re going to take the air out of the ball. I thought we did a great job of balancing the two of those in the Big South Conference championship game last week. That’s what we’ll try to do tomorrow. Shot selection is huge. We want to be smart.”
Weaver, Asheville's 6-1 senior, will draw the assignment of guarding A'ja Wilson. She won't be able to out-muscle Wilson, so she has to focus on denying the ball in the low post.
"Quicker feet help sometimes when somebody's bigger than you," she said. "Hopefully I can move around fast enough so that she doesn't get the ball."
Kirkpatrick called Wilson the best post player in the country. She said that Wilson doesn't just change your defensive game plan, but your offensive game plan.
"You're trying to take away a couple of things: the and ones, keeping her off the free throw line, and boxing out," Kirkpatrick said. "How about scoring against her? That's just as difficult. We have to alter our offensive game plan around her."
Major, who leads Asheville in scoring with just under 14 points per game, is ready for the hostile crowd tomorrow night. Asheville practiced with noise, but it just isn't the same.
"It's definitely something I look forward to," she said. "I'm very excited about the atmosphere we're about to play in. We tried to simulate it in practice, but nothing can simulate the environment that South Carolina has."
Arizona State (WBB)
The Sun Devils appear in the Gamecocks' region for the third straight postseason, but the two have yet to meet in the Tournament. They open against Michigan State Friday, with the winner advancing to presumably play the Gamecocks.
The Sun Devils won the Pac-12 last year and earned a two seed in the NCAA Tournament, but this year had a disappointing season. Their top three guards graduated, and they were hit hard by injuries. Coach Charli Turner Thorne said she will have her full roster for the first time since November, but even then she is including players who are still working themselves into shape.
"Had we stayed healthy I think we would have been right there to win a second straight Pac 12," she said. "This team is definitely resilient."
Turner Thorne built the Arizona State program on defense and rebounding. After her players talked about Michigan State's great offense, Turner Thorne felt compelled to add, "Michigan State plays defense well too, they're just so trained to look at it as defenders.
"Michigan State is a very good team, especially on offense," Kelsey Moos said. "What we need to do is do what our program does best, play defense."
The Spartans are led by guard Tori Jankoska, who averaged 22.5 points per game this season and has scored over 2,000 points in her career.
"I wish I was watching her without having to play her," Turner Thorne said. "I don't think you shut her down, you try to contain her."
"We've faced very good offensive players," Moos said, referring to Washington Kelsey Plum, who is the NCAA's all-time leading scorer. "Our team has seen a glimpse of that."
Michigan State (WBB)
The Spartans bring a prolific offense, led by Tori Jankoska (22.5 point per game), to Columbia. The offense is so potent that the Spartans' defense is often overlooked. So much so that even guard Branndais Agee misspoke while describing the Spartans' defense and said, "Well we used to play defense. We've practiced it the last couple of days."
Head coach Suzy Merchant feigned horror at the faux pas. "'We used to play defense?' I'm sweating. I'm breaking out in hives!"
While Michigan State does n fact play defense, it is not the defense force Arizona State is. Merchant raved about Arizona State's defensive tenacity, calling it "unbelievable."
“We know that they’re all around a very physical team, so going in we’re definitely focusing in on that," Taya Reimer said. "They rebound the ball very well, especially offensively. We just need to bring that toughness, especially on the defensive end."
Michigan State will attack that physicality with offensive balance. Despite Jankoska getting most of the attention, Michigan State will try to spread the ball around.
"I don’t expect her to have to score 35 or 40 points, and I don’t think you can against Arizona State," Merchant said. "We have to be able to share the ball and play great team basketball and we know we will have to work for everything, including Tori.”
“We’re one of the top teams in the country in getting assists," said Jankoska, who averages almost five assists per game. "We have such a balanced team. If you try and stop one of us, the other players are going to go out and get theirs.”
Seton Hall (MBB)
The Seton Hall Pirates got things started up in Greenville. Seton Hall plays Arkansas in the 8/9 game Friday afternoon.
