NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - FINAL FOUR: VILLANOVA VS KANSAS

March 31, 2022

Jermaine Samuels

Chris Arcidiacono

Bryan Antoine

Caleb Daniels

Eric Dixon

Collin Gillespie

Brandon Slater

Caesars Superdome

Villanova Wildcats

Semi-Finals Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Villanova student-athletes.

Q. Caleb, what does it mean to be here? Just reflect on coming full circle like this.

CALEB DANIELS: It's definitely, honestly, a true blessing and honor to be part of this, to have the Final Four here. Honestly I started my college career here so it's definitely an honor and blessing. But nevertheless we're locked into what we do here at Villanova. We're just locked into each other and focused on each other.

Q. Caleb, could you kind of elaborate, your high school coach told me this week that you've improved so much as a player. What steps do you think you've made since you've been at Villanova to make you an even better player than you were?

CALEB DANIELS: I think that's just being around my teammates, being around guys that's pushing me every day, holding me accountable to be the best version of myself, and also to push them and keep them accountable as well. And overall I think what's helped is just being solid. Every day we push each other, every day in practice it's just constantly go beyond what we do every single day. And just stay consistent in that.

Q. Collin and Eric, you can go as deep as you want, I'm wondering about what kind of conversations you have with Dhamir. What's his role on this team, what he does for each of you.

ERIC DIXON: For me, Dha is vitally important. I know before I came in, he's always been a mentor, leader for me, personally, and for all the forwards. I would say he's a leader for us, even if he's not playing all the time, but definitely a leader, mentor.

COLLIN GILLESPIE: He's a great leader for us, just vocally, leading by example, practices, lifts. There's some practices where he's playing more, trying to get us prepared if it's a bigger team. And he'll be out there trying to do whatever he can for us. And then he just knows everything that we do.

So helping the younger guys, if he sees things, he can just say it to us because he's been in those situations before. And he knows what we're trying to do.

Definitely a great vocal leader, all around leader for our guys, younger and older.

Q. Collin, can you tell me how much you've played in the post before you got to Villanova in high school? And just kind of I guess walk through the process of the emphasis of that and just some of the things that, how you I guess built up that skill.

COLLIN GILLESPIE: I didn't play at all in the post in high school. I played in the post because I used to play my dad and brother one-on-one. And they would bully me. So I had to learn.

Then when I got to school, Jalen Brunson did it to me. So I learned a lot from him, how to play out of there, the importance of it, being able to create your own shot inside in there at a close range. And also being able to kick it out and just be a decision-maker out of there. Get other guys shots.

So I would say I learned it probably from Jalen when I first got here because I didn't play out of the post much in high school. But definitely Jalen, Phil did it my sophomore year. And just kind of continued to do it. And it's worked out well for us. We've been able to get other guys shots and put a good scorer down there. He could get his own shot.

Q. Caleb, when you look at your journey from transferring, your health to make this full circle moment, if someone were to ask you how do you describe your career, what would you say?

CALEB DANIELS: I think so far I would describe it as it's just been a marathon. I've never let the best of me or worst of me ever dictate who I was in the moment. I just stayed in the moment, stayed where my feet were, kept my head in it and realized it's one day at a time. And honestly I feel that's been the story of my career.

Q. Collin, I understand Caleb had a pretty spirited game of one-on-one when he was on his visit to Villanova a couple years back. What do you remember from that day and what did you learn about him when you guys were playing?

COLLIN GILLESPIE: How did you find out about that?

Q. Research.

COLLIN GILLESPIE: Caleb, it was in the summertime so nobody was at school. He was coming out for a visit. So me and Dada were local guys, older guys. He was part of our class. So he came up to school and we were showing him around and coaches asked us if we could do a little shooting competition.

Obviously we're two competitive guys. It turned to one-on-one. And he got up on me 13-0 and I was scared. I was nervous. I was, like, who is this kid? Because I hadn't heard of him before. And I obviously looked him up watched his highlights. All right he can help us. When he started playing he got up 13-0 and I was, like, this dude can really help us.

I knew right away that he was a great fit for our program, just him as a person. I knew he would fit in right away. And as a basketball player as well, he's grown so much since when he first got here. He was always the other team's best player his first year, redshirt year, when we were doing scout, he was always pushing us, making us better.

He's gotten better ever since then. So yeah, it was definitely an intense one-on-one. We played a couple of games.

Q. Can you just talk about what's it mean to have Justin Moore to be with you during the Final Four run?

ERIC DIXON: It means everything for us to have him around and be in touch with him and cut it with him. We miss having him on the court. It's bigger than him as a basketball player, that's our friend, our brother. So it's good to have him around.

COLLIN GILLESPIE: Definitely is nice to just be able to have him around. He's been a great leader for us this year, vocally, leading by example. So I think just having him around is really good for us. I think he's encouraging our other guys who are going to step into bigger roles. And like E said, it's more than just basketball for us; he's a teammate and a brother first. And we're always just trying to make sure he's all right.

CALEB DANIELS: It's always good to have Justin around. He's a true brother to us. We always want our brother around. So him just being around just gives us all confidence and makes us all okay. So seeing him Saturday will be very special to us.

Q. Collin, on the question about posting up, you said you didn't do it in high school. How do you get comfortable in the trenches when it's not something you've done traditionally in your life?

COLLIN GILLESPIE: I think just doing it over and over again, practices, games, you get more comfortable with it the more you do it. And I've been put in that situation a lot now, and it's kind of become natural for me. And like I said, just learning it from the guys who came before me, having to defend it has helped me on offense as well, because I know what it takes, kind of how to move in there and where I can make passes out of and where I could get my own shots. So it's definitely just repetition, I think.

