NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL SEMIFINAL: UCLA VS ALABAMA

March 28, 2021

Jaime Jaquez

Hinkle Fieldhouse

UCLA Bruins

Sweet 16 Postgame Media Conference

UCLA - 88, Alabama - 78

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Jaime Jaquez. We'll begin the press conference.

Q. Jaime, we just heard colorful language in the background there? Was that you celebrating?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, we were celebrating. My hair is all wet. We were throwing water. It's a good time in that locker room right now.

Q. You guys looked like you were going to win. They hit a huge shot to force overtime. What was the feeling in the huddle going into overtime? Because you guys obviously took it to them to start the overtime.

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: We knew that we had nothing to worry about it. This is March. It happens all the time. That's something we're used to going into these games and overtime games, so that's just something we did.

Q. This team seems very prepared, mentally tough. What is the difference between the four losses to end the season and these four wins?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: I think just our mental preparation and our defense. Our defense was kind of lacking in those four games that we lost, so when we got into March, we knew that was something we had to change. That's what we're doing right now, and that's why we're winning games.

Q. Jaime, what was it -- you said you guys were celebrating in the locker room, throwing water around. But what was it like -- just any more details there?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, we know it was Coach's first Elite Eight, so we're really excited and happy for him. This is our whole team's first time going to the Elite Eight, but we're not finished yet. We're not finished. We've got a lot more work to do.

Q. Jaime, what has the vibe been like as this tournament run has continued? Obviously, your confidence level has got to be through the roof now, but how has that kind of manifested itself?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Just sticking together as a team, believing in each other every single day, knowing what we're here for. We're in a hotel for a reason. We're staying focused as much as we can, and we're just paying attention to one game at a time.

Q. You're going to be underdogs in the next game, underdogs the rest of the way, you've been underdogs before, but you act like no one can beat you guys. Is it almost a sense of invincibility right now on this team?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: I don't want to say invincibility. Everyone is beatable. Everyone has good nights and bad nights. We're definitely a confident team. We definitely believe in ourselves, even when no one else was or did. So we just believe in each other every single day and knew, if we got this opportunity, we're going to take full advantage.

Q. Jaime, for -- when you got to UCLA and Coach Cronin was new, he's not the coach that was there when you committed, what was his message of kind of how he wanted to play? Because UCLA historically is a skill team and not necessarily known for the toughness that I think you guys have displayed here in these last four games.

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah. So when he came to UCLA, he basically preached the entire time that, no matter what was going to happen, we were going to be a tough team, and we were going to be a defensive team. So that was kind of his whole attitude coming into UCLA is that, no matter what happens, we're going to be the toughest team to go out there and play.

Q. Congratulations. Can you talk about that three-pointer in overtime, shot clock winding down, to extend the lead for you guys, just how big that shot was. Was that something, you look back growing up, practicing, clock winding down, making the three-point shot at the buzzer?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, those are definitely shots I practiced at the park, just imagining being in March Madness, getting the go-ahead bucket like that. But, yeah, my mentality, I saw the shot clock winding down, and I knew we needed a big shot. So I just took the shot.

Q. Jaime, can you talk about how important was it for you guys to get out to that lead in the first half?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: It was very important to try to set the tone for the rest of the game, knowing that we were going to be upping them on defense and getting as many stops as we could. Then when you have good defense, that usually transitions to good offense.

So making sure that we set that tone early in the game really helped us for the rest of the game.

Q. Jaime, you made, obviously, some huge shots in this game, but what about the performance of David Singleton down the stretch with the free throws and then starting you guys off in overtime? How much did that mean?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: It meant everything. Dave works so hard every day in practice. We know what he's capable of, and when his name was called today, he showed everybody what he's all about, and that's a big-time player.

Q. At the end of regulation, what was the plan there? Were you guys thinking about fouling them, putting them on the line? Did it just go wrong? Or were you comfortable letting them shoot it? Once the shot goes in, who speaks up in the huddle? What do they say? How did that whole thing go? Because that obviously had to be a bit of a disappointment.

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: So when they came down, our main focus was to try to double the ball handler. As we doubled, they kind of got a guy open and hit the shot. But it's not a position we haven't been in before. We knew, if they got a shot off and made it, we're going to be all right. We have another five minutes to try to win this game. So we didn't really think much of it.

In the huddle, we just said sticking together, and we've been there before. So it's nothing really new for us.

Q. Alabama kept missing free throws at the end of regulation, beginning of overtime. Did the constant misses kind of boost your guys' confidence a little bit? Maybe it felt they were giving you a life line to take control of the game or win the game at the end of regulation?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: A lot of times, close games like that come down to free throws. If they miss, our main focus is just to try to get the rebound and take advantage of their misses and go down on the offensive end and try to get a bucket.

Q. The attitude and the toughness that you guys talk about and how you play, how much of that is just an extension of who Coach Cronin is?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: I think that's a huge part of who he is. He affects us all in that way. He bring the best out in all of us. So when we go out there and play, he's yelling and screaming with us. He's been through everything with us. So him being a coach, I couldn't ask for a better coach in college basketball.

Q. Congratulations on the win. I'm just wondering what it felt like to advance to the Elite Eight now, and what do you think you guys need to improve on to make it further?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: It feels amazing to advance to the Elite Eight, but like I said, we've still got a lot of work to do. What we can improve on every day, just our defense, talking more on switches because sometimes we get confused, and making sure our rebounding is on point. So that's what I say we need to work on.

Q. Jaime, you talked about the fact that you guys were not worried and would be okay, but after losing Stanford in overtime in January and losing to the Beavers in overtime in the Pac-12 Tournament, why weren't you worried going into overtime today?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Well, you don't win every single game in overtime, but we know we've been in that position before, and we knew we get another five minutes to try to win this game. So we knew we had to be the toughest team out there, and that's going to be the reason we won the game, is being the toughest team.

Like I said, we've been in those positions before. You don't win every single game, but it's a position we're very comfortable with.

Q. How do you explain this run, given that you guys -- no Chris Smith, no Jalen Hill. You guys had lost four in a row to enter the tournament? How do you explain it?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: All I can say is we never stopped believing in ourselves. We went into practice, there were some tough practices there where it was probably easier to just get down and try to wrap it in and call it a season, but we stuck together. We stuck it out, and we came together. That's the biggest reason why we're winning these games, just how close we are as a team, coming together and believing in one another.

Q. Jaime, that four-point play by Jules in the first half, I know so much happened after that, but I saw you and your teammates get very animated after that. How huge was his shooting in the first half and his ability to hit free throws along with the rest of you guys in overtime?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Oh, it was huge. When a guy makes a play like that, we're all super happy for him because we know that it helps the team. When he hit that shot, everyone's going over there to pick him up and give him a pat on the back and tell him, That was a great shot.

Then his ability to hit the free throws at the end of the game is huge. So shout out to Jules. He had a helluva game today.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for the time, Jaime. Congrats on the win. We'll see you Tuesday night.