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NCAA MEN'S REGIONAL SEMIFINALS AND FINALS: LOUISVILLEMarch 23, 2016Wayne SeldenPerry EllisCarlton BraggFrank MasonLouisville, Kentucky Q. Is there anything you have to look out for, disadvantages looking against a team that has that length? WAYNE SELDEN JR.: No, they're a good team. They play fast. They can score the ball from all five positions. It's just about guarding. Q. Wayne, what do you think has been the biggest difference for you this season as you've kind of broken out a little as a scorer, particularly in the tournament? WAYNE SELDEN JR.: Being aggressive, it's easy on our guys, the point guards out there, they set me up pretty easily for them. It's easy for them to do. Just being aggressive. Q. How much of it is just experience? WAYNE SELDEN JR.: It's a lot of experience, just going through things. Learning things and you've got to go through some stuff to get to where you're at. Q. Guys' paths cross so much. You mentioned you played at AAU with Jake. He seems like somebody who has needed to develop confidence-wise. Have you seen that maybe as you've watched his career? WAYNE SELDEN JR.: Yeah, I haven't really watched too much in college. But from when he first started playing with us at AAU, in his AAU career, he really grew a lot in the field. Q. What's it like, so many guys will play a lot with somebody at AAU or whatever, and then you'll go against each other in college? What's that like? WAYNE SELDEN JR.: I think when you're fresh out of high school, it's kind of thing, kind of feel some type of way about it. But this deep, we're too competitive to let it even get in the way. Q. Wayne, how are you a different player today than you were at the start of the season? WAYNE SELDEN JR.: I feel like my mindset all season has been pretty much the same, just being more aggressive. Just being more of a presence on the court. Q. How do you explain some of the less productive stretches, as opposed to what you've been able to do the last three, four weeks? WAYNE SELDEN JR.: Everybody's going to go through times where everything's not going well. Nobody's perfect. But it's all about just getting through it. If you're winning at that time, it doesn't matter. Q. You guys obviously got past the first weekend for the first time. Does that take a little bit of a weight off, or are the games just so important at this point? WAYNE SELDEN JR.: We were happy last week with what we accomplished. It's a new week. Q. Is that just kind of the way you look at it? Just each individual new weekend. Then the next little tournament, then the third little tournament? WAYNE SELDEN JR.: Yeah, it's all about the two-game tournament every weekend. But focusing on that one game at a time. Q. Wayne, how nice is it to have so much balance on this team, where it seems like you can have a good game, Perry, Frank, Devonte', anybody can go off? WAYNE SELDEN JR.: It's great because we're not a really predictable team so it's hard to really scout us. Especially how we have so many different weapons. Q. (Indiscernible)? FRANK MASON III: Most of the time, we had a bell that rung every morning. So that pretty much woke us up. Q. There's a lot of good guards in the Sweet 16, like yourself, who are around 6'0". I was wondering if that's kind of a thing that is ever seen as an advantage for yourself or as an obstacle you've had to overcome. Anything that's influenced you kind of emotionally? FRANK MASON III: Well, you know, I really usually don't pay attention to the height. I pay attention to what we can control as a team and as a group. So I just focus in on scouting report, pay attention to details and just believe in my teammates and coaching staff to go out and play every session like it's our last and do everything to give us the best chance to be successful. Q. When you're watching scouting reports and you see how the other team guards, people who play your position guard, do you ever think, hey, I can leverage my dimensions in a certain way? Or is it more just play the defense. FRANK MASON III: Yeah, you know, once we watch a tape, we get a good feel of how they guard. We look at things differently and see how I can attack different ways and see what my teammates can do to make sure that everything is balanced out on the court. We do everything the right way, and those are the things we have to do. Q. What is it about the Terps that make them dangerous? FRANK MASON III: They're a good overall team. They've got all the pieces. They have a good center over there. They have good guard