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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: DES MOINES

March 16, 2016

Dave Loos

Des Moines, Iowa

THE MODERATOR: At this time we will get an opening statement from Coach Loos. Welcome to Des Moines.

DAVE LOOS: Thank you. Good morning, everybody. It's great to be here. It's been a thrilling experience for our players, coaches, fans, university personnel. We're really excited about this, and I told our guys to make sure they enjoy this experience. That they will be talking about this even at my ripe age. So we're excited about it. Glad to be here.

Q. At 12-17, how do you inspire your team, tell them that there still are dreams out there that you were actually able to realize? But how tough of a sell is that at this point?
DAVE LOOS: We're 18-17 right now. We had some bumps in the road. We had some young guys. We had a lot of new guys, so it was mid-conference season when we really started bringing it together and pulling it together, when I saw that we really had a pulse and started moving forward.

We're playing our best basketball right now. Playing with a lot of confidence. We won four games in four nights in our conference tournament. So they're believing in themselves. We just need to rekindle that now in this tournament.

Q. Coach Loos, when you got the opportunity to finally dissect Kansas and study tape, what immediately jumped out at you?
DAVE LOOS: About Kansas? They're a terrific transition team. They've always really thrived on getting the easy baskets, so we know that we're going to have to get back, make sure that we limit easy baskets against them because they are very, very good in transition.

The other thing that I think they do really well is look for what they call the side lob, where they walk you up the lane in their offense and lob to the corner of the backboard. So we've got to make sure that we keep people in front of us, don't give 'em angles, don't give 'em easy baskets. That's paramount.

Q. Coach, what are you expecting out of Chris Horton in this game with his ankle, and what have you kinda done to make sure he's good to go leading up to this?
DAVE LOOS: Well, you know, we had an extra week off that really benefited us, so Chris was able to get some time off as were the rest of our players.

We didn't have to reconvene with practices until last Wednesday evening, so we had some time to rest. Chris has -- the extra time I think has really benefited him, and I think he will be close to normal.

Q. Khalil Davis mentioned he was excited to play KU having his connections. Have you noticed a difference, a little more upbeat in his attitude or how he's approaching this? Can you tell he's excited?
DAVE LOOS: Khalil is a guy that brings it every day anyway. He's kinda the glue to our team in some ways so he brings a good effort every day, but I know he's excited about this. His dad was a terrific player at Kansas State, and I think he's pretty fired up about this opportunity for sure, but he gives us a good effort every day.

Q. Coach Loos, the odds are not in Austin Peay's favor. How did you get your team to make sure they had the right mentality coming into this game?
DAVE LOOS: You know, I think the right mentality is first of all, make sure that you soak this up and you enjoy this, get out there and have a good time, play hard, we gotta make sure that we don't play reckless. But I only know one way to do this thing and that's aggressively. That's what I want to your guys to do. I want them to be aggressive. I want them to enjoy it. I want them to go for it. We've really got nothing to lose.

So this is a great experience, and I want our guys to take advantage of it, make sure we play hard but be aggressive.

Q. Coach, first of all, when is the last time that you saw your granddaughter and what has her story, combined with what your team has been able to do, what's that been like for you as both a coach and as a grandfather?
DAVE LOOS: Last time I saw her was on TV during an interview on Saturday, which was a thrill. I had no idea that was going to happen. As a matter of fact, when I saw my son's image on the screen and then Rhyan's, I thought I was going to have a tough time making it through that. But we made it, and it was terrific to see them. The whole thing has been tough, but inspiring, because, first of all, the way they have approached this thing and dealt with it, very positively. My son said from the beginning anybody that's going to be around here better have a smile on their face, and that's the way it's been. They've moved forward and they've been positive with it.

The other thing that's been so inspiring is the support that they've gotten and our entire family has gotten, not only in the University of Missouri community but in Tennessee and with the Austin Peay community.

Now this thing, because of people like yourselves has caught on somewhat nationally, so that's comforting to know that you've got the positive thoughts, prayers, contributions. The other thing is it's raised a lot of awareness about pediatric cancer and the need for more research in those areas, so it's been good.

Q. Coach Loos, about that perimeter play at the OVC Tournament, are you expecting to see that here? It was uncharacteristic of Austin Peay.
DAVE LOOS: I guess you're referring to the 16 three-point makes, I certainly hope so. I hope to see that again and as I mentioned to you before, I was afraid that we were kinda falling in glove with the three-point jump shot and I wanted to terribly say would you stop that, but they kept going in. So seemed like the smart thing to do to just let 'em go and I hope they keep going in. We could use some of that early certainly against Kansas.

Q. Coach, when we talked the other day you told me that you and Coach Self came from the same school of coaching, could you elaborate on that?
DAVE LOOS: Coach Self and I met when he was an assistant at Oklahoma State and I was an assistant at University of Memphis, working for Larry Finch, and the two teams played and I knew going into that that there was a connection, because I had played for Moe Iba, the son of Mr. Henry Iba. I have always been interested in hearing Bill talk about Mr. Iba coming to their practices there at Oklahoma State and talking basketball. That's how and when our relationship started and since then it's -- I've always admired the work he does. I think he's one of the best in the business. We've even copied many of the things that they do, so it's been positive, and now it's a matter of seeing him at basketball events, the Final Four or recruiting, things like that.

Q. Going back to Rhyan, are you able to talk to your son or her much? I know she is still going through treatment in New York. How did you balance the emotions of that over the season?
DAVE LOOS: Well, I do talk to him a lot. My wife talks to them a lot, either over the phone or text, you know, whatever. My conversations with Brad are not only about Rhyan and what's going on there, but I think it helps him occasionally to talk basketball. So I think sometimes my wife might get a little jealous because I might get an extra call here and there, but it's usually about basketball, and I think that's helpful.

Basketball has helped me. Rhyan's situation is the last thing you think about at night before you go to bed and the first thing you think about in the morning. Being able to coach and be involved with these guys is somewhat of an escape now and then from it. It's probably benefited, and I think I really tip my cap to Jen, his wife, because she has probably not been more than 10 yards away from Rhyan through this whole ordeal and really doesn't have that escape that we have, for lack of a better term, I guess.

Q. I was just wondering out of all of the times that you have been to this Tournament, has this been more of like a magical ride, breaking all this history, just being here?
DAVE LOOS: Well, I certainly wouldn't want to downplay the three previous trips with Austin Peay teams, but this is special because of where this team was and where they are now.

I mean, in January it didn't look like we were going anywhere, and this team took off and made history as you said by winning four games in four nights against four teams that had beaten us earlier. So it's been fun to watch, for sure, and we have really enjoyed it.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. Best of luck tomorrow.

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