NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST FOUR

March 15, 2022

Steve Pikiell

Clifford Omoruyi

Caleb McConnell

Ron Harper Jr.

Paul Mulcahy

Geo Baker

UD Arena

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We welcome Rutgers student-athletes Caleb McConnell, Geo Baker, Paul Mulcahy, Clifford Omoruyi and Ron Harper Jr. Coach Steve Pikiell will follow.

Q. Ron, your dad is from here. Have you spent any time in Dayton as a kid?

RON HARPER JR.: Growing up in Dayton, I was here until my grandma died in high school. I haven't been here since, I think, eighth grade, but Dayton is a place I hold near and dear to my heart. I have a lot of family here. It's great to be back here. All roads kind of lead back to home. I consider this place a big part of me.

Q. How many people do you expect?

RON HARPER JR.: I think my dad told them all to leave me alone and buy their own tickets. We'll see tomorrow. I have no idea how many people will be here.

Q. About your dad, he was obviously a great player, five-time champion, what's it like to follow in the footsteps and the pressure that goes along with that?

RON HARPER JR.: It's been great, but as you said it's a lot of pressure. Growing up, I struggled a lot with that pressure. But growing older, maturing, becoming my own man, it's gotten better, gotten easier. But he has a lot of great tips, a lot of great advice. He's everything that I want to be. He knows how to get there and he shared a lot of advice with me.

Q. Ron, have you had a chance to see, you were named honorable mentioned All-American by the Associated Press. What's it mean to you to get that honor? Only a handful of guys in Rutgers history have ever --

RON HARPER JR.: Chris (phonetic) just told me a couple minutes ago. I'm speechless, man. I'd like to thank these guys up here with me because without them none of this would be possible. If you told me when I got here as a freshman I'd be on any honorable mention All-American team, I'd tell you to stop lying. It's a great honor. I'm proud. But we've still got so much more work to do. Thanks to my coaches, teammates, the fans, everyone that's supported me.

Q. Geo, wanted to ask, I know last year obviously was a different experience being in the bubble playing in the NCAA Tournament, but what was the experience of playing in those games like in terms of being able to help you guys prepare for now? And how much are you motivated in terms of how that ended and wanting to write a different ending this time?

GEO BAKER: It's a different type of mentality. We understand that this could potentially be our last game. It's 40 minutes gets you another 40. Everyone's just real locked in and focused. And the good part is we've been here before. These guys, we all understand what it takes. And just kind of staying focused on the task at hand. Don't want to get too ahead of ourselves. Right now we just want to stay focused on one game and that's Notre Dame.

Q. Caleb, you're actually from Dayton. So I understand you won a district title in this arena, with Dunbar your junior year. Does this bring back memories of that? And what's it like being back?

CALEB MCCONNELL: It's definitely emotional just being back in my hometown. This place is very close to my heart. As you said I went to Dayton Dunbar, which is like five minutes down the street. So it's definitely an emotional feeling. I'm glad to be back home.

Never ever would I have thought that I would have got a chance to play in Dayton in my collegiate career, and here it is. So this whole time I was just thinking it's really crazy just how life takes you in a full circle. But I'm very glad to be back home. And I'm ready to play in front of friends and family.

Q. Can you just talk about the range of emotions you guys went through last season, being on the bubble and not making it, and this year playing in the First Four? Can you talk about the range of emotions of you guys going through being on the bubble last year, not making it to the NCAA Tournament and now making the tournament playing in the First Four?

CALEB MCCONNELL: Obviously our goal is to just make it to the tournament and win. And so our goal is to get ready and prepare for Notre Dame. And just like Geo said earlier, 40 minutes gets you 40 minutes.

RON HARPER JR.: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we made the tournament last year. (Laughter).

GEO BAKER: I don't remember the question.

Q. Ron was being humble there. If you could address that, if you're proud of him for that accomplishment, what's it mean for you to get your teammate to get to that level. Any one of you guys?

CALEB MCCONNELL: I thought that's an amazing achievement, especially for Ron, especially all the hard work and things he's overcame. And especially just how far we came. We came here as freshmen and we've put in so much work just to get here. We made three straight NCAA appearances. This is our third one. And just goes to show you all the hard work he puts in. So kudos to Ron. That's a big achievement.

Q. Ron, as far as your decision to stay home at a home school and be here and help lead this turnaround, did you envision that it would be this good to be in the NCAA Tournament for a couple of years? And then why did you really want to do that in your home state?

RON HARPER JR.: I wanted to stay home starting a trend of keeping Jersey guys home at the state university of New Jersey. And when Coach Pikiell brought me in for my visit and talked about his vision about everything he saw, it was really easy for me to jump on board.

And I've got two Jersey guys sitting right next to me to help bring the program up, help bring it up to March Madness, help set a new goal every year is especially big and important for me.