The Pirates were a Cinderella Big East Tournament Champion last year, but that success failed to carry over to the NCAA Tournament. Despite not having as successful of a season this year, the Pirates feel they are better prepared for the NCAA Tournament.
"Maybe we didn't know how big the NCAA Tournament was," Desi Rodriguez said. "So this year, knowing we're going to be more hungry coming in and being more focused, and the junior class and some of the guys that were here last year know what it was, know what it takes to win."
Seton Hall only plays seven or eight players, and lack of depth is always a concern. That is especially true against Arkansas, which goes ten or eleven players deep.
"They have a deeper depth on the bench and more guards that come into the game," Rodriguez said. "But if we stay solid and just defend and stop them from running so much, we maybe have a good chance of winning."
"They definitely are deep on the bench, deeper than us," Khadeen Carrington said. "But definitely the TV timeouts play a role, get us more rest."
Head coach Kevin Willard said this feeling going into the tournament s much different this year. He said that bowing out of the Big East Tournament early was actually a good thing, because it gave Seton Hall extra rest and a chance to get on a more even keel emotionally.
"Last year was such a whirlwind, winning the Big East Tournament and the Selection Show and leaving for Denver that Monday," Willard said. "I don't think we ever recovered emotionally. Physically I think we were fine, but emotionally I don't think we ever got back on track."
Willard and his players all compared Arkansas' tempo to fellow Big East school Creighton. Willard thinks that similarity helps Seton Hall, but only to a certain extent. Seton Hall beat Creighton 87-81, but that was back in February, so the game plan is not fresh.
"We've kind of gone back to our practice plans when we go against Creighton. A lot of transition defense drills. But I think it's going to be a little bit of a shocker for us when we first go out there," he said. "Most of our league that we've played in the second half is a grind-it-out style"
Texas Southern (MBB)
Texas Southern faces the Herculean task of trying to upset one seed North Carolina, something that has never happened in the men's bracket. The Tigers were asked what they have to do to pull off the upset.
"Execution, following Coach's plan, that's the first step for me," Zach Lofton said.
"Taking it a possession at a time," Marvin Jones said. "We're going to take each four-minute period, get it as close as possible, and just give it our all. That's all we can do."
"Stops, stops," Demontrae Jefferson said. "Defense wins games."
Coach Mike Davis went with a familiar approach.
"We talked, everybody talked about David and Goliath," Davis said. "What people don't realize is David was supposed to win. He was the expert. He wasn't someone they sent out to fight and never had ever used a sling shot.
"So are we experts? Are we in great shape? Are we prepared to give great effort every possession? Are we willing to get back in transition, block out?" Davis continued. "So don't go into this game thinking that you're a David if you're not willing to prepare yourself up to this point to play at that 10 level for 40 minutes."
North Carolina (MBB)
North Carolina and Duke are both playing in Greenville, but they are on opposite sides of the bracket and would only meet in the championship game. Still, it only took a few minutes for North Carolina's Theo Pinson to be asked about a potential rematch.
"It will be awesome," Pinson said. "That means we're in the national championship. It's a long way to go. I can't even think about Duke right now. Right now I'm going to focus on tomorrow."
The trend for North Carolina this season has been that as point guard Joel Berry goes, the Tar Heels go. Berry has struggled in some key games, and when he has, North Carolina was not able to overcome it. Justin Jackson said Berry receives too much blame for bad games.
"Everybody has bad games. Everybody struggles. The ball doesn't fall in the hoop the same way every single game," Jackson said. "Joel definitely has the same confidence that he's always had. He's the same exact Joel Berry that everybody's talked about, everybody's praised. And he's definitely deserving of all of that praise."
Roy Williams said too much focus is put on how Berry is playing, but that when a point guard struggles the entire team feels the effect.
"In football it's only one of 11 guys; in basketball, it's one of five," Williams said. "If that one of five happens to be your point guard I think it's exaggerated even more. So he sets the line of our defense. He's a tremendous outside shooter. He pushes the pace. He does all those kind of things. And when it's not going well for him, it is a big loss."
