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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: BUFFALO

March 17, 2017

Buffalo, New York

THE MODERATOR: Okay. We've joined now by Villanova student-athletes, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Congrats on advancing to tomorrow. You guys will be playing Wisconsin in the second game tomorrow night.

Q. Josh, after watching the film of last night's game, obviously you had to be happy with the second half. First half, can you put your finger on just what was going on with you guys?
JOSH HART: No. No. We haven't really watched the film of that. And right now, we can't. We've got to focus on Wisconsin, so whatever happened, happened. We've got to play better. We're not dwelling on that, we just got to know what we got to do tomorrow.

Q. Josh, the thing that you and Wisconsin have in common, you have a lot of veteran players. Can you talk about just the experience you gained, just staying in school all these years? What has it done for you?
JOSH HART: You know, it gave me a lot of insight into the college basketball game. You see so many different defenses, able to read certain things better. You're not as anxious or nervous during big games or tough situations. You know, that really helps you just be collected the whole game. That's really it. It's always good to have that experience.

You know, Jalen, who is only a sophomore, who -- Coach always calls him an old soul. So having him out there, then you have Darryl, Kris, myself, Mikal, who is into the end of his second year, guys who are experienced, who played in the tournament last year, who played in the National Championship game, guys just aren't rattled.

Q. Villanova has a history of graduating its kids, four-year kids, Kyle is the only classmate that ever left early. When you finished last season, was it a difficult decision for you? I know you put your name and tested the waters in the draft. What was the ultimate decision and what did it come down to?
JOSH HART: It just came down to the best situation for my family and myself, and that was the biggest thing. Anyone that knows me knows that the first thing and my main priority, I want to take care of my parents. That's the biggest thing with me. And I knew I had that chance last year, and if I did leave, teams said they would take me and it wasn't where I wanted to be.

So it wasn't just -- I didn't want to just get there and take care of my parents for a year or two. I wanted to have a long career in the league, and I'm going to take care of them for the rest of their lives. That was ultimately the decision for me. So when I got all of that information, and I just sat down and thought about it, it was an easy decision.

Q. Jalen, why does your coach call you an old soul?
JALEN BRUNSON: I just -- I think just Coach, me and Coach felt like we've had a bond these past couple years, and I felt like we've connected since the day he started recruiting me. So when -- just going back to those days, we were always talking, we were always on the same page and the same mindset, so I think that's why he considers me an old soul.

Q. Jalen, Wisconsin hit 13 threes last night and Koenig hit eight. Just wondering how you're planning to control the arc there and make sure they doesn't break loose for three?
JALEN BRUNSON: We definitely have to find Koenig, he's a great shooter, but they're a great shooting team. They're real balanced. They have a great post game, great perimeter shooters, and we're just going to go out there and play Villanova basketball and defend hard and rebound the ball and really just play together.

Q. Josh, what does concern you most about Wisconsin and how dangerous are they as an 8?
JOSH HART: Very dangerous. You see how well-balanced they are. I think that's the biggest thing. If a team is just all post game, and you're able to kind of shut down their post game, then at times, you can kind of have an easier route. But with them, they're so well-balanced, with having Nigel down there, then you have Brunson, and Showalter out there shooting threes, so the balance of that team is going to be a challenge.

Again, like I said, we have to go out there and play Villanova basketball for 40 minutes, defend the rebound, and just play our butt off, and see where that gets us.

Q. Kris has been struggling with his shot recently. What kind of supporting role do you play when you have a teammate that's lost his way a little bit. Are you supportive, tell him to keep shooting or do you kind of stay away from him?
JOSH HART: Tell him to shoot. I tell him if I pass you the ball, and you're open, one, two, step and let it fly. That's what he does. He's a great shooter. When you're a great shooter, you don't worry about slumps. And he's a great shooter, and I just know his mindset. Every one that he's going to shoot is going to go in. As a great shooter, you don't worry about the ones you miss, you have a short-term memory. And that's how he is. Just tell him to keep shooting.