Just like I said, it wouldn't be possible without these guys, without Coach Pikiell. But to be a kid from New Jersey that came to Rutgers to start something new and to be able to accomplish that is amazing. But there's so much more for us to accomplish, and I think these guys could agree with that.

Q. What have you guys seen out of Notre Dame studying them in the last two days? And what are some keys you guys are looking for when you face them tomorrow?

CLIFFORD OMORUYI: Just watching film in the last two days we see that they shoot a lot of 3s. We've just got to get show our length, like, wing span, so we can deflect their shot, play good defense and challenge every shot they shoot.

PAUL MULCAHY: They shoot a lot of 3s. They shoot the ball well. They play in a really good conference. They've been tested. They've got a coach that's been there a long time. So they'll be well-coached. But so are we.

Q. Ron, Caleb, it's been five years since you've been here. We saw you at Dunbar doing your thing. Now you're at Rutgers, what's your time been like there? And, Ron, you've got history here, even though you're not from here. How does it feel to be playing in Dayton for the fires time?

CALEB MCCONNELL: Thank you, man. I had an amazing career at Rutgers especially coming from here, coming from Dunbar. Coming from SPIRE just taught me so much, just taught me to have that grit. And that's really where I get that defense from, just from Dayton Dunbar.

But I had an awesome career. I wouldn't have done it nowhere else. I'm glad I'm here with these guys. I'm glad I'm here with the coach. We made history there. So there's no taking it back. We're always there forever. I'm just so grateful for having -- just given an opportunity to play at Rutgers. So everything's been amazing. I'm glad I could do it with these guys again. And I'm just glad. I'm blessed.

RON HARPER JR.: It's crazy. My dad, my family grew up here and they grew up in the city and they played basketball here. It's a privilege to be able to play basketball here. Me and Caleb always joke around, talk about when we're going to go back to Dayton, we're going to go visit the city, go touch base with old roots.

And what do you know? Now we're playing in Dayton in March Madness. It doesn't get any better than this. I think this is the best way me and Caleb could have ever came back to visit. It's an honor to play here where my family grew up.

Q. Wanted to ask about the way that your benches play this year the way they've gotten better and better as the year's gone on. How big has that been and how important is that going to be in this type of tournament?

GEO BAKER: It's super important. Depth is the key. I've said this all year, I feel like we have a great combination of both veterans and younger guys who are willing to learn and listen. And then our veterans also are willing to listen to the younger guys. We have a great combination of the two.

Those guys came in gave us great minutes. I really feel like our team, as a whole, not just those guys, but our starters, understand our rules. And that's key in March Madness, when everyone is on the same page. As I said earlier, you're only guaranteed one game. We have to make sure we're all on the same page. I think that's what we're doing right now.

PAUL MULCAHY: Our bench has been great all year. Anytime their number's called, they're ready. They all have special talents. Jalen Miller is an incredible defender. Aundre Hyatt and Dean Reiber have had major plays for us this whole year. When everybody, like Geo said, does their role, and when we do that we are a really good team.

Q. Cliff, when you were in high school, you went to a game, the fans shouted, "We want Cliff. We want Cliff." How much did that influence your decision to go to Rutgers, The Rack atmosphere in general?

CLIFFORD OMORUYI: Probably 10 percent. I didn't know where I was going to go before that. So 10 percent. Before that, when Coach Pikiell told me what he was building, so I was really glad to be a part of it, be a part of Jersey, and so I just went with it.

Q. Geo, have you thought about your career and everything that's happened? Obviously you've been the face of this program in a way and just how far it's come. I know you still have games left. Has that crossed your mind, just the whole journey?

GEO BAKER: Not really, to be honest. Right now we have a goal and that's the national championship. So that's really the only thing we're all thinking about right now. There's a couple of seniors up here where, when the season's eventually over, we can all look back, reflect on everything.

And every now and then I do like maybe say something on Twitter or something like that, just talking about how far we've come. But at the end of the day, my mindset right now is on this tournament and on Notre Dame.

Q. Were you guys recruited by Notre Dame, Paul, curious, do you have Notre Dame fans in your family or around that --

PAUL MULCAHY: Yes, I was recruited a little bit from Notre Dame. Obviously Irish Catholic from New Jersey. So Mike Brey has recruited a lot of guys out of New Jersey like that. And my family, big Notre Dame football and stuff like that. Not my immediate family, but a lot of people that I know. So yeah, I know a lot about Notre Dame and what they're about.

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by coach Steve Pikiell.

COACH PIKIELL: Thanks for being here, first of all. I love this venue. I was lucky enough as an assistant coach to play here a lot of times when I was at George Washington University and had our league tournament here. People at Dayton are great and knowledgeable. Looking forward to it. My team is excited.

I have a couple of guys who have a lot of roots to Dayton, too. It's nice to be able to bring them back home. We've had some good practices. They're excited certainly to be here. We know the challenge ahead of us with a great program; Mike Brey, one of the great coaches in college basketball; and obviously Notre Dame, one of the great programs in college basketball.