Columbia native Seventh Woods, who committed to North Carolina over South Carolina, has had a quiet freshman season. Woods has played in all 34 games, but is averaging just 8.2 minutes per game and 1.7 points per game. He has shown more flashes of ability late in the season, which Williams credits to Woods finally getting healthy.
"Then the biggest thing is that he wasn't as healthy as we needed him to be and as he wanted to be, because when he's healthy he's got a gear that a lot of people don't have," Williams said. "And so just recently we've started seeing Seventh do the things that we thought he could do all along. But because of his body and aches and pains and not being healthy, he lost some of his confidence there, and I haven't been able to get him back to where I'd like for him to be confidence-wise."
North Carolina is only in Greensboro because of the fallout from HB2, the so-called bathroom bill. The NCAA and ACC pulled all scheduled events out of North Carolina because they say HB2 is discriminatory. The NCAA moved the tournament games previously scheduled for Greensboro, NC, to Greenville. Williams was asked about his feelings on the law and the fallout, and he spoke carefully.
"I still think I'm conscious of it being here because I'm afraid what's going to happen in the next few years. I hope to coach a little bit longer," Williams said. "I hope this is not my last hoorah kind of thing. I'm very sad, very disappointed about the whole thing, what apparently is something that's really, really hard to change.
"But people in Greenville have been great. We already practiced today at the school right out of town. And they were great. I asked them if they painted their floor trim Carolina blue because we came and, no, that was their colors. It bothers me. It's really something. It's very, very sad to me, to be honest with you. It's one of the best press conferences I've ever been to.
"Sad is the commentary I'd probably use, the word I would use, because the people in the state of North Carolina and the kids in the state of North Carolina aren't getting the opportunities that we've had in the past. And I think that's the biggest thing with me right there. It's just it's not the way I'd like for it to be."
Duke (MBB)
Duke is one of the hottest teams in the country, coming off an ACC Tournament Championship. Freshmen Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles had big impacts in the tournament. Tatum is playing like the player he was expected to be, and Giles is starting to produce as he continues to recover from serious knee injuries. According to teammates, both are showing improvement for the same reason - comfort.
"When (Giles) is not thinking about other things, making a mistake, or just out there playing, he's a really great player," Amile Jefferson said. "He's one of the most athletic guys in the country. His second jump is unbelievable."
"(Tatum) has been doing an amazing job at evolving, doing much more, things like rebounding, playing really good defense, drawing two guys and finding the open man," Jefferson said. "I think he's done a really great job over this last month of just like growing up, not making like common freshman mistakes."
Duke is only in Greensboro because of the fallout from HB2, the so-called bathroom bill. The NCAA and ACC pulled all scheduled events out of North Carolina because they say HB2 is discriminatory. The NCAA moved the tournament games previously scheduled for Greensboro, NC, to Greenville. Mike Krzyzewski was asked about his feelings on the law and the fallout, and after initially tip-toeing around the issue, he made a strong statement.
"I don't want to take away from the great people of South Carolina and the people of Greenville," he said. "They have the right to host it whether our state is smart enough to have it. It shouldn't be a contest of one another. South Carolina is known for great basketball, and this is a great town. So we feel really good about being here. It would be nice if our state got as smart and also would host not just basketball tournaments but concerts and other NCAA events. But maybe we'll get there in the next century, I don't know. We'll see.
"I don't want to get political right now. Look, it's a stupid thing. That's my political statement. If I was president or governor I'd get rid of it. And I'd back up my promises. As unusual as that might be. Anyway, I don't want to get too political."
Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski played point guard at Duke and was later an assistant under Krzyzewski. Krzyzewski said the two talk occasionally after big wins or losses.
"Steve and I are family," he said. "We spent probably 19, 20 years (together). And besides that, he's Polish. So we share an even greater bond. And he didn't change his name and I didn't change mine."
Troy (MBB)
The Troy Trojans are dealing with a little bit of the wow factor that comes with being a 15 seed from a small conference. Players described the feeling of being in the tournament as "unreal," "a blessing," and "a dream." DeVon Walker, who has tournament experience as a transfer from Florida, said he hopes they will be more focused by tipoff tomorrow.
