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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: HARTFORDMarch 20, 2019B.J. StithAhmad CaverHartford, Connecticut Q. Can both of you just talk about the perspective this season has given this team with what your coach has gone through, and how you guys have dealt with that, and then how tough it is maybe to come to practice tired when your coach is doing what he's doing every day? AHMAD CAVER: I think our season and the games we play all reflect off him. There were plenty of times we were down and we could have gave up and gave in as a team, but we kept fighting. And the same thing he's doing, he keeps fighting and coming in with the same energy. I think his reflection of his being strong and saying encouraging stuff, encouraged us to stay the same way. B.J. STITH: I think going off what Ahmad said, our season symbolizes what Coach Jones and what we've been through this whole year. Coach Jones is not the kind of guy that seeks sympathy. He shows the work every day. He's the most hard working dude on the staff. He comes to work every day with the same intensity, no matter what. He doesn't let us see him down in any way. So we fight every day and every game for him knowing that he sacrifices for us so we sacrifice for him. Q. Guys, you've had a chance to look at Purdue a little bit on tape. What can you say about them stylistically, personnel-wise, and do they resemble anybody you guys have played this year or recent years? B.J. STITH: I guess Purdue is the stereotypical Big 10 team. Played extremely physical. They are big across the front line. They play a lot of the same sets. We've seen a lot of the same sets throughout year. Of course, they have really good pieces and really good player in Carson Edwards. But nothing flashy; they don't have anything, of course, that we haven't seen before. So playing them will be a challenge, but I think we should be ready. AHMAD CAVER: Yeah. They have a balanced team even though Carson Edwards is the one that's scoring the majority of points. But they have a lot of sets, and off to the sets, they have a lot of counters to it. So we have to lock in and never relax when we're on defense. So it's something that we've seen, but then again, they have a lot of hype as well. So we've just got to battle. Q. Just a follow-up on my previous question. I mean, obviously an NCAA Tournament game is huge for any basketball player. Do you guys have a different perspective on it, though, than maybe other players with what Coach is going through and everything else. Does it mean, not less to you guys, but does it put it in perspective for you guys a little bit? AHMAD CAVER: We try to look at it just like a regular tournament game. We know the significance of it. And us being seniors, we want to go out with a bang, so we're going to go to it like any regular tournament game. We're going to give it our all, especially for Coach, because I know he's going to give us his all as he did all year. So we're just going to do what we do, and then see where the cards may lie. B.J. STITH: Just like Ahmad said, we don't talk about it. We don't make it a point of emphasis. We treat this game just like any other game or tournament just like any other tournament. Coach Jones doesn't want all the focus to be on him. He doesn't want us to approach it any differently because of him. Coach Jones actually shies away from that. He doesn't want any attention. So, we just want to treat it -- of course, it's special because it's the tournament, but we're going to treat it just like any other tournament. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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