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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: WICHITAMarch 16, 2018Rob GrayCorey Davis, Jr.Devin DavisGalen Robinson, Jr.Wichita, Kansas Q. Galen and Cory, just looking at what Rob did last night, how important is it moving forward that most nights you guys haven't had just one guy or relied on one guy for most of the scoring. How important is it moving forward to get somebody else involved in the offense? GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: Definitely. It's definitely important. It's definitely key that we pick it up behind Rob. But we need Rob to continue being him. He needs to be aggressive, locked in and not thinking about it, and when he's at his best. And it's up to us to pick up our slack, help him out a little bit and give him a little bit of support. COREY DAVIS, JR.: We definitely need to help out more. We just can't really lie on Rob as much as we did last night. Rob is capable of doing what he did last night all the time, but we have to help him especially on the offensive end for sure. Q. Guys, congratulations on your success so far. What have you noticed about Michigan, especially defensively that may be might be different than you saw during the regular season or even in your conference tournament from teams? COREY DAVIS, JR.: They definitely know how to use their length. They're a very solid defensive team for sure. So we have to do well executing our offense. We've seen a lot of great defenses for sure. We're not going to change anything but play our basketball. But they definitely have a solid defensive team. DEVIN DAVIS: I agree with Corey. Michigan being from the Big Ten, we know they're a tough team and they're going to come and give their best shot. So it's going to be a tough game. GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: Yeah. One thing I picked up is they have good spacing and they don't make many mistakes. They prey on other teams' mistakes. They're a solid team and that's why they're here. ROB GRAY: Are you referring to their defense or what we're going to have to do? Okay. Their defense. They play in a very good league, Big Ten. They're playing against Michigan State and a lot of high-powered offenses. So for them to be on a ten-game winning streak, they're doing something right. We gotta come out tomorrow breathing fire, play hard as we can and just be the more desperate team. Q. Rob, I'm sure Coach Sampson is really good about bringing you back down to earth real quickly, but last night I think there was a stat out there that your point total was the most for a player in his first game of the NCAA Tournament in 20 years. Can you wrap your head around what you accomplished last night? ROB GRAY: Oh, man. Honestly, I really haven't wrapped my head all the way around it yet. So many people are calling me and texting me. I'm just trying to stay focused, live in the moment, and enjoy it all. Just looking forward to this next round really. That's all it's about this time of year. It really just comes down to I'm a senior. Devin's a senior. We didn't want that to be our last game and we definitely don't want this next game to be our last game. 40 minutes away from being in the Sweet 16 and playing in Los Angeles. It's just a dream come true to even have this opportunity. Q. Devin, you kind of hit on this earlier, but can you kind of elaborate from your time in the Big Ten what those teams are like, and kind of can you take anything from that to relay to your teammates about the style and maybe the physical part of it that you'll see on Saturday? DEVIN DAVIS: I mean, I thought we practiced like a Big Ten team. Knowing Coach Sampson, he played in the Big Ten, too. He coached in the Big Ten as well. So I feel like we're very built to play against a Big Ten team, and we just have to go out and play to culture. But Michigan, yeah, my time at Indiana it was always tough playing the Wolverines. So it'll be a good game. Q. Rob, I talked to your mom after the game and how proud she is of you and she mentioned a text she sent you before the game talking about how special you are and she knows you can get this done. What does she mean to you and especially getting to witness this? ROB GRAY: Oh, man. You know, this hasn't been the easiest path for me to get here. But it hasn't been one moment where she wasn't ready to go to war for me and help me out through anything that I needed, true genuine love, and I just appreciate my mother so much. I think they drove about 18 hours to come out here and see this game. So I couldn't let us lose yesterday. It's only right that we get that win. And you know, I view everyone that wears this Houston and that represents our program, I view them all as family, so I appreciate everyone who came. And I especially appreciate my direct support system, my mother and little brothers. I'm super excited they got to come and witness this live. They watch the games all the time. They're constantly glued to the TV and recording games and re-watching them. So for them to come out and watch March Madness and have this experience at such a young age, they're five and ten, I know it's something they'll never forget. Q. Why do you think you guys have been so successful this year? COREY DAVIS, JR.: I think it really -- it's a big fact that our defense and just our culture that Sampson installs in us every day. We work hard. We never really settle. We always humble ourselves no matter what the case may be. And I think our grit and our will to win is really something that really keyed in throughout the entire season for sure. DEVIN DAVIS: The last thing we want to rely on is our offense. Coach always tells us defense and rebounding is going to win the game. Defense and rebound can always travel with us. GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: Personally I feel like we're a very close-knit team and that we have a lot of winning players and lot of winning kind of characteristics, and that's really what got us here. ROB GRAY: Yeah, I'd have to agree with all of them. Mainly I think that we rely on our toughness. We don't try to be pretty. We may not win a game in the most normal fashion that the spectators or viewers or the media might think that someone should get the job done. But we're just going to get the job done. Defensive rebounding team, a lot of junior college transfers, low major transfers. We just want to get the job done. We care about each other. We're a tight-knit group and we definitely rely on our identity and our culture and we practice with it every single day. Q. You guys mentioned Michigan's defense and the challenges it presents. When they have the ball on the offensive side what kind of challenges does playing a team like Michigan present to you guys? COREY DAVIS, JR.: We don't necessarily look at it as a challenge because we love playing defense. I mean, we pride ourselves on that. So it really just -- it involves us just become who we are. We know they're a good offensive team