"I hope it wears off when we get on the bus heading over here," he said. "I hope we approach it just like any other game which I know is kind of impossible but that's my hope."
Head coach Phil Cunningham called Walker a "calming factor" for younger players, based on his experience. Cunningham believes the Trojans have a chance to pull off an upset, but he is a realist.
"I think the thing that stands out to our team is I think they're so excited about being here, but not only just excited about being a part of the tournament, but I think as a competitor, they're excited about playing the game, " he said. "Ultimately that's what it comes down to. All this hype and everything that goes with it, that's a great part of the process. But ultimately, they're excited about walking out there on the court and playing with a brand name like Duke."
Marquette (MBB)
Markus Howard said the Golden Eagles are treating the game as a road game rather than a neutral site game.
"We're going to try to treat it as any other road game in the Big East, but as a team we're just fortunate and happy to be in the position we are," he said. "We're excited to play, we're ready and excited for the challenge."
Marquette is a very good three-point shooting team. For much of the season, South Carolina was near the top of the nation in three-point defense. Marquette is well aware of what challenges South Carolina can present when it is at its best.
"We've seen that they like to pressure the ball, and pressure off the ball as well," Howard said. "So just pinpointing that in preparation for us has been a key part of what we've been doing to practice and prepare for South Carolina."
"They play incredibly hard," head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. "I think they're as good a defensive team as we've played against all year. When you watch them play, not many people play defense like them anymore. There's been a trend in college basketball to go into more prevent defenses, pack-line defenses, and to watch them play and get out in passing lanes, contest every pass, really be aggressive in that respect, you know, as a coach it's fun to watch. But as a coach it's not fun at the same time when you have to play against them. And so we know we have our hands full against an outstanding team in their backyard, really."
South Carolina (MBB)
Sindarius Thornwell said the players haven't felt any pressure from fans to win the Gamecocks' first tournament game in 44 years or get over the late season slide.
"Everybody just trying to do what they can to relieve the pressure from us," Thornwell said. "Everybody's just been saying just go out there and have fun and play our game. That's all we can do and control what we can control. And that's what we're focusing on is just having fun and enjoying the moment."
Longtime equipment manager Mac Credille, who has been with the program since 1977, did speak to the team about how proud he is of the team for making the tournament, and how much a win would mean.
"If we were to win the gametomorrow it would be for Mac and all he's done and for all the players that play for the University of South Carolina," Thornwell said. "We all have a relationship with him and how much he loves and cares for the program and the work he put in goes unnoticed. And if we win it will really just be for Mac."
Frank Martin is more aware of the drought. He didn't know about it when he was hired at South Carolina ("Nobody really cared what we were doing so nobody spoke about it," he said), but it has become a nagging thought. Being able to erase that factoid would make Martin very happy.
"It's remarkable, it's one of those stats that you're like how is that happening," Martin said. "How does Frank McGuire not win an NCAA game since 1973? How does Eddie Fogler, Dave Odom? Keep going -- the names of the coaches and players that have come through there. How does that happen?
"To be able to accomplish that I think would soothe a lot of people. It would make a lot of people smile. At the end of the day that's what our job and life is to make others smile."
The players are not worried about the late tipoff. Martin is a little concerned. "I hope I don't nod off on the bench," he joked.
South Carolina (WBB)
The Gamecocks' turn at the podium was dominated by talk of the injured Alaina Coates. Earlier this week, Coates was declared out for the NCAA Tournament with an ankle injury. Head coach Dawn Staley said the decision to sit the senior was a difficult one, but was made with her long-term playing career in mind.
" Our medical staff wants to make sure Alaina is okay for her longevity in basketball. They think it is best she rehabs and stays off of it," Staley said. "She'll be able to have a long professional career where she'll be able to take care of her family.
"And hopefully makes a few donations back," Staley added, laughing.
Coates' absence changes the Gamecocks' look. They go from a dominant post team to a guard-oriented roster that is extremely thin up front. A'ja Wilson and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan are the only post players on the roster now. Fortunately, the Gamecocks had a chance to learn about life without Coates at the end of the season and in the SEC Tournament, and they have yet to lose with Coates out.
