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NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FINAL FOURApril 1, 2016Lon KrugerIsaiah CousinsKhadeem LattinRyan SpanglerJordan WoodardBuddy HieldHouston, Texas THE MODERATOR: We're joined now by Lon Kruger, head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners. We'll start with questions for Coach Kruger. Q. Jay talked a little bit yesterday about how his style of coaching and what he does works perfectly at Villanova, and it may not work anywhere else. What do you think have been the qualities in your career that have allowed you to go to various schools and programs and succeed at each of them? COACH KRUGER: Well, I think Jay does such a good job. First of all, I can't imagine him doing a great job everywhere because of what he does, how he does it. I've always admired the way his teams played, responded to him, played together. I think that probably works everywhere. I think our approach is very transparent. It's about time, investing time in players, working together, developing plans together, asking a lot of questions. I think our function as coaches is to create an atmosphere, an environment, in which they want to be around, by being positive hopefully, reinforcing confidence, promoting them, protecting them at times. They come early to practice, if they stay late, they want to be there, we're probably doing the right thing. If they come late to practice, get away right after, we don't see them very much, then it's probably on us. We feel that's our function, to create that environment. They want to get there and work to be great every day. Q. Something a little off topic from Villanova. I'm wondering how you handle players transferring out of your program. Do you have any policies that might restrict where they can go? Also, do you think it would be beneficial if the NCAA had some type of standardized policy for transfers? COACH KRUGER: Each case would be unique. It's hard to say just put a blanket over everything. It's hard to say as it relates to guys transferring out. I think the NCAA continues to try to get to a point where it's a little bit more standardized, and yet we're a work in progress, it appears. Fifth-year transfer that's kind of bounced around a little bit. Coaches change jobs, that kind of bounces around a little bit. I think it's more individualized, more each situation is treated a little bit differently, for good or bad. Q. How have you handled the Final Four, being as big as it is? Have you kind of restricted players, let them enjoy it? How have you handled everything compared to the other two rounds? COACH KRUGER: We're basically the same thing. Obviously it's bigger. We talked to players on Sunday about, When we leave town Wednesday, let's have all the ticket issues dealt with, knowing what family is going to be there, let's really get that work done early so when we go to Houston, we can focus more on what's happening in Houston. While they've been here, we've had a couple blocks each day where they've had time with family and friends in the afternoons. We want them to experience that. We want them to look around. We want them to take it in, yet not lose focus on winning a two-game tournament, as they've done the last two weekends. This group's done a good job of that. They understand what's at stake. They understand the stage. They understand how good the opponents are. Yet they've been able to relax and enjoy time with family, as well. Q. We talked to Joe Castiglione yesterday. He kind of recalled the story of you turning him down twice when he flew out to Las Vegas and said, I really want to meet with you. You turned him down two times. I asked him why he was so persistent. Why were you so reluctant and what made you come around? COACH KRUGER: Well, I wasn't reluctant about Oklahoma at all. Barb and I loved living in Las Vegas, we love the people in Las Vegas. Very ingrained in the community. Barb was terrific with a lot of different charitable organizations. We just kind of went there with the idea that that would be our last stop. We really didn't think about anything else. But Joe was persistent. We're obviously pleased -- we miss the folks in Las Vegas, but we're very, very happy with what's happening in Norman, love the people in Norman, look forward to finishing up there. Q. We also talked to Steve Henson yesterday. He recalled playing a game of 'Follow the Leader' at your home in Florida. He said he was in the peak of his career, just finished playing. He said you held your own with him shooting-wise. After three and a half hours, he said you needed to change your shoes, you were bleeding through your socks. What do you recall about that day and why was it important to keep playing with Steve? Does that maybe define a little about you? COACH KRUGER: Well, Steve during the off-season, he played eight or nine years professional. During the off-season he would always come back and work out wherever we were. I remember we had several