NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - COLGATE VS WISCONSIN

March 17, 2022

Nelly Cummings

Jack Ferguson

Keegan Records

Tucker Richardson

Matt Langel

Fiserv Forum

Colgate Raiders

Media Conference

MODERATOR: At the stage now, Colgate student-athletes Tucker Richardson, Jack Ferguson, Nelly Cummings, and Keegan Records.

Questions, please. Why don't I get this ball rolling. We'll go one at a time right down the way here. Just your thoughts about the task you have ahead of you.

TUCKER RICHARDSON: I think we're definitely super excited, but we know it's going to be a big challenge coming in as a 14 seed and playing Wisconsin in their home state. It's going to be a big challenge, but I think overall we're just really excited. I think we're prepared and ready to go.

NELLY CUMMINGS: To add to that, we're just really ready for the opportunity, and we're going to make sure we take advantage of it.

UNIDENTIFIED PLAYER: To add on to both of those, yeah, it's going to be a challenge, but we're up to the challenge. We're really excited about being here, and I think we're as focused as we can be.

UNIDENTIFIED PLAYER: Definitely. Everyone's excited to be here, and we know what we have to do.

Q. To any of y'all, I was just wondering, the 15-game winning streak, what's been the key? Obviously, the schedule changed you out of conference play, but what are y'all doing differently now that maybe you weren't doing earlier in the season when you were struggling a little more?

MODERATOR: Maybe everybody can weigh in on that. We'll start with -- down on the end.

TUCKER RICHARDSON: Yeah. I think when conference started, we started to flow a little better. The play-together chemistry was just raising as the season went on, and everyone got to play together more and more. We started to click a little bit better, and we've been able to, obviously, ride the winning streak out and be able to keep it together.

UNIDENTIFIED PLAYER: Yeah. There were no drastic changes that we made. We just continued with the process. We always said we're a process-based team, so we don't get affected by a win or a loss. We'll just continue to do what we do every day, which is play Colgate basketball. And I think it finally started to click during that 15-game win streak.

NELLY CUMMINGS: Yeah. I was going to say something similar. We just stuck with the process. There was no things that we really changed, but we knew that if we stuck with our process, we would eventually get these wins.

UNIDENTIFIED PLAYER: Yeah. And I think, going off that, just -- we have a really good team, and we have a lot of guys that can step up. So if one guy's struggling or a couple guys are struggling, we know that there's other guys that will be able to step up. And I think that's what's led to the success.

Q. To whoever feels strongly about this, what are the aspects and certain things about Wisconsin that you guys have keyed in on as you prepare for tomorrow's game?

JACK FERGUSON: Yeah. I can answer that real quick. There's not a lot of keys to this game. We're just going to play Colgate basketball. Wisconsin's obviously a really good team. They won the Big Ten regular season championship. And I think we just need to remain as focused as possible. I think, other than that, they have some really good individual talent. They have a First Team All-American that we obviously have to focus on. But like Jack said, I think we're focused on what we have to do and our game plan rather than what they're going to do more so.

Q. You mentioned Johnny Davis there. What are your impressions of him, and what's it been like to prepare for a player of his caliber?

UNIDENTIFIED PLAYER: Yeah. He's obviously really, really good. I mean, I don't think we're giving any secrets away to say that he's going to take a lot of shots. And we've got to try and make those shots as difficult as possible. He's probably going to get his points like he always does, but we've just got to make his shots tough and make it a tough game for him.

Q. If all of you can weigh in on this, three-point shooting obviously is such a big part of your game. If the threes are going tomorrow, is that something that gives you confidence? If they're not going, finding other ways to win, how difficult is that? Tucker and we'll go right down the line.

TUCKER RICHARDSON: Yeah. I think it's the same thing. We're a process-oriented team. We're not results-oriented. So if we're missing shots in the first half, we're not going to get discouraged. We've got a lot of really confident guys, especially from the 3-point line, and we feel like at any moment we can catch fire and get hot. And we're the type of team that can go on a big run in a moment's notice, so I don't think we're really worried about it. I think that we're going into this game super confident like we have all year, really.

NELLY CUMMINGS: Adding to that, I think we're just, you know, able to win in different ways. It's not just 3-point shooting. So we want to emphasize that it doesn't have to just be one way. We can win it however way we can, so . . .

UNIDENTIFIED PLAYER: Yeah. I think a big reason for our success is we just find ways to win, whether it's making shots or, if we're not making shots, going inside to people like Keegan. But I think, like Tucker said earlier, when someone's not having a good game, you know, someone else can step up. And I think that's what makes us a tough team to beat.

KEEGAN RECORDS: I agree. Just play team basketball, Colgate basketball. We all make the extra pass to the open guy. We don't think about how they've been shooting that night or anything like that. We just make the pass to the open guy and trust that they'll knock down a shot. And no matter how the night's going, we have confidence in all of our guys.

Q. Y'all had the win over Syracuse this season. I know you haven't won an NCAA Tournament game. Arkansas, Tennessee made those games kind of interesting. For Tucker, what have you learned from those last two NCAA Tournament experiences that you can take into this one? Is there any confidence from the fact you were able to throw a little bit of a scare into those teams?

TUCKER RICHARDSON: Yeah, for sure. I think that those two games, and especially last year's game with Arkansas when we got up 14 points in the first half -- we've got to realize when we're in a game with these bigger teams, they're not just going to fold. They're going to make adjustments. They're going to try to muck up the game. And we have to adjust as well, and I think, last year, we didn't do that. Tennessee was different. I think, at the end, they just kind of pulled away. For sure, those are some lessons we can take. It's just staying in the game that we're in. And no matter if we're up or if we're down, realizing that we always have a shot and the other team always has a chance to come back because it's a really good team.

