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BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 15, 2015Nigel HayesFrank KaminskyBronson KoenigBo RyanCHICAGO, ILLINOIS Wisconsin – 80 Q. For all of you guys, just what do you think of your NCAA Tournament draw, and what was it like to get the Big Ten Tournament win today? BRONSON KOENIG: I thought it was really good for us to kind of have a game like this where we were behind with seven minutes left. They kind of thought they had us when we were down 11, but I just kept telling our guys, you keep fighting, never give up, and that's what we did, and luckily we were fortunate enough to came out with a win. FRANK KAMINSKY: To go out the way we did and fight back and really take the Big Ten title was awesome. Our fans were great, just awesome environment to play in, and it was just a blast. NIGEL HAYES: Yeah, basically the same thing, echo what they said. It was great for us to have to come back from the deficits that we had, to play with that pressure on us to get us ready for the tournament because those type of games happen plenty during the NCAA Tournament. Q. Did you guys have that TV appearance planned when the seed was revealed? NIGEL HAYES: Yes, we did. Our leader right here, Frank Kaminsky, he had the idea to do that. We wanted to show that we were‑‑ I guess we're casual, but we also know how to have a good time. Q. You guys didn't talk about getting a No.1 seed at all, but now that you have it, what does that mean to you as an accomplishment and a reflection on your season? FRANK KAMINSKY: It's awesome. First No.1 seed in our school's history, so that's an accomplishment in and of itself. But we have a lot of goals and aspirations in the NCAA Tournament, so we're going to prepare for our first game and be ready when we tip the ball up and get ready to go. BRONSON KOENIG: Like Frank said, it was a good scrape for us to get to get the first No.1 seed in school history and everything like that. We're not satisfied yet. We have a long way to go still, and I think we're playing pretty good basketball right now, but hopefully we can keep it going in the tournament and get even better. NIGEL HAYES: Yeah, it's nice to have the 1 seed, but that doesn't mean that we're guaranteed a Final Four appearance or anything like that because going off of last year, there was not a 1 seed in the Final Four and a 1 seed did not end up winning, so we still have to go out there and leave it on the court. Q. Tom Izzo yesterday said that it was fitting that you two were playing in the final here today, and given how closely contested the game was today, what do you think about him saying that? COACH RYAN: Yeah, I echoed his sentiments. We talked earlier this week, and as soon as I got off the phone, I said to him tonight before the game, I said, as soon as I got off the phone with you, I said, we're going to be playing each other, and it ended up happening. Some things had to fall into place. They're playing extremely well right now. That was a tournament‑‑ that was a high level NCAA Tournament game right there, if you ask me, as far as the crowd, the intensity, the swings, the up‑and‑down. For us to get that one and get the No.1 seed, these guys are extremely proud to represent the University that way. Q. The rebounding disparity, is that kind of living dangerously for you guys, or do you feel you have other aspects of your game that can overcome that on a regular basis? COACH RYAN: Well, we led in one phase of the game, about a three or four‑minute phase where the rebounding got away from us. But we still hung in there, still tried to get our points in the paint. I don't know what they ended up with on second chance points, but six points on seven offensive rebounds. We had five points on four offensive rebounds. I don't think the disparity shows in where the points were scored and opportunities taken advantage of. On one scenario, they had three offensive rebounds, and then on the fourth, did not score. As long as we kept fighting and they didn't get something out of those offensive rebounds, we were still alive. Q. I want to get your thoughts on this historic No.1 seed for the program. COACH RYAN: Well, I'm sure it'll sink in later, but we were just looking to see who they were going to match us up with so we could get right away to the computer and get all our information on our opponent. And pretty much right now, the main thing is get these guys off their feet, get back. Fortunately, we play Friday and not Thursday, so what we need right now is to get these guys back. We have class tomorrow. Some of these guys have tests. They've got midterms this week. It'll be business as usual for our student‑athletes. We would just like to get them back tonight and get them some sleep. Q. Is this a good game to play going into the tournament as far as high energy, like you said, a tournament atmosphere, or do you have concerns that maybe it's a draining game? COACH RYAN: No, I never think that for‑‑ read that much into things like this. It was how it played out, so you do it, you get back, you get prepared for the next one. I don't really try to read a lot of that stuff into it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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