of those types. It was nothing more than shooting, not moving around or jumping a lot. We had a lot of those fun battles. Probably took that long because I was probably behind most of the way and we had to keep going to get a chance to catch up (smiling). No, he was terrific. Always appreciated him. Excited for him and Lew now with Steve going to the University of Texas San Antonio as a head coach and how going to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Very excited. They'll both do a great job, terrific with players, be great in the community. Barb and I love the valley. San Antonio, as well. Give us an extra reason to get down there and visit a little bit more often. Q. I know you got asked a lot yesterday, as did your players, about shooting in a big arena like this. There are some stats that say since the elevated floor has come in, shooting percentages have lagged a little bit. Do you feel there's so many other factors that it can't just be that? COACH KRUGER: Shooting is important, especially for our club. I was pleased yesterday. So much conversation about it, the players get asked about the stadium effect. I was pleased yesterday that we did shoot it well. The first couple were pretty bad. I was thinking, Don't let this get in their head. After that, we shot it pretty normally. I think the players came away from there comfortable that all those questions are just that, really didn't play into the way they shot it. But there are so many other things. Getting loose balls, trying to get easy buckets. Baskets oftentimes are tough to come by at this point. Especially as good as Villanova is defensively. I thought we were pretty sound defensively last weekend in Anaheim. We know possessions are important. Try to emphasize that, try to get as many easy baskets as we can and also knock down some shots. Q. What is the biggest distraction to you and your team during the Final Four? COACH KRUGER: Well, the setting itself. I think the stage itself. So many people from all over the world travel here to be a part of this. We have the honor of being one of the four teams playing. The attraction, what it will mean to the players most of their lives, is the most important thing to me. Even though they don't fully realize it right now. They'll share a special bond with everyone involved in this event. They'll share a special bond with the city of Houston. They'll have that logo, you know, in their mind the rest of their lives. Even though they don't fully realize it today, just how much that will mean to them throughout their lives. Whenever they talk to teammates or think of the city of Houston, they'll have that special memory of them being one of the four teams here. It's great. It's an honor to be here. I want them to fully appreciate it and not ever take even playing in the NCAA tournament for granted. Q. Villanova used more zone than they have under Jay this year. When you see it, what do you tell your guys? What do you see as the reason that you guys have been able to be so effective against any zone? COACH KRUGER: Baylor zoned. We haven't been zoned very much. Baylor does, Texas a little bit. Really, our guys, we've seen very little zone other than that. Our guys seem to kind of perk up when they see zone. We got a lot of guys that shoot it well. Ryan passes the ball well out of the middle. Khadeem is pretty good with it on the baseline. We've had good rhythm, good movement of the ball. Then we shoot it in rhythm. We've seen zone. We've had the good fortune of stepping up and making shots to where people haven't played it very much. But Villanova's zone is good. We'll have to step up and make shots to hopefully not have them want to stay in it. Q. I saw where Kelvin spoke to your team this morning. What was the occasion there? Was that a planned thing, circumstance? What kind of message did he have for your guys? COACH KRUGER: We had our practice at the University of Houston this morning, their new practice facility, which is outstanding. Kelvin was gracious enough to come by and meet our guys beforehand and talk to them about how proud he was for them, how happy he was for them, wish them luck, tell them to enjoy it, embrace it. Hollis Price was there as well. It was really nice of him. Our guys appreciated that. He and Karen are good friends. We've known them for a long, long time. Done a terrific job with the Houston program already. Got that going in a great direction. Q. You've talked about the Oklahoma brand, one of the things that attracted you to Norman. Generally that means football, the overshadowing of other sports with football. Oklahoma basketball, you now have been in Final Fours with four different coaches. I think only four schools have had more coaches take them to the Final Four. What does that mean about the Oklahoma basketball job going way back? COACH KRUGER: Outstanding basketball tradition. Obviously football's terrific. Coach Stoops is fantastic, as are all the other sports, whether it be gymnastics, golf, tennis. It's