Q. Obviously, you win this last year. Was there like an aha moment, a moment of clarity at any point, whether it be the offseason or early this year where you're like, you know what? I want to do this again.
JOSH HART: April 5th, you know, that's the first time I thought about it, then went the whole -- the testing-the-water process. I told Coach on the 24th or 25th of May. That's when I had the aha moment. I say I want to do this again. So, that's something we've been working towards since the summer, and something that we got to continue to work on, and we've got to keep being coachable and being better.

To answer that question, May 25th, when I took my name out of the draft, I had that aha moment, I want to do it again.

THE MODERATOR: Jalen, how about you?

JALEN BRUNSON: Probably the same thing. I definitely didn't have the process you did last year. But I just think that we definitely have some key pieces coming back next year. We definitely have a group of young guys that are still hungry and still wanting to get better. I mean, that's definitely in the back of my mind, winning another National Championship. But we want to take care of business, so I just focus on our next game. That's what we did last year in the tournament. We just focus on one game at a time and eventually got there.

Q. Josh, Wisconsin has a reputation as a defensive-oriented team. What kind of challenges does that defense present? Does it remind you of anybody that you played?
JOSH HART: A team like Seton Hall, a Butler, a very tough, physical defensive-minded team and we know that. We know that's how they play. We've just got to be aggressive. We can't second-guess ourselves or get in and not try to -- get in the paint or break down the defense and not try to score. We got to be aggressive, play Villanova basketball, and let that take care of itself.

You know, when you get this late in the tournament, no one's playing that it's an easy win. Every one is a tough team. We know that, we know they're going to make runs, and, we've got to play Villanova basketball.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions for either Josh or Jalen?

Q. Watching the game yesterday with you guys on the floor, there seems to be, like, you can almost kind of communicate just by looking at each other. Talk about sort of the closeness amongst you guys as a team. Of all of the teams I saw here this weekend, you guys sort of work together as one of the best.
JOSH HART: Yeah. That's just how close we are. You know, we're close on the court, we're close off the court. And that really translates to us playing. Now, I don't know how many times Jalen would just look at me and I just know exactly what he's trying to get to me. So, that just shows how close we are, and shows that we don't care about our individual success. We want each other to have success. That's really about it. So, when you have guys you just genuinely love, and you're just connected with on a different level, you know what each other is trying to say.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Josh, Jalen, thanks for your time. Good luck tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Joined by Villanova coach, Jay Wright.

Q. Wisconsin's won more games in the tournament than any other team in the last four years. They've beaten 2's, they've beaten 1's. Looks like the worst 8 you can run into right now. How are you and your team approaching that in?
JAY WRIGHT: I agree with you exactly. I agree with you 100 percent. They are a great 8 seed. Everywhere in this tournament, teams that know how to win. Mount St. Mary's last night, they had a great plan. They knew how to win the game. We just look at it like next game. We love playing great teams, we really do, and we look forward to it.

Q. You guys played kind of a shaky game against Seton Hall in the Big East tournament, responded with a great game against Creighton. Shaky game last night. What is it about your guys that they seem to respond after less than stellar performances with some of your better performances of the year?
JAY WRIGHT: I think the guys are just coachable, and humble enough to look at their performance and be honest about where they've got to improve as opposed to making excuses, or blowing it off, like, you know, it doesn't matter. Our guys looked at the last game, and I think -- I hope you'll see a better performance tomorrow afternoon.

Q. Jay, several of your players mentioned Butler as a comparison to Wisconsin. How do you view that comparison and how troubling is that given what Butler was able to do to you guys this year?
JAY WRIGHT: They are similar in a lot of ways with their pack-line defense, their physicality. And Butler shoots threes better than people know. Wisconsin shoots them really well as we all saw last night. It's a very similar type of game, and it's going to be a struggle. And I actually think Wisconsin's bigger, even bigger, than Butler, so probably even tougher. But let's hope we learn from those games.

