NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - TEXAS SOUTHERN VS KANSAS

March 16, 2022

Remy Martin

David McCormack

Dajuan Harris Jr.

Dickies Arena

Kansas Jayhawks

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right. We are joined by student-athletes from the Kansas Jayhawks. Welcome, guys.

Mr. McCormack sitting closest to me, Mr. Martin, and Mr. Harris. And we can fire away from questions in the room, and then we'll take questions on ZOOM once questions in the room have been exhausted. We'll start left-front.

Q. David, obviously, two years ago, no tournament. Last year was kind of in the bubble, this year to normal. What's it like to be here? And maybe for all three you guys, what's it been like since you've been here? How are you guys staying busy?

DAVID MCCORMACK: You know, March is just a great feeling. Still get to play basketball. We were coming in with great energy. Today we had a fairly good practice, just kind of getting after and preparing for our game and making sure we have a great mindset to lock in. It's a great feeling to be here, since last year was cut short for us and the year before, the season ended on an early term. So I appreciate every moment that I have to play in this month.

THE MODERATOR: Remy, do you want to follow up on that?

REMY MARTIN: Yeah, same with me. I'm just grateful to be able to play basketball, and March is a very big month for college basketball. And just really grateful that we're able to play. Because I know other teams, as well, season is over with. You know, just grateful to be able to play with the guys and be able to put a Kansas uniform on. So I think it's a great opportunity for everybody. And it's -- I'm happy it's back to normal.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Dajuan?

DAJUAN HARRIS JR.: Yeah, what they said. I'm thankful, too, to be here because last year was cut short. And my freshman year when I was here, when they were one of the best teams in the country, that was cut short, too. I'm just thankful to be here with my teammates and try to make a big run.

THE MODERATOR: Microphone with anyone else? Let's go front second row to the right.

Q. Remy, we talked a lot about your energy over the course of this season. Have there been any games where you've gone in and felt like, okay, this is a game that I have to bring the energy, or has it always just been a part of you coming just from getting out there?

REMY MARTIN: You know, how I play is just who I am. So energy and just, you know, trying to bring enthusiasm and trying to help my team out is who I am. So I go in just being who I am. And whatever minutes I get, whatever time I'm on the court, I just want to be able to produce and help my teammates win. So there's not really any, you know, way that I go into the game. I just go in there, try to be myself, and try to help the team win. That's what I'm here for.

THE MODERATOR: Go back on the left.

Q. Hey, Dave, I was going to ask you, how is your foot? Do you anticipate being on any minute restrictions, or are you good to go and expect to play like you normally would?

DAVID MCCORMACK: I go in the game just ready to play. I always come prepared to play. We haven't talked about anything about minutes, but I'm here for the team and I'm here to win.

THE MODERATOR: More questions for the student-athletes?

Let's go first row to the right.

Q. Remy, just the last time you were here three years ago, it's been a while since you've been in the tournament. I know it's only been two days and you haven't played a game yet, but what are your memories of that and how do they compare to now and what's going to obviously be your last go around here, how do you put all this into context being at this event?

REMY MARTIN: My first time here it was great energy. You know, I was a freshman and, you know, being able to play in March is something that I've always, like, thought about as a kid, just being able to, you know, feel the moment. And in open practices, seeing the fans and stuff was amazing. March brings a whole different energy to college basketball that I love.

I love, like, the fans, I love people, you know, the entertainment or the game. And that's what March is about. And also, obviously, winning. But, you know, just the excitement of March, everybody talking about it.

And now, you know, being on a team that we have a really good chance of going as far as we want. So I'm excited for it. I'm definitely thankful that we get to see fans and we get to see people. And, you know, my family could come out and everybody could just hang out and kind of be, normal. So that's the most exciting thing, is just being back to normal, and, obviously, grateful to be able to play here.

THE MODERATOR: More questions for the student-athletes?

Back in front again.

Q. Yeah. Dajuan, just curious after you've now had a chance to dig into Texas Southern and what you've seen on tape?

DAJUAN HARRIS JR.: We've seen, like, they're very fast and athletic. So, you know, we've got to bring it coming out, like, the first five minutes. Because we know they're going to come out with a lot of joy and be able to play against us in the tournament. So if we just come out and play our game and play together, we'll be pretty good. We'll be pretty straight.

Q. And to follow-up, Dajuan, they seem to be fairly prone to turnovers. What kind of things can you guys do to make sure that you're doing that and they're keeping the ball in -- getting transition going?

DAJUAN HARRIS JR.: You said what? I didn't hear the first part.

Q. They seem to be pretty prone at making turnovers. What can you do to make them to turn the ball over and then get that transition game going?

DAJUAN HARRIS JR.: We know that they like to back cut a lot. So if we stay focus and not, like, get -- watch man and the ball, we get a lot of tips. And the playoffs starts with me first. Because, you know, I start out first.

So I've got to start the pressure out first. So then if I do that, and then I get the other guys going and tips and deflections, and, you know, how our wings, they rebound well. So if they get the rebound well and then they -- then they just find me in transition. I try to pass to find my teammates open.

THE MODERATOR: In the far-back right.

Q. David, what challenges does Texas Southern present to you and for the team down low, and especially big men?

DAVID MCCORMACK: Just knowing the scout report fairly well, you know, we know they have really athletic post players. Really strong. And, you know, they're really strong on the offensive glass. They crash hard. So we just have to be defensively sound, not giving them second chance opportunities. They have a powerful floor man, as well. And he can kind of shoot.