"The last few games in the SEC Tournament showed me what I need to do and how we need to play to move on and continue to win," Wilson said. "It's attacking the paint, whether it's guards driving or getting it in to our post players. It's really nothing different that we haven't been doing in the past except instead of having two posts instead of one."
"I think the SEC tournament was a good test for us with not knowing her status," Kaela Davis said. "We've gotten past the test a little bit and we know what we need to do."
Staley said the biggest thing South Carolina loses with Coates out is her rebounding. Coates led the SEC in rebounding and was seventh in the nation. But with Coates out there are some areas South Carolina can exploit.
"We're different. We can play a little more free as far as space people out," Staley said. "We can also fly around out there and press a little more."
South Carolina will be heavily favored against UNC Asheville, but the players are wary of an upset.
"This is the time where the higher seed may think they have it in the bag, and the lower seeds have nothing to lose and want to go out there and just beat that team," Wilson said. "I think that plays a huge factor in a 1 versus 16 matchup because it's anybody's game. Basketball is a funny game."
A reporter asked Wilson about declaring for the WNBA Draft, mistakenly believing Wilson was eligible. Staley jumped in to cut off the question.
"She's not eligible," she said. "Thankfully she's got a late birthday."
UNC Asheville (WBB)
The Bulldogs hope to become just the second 16 to beat a number one seed. When they were asked if they knew about the only time it has happened, when Harvard upset Stanford, everyone laughed.
"We definitely know about that game," KJ Weaver said.
UNC Asheville was hit hard by injuries this season, losing two 1,000 point scorers. But it pulled together and won four games in four days to win the Big South tournament as a seven seed. The turning point came in early February, coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick said.
"If I could point to one thing, it’s Chatori Major deciding to expand her role from a scoring player to a leader on and off the court," she said." After our Charleston Southern loss, I spoke to the team and was pretty forward after that game. She spoke to her teammates and said ‘This is not the way this season is going to go.’ She was very determined. She stepped up in that moment, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her. It changed the trajectory of our season."
On the court, Kirkpatrick had to adapt to injuries and reinvent the Bulldogs' style of play on the fly. She scrapped the run-and-gun high-powered style that had been the Bulldogs' trademark. Now they pick and choose when to run and when play half-court.
"We don’t have the firepower offensively, and we can’t press any longer," Kirkpatrick said. "We’re a combination of go and gold. We’re going to try and push tempo when we can, but the kids know when I say gold we’re going to take the air out of the ball. I thought we did a great job of balancing the two of those in the Big South Conference championship game last week. That’s what we’ll try to do tomorrow. Shot selection is huge. We want to be smart.”
Weaver, Asheville's 6-1 senior, will draw the assignment of guarding A'ja Wilson. She won't be able to out-muscle Wilson, so she has to focus on denying the ball in the low post.
"Quicker feet help sometimes when somebody's bigger than you," she said. "Hopefully I can move around fast enough so that she doesn't get the ball."
Kirkpatrick called Wilson the best post player in the country. She said that Wilson doesn't just change your defensive game plan, but your offensive game plan.
"You're trying to take away a couple of things: the and ones, keeping her off the free throw line, and boxing out," Kirkpatrick said. "How about scoring against her? That's just as difficult. We have to alter our offensive game plan around her."
Major, who leads Asheville in scoring with just under 14 points per game, is ready for the hostile crowd tomorrow night. Asheville practiced with noise, but it just isn't the same.
"It's definitely something I look forward to," she said. "I'm very excited about the atmosphere we're about to play in. We tried to simulate it in practice, but nothing can simulate the environment that South Carolina has."
Arizona State (WBB)
The Sun Devils appear in the Gamecocks' region for the third straight postseason, but the two have yet to meet in the Tournament. They open against Michigan State Friday, with the winner advancing to presumably play the Gamecocks.
The Sun Devils won the Pac-12 last year and earned a two seed in the NCAA Tournament, but this year had a disappointing season. Their top three guards graduated, and they were hit hard by injuries. Coach Charli Turner Thorne said she will have her full roster for the first time since November, but even then she is including players who are still working themselves into shape.
