NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL SEMIFINAL - NORTH CAROLINA VS UCLA

March 24, 2022

Mick Cronin

Jaime Jaquez

Tyger Campbell

Johnny Juzang

Jules Bernard

Wells Fargo Center

UCLA Bruins

Sweet 16 Media Conference

Q. Jaime, are you practicing today and expect to play tomorrow?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, I mean, I'm day-to-day, you guys will see at practice. Did some light stuff yesterday, but I'm just day-to-day right now.

Q. You guys have been through a lot of NCAA Tournament games together. Is there a favorite part for you as far as something that you've come to look forward to the most, whether -- it could be anything, just going to a meal with these guys or a walk-through or the game itself or the celebration? Is there something that's become special to you?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: I think just after film going to Tyger's room and playing Super Smash Bros. And being around my teammates. That's probably what I look forward to.

Q. Tyger, who's the best on the team at Super Smash Bros.?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, you know, everybody would be a different opinion. Some guys say me, some guys say Russ, some guys say Jaime. I haven't heard anybody say Jules really. Some guys say Cody. But me personally, I'd say I'm the best player. I'm the best all-around Smash player on the team.

Q. Who's your go-to player?

TYGER CAMPBELL: I play with King K. Rool and I use Ganondorf sometimes, but I'll go randomly get some wins, so it doesn't matter.

Q. You've talked before about how you want to be a voice for Coach on the court, and obviously being the point guard that translates pretty clearly on offense when you're distributing the ball. But on defense do you take on that role do you think or is that more everyone plays their equal part?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, Coach is a great defensive coach, so we all -- especially in this tournament how we've been playing defense, we all have to come together and play defense and lock in. So it's really not just one person that can do that, it's everybody being on the same page and actually wanting to play defense out there and get stops. That's what I would say.

Q. Johnny, last year getting to the Sweet 16, how is this year different in terms of you guys knowing what to expect, getting to the Final Four last year and really having a lot of these guys back in the mix?

JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, obviously we've got almost the same roster, but I do think it's a different experience. Last year obviously coming in as an 11 seed, I guess the dynamic of the games is a little different. This year we need to be sharp, play our best, handle business, and I would just say the pressures are a little bit different. You're dealing with maybe more pressure, the favorites a lot more games this year.

So just staying sharp and still -- even if you are a higher seed, still being the hunter, playing like the hunter and coming out aggressive and trying to throw the first punch.

Q. I'm wondering if you guys are reminded of yourselves a little bit when you see this Carolina team. It's a talented team that struggled early in the year, figured it out late, is playing really well coming in as a slightly higher seed in the tournament, and what it feels like to be a team like that that's figured things out down the stretch and feels like you're playing your best ball right now.

JULES BERNARD: I would say there are definitely some similar qualities. They have a lot of talent and they play hard. Like you said, they are playing some of their best basketball later on in the year.

But I feel like we've studied them a bit, quite a bit actually since we were supposed to play them early on in the season and we couldn't play them, unfortunately, due to COVID. But they're a lot different team now and we know that, and they have -- I feel like they've really bought into who they are as a team and really keying in on what they need to do to win games, and we've seen that over the past few weeks with them.

They're a great team. They're different from who they were before, and we're just prepared to fight and claw and do whatever it takes to bring out a win.

Q. Jules, to stay on that, you guys were supposed to play them earlier and they are a lot different. What are some of the noticeable differences to you guys in them now from what you studied before? And also, is it kind of cool that you finally do get a chance to play them considering you were supposed to before?

JULES BERNARD: Yeah, I feel like for one, you could just tell that there's more assertiveness on both ends. On the defensive end they play hard, and then on the offensive end I feel like they've kind of found their identity. They have some really great guards. And then obviously they have a shooter in Brady Manek and an offensive force in the post with Bacot. I feel like they understand who they are a little more now as the season -- that comes with time and experience. So as the season has come along, I feel like they've sort of found that identity, and they're playing really well right now.

Yeah, it'll be definitely fun to finally get to play them and play them at their best. We love a challenge, and it's definitely going to be a challenge and a great game. We're looking forward to it.