just a terrific department. The relationships among the coaches in the department are outstanding. They're supportive of each other. The athletes are supportive of each other. That goes back to Joe C and his leadership, without question. But tradition is great. Start listing the all-time great players at Oklahoma, you're kind of awed by the names on that list. If you started listing them, you go pretty deep in terms of names that are very recognizable, have had a big impact in college basketball. Q. Will you take anything away from the game in December when you won by 23? COACH KRUGER: Not a lot. When you line up against people, oftentimes at this point, you're not really sure how big they are, how fast they are, until you get out there. We kind of know that about each other. That's probably the takeaway. But other than that, they didn't make shots, we did on that particular day. Watching film, video of that game. I was hoping to see us be just better. That wasn't the case. They just didn't make shots and we did. Otherwise, it was an even game with a couple minutes to go in the second half. Could have gone either way. They made three or four and we missed them. Our guys have great respect for Villanova. We've watched them be the No. 1 team much of the latter part of the season, the last four to six weeks, watched them play a lot, know how good their players are and the great job that Jay does. Q. When you look for keys to your game to win, do they change, or do you have basic key things you have to do every game no matter who the opponent is? COACH KRUGER: We start with a core group of things. Transition defensively is always big to us. Rebounding is always big to us. Those are two things. You're trying not to give up easy baskets to the opponent. Loose balls, trying to get loose balls. Trying to do things all teams want to do. We try to focus on each of those areas, moving the ball offensively, creating opportunities for each other, trying to get out in transition, trying to get some pace to the game. We're much more comfortable when we're able to do that. Villanova has been very good doing either, playing with pace or halfcourt. But then you kind of tweak it for the individual opponent. Villanova's got so many things to worry about, that you have to address. It's not just one player or one piece of the game, they do so many different things well. Q. Oklahoma met Villanova early in the season, the Sooners prevailed. How has the team prepared to replicate these results in tomorrow afternoon's game? COACH KRUGER: We'd love to see that. Easier said than done. They're a different team right now. They're playing with a great amount of confidence, shooting the ball very well. Didn't shoot it well on that day. They guard with passion. They're very sound defensively. They've got Ochefu, the big guy inside, surrounded by four guys on the perimeter. They do a lot of things well. Jay's teams generally do that. Again, very sound on the defensive end, share the ball on the offensive end. Very unselfish. We've got to play well to have a chance to win. Q. Jay believes throughout the season, Villanova has become increasingly more skilled when playing the game. Do you feel like your team has also improved since you played Villanova last? COACH KRUGER: I believe we certainly have. Villanova is playing great. I feel like we're coming out of a couple weekends where we've played probably as well as we have, especially late in the year. On the defensive end I thought we had a couple really good stretches in both the Texas A&M game and the Oregon game last weekend. Able to create a little bit of a margin because of that. Feel good about the way our guys are playing. As Jay has said, I think both clubs are playing with as much confidence right now as we have all year. Q. The media contingent here is so large. Buddy is such a big star. Any fear on your part that it's all too much for him? COACH KRUGER: It is different, no question about that. Yet Buddy has handled all that very well. Even though it's different here, it's grander, he's been remarkable in how he's handled it. He passes, deflects praise to his teammates. He's always talking about team. He's very proud and very confident of what he's accomplished, and yet he always includes team, always includes teammates, always talking about Isaiah, about Jordan, about Ryan, about the other seniors. I think because of that, it's kind of routine and yet bigger when you get here. Mitch Heckart and others, our sports information, have done a really good job of helping Buddy manage time. Again, we try to get a lot of that dealt with on Monday, Tuesday, early in the week, so when we come here, we've got specific issues to address and take care of. Q. When you have a Player of the Year like Buddy, it can become a monster unto itself. How have the other guys handled all this attention and stayed kind of levelheaded with all the attention going to Buddy? COACH KRUGER: That's a great point. The potential for