"Had we stayed healthy I think we would have been right there to win a second straight Pac 12," she said. "This team is definitely resilient."
Turner Thorne built the Arizona State program on defense and rebounding. After her players talked about Michigan State's great offense, Turner Thorne felt compelled to add, "Michigan State plays defense well too, they're just so trained to look at it as defenders.
"Michigan State is a very good team, especially on offense," Kelsey Moos said. "What we need to do is do what our program does best, play defense."
The Spartans are led by guard Tori Jankoska, who averaged 22.5 points per game this season and has scored over 2,000 points in her career.
"I wish I was watching her without having to play her," Turner Thorne said. "I don't think you shut her down, you try to contain her."
"We've faced very good offensive players," Moos said, referring to Washington Kelsey Plum, who is the NCAA's all-time leading scorer. "Our team has seen a glimpse of that."
Michigan State (WBB)
The Spartans bring a prolific offense, led by Tori Jankoska (22.5 point per game), to Columbia. The offense is so potent that the Spartans' defense is often overlooked. So much so that even guard Branndais Agee misspoke while describing the Spartans' defense and said, "Well we used to play defense. We've practiced it the last couple of days."
Head coach Suzy Merchant feigned horror at the faux pas. "'We used to play defense?' I'm sweating. I'm breaking out in hives!"
While Michigan State does n fact play defense, it is not the defense force Arizona State is. Merchant raved about Arizona State's defensive tenacity, calling it "unbelievable."
“We know that they’re all around a very physical team, so going in we’re definitely focusing in on that," Taya Reimer said. "They rebound the ball very well, especially offensively. We just need to bring that toughness, especially on the defensive end."
Michigan State will attack that physicality with offensive balance. Despite Jankoska getting most of the attention, Michigan State will try to spread the ball around.
"I don’t expect her to have to score 35 or 40 points, and I don’t think you can against Arizona State," Merchant said. "We have to be able to share the ball and play great team basketball and we know we will have to work for everything, including Tori.”
“We’re one of the top teams in the country in getting assists," said Jankoska, who averages almost five assists per game. "We have such a balanced team. If you try and stop one of us, the other players are going to go out and get theirs.”
Seton Hall (MBB)
The Seton Hall Pirates got things started up in Greenville. Seton Hall plays Arkansas in the 8/9 game Friday afternoon.
The Pirates were a Cinderella Big East Tournament Champion last year, but that success failed to carry over to the NCAA Tournament. Despite not having as successful of a season this year, the Pirates feel they are better prepared for the NCAA Tournament.
"Maybe we didn't know how big the NCAA Tournament was," Desi Rodriguez said. "So this year, knowing we're going to be more hungry coming in and being more focused, and the junior class and some of the guys that were here last year know what it was, know what it takes to win."
Seton Hall only plays seven or eight players, and lack of depth is always a concern. That is especially true against Arkansas, which goes ten or eleven players deep.
"They have a deeper depth on the bench and more guards that come into the game," Rodriguez said. "But if we stay solid and just defend and stop them from running so much, we maybe have a good chance of winning."
"They definitely are deep on the bench, deeper than us," Khadeen Carrington said. "But definitely the TV timeouts play a role, get us more rest."
Head coach Kevin Willard said this feeling going into the tournament s much different this year. He said that bowing out of the Big East Tournament early was actually a good thing, because it gave Seton Hall extra rest and a chance to get on a more even keel emotionally.
"Last year was such a whirlwind, winning the Big East Tournament and the Selection Show and leaving for Denver that Monday," Willard said. "I don't think we ever recovered emotionally. Physically I think we were fine, but emotionally I don't think we ever got back on track."
Willard and his players all compared Arkansas' tempo to fellow Big East school Creighton. Willard thinks that similarity helps Seton Hall, but only to a certain extent. Seton Hall beat Creighton 87-81, but that was back in February, so the game plan is not fresh.
