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

March 23, 2019

Tulsa, Oklahoma

THE MODERATOR: Right to questions for the two student-athletes.

Q. Both you guys, talk about the challenges and obviously your coaching staff is very good as putting game plans together. The challenges of prepping for a team you haven't played before and a short time to do it?
GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: Definitely poses a big challenge because there's a level of unfamiliarity with them. In conference play, you play everybody twice. Lot of guys you played over the years, you have a good feel for them. This is a Big Ten team, never played them before, never play -- we played one player last year. For the most part, it's a really unfamiliar kind of feel to it. We just have -- we trust in our coaches to get us a good game plan. We're going to buy into it.

COREY DAVIS, JR.: This time around it takes a level of focus, we have to -- have to have another level of focus rather than like a regular season game, the teams we normally play or somebody in our conference. We have to be very detail oriented and just trust our coaches because they do a great job with all our scouts. We have to pay attention and just stick to all the details they give us.

Q. Corey, you've recently mentioned how focused this team feels, how locked in. Not that you weren't all season, but did that change right after the conference tournament in Memphis? When did you really feel that feeling start to change?
COREY DAVIS, JR.: Honestly all throughout the week. The week before we played Georgia State, we had a level of focus. Started from the loss Sunday against Cincinnati. Ever since that game, we came in prepared every practice, every shoot-around, every film session. We had a level of focus I didn't normally feel or see throughout the season. I seen -- not that we weren't focused throughout the season, but I guess a higher standard of being focused.

Q. Second year in a row you guys playing a Big Ten school in the NCAA. Just your overall impression of the Big Ten as compared to your conference?
GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: You know, they're a big dominant, physical team. They got a dominant, dynamic 5 man as well as other guards on the perimeter. Different kind of feel and brand of basketball than we're used to playing an opponent. We're just a bunch of dogs. We're ready for anything that anybody may throw at us.

COREY DAVIS, JR.: Very methodic thing. They know what they want to do. I mean, like Galen said, a whole different type of basketball than we play because we like to run and gun, make everything fast. Play hard, aggressive. Like I said, just be focused and just ready to be ready for whatever they throw at us.

Q. What is it about Coach Sampson's style that allows your brand of basketball to shine even more? Coach Sampson's style, what is it about that that breeds so much confidence in you guys.
COREY DAVIS, JR.: I think it just contributes to the freedom that Coach Sampson gives us especially as guards. We have just -- he has all the confidence in the world in us and he just allows us to make plays, run the offense, just especially me and Galen to do basically whatever we want to do on defense. He gives us a lot of freedom. That contributes to our confidence and how we play.

GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: Definitely gives us freedom, but moreso he believes in our instincts. He tells us to trust our instincts. Whatever we feel we need to do, trust it and do it. We have a bunch of guys who have pretty high basketball IQs. We know what to do in a lot of emergency situations. Trusting your instincts and play with freedom. He allows us to do that and thank him for that.

Q. A couple of days ago Kelvin talked about his time in the NBA and the things that he learned as a head coach. He never used to delegate game planning. He learned in the NBA that's the way to do it. Can you kind of describe how that process works for you guys when the game planning comes down from one of the assistant coaches?
GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: Every coach pretty much have similar styles, pretty much detail-oriented. Coach Sampson definitely has the final say if he sees like an adjustment needs to be made. But for the most part, it's all about detail and knowing everything about it. The personnel, game plan, schemes, all that stuff is all just tied to the big umbrella of the game plan.

COREY DAVIS, JR.: I think all of our coaches in general take a great pride in whatever Coach Sampson says. They're very detail oriented. They know all the strengths and weaknesses. They'll have us prepared every game.

Q. This one is obvious, your connection with Houston. Kelvin talked a couple days ago how you were the first one to really buy into the vision and things were still in their foundational stage. He got your buy-in and other buy-ins. How would you describe your connection to the program, the city, the fans, local basketball? It's so deep with you.
GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: It's definitely a part of me, definitely a part of who I am, a big chunk of my heart -- I'm just Houston in a nutshell. I don't even know. I love my city, love them a whole lot, born and raised. Love my school. I get to wear "Houston" on my chest. Can't put a price tag on that. You can't. I'm thankful Coach Sampson gave me the opportunity to do so in front of my family and friends every night. I'm just blessed to be in this position.