and we pride ourselves on defense, so it's going to be a good matchup for us. DEVIN DAVIS: I feel like we have to really guard the three-point line. They shoot the three well one through five. So we have to guard the ball one through five. GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: Going off what they said, very good offensive team, good spacing, and they prey on the defensive mistakes. They're good at what they do. They move the ball, unselfish team. So we have to do a good job of sticking to the game plan and sticking to our principles. ROB GRAY: Galen stole what I was going to say, which is you have to stay solid, we can't allow dribble penetration because they're always going to make you pay with the extra pass, and they have shooters in the corners who are ready to go, just like us. So we know what we have to do. And they're also very well coached on how they slip ball screens and get an advantage on the defense. So we're preparing for that today, and we just have to execute our defense and communicate very well. Q. Our city has not hosted an NCAA event in 24 years. I'm wondering if you guys have any reviews of the community or this venue, impressions of what you've experienced so far here? ROB GRAY: Shout out to Wichita State. I think the athletic director reached out to their fanbase and they responded. My family said they've seen a lot of Wichita State fans in red yesterday, and gold as well. And they're supportive because they are our American Athletic Conference brothers. We're really thankful for being sent to Wichita. I've never played in this gym, but I really like it already. GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: To piggyback on what Rob said, people have been welcoming and friendly, and it was heartwarming to me because after I think it was yesterday when I was watching the news, and -- I was watching the news. (Laughs). I was watching the news. And they did interviews of Wichita State fans and they were like, who you guys cheering for? And they were like, we're cheering for Houston. And it just felt good. We're not alone. DEVIN DAVIS: Yeah, we really appreciate Wichita State for all the support and their fans coming and putting on that red. We really love that and we hope they continue to do that tomorrow. COREY DAVIS, JR.: Yeah, the support has definitely been heartwarming. We've been getting reached out in person, on social networks, a lot of Wichita State fans have been reaching out, as well. So we really appreciate it. ROB GRAY: Also, I'd like to add if there's ever a regional or anything hosted in Houston, we definitely would have to return the favor, because they definitely provided a great spark plug. And the energy in the gym yesterday was great and amazing and we just appreciate the Open arms. Q. Who does Michigan play like who you've faced, or maybe in your conference and why? COREY DAVIS, JR.: Honestly, they're very similar to Wichita State in my eyes. I mean, they're a great offensive team and they run all their sets thoroughly. They're good at transition. They remind me a lot of Wichita for sure. DEVIN DAVIS: Yeah, I agree with Cory. They're offensive fire power is very similar to Wichita State and they can score the ball one through five. GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: I would have to agree with both of them, but I also have to say a characteristic that they have of Cincinnati is their size and their physicality. So I would say like a nice little mixture. They definitely have fire power in Wichita State, as we all know, they have a lot of fire power as well. ROB GRAY: Yeah, the way they run their sets and the way they make the extra pass and they're constantly looking for each other to make each other better off dribble penetration, definitely similar to Wichita State. The way they play through their bigs is similar to Cincinnati, like Clark and Washington, they're looking to play through Wagner, however you say his name, I'm not exactly sure on that. But yeah he's definitely a good player and similar to Cincinnati since they play through their four and five so much. Q. A lot of different teams have the different slogans on their shooting shirts. You guys have for the city. Is that more than just a slogan for you guys? It kind of stands out more than most you see. GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: It's more than a slogan. It's a lifestyle. I remember my -- I don't know, I think it was my freshman year I had posted under one of my pictures just trying to be inspirational, trying to be cool, and Lauren, she just took it and ran with it and it's been our slogan ever since. ROB GRAY: Galen got the copyrights to for the city. He started that. And if anyone copies it, you're copying Galen, because he started it. Maybe we weren't as popular or, you know, on the national attention as we are now. But everything's been for the city. He's been breaking the huddle with that, and we appreciate him for creating that catchy little slogan. Q. Rob, it looks like it's been difficult for Wes VanBeck to not be a part of this, in terms of on the court. Why was it so important for you to do what you did last night and have him put that sticker on the bracket? ROB GRAY: Well, Wes is the only guy who's been here for four years. This is my third year, Devin's second year, Galen's third year, and we have a lot of first-year guys. But Wes was here whenever Houston was 13 and 16 in the regular season. He's been here through it all. No one works harder than Wes. He's constantly in the gym. He has all the intangibles that you want in a leader. He leads in his own way without even talking. And we all have high respect for Wes and we really appreciate him as a teammate. I don't know if anyone in the country can go from being a walk on to scholarship to team captain unanimously. And we just appreciate him and we know that if he was out there, he would give his all and he would definitely hit some threes. He's so reliable. And we had to make him put the sticker on there. He was trying to tell me to do it. We just appreciate Wes, and we always want to do anything we can to put a smile on his face, especially since his hand is broke at such an inconvenient time. GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: To piggyback on what Rob said, I know he'd give anything to be out there with us. And I wish he could. DEVIN DAVIS: Yeah, Wes is our biggest culture player. He does it all. Starting with, he's in the gym every morning, every night more than anybody I've ever seen in my life. He's the reason why we have culture. He's our leader. COREY DAVIS, JR.: Yeah. Wes is definitely the type of teammate you'd dream for. Being my first year here I think I've learned the most from Wes just watching him day in and day out in practice, how hard he works and how dedicated he is to his craft and I definitely appreciate Wes for everything he does for the team for sure. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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