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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: PITTSBURGHMarch 14, 2018Carlik JonesEd Polite, Jr.Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Q. This is for both of you guys. What kind of opportunity does this present to you as a team? ED POLITE, JR: We're going to come out and play each game. No matter what the name says on the jersey, we're going to play hard and play to get a win. CARLIK JONES: I just feel like it's a big game. I'm very excited to be able to play in this game. No matter what the jersey say, we're going to come out and give it our all. Q. It's probably been an interesting last couple weeks since you hit that shot. It's been all over TV. Do you want to explain what that's been like, and two, was playing in the game last night, good for you all to get back the sense of this is about basketball again? CARLIK JONES: Well, the experience after the shot has been great. A lot of people have been messaging me saying congratulations. My phone has been nonstop going off. As far as the last game, I think we all was bought in, we were determined to get this win, that win. We got the job done. Q. Along the same lines, you know, a lot of times, you go into that playing game, a lot of times teams come from mid-major, the excitement you wonder gets to them, but you have to play that game, does it give you a new focus on basketball, and was maybe playing in the playing game good for you all? ED POLITE, JR: I think it was -- it was good for us to give us another game to get our juices flowing again, after having a couple weeks off from -- a week and some change off from the playoffs and winning the championship in the Big South. But no matter what game it is, we're going to win into it with this is a win or go home, so we're going to give it all. Q. Can you just talk about Ed, what you see as the biggest strengths of your ball club throughout the year, your top two or three strengths that you've seen throughout the year for you guys. And also, if you could talk a little bit, what Coach talked about on the air last night about the whole year with you guys picked seventh and how you guys use that as a motivation all year long? ED POLITE, JR: I think our biggest keys on this team is our bench, and just how much juice and energy we bring to each other each and other day, the motivation and all of that. So I think that went along with us being in seventh place and people not believing in us. So that motivated us through the whole season, coaches making sure we knew that people thought we were seventh place, so that made us go out and practice and practice even harder. That played into the game. Q. Can you guys talk about Villanova and what you see? I know you probably had a lot of time to study them, but what do you see about Villanova and what do you all think their strengths in how you all could match up against them? ED POLITE, JR: We know the size is probably going to be different, but, we're going to trouble them with our -- the other advantages we have as well. So we know we got to pressure them, and they're going to try to get into their offense and play iso ball with us, because we're smaller, but we're going to play a five-man defense. We are going to be balling on defense. Nobody is going to play by themselves. Q. Do you know who is going to guard Brunson? ED POLITE, JR: I think any of our guys, whoever checks him is going to give him trouble. Q. Talk a little bit about the season as a whole, so much talk about the win over Liberty. But just, as you guys look back at the year, each of you, just talk about maybe a nonconference game that you played, maybe that stood out that was a great experience to you, maybe could lend to this Villanova game in terms of the big tournament you guys played, in a nonconference. And what did you see as the biggest win for you guys outside of the championship game, outside of that in the South title game. CARLIK JONES: One of the big wins, first, out of the South, is the nonconference game, would be ECU. We played them on their home floor, and was able to get out of there with a big win. I can't really talk about how like -- I can't really compare Villanova and ECU, but, like you said, outside of the conference, I feel like that was a big win for us. ED POLITE, JR: I agree, I think ECU was a big nonconference win, and James Madison was a big nonconference win as well. But I think a lot of teams we should have beaten, we could have beaten in the nonconference like a lot of close games, but not -- I can't name another one. Q. A lot of teams that are in the lower seeds, they talk about Cinderella runs, or miracle wins. Coach Jones went through one with Virginia Commonwealth when they got to the Final Four. Has he talked to you all about how it's not your dream, if you do the right things, it can become a reality? CARLIK JONES: Yes, all of the time. He just talked about just playing hard for one another, just being us, don't try to be a hero, or try to do things that you haven't done all year, just, you know, come in as a team, play as a team, fight for one another, and maybe the outcome would be good. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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