Q. Just curious in terms of Kelvin and the NBA, does his team there, does it show up for you guys at all? Does that manifest in practice or film study or communication with you guys, just the time that he spent in the NBA?
COREY DAVIS, JR.: Yeah. His coaching style definitely trickles from the NBA. You can tell how he runs the program in general. It's a level of intensity and just like overall intelligence that's not normal in most Division 1 coaches. You can definitely tell, especially when he speaks.

GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: He likes to tell stories. He has very vivid imagery.

Like "Son, you know Tim Duncan, he loved to be coached. Though guys loved to be coached."

I think him being around those guys. It was a Hall of Fame -- Hall of Fame guys. Knowing that they want to be coached and coaches, Coach Popovich used to get on them like he does us, definitely makes me feel like -- makes us feel like we're not alone because everybody has the same treatment. Coach Sampson, he's definitely the smartest person I've been around in terms of just knowing what to do. Yeah, definitely think the NBA definitely helped him.

Q. I'm assuming you've noticed the support you're getting, whether it's in Houston at these watch parties or all the fans that are here from Houston or UH fans. Both you guys thought about the support you're getting on this journey?
COREY DAVIS, JR.: Actually amazing to know we have the whole city behind us. It goes to show how much they support us, even when they can't make the games, get a watch party and almost have the whole entire city at watch. It's cool. We get pictures and little messages of like the watch parties or videos or whatever the case may be. It's really cool.

GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: Definitely cool, definitely a blessing. A testament to how far we've come, you know I mean? I remember there were times we didn't have that. Like I said, we used to go to frat houses and they used to rush us off the doorstep. Now everybody is supporting us. I'm thankful for that and the fans and the support they give us.

Q. Lot of talk about Tom Izzo in the last few days. Just curious 1 to 15 with Coach Sampson, 1 being mellow and 5 being ultra fiery, where does he fall on that little scale and have you seen him mellow at all since you've been here?
GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: What is 10? (laughter). You know, Coach Sampson -- no, Coach Sampson -- we have a different relationship. So you know he's a fiery guy, very fiery guy. But at the end of the day, you know that it's from the heart and he means well. You know what I mean? Lot of times as competitors, we get competitive, but Coach Sampson definitely -- he's just -- he just -- I don't know. He just knows me for the most part. It's a great characteristic to have as a coach.

COREY DAVIS, JR.: Honestly, Coach Sampson is the first coach I've ever had that I actually feared and loved at the same time (laughter). He's just one of those individuals that have a personality that's unmatched. He'll definitely show that he loves you but just in his own way. He's definitely -- he's an amazing -- just charisma about him.

GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: That's a great word, "charisma." Great word.

Q. Galen, you talked about it, it's a little bit of a leap of faith on your part to get to see where the program is now versus where it was when you were being recruited. Could you have imagined you guys would be here to four years later?
GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: I always dreamed about it. I never thought I'd actually get here. When I was making my decision, I wasn't worried about no March Madness. I just wanted to just play, first and foremost. The more I played and the more I -- my freshman year, we had a really good team. We didn't make the NCAA Tournament. But it became more of a reality, more of a goal, and it started to seem more attainable.

I think our last year we definitely kicked down the door for years of success to come in the future. So, but to be one of the first guys to buy into a vision, I'm just blessed that -- I'm just blessed that I did, because Lord knows where I would be.

Q. Ohio State players were saying last night part of their success is buy-in, that they're buying in finally late in the season. What does that mean to you when someone says buy into a program, buy into what coach is trying to do? What does that look like?
COREY DAVIS, JR.: I think buying into, whether it be a team or program as a whole, is just sacrifice. Lot of people don't understand the things, especially kids coming from high school, thinking they're more than what they are, instead of being that main guy or go-to guy, you have to find your role and become great at that. That's probably the start of buying into any program or any team in general.

GALEN ROBINSON, JR.: Coach Kelvin has a saying. "Just surrender," you know what I mean? When you surrender, you just become selfless. And when you become selfless, it's easier to make that transition to buying into a program and the vision as well as I'm buying into the culture. And once you buy in, you have a chance to do something special, and that's really the big key is getting everybody on the team to buy in 1 through 12, 1 through 13.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for the Cougars of Houston?

All right. Gentlemen. Thank you very much. Best of luck tomorrow.

Now the head coach of the Cougars, Kelvin Sampson. We're going to ask him to make a statement about the day in between games and then we'll go to questions.

Kelvin, please.