"We've kind of gone back to our practice plans when we go against Creighton. A lot of transition defense drills. But I think it's going to be a little bit of a shocker for us when we first go out there," he said. "Most of our league that we've played in the second half is a grind-it-out style"
Texas Southern (MBB)
Texas Southern faces the Herculean task of trying to upset one seed North Carolina, something that has never happened in the men's bracket. The Tigers were asked what they have to do to pull off the upset.
"Execution, following Coach's plan, that's the first step for me," Zach Lofton said.
"Taking it a possession at a time," Marvin Jones said. "We're going to take each four-minute period, get it as close as possible, and just give it our all. That's all we can do."
"Stops, stops," Demontrae Jefferson said. "Defense wins games."
Coach Mike Davis went with a familiar approach.
"We talked, everybody talked about David and Goliath," Davis said. "What people don't realize is David was supposed to win. He was the expert. He wasn't someone they sent out to fight and never had ever used a sling shot.
"So are we experts? Are we in great shape? Are we prepared to give great effort every possession? Are we willing to get back in transition, block out?" Davis continued. "So don't go into this game thinking that you're a David if you're not willing to prepare yourself up to this point to play at that 10 level for 40 minutes."
North Carolina (MBB)
North Carolina and Duke are both playing in Greenville, but they are on opposite sides of the bracket and would only meet in the championship game. Still, it only took a few minutes for North Carolina's Theo Pinson to be asked about a potential rematch.
"It will be awesome," Pinson said. "That means we're in the national championship. It's a long way to go. I can't even think about Duke right now. Right now I'm going to focus on tomorrow."
The trend for North Carolina this season has been that as point guard Joel Berry goes, the Tar Heels go. Berry has struggled in some key games, and when he has, North Carolina was not able to overcome it. Justin Jackson said Berry receives too much blame for bad games.
"Everybody has bad games. Everybody struggles. The ball doesn't fall in the hoop the same way every single game," Jackson said. "Joel definitely has the same confidence that he's always had. He's the same exact Joel Berry that everybody's talked about, everybody's praised. And he's definitely deserving of all of that praise."
Roy Williams said too much focus is put on how Berry is playing, but that when a point guard struggles the entire team feels the effect.
"In football it's only one of 11 guys; in basketball, it's one of five," Williams said. "If that one of five happens to be your point guard I think it's exaggerated even more. So he sets the line of our defense. He's a tremendous outside shooter. He pushes the pace. He does all those kind of things. And when it's not going well for him, it is a big loss."
Columbia native Seventh Woods, who committed to North Carolina over South Carolina, has had a quiet freshman season. Woods has played in all 34 games, but is averaging just 8.2 minutes per game and 1.7 points per game. He has shown more flashes of ability late in the season, which Williams credits to Woods finally getting healthy.
"Then the biggest thing is that he wasn't as healthy as we needed him to be and as he wanted to be, because when he's healthy he's got a gear that a lot of people don't have," Williams said. "And so just recently we've started seeing Seventh do the things that we thought he could do all along. But because of his body and aches and pains and not being healthy, he lost some of his confidence there, and I haven't been able to get him back to where I'd like for him to be confidence-wise."
North Carolina is only in Greensboro because of the fallout from HB2, the so-called bathroom bill. The NCAA and ACC pulled all scheduled events out of North Carolina because they say HB2 is discriminatory. The NCAA moved the tournament games previously scheduled for Greensboro, NC, to Greenville. Williams was asked about his feelings on the law and the fallout, and he spoke carefully.
"I still think I'm conscious of it being here because I'm afraid what's going to happen in the next few years. I hope to coach a little bit longer," Williams said. "I hope this is not my last hoorah kind of thing. I'm very sad, very disappointed about the whole thing, what apparently is something that's really, really hard to change.
"But people in Greenville have been great. We already practiced today at the school right out of town. And they were great. I asked them if they painted their floor trim Carolina blue because we came and, no, that was their colors. It bothers me. It's really something. It's very, very sad to me, to be honest with you. It's one of the best press conferences I've ever been to.
"Sad is the commentary I'd probably use, the word I would use, because the people in the state of North Carolina and the kids in the state of North Carolina aren't getting the opportunities that we've had in the past. And I think that's the biggest thing with me right there. It's just it's not the way I'd like for it to be."