Q. Johnny, you've talked about the togetherness on this team. What does that feel like to you? Can you kind of unpeel that a little bit? What does that feel like, the togetherness, to be part of that, and what does that feel like to you and what does that mean to this team to have that?

JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, you can feel it. It's just the support for one another. You can feel it, and honestly I think it's just gone to a little bit more -- not that we weren't together before, but to another level when it comes to tournament time. You can feel all the touches, talking about this, talking about that, whatever. Great job on this, great job on this, look for this, look for that. You can feel the cohesion come even tighter.

I think you can feel it in a lot of ways, but it's I think at this level what you need to win. So one of the biggest things is who is the most together because there's going to be trying times. Every team, especially at this point, is great, so it's not whether or if there will be challenges, there will be, and there will be those moments in the game where things aren't going your way for certain. So the team that's really, really together can come out of that. So no, I think it's great.

Q. Jaime, you obviously missed a game earlier in the season with a left ankle injury. I think you left the Stanford game early with a right ankle injury. You made the decision to go to braces. Can you reflect on this journey with your ankles?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, like you said, it's been a journey, a long one. It's something all players have to deal with when you get into this game, especially at this time of year, not everyone is 100 percent. Everyone is battling through something. Yeah, it's been frustrating for sure, but I'd rather have injuries like this, something I can battle back from than something really devastating. Knock on wood that doesn't happen.

But it's just something I have to persevere through, something I have to go through. Everyone has to go through something during the season, and this is what happened to me. We're just fighting through it every day.

Q. After such a tough end to the season last year and the way the Gonzaga game ended, how was the tough off-season and how good do you guys feel as you're in the Sweet 16 this year and having a chance to finish the job you weren't able to finish last year?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, you know, coming off the loss to Gonzaga last year, we went into the summer -- I'm not going to say that we were sad after the loss. We were really proud about what we had done all season, so it was easy to work this summer. Looking forward to getting back to this point now this year.

But to say about this year, it's a new year. It's cool to be compared to last year, that we've made it to the Final Four, but we've got a couple new players, people are playing a little different. Jaime is coming off his stuff. I'd just say we're taking it one game at a time just like last year. It's a one-game tournament. We're not looking to the Elite 8, the Final Four. We're looking at the Sweet 16. We're looking at North Carolina, we play them on Friday. So one step at a time trying to take it slow.

Q. Jaime, talking about your ankles and the injuries and everything. Obviously there's a lot of talk this time of year about focusing on the game, but at this point you don't know if you're going to be playing Friday or not. Is that any more difficult to just lock in and focus 100 percent on the game, or do you do that and then if you find out you're not playing, you're not playing?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah I'm just looking at the game, watching the film, going to practice, doing the same old same old. I'm not really worried about the outcome of tomorrow. I'm just locking in and doing everything as I should, preparation, going to sleep at the right time, doing all the things that I would do if I was 100 percent. So nothing really changes for me.

Q. Jules, there's a bigness to this game, right? UNC-UCLA, you just think of the history of both of these programs. What does it mean to not only be in the Sweet 16 but to play in a game with this bigness to it?

JULES BERNARD: I mean, as competitors and players and growing up, that type of environment is something that we all look forward to. I mean, I'm sure all of us watched March Madness as a kid, and we watched those huge games and buzzer beaters and huge match-ups like you were talking about right now. Just to be a part of it means something, and it's special for us. It's something that we all dreamed about.

But other than that, we're really just excited to have an opportunity to move on and play a great team. We know their history. We know how good they are. We're just super excited to play and get another opportunity to play the game that we love against a great team, against great players, against a great coach that they have over there.

Yes, the history is a lot of fun to talk about and think about, but in terms of the game, we're just super excited to play.

Q. I was just wondering, going off of you guys' most recent game, all of your starters from the second-round game all scored between 28 to 38 points. How do you feel that consistency and team chemistry will help you against UNC?

JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, it's great. You get the ball rolling, the offense going, and just a lot of cohesion, right, just good momentum swinging to the game. Look, it's a new game, different opponent, different scouting, so I think it's good for momentum. But otherwise you've got to strap back in, lock back in, and come ready to fight for the next game.