that, when one guy garners so much attention, so many accolades. Yet because of the way Buddy's handled it, the other guys have fallen right no line. They recognize Buddy is at the core of everything we do offensively. Yet they also know that because of attention Buddy gets from defenses, they've got to be able to step up and deliver when needed, and those other guys have done that time after time. Jay has said, It's not just Buddy, the other guys are good players. Buddy knows that. The game against Texas A&M in Anaheim last weekend, I thought it showed as much security out of a big-time scorer as I've ever seen. A&M face guarded him, got up into him. Because of that, Buddy was able to keep his defensive guy out of the rotation defensively, get some lobs to the bucket. Buddy was able to set some screens, get 10 rebounds. He was the happiest guy in the arena. Afterwards, when Jordan stepped up and made shots, Isaiah stepped up and made shots, Ryan, Christian James, other guys played well. Buddy knows, and the team knows, they need each other, they really do. It's not a case of Buddy being able to do it without the others or the others being able to do it without Buddy. Again, I think their experience, their maturity, being an older group has allowed them to handle that pretty well. It really hasn't been an issue at all. That's to their credit. Q. What must Ryan and Khadeem do well tomorrow night for you guys to win? COACH KRUGER: When we've played our best, Khadeem has been a big factor blocking shots, right handing the ball, defensively in the low post. He's been very active here of late. He's been able to stay out of foul trouble here of late. Few games there, he picked up that second foul early, midway into the first half. That was limiting him a little bit. We need him to avoid that second foul. Ryan just needs to bring that energy that he brings, that desire to rebound the basketball, the ability to knock down a shot or two, maybe score a little bit in the low post, offensive boards. But just most importantly, just that personality of leaving it all out there, great awareness defensively that he has. He's kind of our leader defensively from the interior. We need those guys to step up and have big games, no question about it. Q. Did you have to say anything to these guys or how much was it understood that Buddy was going to be the guy, they would fall in line so they weren't trying to get there to impress scouts, things we've seen on some other teams with a star player that didn't work as well? COACH KRUGER: Going in, we didn't anticipate Buddy scoring, whatever, 25-plus, whatever he's at now. Early on it kind of evolved that way pretty quickly. We didn't go in expecting that. But the players know where the ball needs to go. They know who can get results for them. They had no trouble throwing it to Buddy. Buddy's done a good job, too. Buddy doesn't force many shots. He is a high-percentage shooter. Some of them may be a little bit guarded, but they're still shots Buddy can make. I can probably count in 37 games, whatever we've played, you know, he just hasn't taken many bad shots. With a scorer like that, you're going to give him a lot of freedom, which we do, but he hasn't abused it. The other players appreciate that, as well. Q. We've seen the support from the fan base, whether they're traveling to the games or meeting the team in Norman at all hours of the night. What has that support meant to you this season? COACH KRUGER: It's meant a lot. This group of seniors and players, you know, have affected our culture, and will have that effect many years after they're gone. The fans have fallen in love with this group because they've gotten to know them, a lot of seniors. They like the joy they play with. They like their unselfishness. They play with that enthusiasm. They practice that way. We get a lot of fans at practice every day. I think they get to know them from that as well. The student turnout has been fantastic. That's kind of the cornerstone for any atmosphere on any college campus. The arena has been sold out every game. That's because of these guys. They've been fantastic. They give back to the community. They do a great job academically. I think all that together, the fans really appreciate being represented by this group. THE MODERATOR: We'll have the student-athletes join us. We'll continue with questions. Q. Coach, how are you balancing allowing the guys to enjoy the moment, to soak it all in, visit family and friends, versus the hardcore preparation for an actual game? COACH KRUGER: Yeah, that's our goal in coming here, we want them to take it in. We want them to see it, feel it, look around, not leave thinking, I didn't know all that went on at a Final Four, yet not cross that line and lose focus on why we're here, which is to win a two-game tournament. This group with the leadership and maturity of our older guys, they've done a good job with that. They've been focused throughout the year at moments where they've needed