Duke (MBB)
Duke is one of the hottest teams in the country, coming off an ACC Tournament Championship. Freshmen Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles had big impacts in the tournament. Tatum is playing like the player he was expected to be, and Giles is starting to produce as he continues to recover from serious knee injuries. According to teammates, both are showing improvement for the same reason - comfort.
"When (Giles) is not thinking about other things, making a mistake, or just out there playing, he's a really great player," Amile Jefferson said. "He's one of the most athletic guys in the country. His second jump is unbelievable."
"(Tatum) has been doing an amazing job at evolving, doing much more, things like rebounding, playing really good defense, drawing two guys and finding the open man," Jefferson said. "I think he's done a really great job over this last month of just like growing up, not making like common freshman mistakes."
Duke is only in Greensboro because of the fallout from HB2, the so-called bathroom bill. The NCAA and ACC pulled all scheduled events out of North Carolina because they say HB2 is discriminatory. The NCAA moved the tournament games previously scheduled for Greensboro, NC, to Greenville. Mike Krzyzewski was asked about his feelings on the law and the fallout, and after initially tip-toeing around the issue, he made a strong statement.
"I don't want to take away from the great people of South Carolina and the people of Greenville," he said. "They have the right to host it whether our state is smart enough to have it. It shouldn't be a contest of one another. South Carolina is known for great basketball, and this is a great town. So we feel really good about being here. It would be nice if our state got as smart and also would host not just basketball tournaments but concerts and other NCAA events. But maybe we'll get there in the next century, I don't know. We'll see.
"I don't want to get political right now. Look, it's a stupid thing. That's my political statement. If I was president or governor I'd get rid of it. And I'd back up my promises. As unusual as that might be. Anyway, I don't want to get too political."
Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski played point guard at Duke and was later an assistant under Krzyzewski. Krzyzewski said the two talk occasionally after big wins or losses.
"Steve and I are family," he said. "We spent probably 19, 20 years (together). And besides that, he's Polish. So we share an even greater bond. And he didn't change his name and I didn't change mine."
Troy (MBB)
The Troy Trojans are dealing with a little bit of the wow factor that comes with being a 15 seed from a small conference. Players described the feeling of being in the tournament as "unreal," "a blessing," and "a dream." DeVon Walker, who has tournament experience as a transfer from Florida, said he hopes they will be more focused by tipoff tomorrow.
"I hope it wears off when we get on the bus heading over here," he said. "I hope we approach it just like any other game which I know is kind of impossible but that's my hope."
Head coach Phil Cunningham called Walker a "calming factor" for younger players, based on his experience. Cunningham believes the Trojans have a chance to pull off an upset, but he is a realist.
"I think the thing that stands out to our team is I think they're so excited about being here, but not only just excited about being a part of the tournament, but I think as a competitor, they're excited about playing the game, " he said. "Ultimately that's what it comes down to. All this hype and everything that goes with it, that's a great part of the process. But ultimately, they're excited about walking out there on the court and playing with a brand name like Duke."
Marquette (MBB)
Markus Howard said the Golden Eagles are treating the game as a road game rather than a neutral site game.
"We're going to try to treat it as any other road game in the Big East, but as a team we're just fortunate and happy to be in the position we are," he said. "We're excited to play, we're ready and excited for the challenge."
Marquette is a very good three-point shooting team. For much of the season, South Carolina was near the top of the nation in three-point defense. Marquette is well aware of what challenges South Carolina can present when it is at its best.
"We've seen that they like to pressure the ball, and pressure off the ball as well," Howard said. "So just pinpointing that in preparation for us has been a key part of what we've been doing to practice and prepare for South Carolina."
"They play incredibly hard," head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. "I think they're as good a defensive team as we've played against all year. When you watch them play, not many people play defense like them anymore. There's been a trend in college basketball to go into more prevent defenses, pack-line defenses, and to watch them play and get out in passing lanes, contest every pass, really be aggressive in that respect, you know, as a coach it's fun to watch. But as a coach it's not fun at the same time when you have to play against them. And so we know we have our hands full against an outstanding team in their backyard, really."
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