play, good coaching staff. It's just a great traditional program over there. It's good overall. Q. How well did you know Devonte'? You guys were roommates for a year and kept in touch? You played in high school? FRANK MASON III: Yeah, we played in prep school together. He was my roommate. We keep in touch now. We text a little bit. We FaceTime sometimes. So we pretty much talk sometimes. Not a lot, but we keep in touch. Q. Quite a run. Obviously, this thing has continued. When you were 5-3 in Big 12 play, any dream you'd be on this run at this point in the Sweet 16? FRANK MASON III: We always pictured ourselves in this position and we always had confidence that we'd be here in this position. So now it's just we have to keep doing what we've been doing to get us here to this point. That's playing Kansas basketball and guarding and doing things the right way. Q. A little strange to be playing against a team whose head coach is a Jayhawk at this point? FRANK MASON III: Yeah, you know, that's great. I found that out today, that he played back for KU. It's just good to know that no matter where you go, you know someone that played here for KU or for the Jayhawks. It's a good feeling to know that. Q. (Indiscernible)? CARLTON BRAGG JR.: I'd say it has to be attacking and be aggressive. Q. They've got a Kansas guy coaching, who went to school here at KU. He played at KU. Will that play any part? CARLTON BRAGG JR.: I don't think so. Just being part of the game, I guess. Q. Being a young guy, what have you learned so far from Landen and Perry at this point? CARLTON BRAGG JR.: A lot. Cherishing every month, just going through it. Just being a freshman, it can be kind of hard and challenging. Just stay with it. It's hard to keep your confidence when you're not playing as much. It's always so hard and stuff. And learning from Landen, he takes it in most from the coach and says keep your head up and just think about the next play and just think about the future. Q. He said you guys ask a lot of questions. Is that something you think you do? CARLTON BRAGG JR.: Oh, yes, of course. It's a lot of learning. I don't get it the first, second time, I've got to keep asking to get it. Q. Being in the NCAA Tournament, winning the second round, knowing what's in front of you, four games, could be in the Final Four. What's your mentality about that? CARLTON BRAGG JR.: We need to take one game at a time and focus on one game. Focus on this one going in tomorrow. Maryland's really good. It's going to be a challenge for us. Can we stop the transition. They've got one of the best guards in the country, Melo Trimble. It's going to be all about defense. Q. What are you going to be focusing on tomorrow night? CARLTON BRAGG JR.: I'd say just coming in, playing my role, trying to get rebounds, score a couple buckets, and bring energy to the team. Q. Getting here yesterday, practicing today and then having the late game tomorrow night, do you wish you could just get to the game a little bit? CARLTON BRAGG JR.: No, I'd just like to cherish every moment. Every package matters. It's a chance for us to get better, and I like enjoying it. Q. (Indiscernible)? PERRY ELLIS: Every possession counts. Q. Also, you're squaring against Diamond Stone. He's a big-bodied freshman and everything like that. Do you think anything about playing against freshmen like this and then you're a senior? Do you have any thought, feelings about playing against talented freshmen at this level? PERRY ELLIS: I just try to take it as we're both on the same court. We both have to go compete. Like the age, it's something I don't really think about. He's a skilled, skilled player. So it will be a challenge. Q. Have you ever been on either side of a comeback like that in high school? PERRY ELLIS: Not to that extent. That was amazing. It's hard to even describe. Q. (Indiscernible)? PERRY ELLIS: It is. It just goes to show how crazy this month can be. Q. (Indiscernible)? PERRY ELLIS: I would say leaner, yeah. I would say before the season I would try to get in the best shape possible. It definitely played a (indiscernible). Q. Do you know body fat or weight, is your weight down, is your body fat down, any of that stuff? PERRY ELLIS: I would say my body fat's down. I don't know the number, but I would say that's what it was. Q. Do you know your vertical? PERRY ELLIS: It increased every year. With (indiscernible), she does a great job. I know each year, I started jumping better and better. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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