to be. This is no different. They've practiced well this week. They've practiced well since we've been in Houston, yet enjoyed some time with family and friends. We want them to do that. Again, all this is great. It's all grand. But the memories that these guys are taking from here are very special. The thing that I'm most excited about for them, because they're here for a few days, but those memories are forever. They'll think about each other every time they talk about the Final Four. They'll think about the Final Four every time they talk to each other. I know how special that will be for them. Q. Lon, what are some specific ways that coaching day-to-day is easier when you have four guys who have triple-digit college games they've played? COACH KRUGER: It makes it much easier, not just because they've started consecutively whatever number of games, but because of the way they have approached each day with their work ethic, the team-first type attitude, their selflessness in terms of not caring really about who gets it done, but just moving the ball. They know each other very well. They know where the ball needs to be. They do that day after day after day. We never have to talk about enthusiasm. We never have to talk about energy. We never have to talk about getting up extra shots. It makes coaching a lot easier when you have a group like this. Q. Lon, I've discovered that your college nickname was Slick. Can you tell us who gave you the name and what is its origin? The world needs to know. COACH KRUGER: I have no idea what you're talking about (smiling). BUDDY HIELD: He knows. Tell us. COACH KRUGER: I'd like to say it started because I was pretty smooth, you know, yet it was probably more about the haircut. I started growing up, I was one of six children, five boys. We didn't want to spend that money on a barber. Dad bought himself a pair of clippers. The only thing he could kind of do was give us a burr cut. I think that's probably what it started with, kind of the haircut, that burr look back in that day. Wish I could give you a more exciting answer, but that was about it (smiling). Q. Isaiah, back to the LSU game. So much obviously was focused on Buddy Hield. He had a great game. Coach was talking about the fact that he doesn't abuse the fact that he's going to take a lot of shots. When you took that game winner, it was set up for you, how much did that sort of help your confidence and almost sort of change the dynamic of this team that you didn't always have to rely on Buddy Hield? ISAIAH COUSINS: That game, from a standpoint, I was a lot confident just making shots and making plays for my teammates. Basically just feeding off Buddy. I know if people focus so much on Buddy, I know that we have players on the team that can make shots, even myself. I could just find rhythm and just make a shot for my teammates. Q. Khadeem, we hear a lot and we write a lot about what a nice guy Lon Kruger is, what a gentle soul he is. People that know him say he's ultra-competitive. Is that something that you recognize, as well? On the inside is he as competitive as any other coach? KHADEEM LATTIN: Definitely. Coach Kruger, he's calm and even-keeled, but he's a competitor and a fierce competitor. He hates losing as much as we do. Q. The coach addressed this earlier, a question on the NRG effect, that teams tend to shoot a little worse here. Wondering how it affects you guys. Can you describe how shooting is here compared to other arenas. JORDAN WOODARD: It's just 94 feet with two goals. Coach, he going to expect us to make shots no matter where we at. We have to make shots in order to win. BUDDY HIELD: Like Jordan say, we just got to go down and make shots. We've been making shots all week. We shouldn't have the effect of shooting in an arena. I know it's big, but we going to light it up tomorrow for sure. Q. Ryan, the Final Four is such a big event, I know you guys have been to a tournament before, you've won games to get here. Talk about everything you guys have done this week and how that affects you. How do you keep that from overwhelming you? RYAN SPANGLER: I think coach has kind of split our time up pretty good. We have time in the day where we can hang out with our family and friends. That's time when you take in the Final Four and cherish it. Then you have time when you have practice and film. That's time when you lock in and, you know, focus on the game. We want to take this Final Four in, but at the same time we have to stay focused and get ready for tomorrow. Q. Ryan, do you now expect to start calling coach Slick? RYAN SPANGLER: He might make us run for that. But that's a good name. He's pretty slick at everything he does, whether that's drawing plays on the board or what. He's pretty smart. That name fits him pretty good. BUDDY HIELD: He ain't going to make us run no more, we done, so...(smiling) THE MODERATOR: Thank you for joining us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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