KELVIN SAMPSON: Blessed to still be playing. After tomorrow night -- I was just talking with the lady outside. This time last week everybody was excited about Selection Sunday and kind of like Christmas morning. You don't know where you're going to be or who you're playing and so much excitement about that. Tomorrow night there's only 16 teams left.

So, lot of basketball to be played and we're excited -- having one last night and get a chance to play again on Sunday.

Q. Kelvin, John Houston has been with you guys since '97. He obviously pre-dates you. He's one of those people seen so many things happen, the rebuild of the program. What does it mean to somebody like him that you've dealt with for five years to be in this situation and having watched this program go through so many different changes?
KELVIN SAMPSON: You know, those trainers, they're worth their weight in gold. They have so many responsibilities. John and I talk at 8:30 every morning during the season from October 1st until -- unless we're on a road trip together. We go through all the injuries. He has a great feel for people. Kids will talk to the trainer in ways maybe they won't talk to the coach.

John is just a great person. I've only seen John cry one time and his son got accepted to Naval Academy and when his son left, Trey, because he's really, really tight with his family. His wife was a gymnast at the University of Kentucky. Trey got accepted into the Naval Academy and just a big time family man from a great family.

I was impressed with John from the get-go. I had a great trainer at Oklahoma, Alex Brown. When I came over to the University of Houston, Alex called and told me about John, how good he was.

So, there's a couple positions that you don't want to change and the trainer is one of them. We've been blessed to have John for these five years, and he's great for this basketball program.

Q. Kelvin, prepping a team. You've never -- you haven't played and you only have one day's notice or so, couple days notice. Part of the tournament I know, but the challenges of prepping for a situation like that?
KELVIN SAMPSON: We're all in it. Whoever is playing today or tomorrow, doing the same thing, you know?

I was watching a game before I left the room, who was it, LSU and Maryland. Just do the best you can. I don't overanalyze it or sweat, worry about it. We watched them play last night and didn't know who we were going to play until later, after 11:00, I think.

I just watched them on my laptop. I just watched a couple of their games. We played Michigan last year in the second round. So we're familiar with a lot of their players. I watched them play Michigan to see how Michigan defended some of their actions.

Whoever you play the second round is always going to be a good team, and Ohio State is a good team.

Q. Lot of talk about Tom Izzo and his methodology the last few days. You've done this a long time. I assume you have some thoughts on this. Is this a societal issue or what do you think of the heat he's taking and is it warranted, is it not?
KELVIN SAMPSON: You know, there's -- coaching is all about relationships. I've seen that guy before Tom Izzo. I've seen that guy. But I also have seen the relationship with that coach and that kid and that kid embraces that and expects it.

I think it's one of those things it looks a lot worse than it actually is. I don't know enough about banking to comment on a bad investment. I don't know enough about what a good surgery is or a bad surgery. The thing about coaching is everybody is a coach. Everybody has an opinion. Everybody knows what they can do or what they can't do.

The only thing that bothers me is evaluating the person you don't know. It's amazing how we hold other people to standards we won't hold our own self. So, to me that's Tom Izzo coaching his team. That's the way he coaches and there's not a kid that signs with Tom that doesn't know what they're getting into, and yet they do. So, I don't see a problem.

Q. I asked your players, 1 being mellow and 5 being fiery, they said, What about 10?"
KELVIN SAMPSON: Was that 5 and 5? Is that how you got to the 10? They both said 5 so we added the two together?

Q. Have you mellowed over -- just in your journey in terms of --
KELVIN SAMPSON: I don't know if that's for me to answer. Montana State was a long time ago. When I was at Montana Tech, I didn't know if I was on foot or horseback. I was just a young guy that -- when you're young and you lose a game, you never think you're going to win another one. I wasn't a very good coach, though. I didn't know how bad -- maybe "bad" is the wrong term. I didn't know how inadequate I was as a coach until I got older. And sometimes I always felt like I should have called those kids at Montana tech and apologize to them for not knowing any better than I did.

I try to get better -- I was 24 when I went there. I became the head coach when I was 25. It just shows you how hard or bad a job it was they would hire a guy like me. It was a good job. "Here, give it to him, what the hell we got to lose?" I don't think they ever had a winning season.

But I tried hard, but my dad was real -- my dad always wore a coat and tie. That's one reason why I always wear a coat and tie. He always did. He always had a towel over his shoulder, but never heard him raise his voice much. But that was his personality. I didn't try to -- I tried to be like him in a lot of ways, but I tried to be like me more. You have to ask those guys from Montana Tech and Washington State. I'm sure they will tell you the same thing.