You've still got to stay focused, but yeah, the momentum, I think it helps a little bit.

Q. Tyger, you talked about you want to be the coach's guy out there on the court. How much do you appreciate his approach to the game, and how much has it improved your game?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, just seeing how hard of a worker Coach is and how he comes in every day ready to work, it's inspiring to me, especially being the point guard and knowing that I have to lead through him on the court and what he tells me I've got to spread to the other guys.

It's just built our connection just watching how hard he works honestly. That's what it is for me.

Our connection has been built over the past couple years, and it just keeps getting stronger and stronger, so yeah.

Q. Jaime, did you see the sign snafu on the halftime show last week, and you said you like being the underdog and when they misspell your name on national TV, does that feed into that and do you kind of feed off that?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, what were you talking about?

Q. They misspelled your name -- they were doing a "can you pronounce this player's name."

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: With Charles? Yeah, I saw that. I know last year my sister had sent a video to him about how to pronounce my name, and he had shouted her out, but now I guess he's just got to spell it right. We're almost there.

MICK CRONIN: It's great to be here. Got a cheesesteak today, so I'm happy. (Laughter).

Q. Mick, where was the cheesesteak from?

MICK CRONIN: They catered it for lunch. But it wasn't Dalessandro's. But it was good. I don't know if they make a bad one here.

Q. What's the update with Jaime? Is he practicing? Is he going to play?

MICK CRONIN: We're going to try to have him do some stuff today. Obviously have been treating him with kid gloves all week. Hopefully he can get some things done. He's going to want to try to play. The question is can he be effective. Playing is one thing. Can he play well. I will know more -- as you guys know our practice time is in 30 minutes so we'll see how he looks today.

Q. Do you think he can be effective?

MICK CRONIN: He hasn't done anything all week, so I don't know. I haven't let him do anything but shoot, so we'll see.

Q. I was curious, you guys were supposed to play Carolina back in December. If you guys already had scouting reports and everything prepared, I was just wondering what is the biggest difference between Carolina back then and what you've seen now.

MICK CRONIN: That's probably a good one for my associate head coach Darren Savino because he was on them. We were preparing to play Alabama State and I got COVID. I had the shakes, man. I wasn't one of those asymptomatic dudes.

He was preparing to coach the game actually. But then everybody just started falling like dominos for us. But I think -- look, I guess I'll just take it further for you. Hubert is a great guy, one of the nicest guys I've ever met. But he's a coach. Coach Davis has done a tremendous job. Big change, big shoes to fill, obviously, tough -- I did it at Cincinnati following Coach Huggins. He made a lot of changes to their offensive style of play. Maybe just probably took him some time.

When you're changing the passing game, the secondary, and you're going to a more modern NBA spread pick-and-roll, it probably just took him some time, some adjusting to find their stride. Maybe Coach Davis, as well.

But obviously they're playing extremely well right now, so it's a credit to the job that he's done and his talents. I think obviously they picked the right guy.

Q. Recognizing every game of the tournament is huge, but when you see and you say UCLA and North Carolina, it's got a different meaning. As someone who just has a great appreciation for the history of the game, what is it like to play in a game of this magnitude of the tournament against a team like that?

MICK CRONIN: Yeah, growing up in my household, it was Dean Smith and Bob Knight, for my dad who was a high school coach and having read all Coach Smith's books. But I know all about the Carolina way. So I have great reference for their program and the history of their program.

But again, every time I turn left on Sunset, I pinch myself every day. I was fortunate enough to get a contract extension, thanking Chancellor Block and Martin, and I told Chancellor Block when I take that left every day, it's hard to believe.

Obviously I think it's important the older you get to be thankful for stuff like this, just to be a part of it. I didn't grow up on third base, so for a guy like me to get here to the point where you're coaching at UCLA and then you're coaching in a game like this, it's pretty cool, man.

Q. I'm wondering if you can talk about the differences in mentality and preparation, where you guys are this year and the season you've had versus how you were in the tournament last year, and if you see some similarities in where you guys were in the tournament last year with this Carolina team playing really well, talented, but took a little while to figure things out.