So we're just kind of -- being we're personnel, make sure we don't allow them to place their strengths.

And then if we kind of do what Dajuan said, if our wings run our rebound, we can move in transition and just kind of speed up the game and play to our strengths and hopefully dominate the glass.

THE MODERATOR: Remy, what difference, if any, does it make to have Texas Southern play last night, having come down here, you guys were fresh and rested?

REMY MARTIN: Well, I feel for Texas Southern. I mean, I think that, you know, Kansas itself, that's enough to play and forget about that next game. I think they're going to come out with tons of energy and excitement to play against us.

On our end, I think that we've just got to remain ourselves. You know, do what got us here, stay connected. You know, they may make some runs, but as long as we're together and stick to the basics and stick to what we know what to do, we'll be fine.

But I know Texas Southern, just watching them on film, like you said, they run a lot. They like to -- you know, they pressure the ball, too. They play fast.

So I think that we've just got to stick to what we do, and I know they'll be excited to play us. And we've just got to match that energy.

THE MODERATOR: Second row in the middle.

Q. Dajuan, what did you see from Remy in the last game, and what did you see after watching the film, too?

DAJUAN HARRIS JR.: What I saw, you know, he's the fastest guy on the court when he's healthy. So if he's that fast, that healthy, I feel like it gives us our team. Like, he brings us up here even more higher. If he continues and does what he does, bring energy off the bench, getting teammates wide open, creating shots for himself, we'll be in great shape.

Q. And for all you guys: We're in Fort Worth; that's where you guys lost last. How important was that locker room and everything that happened in that game to what happened after that?

THE MODERATOR: David, you can start on that question.

DAVID MCCORMACK: That was a pretty big loss for us. It was just a simple thing of mindset, being prepared. And from there on, we kind of just flipped the switch of being more locked in, being more tenacious, taking pride in the small things that can change the game, making sure that every possession matters. Those -- every little thing that you might think is, like, minuscule in the grand scheme of things, makes the grand difference of each game.

And then from that game on, we was -- I think it was a four or five-game win streak, just because we made sure every deflection, every rebound, made the most of it. And then everything kind of changed the way we thought of the game and we came out with better energy each time.

THE MODERATOR: Remy?

REMY MARTIN: Yeah, I think that, you know, that loss kind of opened our guys a little bit to what's ahead of us. You know, we didn't -- I don't think that we, you know, took it too personally. Obviously, it was a tough loss, but we knew that we had to learn from it and we had the next game. So we just took everything we could. We watched film. We made corrections.

And, ultimately, we got a team that knows what needs to be done and that wants to win one through 15. So everybody's invested. So when you have a team like that that wants to win and is really invested in winning, you know, it kind of makes the next step easier because everybody is looking what's next.

So, you know, I think that that loss was tough and it opened our eyes. And in some parts, it was a good thing. And now we're getting ready to get rolling.

THE MODERATOR: Dajuan, can you finish the thought by returning forward.

DAJUAN HARRIS JR.: When we lost that game against TJ, I think we were just too comfortable. Because we had, like, a two-game lead, stretch or whatever in the league or whatever; so we was being too comfortable.

Then we went back after that game, we watched film. You know, coach got on us. He told us what we needed to do, and then that whole week, we had -- in that -- until now until the end of the season -- well, to now, we've been playing great -- good basketball. We've been playing together. Our defense got better. So if we keep doing that and listening to Coach and being coachable, then we'll be good.

THE MODERATOR: We have two more minutes with the student-athletes. Back in front.

Q. David, in what areas have you seen growth from Zach and KJ this year?

DAVID MCCORMACK: They both have done a lot better job being tenacious on the boards. You know, Coach always preaches that if you take away second chance opportunities and defensively rebound, we can push in transition.

And offensive rebounding just gives us second-chance shots and, you know, proves how strong you are as a big man. They've done a much better job.

Zach is honestly his own character. He's got really comfortable with the team and acclimated to the way our playing style is. He found his niche.

KJ comes in as a ball of energy, rebounds, screens, blocked shots, does whatever he can to put us over the top in the game. And he really does a great job, as well, at defending. As soon as he comes in, we'll switch five and whoever it may be, he's going to give it his all.

THE MODERATOR: One more question. Back role on the right.

Q. Hey, Dajuan. You just mentioned the moment you guys got a little too comfortable before. When that happens, why do you think that happens? And how do you prevent it from happening here, knowing the history of ones versus 16?

DAJUAN HARRIS JR.: I feel like -- why it happened? Because, you know, we Kansas and stuff, so we think we was just being, like, too big of ourselves. And so, we ain't -- we had to come back down after that loss and had to realize, like, everybody wants to beat us. So we got to bring it every game. And then -- yeah.

Q. How do you prevent that?

DAJUAN HARRIS JR.: Prevent that? Basically, being coachable. Listening to Coach. Because Coach knows everything. If he tells us what to do, we know we have to do that. And then bringing the energy out. You know, because that game, we didn't have a lot of energy to start the game either.

So if we come out, have energy, rebound the ball, play defense, like we've been doing the last couple games, and listen to Coach, then we'll be in great shape.

THE MODERATOR: Men, thank you very much. Good to have you here in Fort Worth. Good luck tomorrow.