Q. I'm interested in what you said a couple days ago about delegating and what you learned from Popp and Kevin McHale. On your staff what does that look like, the communication process? Do you guys divvy it up? Do you have a coach who is in charge of one specific part of the game planning?
KELVIN SAMPSON: No. I do the assigning. Everybody's personality is different. I don't think -- there's some things assistant coaches aren't ready to do. They're not the head coach. They can do a lot of head coaching things, but like I want my -- the guy that I think is the -- does the best job, the most thorough job, is going to put the time and energy and go the extra mile in terms of scouting or game prep, I want him to have the hardest teams. Because you're a really good team doesn't mean you're a hard scout. Sometimes the really, really good teams are easiest this teams to scout because they just got good players. They don't run anything tricky. They line up and we're getting ready to give it to the fullback, stop us. Whether you can or can't, that's up to you.

We have some really good coaches in our league that require -- like one of my rules is you have to watch the last five games. This time of year we don't have time to go watch Ohio State's game in November and December. This time of year you are who you are recently. You go watch the last five games. And then I want somebody that's going to take the time to go look at every close game they've had, say, in conference season. What did they do under -- under 30 seconds left, they called time out, what did they run? They needed a 3, what did they run? They needed a 2, what did they run? Baseline out of bounds.

Not every assistant will be thorough maybe in something like that. That's why as a coach I assign the games. Once they do the games, I let them use their creativity in scouting reports. I don't have a template for that.

Q. Kelvin, having been to the NCAA Tournament a number of times over the years, is there still a point of making it special for yourself, coaching staff, players, while also dealing with the things like the quick turnaround and things like that?
KELVIN SAMPSON: Absolutely. This is a great experience for these kids. I want them to know how special it is. I don't care what school you come from, doesn't matter. I've been to the NCAA Tournament, it was the PAC-10 then, PAC-10, Big 12, Big Ten, American Athletic Conference, it's all the same. There is no difference. It's all the same.

When you're sitting in front of that television and you get a little butterflies and all of a sudden they say in the Mid West Regional, the 3-seed, University of Houston, here comes the euphoria. The only difference is cell phones. Back in the PAC-10 days no cell phones back then, just -- that's a lot different. I guess that just shows you how old I'm getting.

I still like to see the excitement. Like this morning when we came down for -- the coaches met earlier this morning on some scouting report stuff, watched film. Just seeing the kids come down for breakfast and just talking to them and asking them what was the experience like? Just seeing their excitement in their eyes. It's different. It could be gone just like that.

You know, the thing that's always -- I've never gotten used to is the finality of the last game. Texas Tech is going to play Buffalo. Think how good those two teams are? Somebody's season is going to be over. They're done. No more scouting reports, no more practice or meetings. It's over. Then you're lost. You don't know what to do with your time.

We play Ohio State tomorrow night at 7:40. They've got a good team. We've got a good team. One of those teams when they get up Monday morning, you're not going to go to practice Monday morning, not going to have anymore staff meetings with this particular team.

You think about the seniors. All those things that make going to the tournament special. And we try to do some neat little things for these kids to have as momentos as things they can remember. They'll remember this for the rest of their lives. I got a call yesterday from a kid that played for me at a former school that -- actually this morning, he saw us play last night. He played for me 20-some years ago. He says he still remembers. Good news is I still remember. I still remember.

Q. Kelvin, Ohio State, physical, Big Ten basketball. Do you expect a game like that? Or is that -- you dealt with Michigan last year in the second round, or is that idea out dated in this modern age?
KELVIN SAMPSON: It is with this team because of the Wesson kid. He's big and strong and physical. The fact that he's big and strong and physical is not what makes him really good. It's his basketball IQ. He's got great hands. He understands how to play. They do a good job of playing through him. They put you in positions where you have to play him one-on-one sometime.

The kid that we've played similar to him was last year the kid for Wichita State, Shaq Morris. Very similar. Shaq wasn't as skilled as this kid, didn't have -- he couldn't step out and make a 3, for instance. Wasn't going to lead the team in assists from the 5 spot. But he could score the ball just as good. We haven't seen a kid that -- his size that can post you, pass it, shoot it, score it like him.

I'm not sure a lot of leagues have that. I don't think it has anything to do with the conference they're in. It's unique to the kid. He's a really good player.