MICK CRONIN: I mean, there could be -- you know, you're comparing them this year to us last year, because we weren't as deep as we are this year. Let's assume we're healthy. They play their starters. I heard some of their people referring to their starters as the iron five. We did a lot of that late in the year last year after Chris Smith and Jalen Hill went down for us. So I think there's a lot of similarities. They're playing really well and right now and they're confident.

A newer coach, similar to our guys, so a lot of similarities in that regard.

Hopefully they won't be similar that they make the Final Four.

Q. Cody Riley and Myles Johnson, their size, just how important that is in this game, and maybe it's not, your take on that?

MICK CRONIN: Well, it's important in every game, but I think you're referring to Bacot. I think to me Bacot is the poster child for staying in school. You get better. Guys just get better. Everybody that's a McDonald's All-American doesn't turn out in year one. I don't care -- the so-called geniuses that don't have him on the draft board, in my opinion they're missing out. Everybody, whether it was Paul Millsap or Montrezl Harrell, everybody that averages 11, 12, almost 13 rebounds makes it in the NBA. He'll make it, period.

My respect for him is off the charts because he stayed in school and he's learned how to impose his physicality on a game for the entire game. It makes them such -- he imposes physicality on Mark Williams. That's hard to do now. Mark is a great player and another pro.

Our big guys are going to -- they've got their hands full, man. We've been working on it all week and they've got their hands full. It's hard to simulate his presence around the rim on offense and then he goes after every rebound. He's impressive.

To me he's like Montrezl Harrell in that he's taller.

Q. You had some kind of quips this week about Jaime's ankle and you said he couldn't sprain them any more. I was wondering a player who's as tough as he is and your emotional heartbeat what's it been like to watch him go through this journey and watch him deal with this stuff and what that's been like for him?

MICK CRONIN: Yeah, it's been a weird year. Had to watch Cody not play for two months. Jaime -- I'm going to say in the last two months, he was -- when he was able to start practicing -- he was playing without practicing for a while just to get him back on the court. But then once he started practicing, that's when he started dominating; he got his rhythm back.

For these kids, they work their whole life to be on this stage. We went through it last year when Jules Bernard got food poisoning the night before the Gonzaga game. And as a coach if you're lucky enough you get other chances. These guys, they only get so many shots at this.

It's obviously extremely unfortunate that Jaime is dealing with this, but I will tell you if anybody can deal with it, it's him. He is the epitome of physical and mental toughness.

Q. I know you expect to be at UCLA a long time and do a lot of great things, but this team will always be the first that went to the Final Four with you. How special is this team to you and all these guys who came back to try to do it again?

MICK CRONIN: Oh, extremely. It's a great question because like my message to those guys is -- we'll have a meeting tonight, everybody knows obviously it's win or go home. But for me -- again, if you're fortunate to coach at UCLA with -- it would just be fortunate to coach out my whole contract. But I'm not going to get to coach Jules Bernard again. I'm the type of guy, I'm well aware of -- I'm very cognizant and well aware of you are where you are because of the people that helped you, and it starts with the players.

As you know covering us, it was not a mass exodus when I got the job. Now there's a mass exodus even though it's the same coach. But now could you imagine the portal, take a job now? By the time you get on the plane to go to your press conference, half the team is probably in the portal.

We had nobody in the portal. They all embraced us as a new coaching staff and we got to work on rebuilding UCLA basketball to amongst the nation's best programs, and we would not have done that if they wouldn't have stayed.

So obviously in particular the three seniors, but we've got some guys who could get drafted, so we could lose more than three.

So I'm very, very cognizant of the fact that this could be our last ride together as a group. It's been awesome, though. Hope we got 10 or 11 more days left in us.

Q. I heard Shaheen Holloway say earlier in the day that he likes to have kids who have a chip on their shoulder who may not be the most recruited guy in the world. Looking at how this UCLA team developed in the last year, is that what you would ideally like for a team?

MICK CRONIN: I think it helps. I think young people -- we could go on for a while about this, but I'll try to be quick. It's a burden when you're ranked high to live up to the hype. To me it helps you if you're underrated because you have your hunger and your ambition, instead of having it given to you or theoretically given to you by somebody -- some guy in the basement that ranks you seventh in the country.