Q. (MODERATOR): Anything else? All right, gentlemen. Thank you. Good luck tomorrow night.

MODERATOR: We are joined by Matt Langel. Questions, please?

Q. When you're playing a team that's so long, how do you -- what's the key in creating 3-point looks, clean ones?

COACH MATT LANGEL: Yeah. No matter who you're playing, to get open shots, 3-point shots for us, you've got to get the defense behind, so a lot of movement, a lot of actions. Whether it's a double handoff or a screen off the ball or on the ball, you've got to execute the details of the game that you've done all year long and then make good passes. When the arms are a little bit longer and the guys are a little bit quicker and more athletic, you've got to calculate all that into your head in a split second that you're making the decision of what to do with the ball. I think our guys have been in that moment enough and have played against enough of these teams over this season and in their careers that they'll adjust well tomorrow night.

Q. Coach, what stands out specifically about Wisconsin's game, whether on offense or defense? What are the areas you guys have kind of keyed in on as you prepare for Friday?

COACH MATT LANGEL: I think what sticks out for me is maybe not necessarily something you can key in, how committed to the little things they are that affect winning games. So they've played a lot of close games, but they do a lot of little things, executing screens on the offensive end, their timing and their spacing, their discipline not to just shoot the first shot but to really work hard to get a good shot, their togetherness on the defensive end, their work level on the defensive end, that they don't take possessions off or parts of possessions off. That's what's impressive the most for me. It's really hard to prepare against because they don't make a lot of mistakes. And when a team doesn't make a lot of mistakes, you can't use that against them. Sometimes, if you play well enough for long enough, a team will beat itself, and Wisconsin doesn't do that.

Q. I'm just wondering: The last two NCAA Tournament games y'all had, you gave Tennessee a good game. Then you were ahead of Arkansas early. What did y'all get out of those that maybe you can carry into tomorrow, and do you sense y'all are entering this tournament any different than maybe those last two?

COACH MATT LANGEL: I think that every tournament -- shoot, every game takes on its own identity. And we talk about that as a team a lot, that you've got to play the game that you're in and be in the moment of the game that you're in. We learned that lesson in a difficult way last year at Arkansas, getting a big lead. They made some changes, style of play and lineups, and we didn't adjust. We kept trying to do what had gotten us the significant lead.

So this group, over time, has had a lot of those experiences, be it this season, a couple ACC games, beat Syracuse at the Dome. But over their careers, we've got a veteran group. They've been in a couple NCAA tournaments and played a couple challenging opponents, each nonleague, save last year. So hopefully we're all a residue of our experiences, and hopefully that -- we'll be able to tap into those because it's helped create who we are. So hopefully we'll be in the moment and play our very best.

Q. The coaching fraternity is pretty large, yet it can be kind of a small world sometimes. Just curious how much interaction you've had with Greg Gard over the years, if any.

COACH MATT LANGEL: Well, I just saw them as they were exiting and we were entering. I think we both had significant iconic coaches that helped shape who we are as people and who we are as coaches. Coach Ryan is from the Philadelphia area where I'm from. Coach Dunphy was a huge part of my basketball life and continues to be a huge part of my life.

So I think that just having those common beacons that grew up in similar areas from similar styles of basketball and had different careers, but hugely successful careers, yeah, there's a lot of common touch points.

I've always said that I really admire the program; not just the team that Wisconsin is this year, but the program that Wisconsin is, their consistency over the years, their ability to get guys to come to play for their institution who are extremely committed to winning and to the process of winning, especially in today's day and age where everybody's looking for instant gratification.

Q. Coach, what are your impressions of Johnny Davis, what he's accomplished this year, and how have you guys gone about preparing for a player of his caliber?

COACH MATT LANGEL: Yeah. What is most impressive for me is the jump that he made from last year to this year. I think it's a testament again to what I was just talking about, the commitment to winning and the program. He had a really good first year. But to make that jump and be Player of the Year in that conference and First Team All-American is really impressive.

Yeah, what jumps out at me is how overwhelming he can be, how he can just kind of single-handedly take a game over. I don't really know how to prepare. You can't take him out. He's not a guy that is going to be taken out of the game. He finds a way to get to his spots. They get him the ball at all three levels, and he can hurt you.

I think we've got to be a team of defenders. There's no secret about it. He's going to get his touches. You've got to make him as inefficient as possible, not try and hope that he's going to have a game where he scores zero or two or five points and that can be your only chance.

Q. Generally, whenever a 14 seed or a low seed or high seed is competitive in their game, the crowd at a neutral site will get behind them. How difficult is that going to be tomorrow?

COACH MATT LANGEL: Hopefully, you're asking me tomorrow how did it impact the game in our favor.

It will be a great experience. I think that's what our guys are excited about. They're competitive. Sometimes these games at different times of the day maybe don't have a full crowd. I think that this won't be one of those.

Certainly when we played Tennessee a couple years ago, everybody other than the Tennessee fans were pulling for us. I'm sure the game that goes before us, whoever's won that game will be pulling for us.

But our guys, they came to Colgate with a little bit of a David-versus-Goliath type mentality. We didn't have championships to recruit with. We didn't have all sorts of record-breaking statistics. So they came kind of wanting to make their mark and prove people wrong, so I think that that's their mentality all the time, so I think it will be no different for them tomorrow night.

MODERATOR: Anything else for Coach? All right. Thank you and good luck tomorrow night.

COACH MATT LANGEL: Thank you.