Q. Ohio State was saying last night that over the last two weeks, they've become more aligned to the system, the buy-in has been there. What does "buy-in" mean to you and how challenging is that to get everyone doing what they're supposed to do at this time of year?
KELVIN SAMPSON: I think it all comes down to accountability and demand. I think the most difficult thing for coaches is confrontation, because a lot of coaches are passive-aggressive people. They're afraid to confront. Most people don't succeed because of that one thing. I see it all the time. They're afraid to confront. Because they're afraid of failure and no, they're afraid of this. The common denominator, they're afraid.

Why would you be afraid? You talk about Tom Izzo. He's not afraid. He knows how he wants this team to play. He knows what he wants this team to look like. He's going to hold you accountable. He's going to demand that you do it right. To me that's one of the common denominators of all successful people in any walk of life is that they understand the importance and how to confront.

So, that's where buy-in starts. Not every kid wants to. They want to do it their way. Well, I'm not interested in their way. Here is the way we do it. Your best friend is your senior leadership. Just because you have seniors don't mean that they're leaders. I've seen -- some of the worst leaders I've seen have been seniors over the years. Just like maturity. Some of the most immature people I've ever seen is between 40 and 65. Age has nothing to do with maturity, just like leadership doesn't have anything to do with seniority.

That's where recruiting is important, but being able to evaluate in recruiting is just as important.

Q. You take a lot of pride of what you've built here at U of H. You've been asked this before. When you're on the stage, what does it mean to take all of this in with your kids right there by your side and this journey that you've been on with them, they're able to enjoy this along side you right now?
KELVIN SAMPSON: That's more important than anything. You know, I wish my whole team could be up here just being able to answer questions and see their name here and read their quotes. I think -- to me that's a good experience for them, you know? You guys don't need to ask me anything else. I didn't need to come in here today. Brian started in on John Houston. That's when I knew the well was getting dry. Asked me about the trainer (laughter). Good Lord. Just how deep is that well?

You think about it. Wouldn't it be neat for kids like you've seen Corey and Galen and come in here. I've got three freshmen, all pretty good players. Kind of neat for them to get interviewed, you know. They pucker up a little bit, but they see those cameras and see you guys. They wouldn't know whether they were pitching or catching. It would be neat for them to do it. That's kind of what to me it's all about, you know.

It's hard to win a game, it really is. It's hard to win a game. I remember early in the year we played at BYU and played really good and won, and then two days -- three days later we almost lot of to Rio Grande Valley. We tried so hard in that game, but it just seems like we were running uphill the whole game, just couldn't get any traction, but it wasn't because of lack of effort. We finally won that win, but that was such a hard game for us to win. And in the non-conference you see so many upsets. We didn't get upset that night but we probably should have. They outplayed us. They outcoached us. That guy did a great job. His name was Lou Hill. His team was well prepared. My team was not. I didn't have them prepared. Not nearly as good as he did.

Then when you get in these tournaments -- like we played Liberty last year. We lot of -- I'm trying to remember who we lost of to. We lost to somebody not very good. Then the next game we played Liberty. Most important win of the year last year was beating Liberty at Liberty. We were supposed to go to San Juan -- no, Virgin Islands.

Hurricane, they had to relocate it. We signed up for St Thomas in the Virgin Islands and we got Lynchburg, Virginia. Somewhere along the line, that was not good. I think we were at the Hampton -- what's the name of that hotel, Hampton Inn, is that it? I think we were at the Hampton Inn. We had to go out and get our meals. It was a tough trip.

But we played Liberty. And I was watching some highlights of Liberty's game and Mississippi State. Same kids. That was a hard game for to us win. Probably should have lost of that one, too. Corey Davis got a rebound and put in to put us up 2 with 30-some seconds to go.

All these teams have good players, especially guards. That's why the Wesson kid stands out because not everybody has a good big. Watching this morning -- didn't see Ohio State play all year long. Didn't know their players. I'm sure they had not seen us and I doubt they knew who our players were, either, or Iowa State. But watching Iowa State and Ohio State, that was a hard match-up for Ohio State because they had nobody to guard Wesson.

So Mississippi State, Liberty, Wofford and -- who did Wofford beat the other day? Who? Seton Hall. People think you should win those games. Those games are hard to play. You got to play your best to win that night because those teams will. They only play one way and that's good.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. Good luck.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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

March 23, 2019

Kelvin Sampson

Fabian White, Jr.

Corey Davis, Jr.