So what happens -- what Shah would tell you -- what he's done by the way is unbelievable. I love him, man. We're friends. Where he comes from, it's a miracle, Shaheen Holloway's story. They need to do a -- what he comes from, what he's accomplished in his career and his life. And St. Peter's to me is the greatest story -- if you've been there and you know him -- from high school. So he's going to say that. I'm the same way. My life wasn't nearly as tough, but I'm the son of a high school coach from Cincinnati.

I think we probably lean towards guys like that. But I think it also -- it's hard for young kids that are rated high. In this day and age, in our game, kids start getting told they're a pro in ninth grade. They haven't accomplished anything.

It's tough for those guys. I feel for those guys. It's easier for the underrated guy because he stays hungry.

Q. As you said previously just a few minutes ago, sometimes you have to pinch yourself taking a left. As you come and you play two UNC, two bluebloods who have so much history in college basketball, is it hard to manage the team's emotions and keep them in check throughout the week? How do you prepare them to play 40 full minutes of basketball and get to the Elite 8?

MICK CRONIN: Yeah, I think our experience having been through the tournament last year is a factor. We're just focused on North Carolina. We know we have to beat -- these guys know they have to beat Carolina or we're going home, man; it's all over.

I say the time change -- we left Tuesday just to get out of LA, get away from everybody telling us how great we are. That's a concern of mine. I think it helped us being in the bubble last year because everybody -- it's a lot easier to stay hungry when everybody is not telling you how great you are. We tried to get the heck out of town as fast as I could, get these guys back in our little bubble.

But our guys know, like they get it. For you guys, the blueblood thing and all that; for them, they know they've got to play well. We play good teams all the time, and these guys have a played in a lot of big games, so they get it.

If we were playing St. Peter's, it would be the same way. Got to win or we're going home.

Q. Manek, obviously a talented stretch 4, how do you anticipate what he's going to do and how you defend him, and do you have to draw up multiple defensive game plans when you don't know if Jaime is going to be able to be out there or not?

MICK CRONIN: Yes. Yeah, you have to -- Jaime is going to try, guys. I can tell you. Unless something goes bad today, I would think he's going to try. The question is can he be effective.

More importantly with Manek, he just kills your defense because he can -- the way he's been shooting it, the confidence he's been playing with, he just stretches you to death. It makes them like a pro team offensively. Like pro guys always -- my pro friends will say, well, you guys don't know how to space the floor in college when you talk to them. I say, no, we know how to space the floor, we just all don't shoot it the way pro teams shoot it.

It's easy -- all their stuff works because you've got guys like Bogdanovic or Manek standing there at 6'10" and he can catch it and let it fly in a half a second. Anybody can space the floor but you're not going to stretch my defense. He stretches your defense. That's the problem, which now you've got Bacot rolling, you've got RJ and Caleb Love driving. The roll he's on is a big problem because he stretches your defense.

Then what happens is you start giving up the three and the lay-up. You can't give up both. You've got to take something away. You start trying to take everything away, then you start giving up everything.

Q. You mentioned before kind of the bubble situation last year and how it helps you keep a little more focused, but also making a run to the Sweet 16 this year with a little more of that traditional excitement, the crowds back in the stadiums, what's it been like for you guys?

MICK CRONIN: Well, I think it's great for the guys. Again, they had no idea what was going on. We came in to go to Portland and Peyton Watson, he had more luggage than a guy going on a trip around the world. I said, what are you doing. He goes, well, Coach, we're going to win. We ain't going to be back for three weeks. I said, no, my man, we win two in Portland we're coming home.

But he knew last year because last year I'm FaceTiming him from Indy the whole time while he was back in Long Beach. He didn't know. He didn't know.

That's a funny one for you. But anyway, no, it's great for the guys. All these kids in college -- again, one thing that Coach Krzyzewski said that I remember retirement-wise, he said, the older you get, the more you can make it about the kids, make everything you do about the players, then your job gets easier. The pressure goes away a little bit because it isn't about you and keeping your job. You're trying to help them win so they can chase their dreams.

So this is great for them because last year was obviously -- it was a great run for us, but there's 1,500 people at games. It was a little unusual to say the least.