Q. Jay, Happ presents a unique set of challenges for a big with his skill set, not something you see every day, not something you practice against every day or work against. Tell me about the challenge you see for your guys, specifically with Happ. They've got good bigs, him specifically.
JAY WRIGHT: Yeah. He's got the best hands of any player of his size we've played against, and also the best feet. So, individually, if you took the best feet or the best hands, he's got them. And put them together in the same guy, right, that's a really tough match-up, in that he could score in there, but he passes extremely well out of there. And he can -- if he's got size, he can score over you, and if you have size on him, he can score around you with his ball handling. He's a great ball handler. He's a really tough match-up.

And what really makes them good, is that he can score on you, and he can play like a point guard and he can get Koenig and Showalter threes himself.

Q. I was just in the locker room. I don't know who won, but you guys were huddled around the phone, rooting for Seton Hall, their conference rival, of course. I was wondering if you could speak a little about what kind of -- for fans and for people like you who are interested in it, what the NCAA Tournament brings in terms of fan experience, especially compared to some other sports events, especially compared to something like the NBA playoffs which are same sport, but it's a kind of different feel?
JAY WRIGHT: Yeah. I think what's unique about the NCAA Tournament, is that everybody in the country feels a part of it, and everybody fills out their bracket, and everybody kind of connects to a team or two, no matter who you are. And then I think it's become almost a holiday, you know, an extended holiday in our country. I think it's the best sporting event in our country in terms of bringing our whole country together.

And then you have the inside part of it, with the passionate fans connected to their schools and following them on the ride, you know, in states and cities that just take on the school even if it's not their school. I just think it's one of the most unique and really the most entertaining sporting event in our country.

Q. Jay, Jalen was up here earlier and said that you referred to him as an old soul. I was wondering what gave him that quality in your eyes?
JAY WRIGHT: He's really mature for a 20-year-old. He's, sometimes I think, more mature than me. During games, I can get more emotional and sometimes out of control than he does, and he'll come to me and say we got this, Coach, we're all right, Coach.

He looks at every practice like a coach. He dissects everything we do, and he looks at the game like an old-school guy, you know? Like one of those NBA guys from the 1980s, just an intelligent skill-oriented game. I love all of that about him.

Q. And to follow up on that, is that why there's a trust level on your part? He had two offensive fouls, I think, in the first half, but you didn't go away from him. You were confident that he would make the right decision when he got in the lane?
JAY WRIGHT: Exactly. And last year, we started him out as a freshman on a really experienced team because he acts like a guy that's been in four NCAA Tournaments, even though he's only been in one. But he handles everything like he's been here, you know, four times, and that's the old soul. He just acts like a really experienced person.

Q. Jay, Nigel Hayes has been on the big stage for a long time. You've probably seen him for years. How do you think he's developed as his game has developed? He seems to be playing quite well. What kind of match-up issue is he?
JAY WRIGHT: Yeah. He's a nightmare matchup, and sometimes when you've been in college basketball for four years, in the regular season, you know, you realize at some point, okay, the NCAA Tournament is coming up. That's the big show. And it kind of looks to me that's what he did. When the NCAA Tournament hit, he's ready to go. In the Big Ten Tournament also.

He's developed as a passer, decisionmaker, and shooter, you know? When he first came in, he's kind of a rugged, aggressive guy, energy guy. Now, he's just a complete basketball player. He can shoot it from three, he can drive it, he passes it, he posts up. He's a great defender on the perimeter and the post. It's pretty complete. It's pretty scary how I just described those two guys and they are on the same team, right? It's a good team.

Q. This time last year, Jay, you had to get out of this game to be a success outwardly. What do you have to do in this game to be a success outwardly?
JAY WRIGHT: That's a good question, Dana. Man, I don't know. Like, I think there's varying opinions publicly on where -- probably this team would have to get to the Final Four to be a -- you know, you're a one seed, you're supposed to get to the Final Four, get out of your bracket. That's probably what we have to be to be a success. And as you know, we accept that, we'll take it. We're not going to define ourselves that way, but we do get it.

Q. Jay, we all know Wisconsin is known for their defense and their numbers always great. I mean, you guys' numbers aren't that much different than theirs are. What do you feel about the way your defense played this year and what is unique about how you play defense?
JAY WRIGHT: I think we've gotten better towards the end of the year here, Joe. I think in that Seton Hall game in the Big East tournament, our defense saved us. We couldn't score. I think last night, second half, our defense saved us, and we take pride in it. We play a lot differently defensively than Wisconsin, and we take more chances. We trap more, we press more. We change up defenses more. They are really, really solid and physical, and locked in, and it's really different styles, it really is.

