NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - SOUTH DAKOTA ST. VS PROVIDENCE

March 16, 2022

Baylor Scheierman

Douglas Wilson

KeyBank Center

South Dakota St. Jackrabbits

Media Conference

Q. (Off microphone)

BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN: They're really physical on defense, and if you turn the ball over, they get out of transition, and they're really well in transition. If they don't have anything, they run their sets really well, and they're really stubborn in what they want to do on offense.

Q. (Off microphone.)

At a time when good players in major conferences are often transferred out, what's made you commit to stay at South Dakota State?

DOUGLAS WILSON: You know, pretty much from the beginning of my recruitment at the D-1 level, they were the first school to contact me, and they've always believed in me from the jump. So I'm a big loyalty guy, so there was always people talk about it, but my loyalty was with South Dakota State, and I didn't want to be with nobody else.

Q. (Off microphone) how rewarding has your decision been to stay there and to -- your loyalty to South Dakota State?

DOUGLAS WILSON: I guess you could say it's been good. Just being able to share a lot of those moments with my teammates really is one of the biggest things for me. Without them and without myself -- without each other, we probably wouldn't be in the situation we are.

Q. (Off microphone)

DOUGLAS WILSON: Just to always play hard and give it all you've got every night pretty much. Coach is a really good person on and off the court, and he has taught me a lot on and off the court as well. For the most part, going all out in whatever we do.

Q. For either one of you, you have gotten a little taste of it, but are you trying to keep everything normal, or does it start to feel a little different like it is the NCAA tournament?

BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN: It's pretty normal. We're doing the same thing. It's the same routine. Wake up, have breakfast, watch film, come do media and then go to practice. It's no different than if we were back in Brookings, South Dakota.

Q. Congrats on all your success and welcome to town. Curious, from both your perspectives, what does it mean to you guys to have the nation's longest active winning streak, and how does your success this season kind of fuel you guys now that you're in the tournament?

DOUGLAS WILSON: It feels pretty good for the most part having that streak, but at the same time, going into each game, we never really thought about the streak. We're trying to make sure we kept it alive. We played every game as if it was our first game. It feels pretty good to know that we do have -- (Off microphone).

Q. Question for either or both of you, but three-point shooting, three-point shooting percentage, how do you think that helped your chances of winning? And in general, how do you think that might help the lower seed pull up an upset chance?

BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN: It makes us harder to guard having about four or all five of us being able to shoot out on the perimeter. The defense has to contribute that. In order to win these type of games, you're going to have to score points because other teams are going to score too, so I think it makes us a lot more difficult to guard.

Q. What advantages does your team have that makes you more susceptible to beat team like Providence?

BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN: I think what I just said, you know, being able to have a lot of people that can shoot on the perimeter. The defense can't help as much, and so that opens up more gaps for us to drive, and then also for our post players to, you know, have one-on-one match-ups, which we really like that, and I think that's a big advantage for us.

Q. Doug, Nate Watson is a 6'10" center. That's not a size you typically see in the summer league. How do you guys prepare, and are there other previous match-ups with guys that big that you can lean on for experience?

DOUGLAS WILSON: Probably not as big as Nate Watson, but we went against some bigger guys in the post. I think our coaches are going to do a good job of preparing us and doing whatever we have to do as far as game planning when that time comes.

Q. Baylor, kind of contrasting styles for you guys as far as tempo, how important do you think it will be for you guys to make them play at your pace?

BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN: I think it will be important, and it all starts with defense and getting stops. If we're taking the ball out of bounds on their made baskets, it's going to be hard to play it the way we want to, so it all starts on the defensive end.

Q. You mentioned the improved defense all year. Where do you feel like you've made the biggest jump from, say, last season to this season in that aspect?

BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN: I probably would just say mentally. I think we've always had the physical tools to be a solid defensive team, but just not taking possessions off and staying mentally locked in for 40 minutes.

Q. Baylor, you've gotten a lot of attention nationally. There's people picking you guys as a bracket buster, a Cinderella, that kind of thing. Do you get caught up in any of that at all?

BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN: Not really. It's cool, but at the same time when the ball goes up tomorrow, we're going to have to do what we've done all season. Can't change anything now, so you just have to stay locked in.

Q. What advice are you giving younger kids that want to be like you, that look up to you, people that see you in this moment, in this limelight? What is the advice that you give to the younger generation that's looking up to you guys?

DOUGLAS WILSON: Pretty much anything is possible. As a kid growing up, I probably would have never imaged that I would be up here standing up here talking to you guys, let alone playing in the NCAA tournament, but for the most part, anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I would say that's the best advice I can give to younger kids.

Q. Baylor.

BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN: Kind of on that same thing, I would say just dream big, and then work hard for it. Like Doug said, growing up watching the NCAA tournament, it was always my dream to be here and be able to play. And now that I'm here, it's a surreal moment, but a lot of hard work has gone into that. Dream big and work hard and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something.

Q. Curious do either of you have a favorite moment you have from watching the NCAA tournament that you would hopefully maybe get to live yourself tomorrow?

BAYLOR SCHEIERMAN: Mine was probably 2008, Kansas. Mario Chalmers shot to center in overtime, and they eventually won the game. My mom clipped the whole game, and I watched it 100, 200 times growing up, so that's maybe my moment.

DOUGLAS WILSON: Mine would probably have to be, I don't know what year it was, but I just remember because I was just flicking through channels one day, and I landed on a UNI game where he hit that half-courter to win it, but that was probably like the best moment just because it was so random. I was just honestly flipping through channels, and I just happened to catch that part right at that moment.