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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: DES MOINESMarch 18, 2016Daniel HamiltonRodney PurvisShonn MillerDes Moines, Iowa THE MODERATOR: Fresh off the practice court, we have the UConn Huskies. Questions for our student-athletes? Q. Daniel, can you just talk about this challenge, playing Kansas, obviously a famous program, just talk about the challenge and the opportunity that it presents for you and for the team. DANIEL HAMILTON: It presents a great opportunity for the team and, see if we're battle tested, this is a great opportunity to go in and play against one of the best teams in the country to see where we stand, and I think we really got a great chance especially how we been playing lately, the last four games. And if we just continue to keep up the intensity and keep this level of play, I think we will come out with a victory. Q. Daniel, you guys are on such a great run of free throw shooting lately and all season, but can you describe your practice routine and how much importance Coach Ollie places on that? DANIEL HAMILTON: It's real important you know to come down and knock down free throws especially down the stretch like we did yesterday. We turned the ball over a couple of sometimes, but Sterling came in and knocked down some huge free throws. We shot 22 for 23, so that's real important for us to be able to make free throws throughout the course of the game because it helps us win games. Q. Rodney, regarding the free throws, obviously you struggled a little bit early in the season. Have you changed anything in your technique, or did you know all along you could improve your free throw shooting through practice? What has been the cause of your improved free throw shooting lately? RODNEY PURVIS: Just the routine. I know I struggled and I think I was in my head about it too much, and it's really just a mental thing, stepping up to the line, being confident, knowing you're going to make the shot rather than going up to the line and not for sure if you gone make it or not. So my mind-set changed and I've been a good free throw shooter all my life, so it was something that I just -- a hump that I had to get over mentally. Q. For Shonn Miller, Yale obviously struck a blow for Ivy League basketball yesterday, and you obviously have had a lot of success here coming from Cornell. What do you think that says about the caliber and quality of play in Ivy League basketball? SHONN MILLER: Well, people underestimate the athletes in an Ivy League just because it's a smart school and obviously they show the league has gotten better and they can go out and play with anybody. Q. Your coach is 7-0 in the NCAA Tournament. Can you guys describe from your perspective what makes him so good this time of year and what you've gleaned from him with his experience in this format? DANIEL HAMILTON: I think we are just matching his level of intensity, how he want us to play, you know, especially the last four games. I think we just match how he want us to play and we are just going out there and playing with confidence and playing our style of play which is how UConn usually plays. SHONN MILLER: Like he said, he comes to practice and is intense every day and once -- over the course of the season you get to, you know, we all start to come together at the right time it seems like. And he just demands the most out of and you he's not going to stop until he gets it. RODNEY PURVIS: I just don't think his intensity level changes. I don't think it's anything he does different in the postseason rather than the regular season. He's the same guy. His intensity level is never going to change and he expects the best out of each and every one of his guys. May take longer for certain guys to get it, but when it really counts that's not when most guys get it and I think that's why we're clicking now. Q. Shonn, can you talk about what you have to do to contain Kansas inside, obviously Ellis and a lot of good big guys in there? SHONN MILLER: We have to, you know, do our work early, don't let 'em get good post position, hit early, don't let 'em get offensive rebounds, limit their opportunities and move our feet on defense and not foul as much as we did. Q. Guys, Coach talked yesterday, I think, about wanting to have a relationship with you guys so that he feels like he could push you and kind of, you know, try to bring out the best in you more effectively that way. For any of you, maybe talk about that relationship that he's developed with you. SHONN MILLER: Well, you know, when you build that sense of trust you know that -- and he's getting on you really tough it's not like he's picking on you, whatever, he knows how good you can be and how good our team can be. So it's not like when he's getting on you, you know you need to pick your game up. He's right and it will be the best thing and for our team. RODNEY PURVIS: Just to piggyback off what Shonn said it's just a level of trust. He's our coach. We are with him all the time, you know. So he knows his guys. He knows when something is wrong with a guy and his door is always open to talk. That's just helped you build a relationship and to trust that you need to have amongst a player and a coach. DANIEL HAMILTON: Yeah, just what Purvis said, you can go into the locker room and talk to him about whatever, regardless of the situation, even if it's a not-on-the-court issue, that helps out huge when you are on the court because you know you're playing for somebody that really cares for you and you're playing for somebody that is really supporting you on and off court. Q. Shonn, what do you have to do differently to stay out of foul trouble? SHONN MILLER: Not foul. I've just got to move my feet, don't swipe down or anything, just stay solid. Q. You mentioned correctly that Kansas has such great prestige, that name, but in recent years so does Connecticut. I want to ask each of you what does that mean to you and why did you choose Connecticut? RODNEY PURVIS: I chose Connecticut just because of the tradition, you know, just for this situation that we're in now, you know, you come to Connecticut to win games and get to win Championships and that's what it's all about at the end of the day, the great legacy that Connecticut has and I'm just happy to be a part of it. SHONN MILLER: Also, you come because it's a brotherhood. Once you're a part of UConn, once you go here once you're a part of it for the rest of your life. That sense of brotherhood and camaraderie is what sold me on this, too. DANIEL HAMILTON: What Shonn said, you come because of the brother should and it's great to be around each other and playing for each other and with each other, and I also came because Coach Ollie is a really good coach. We come from the same background, Crenshaw, so that's why I came because I thought it was the best situation for me. Q. Rodney, I know you're from Raleigh and Kansas' Devonte' Graham is also from Raleigh. Did you both play for Garner Road at the same time? RODNEY PURVIS: He was on the younger team and I was on the older team. He was definitely one of the younger guys growing up even in the summertimes, and recently we always played in the same pick-up gyms and different things of that nature. So we always had a little relationship and it will be great to get out there and play against him. Q. Rodney, what is the biggest challenge that the Kansas guards will bring to you guys tomorrow night? RODNEY PURVIS: I think our style of play is really similar. All our guards really tack, both teams really attack with their guards, both teams' guards can shoot the ball and it's just going to be a great match-up between the guards and also with the bigs. I think it's going to be a great all-around game. The match-ups are there and I think we will both go out there and leave it all out there. THE MODERATOR: Anything else? We will dismiss you guys. Thanks, gentlemen. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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