But as you said, you look at the numbers, we're both trying to accomplish the same thing. They rebound well, they hold their opponents to low percentage and they try to take away threes.

Q. Do you expect them tomorrow to be (inaudible).
JAY WRIGHT: I do. I do. I wish it wouldn't be that way, but I think they're going to be able to do that to us. I learned over the years you can try, but against those real good teams, it usually doesn't work. You better figure out how to play in their grind.

Q. Wisconsin comes to mind as a team that can really shoot threes. A lot of teams are, everybody is. Can you describe how that has evolved as a strategy since you've been coaching minutes your days at Hofstra?
JAY WRIGHT: It is. Defenses have really changed, and defensive concepts have really changed since even I was an assistant coach, in that we were all so help-oriented and protect the paint and don't give up easy baskets. And now sometimes you give up an easy basket and say, thank God it wasn't a three. So it is a completely different defensive philosophy, and the guys of our era have had to adjust a lot.

The younger head coaches, right now, are -- they came up that way. It's kind of interesting to see some of the things they do, because they've come into the game defending the three-point line.

Q. Jay, I've just been asking all of the coaches, with the N.I.T. experimenting with the four-quarter format, what's your opinion on that? Are you in favor of the game moving that way? Why or why not?
JAY WRIGHT: You know, I don't know yet. I guess that would say I'm not in favor yet, but I'm really interested in seeing how this works. Women's basketball went this year for the first year and I didn't get to -- our women's coach is a really bright guy, and he's a longtime coach. I want to talk to him about that in the off season.

But I am interested in it. I would like to see the game be the same internationally, NBA, college. I would like to see it be the same game or as close as possible.

Q. You guys were in a dogfight yesterday at halftime and you came out in a completely different gear. What was the message to your guys at halftime? They obviously seemed to respond to it?
JAY WRIGHT: For a good story, I would love to tell you I went in there and ripped them, and they all came out fired up, but I really didn't. I just sensed -- as I said earlier, we had a little nerves. I sensed we were a little bit taken back by their speed and quickness, and they did a great -- you got to give them credit, they did a great job of holding the ball until late in the possession and then letting their little guards go and create plays, and it was working.

So, we didn't score until about 14 minutes to go in the first half. It was only about seven or eight possessions. So they just had a great game plan. It was working for a while. We had to stick to ours, and it eventually worked out. That's really we did. I wish I could give you a better story.

Q. When you look at Wisconsin film, they obviously play well through the Big 10 Tournament and played well last night, but they struggled going into the Big 10. What do you and your coaching staff focus on more? Where they struggled two, three weeks ago or what they're doing now?
JAY WRIGHT: That's a good question. That's an interesting question for all coaches. We always look at the last game. Because we feel like coaches -- you know, if they played well in the last game, they're going to do a lot of the things they did before. If they didn't play well in the last game, they're going to change some things.

So, we spend a lot more time on the last game, but then we go back in importance, less importance, the further they are from this game.

Q. Jay, you spoke about this a little bit last night. Kris, and his shooting. You said you've spoken to him about that and keep encouraging him to keep firing away. How does he respond to that, what kind of feedback does he give you in those exchanges?
JAY WRIGHT: He's great, man. A lot of guys -- we have a term, shoot'em up, sleep in the streets. Kris lives that better than anybody that we've ever had. Scotty Reynolds was one of the best, and Kris is in that category. They just -- they don't fear a 2 for 13 night. I've been asked a lot by a lot of people, good basketball journalists, that I know were around for a long time say, what about Kris, what about Kris, is he going to be okay? It doesn't bother him at all. That's what I love about him. I want all of our guys to be like that.

Sometimes the younger guys, if they have a couple -- miss a couple shots, they don't want to take the next shot. And we don't want them to play that way. We tell them, if we have you out there on the court, we have confidence in you to shoot. Really, he's the least of my worries.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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