But I'm excited about our team and this opportunity. We certainly had a great year this year, and we've got really good players and really good guys. So we're looking forward to the challenge that Notre Dame presents.

Q. Before going to the game, I'm not sure if you had a chance to see Ron Harper Jr. Was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press. He's one of a handful of guys in program history to get that honor. How deserving is Ron of that?

COACH PIKIELL: Obviously when you win, honors like that come. But Ron's come a long way. That's certainly a terrific honor. Proud of him. And I still say this all the time: His best basketball is ahead of him, too. He's young and he's a better kid than he is a basketball player. And from a great family and a great student, all the things you want in a basketball player.

So real proud of him and all of our guys that get any kind of accomplishment like that. Just great for our program.

Q. What stands out about the way that this Notre Dame team plays?

COACH PIKIELL: Obviously Notre Dame for years has been one of the great offensive programs. And they don't foul, too. But Mike Brey is really good. They have a lot of answers. They shoot a ton of 3s. They remind me a little bit of some teams in our league. You've got to be on top of your game offensively. Again, they do a great job of not fouling down at the other end of the court.

And they have a lot of answers. They have a lot of guys that are capable of scoring a lot of points. So we'll be challenged on the defensive end of the floor for sure. And we've got to be on top of our game on the offensive end.

Q. Ron's gotten better every year. Obviously he's got the great blood lines. What do you think has enabled him to just continue to get better? He was a guy coming in, wasn't a top 150 recruit. Now here he is an All-American?

COACH PIKIELL: He wasn't top, any of that when he signed with us. But he knows how to play and that's the first thing. He's a great kid. He comes from great family of workers. Every year he's improved his game. He's a really good defender, too.

Everyone will talk about his points, what he does on the offensive end of the floor. But he's really improved in that area of the floor, too, being able to defend different players in games and taking on that responsibility.

But he's gotten stronger. He's gotten to the point where he can play the point guard or the 4 spot for us. He can play the 5. His versatility certainly is really great. But like I said, he's 21 years old. He's young in his basketball, and I really believe his best days are ahead of him. But great worker. Kid who watches film. Comes to practice and soaks in the scouting reports.

So I think his IQ is really really good at a high level. And his work has enabled him to be a three-level scorer, which there's not a lot of those guys in college basketball.

Q. Mike Brey was just in here singing your praises. He was saying that he knew you would be the guy that could take Rutgers over the top. What does that make you feel like when you hear an opposing coach say that?

COACH PIKIELL: Yeah, the job that he's done everywhere he's been, I've been a fan of his for a long time. And kind of admire, too, how he does it. He does it the right way. Coaches with class and all those great things.

But, yeah, when you hear those things, it's really nice. And you appreciate that coming from a guy who has been in the business a long time and has won at the high level he's won at and done it the right way. So certainly appreciate that.

Q. You're from a big Catholic family. Did you have Notre Dame fans in your family growing up? Was it a team that you rooted for as a kid?

COACH PIKIELL: Nine brothers and sisters, my dad, every Saturday, Notre Dame football. So he would sit there and he'd watch them. Started at a young age watching Notre Dame football. Had a few chances, too, to go out and play when I was at Stony Brook.

My dad was -- those were big games for my dad when we played Notre Dame back in those days. But Irish Catholic family, obviously. Notre Dame is a school that is talked about a lot around the house when you get together with families and all that. But Saturdays were Notre Dame football. My dad, front and center.

Q. Since you've drawn Notre Dame now, what's been the reaction you've heard from people?

COACH PIKIELL: Yeah, I mean, honestly I'm behind on a lot of phone calls and texts. We got the seed and we went to work on film and that kind of thing. I think people are excited, obviously. Notre Dame is Notre Dame. It's a name brand.

You don't have to explain anything about their program and about their history. But, yeah, I mean I think people are more excited that Rutgers is in the tournament, which would be the third year in a row and have an opportunity to compete for a national championship and that's what I know our guys are excited about.

Q. Wanted to ask about, obviously last year's off-the-court experience was different, being in the bubble. But how much did playing in the tournament in those two games last year help prepare for this team going into Wednesday night?

COACH PIKIELL: You know, I think always experiences help you. We have a team with four players that have been through a lot. This will be Paul's third, it would be his third trip, and he's a junior.

So I think those experiences of being in the tournament in the past and knowing how exciting it is, it's just nice now to have people live and have you guys here and to be able to have shoot-arounds and do some things in the gym live.

But our guys have been through a lot. This group has had to win a lot of games. It's been three years, too. They've had their backs against the wall. We played a lot of different styles, a lot of different teams. So I think anytime experience really helps you in these kinds of situations. And hopefully all of our guys, I think, don't want the season to end. This has been a great group for me to work with. They've rarely had a bad practice. They get along great.

So, for me, I don't want this season to ever end. This group has certainly been a special group to coach and very unselfish group. So the experience of the tournament will definitely help us.