Q. I'd like to know more about the one-on-one game. And who won the game?

CALEB DANIELS: It was a very competitive one-on-one game, one-on-one series. Like Collin said, I was up 13-0 the first game. And I remember him coming back, making every shot after that, after I missed, obviously, a layup or something. I can't remember. But he came back and made every shot. He ended up winning that game. The series ended up being 3-1 Collin. We competed very hard for a while.

Q. Caleb, I'm curious kind of those stories of early on. That game's won. Talking to Villanova guys through the years, they sometimes have a great story about their first Villanova practice experience. What was that like?

CALEB DANIELS: My very first Villanova practice, I was a redshirt. And I remember they split the teams up and did guards and posts, like, series. We did 3-on-3 guards post drill. And this possession I had to guard Collin ironically. He was in the post -- it's funny he was just talking about being in the post -- and I remember Saddiq was on my team that day, Saddiq Bey -- he told me to stay down on Collin's shot fake. I did not listen.

He was obviously backing me down. I was doing my best to chest him, play good defense and play clean. When you're a redshirt, your habits aren't there yet. So he's backing me down. I go for a shot fake. I come out of my stance he gets lowered, hits my rib, goes up for the layup and one. I'm literally wheezing. I'm like, wow, this is, like, Villanova basketball at its finest.

And, yeah, every day after that I had to learn just to be solid and just taught me to just not foul and just stay down on my shot fakes. So, thank you, Collin.

Q. Your thoughts about the Jayhawks as a team, individuals that stand out to you. And then following that, how much more familiar are you with them because they faced couple of Big East opponents recently?

ERIC DIXON: We know Kansas is a great team with a lot of great individual pieces that come together very well to make them the team they are. We know we're expecting a tough battle with them.

COLLIN GILLESPIE: Like E said, they're really well-coached. Obviously the last two years we saw them, I think, my junior year, and Agbaji was a big piece of that. Braun was a big piece of that. McCormack was on the team, so three guys that we're real familiar with that have only gotten better. And Wilson is in his sophomore year, so he's gotten a lot better since last year. And adding Remy Martin to it coming off the bench, being a really dynamic scorer has been really big for them. And Harris steadies the ship, runs the offense.

We're expecting a great game. Obviously they're really well-coached and a lot of depth where they can put it inside and McCormack can score or play outside with the four guards kick it and shoot the 3 and iso and kind of score on isos.

CALEB DANIELS: Based on what Collin just said, he said a lot. So I just feel like they're a very well-coached well-balanced team they're very physical as well. We're expecting a tough, physical battle for 40 minutes.

Q. Brandon, what's your season been like? You got off to such a good start, especially in the offensive end back in November. Then you got hurt. And it feels like you're trying to get kind of your offensive confidence back. How important is it going to be for you to be aggressive in this game?

BRANDON SLATER: It's going to be very important to be confident and play my role this game. My teammates and my coaches, they have the utmost respect and confidence in me and they know all that I've been through this year. So this game will be very important just because it's our next game for me and my teammates.

Q. Chris, were you in Houston for the Final Four with your brother?

CHRIS ARCIDIACONO: Yes.

Q. What was that like and how excited are you for your own experience this weekend?

CHRIS ARCIDIACONO: I was in Houston for 2016. Clearly it was a great experience, all the ups and downs, Marcus Paige hitting the shot before Kris Jenkins' shot. Just being with my family was great. It's exciting to be here just with my teammates because we know that we've worked hard all year and know that the job is not done yet.

Q. Chris, the last time the Wildcats played without Justin Moore you had your best game of the season playing 25 minutes and scoring, I believe it was nine points. What are you expecting your role to be in Saturday's game?

CHRIS ARCIDIACONO: Really nothing changes. My role is I come off the bench, bring energy and just make sure we're playing Villanova basketball for 40 minutes. So whenever I'm in, I'm going to help our team play Villanova basketball.

Q. Brandon, I guess when you were back in high school, this is almost like a reunion of the Saint Paul or the six team here. Is this something that ever crossed any of your minds. And do you keep in touch with Anthony or Trevor or Jeremy?

BRANDON SLATER: During the basketball season, you try not to think about your past teammates because you've got new teammates and new relationships and new brothers that you see every single day. So during the season we try not to talk to each other as much but after the season we think about it.

And this is very special for our community back home. I'm proud of those guys and how they all made it here today. And after this is all said and done, we'll probably look back and think about how special this moment is.

Q. Bryan, Coach Wright on Monday was talking about this may be an opportunity for you. I guess, can you just maybe -- have you gotten a sense during practice what might be expected of you on Saturday and how you're looking forward to whatever role is going to be available to you?

BRYAN ANTOINE: Yeah, I've seen it in practice. But practices really haven't changed ever since the season started. So no matter what Saturday holds, I'll be there, prepared.

Q. What does Kansas look like in getting preparing for this game? Do they look like someone you played in the Big East or somebody you played in your non-conference schedule?

CHRIS ARCIDIACONO: I'm not sure anyone that we've played throughout the year. They're a unique team. Clearly they're a No. 1 seed, great team. They play tough, physical, and fast. For us we've got to make sure that we defend and rebound and play Villanova basketball the best we can for 40 minutes. I wouldn't say one team in the conference season or out of conference. They're their own unique team.

JERMAINE SAMUELS: I don't think there's a team in the Big East or out of our conference that's similar to them. They have great balance and they all share the ball really well on top of that. They have a great front court with McCormack and Lightfoot. They know how to mix it up and get out in transition.

And you add Remy Martin to the piece, and it can get really explosive in their offense. They're a great team. They know how to defend. They know how to guard as well. And they're a No. 1 seed for the reason. They won their conference tournament for a reason. They're a great Kansas team.

Q. Jermaine, not a lot of people have given you guys a chance after losing Justin. What do you think about that when you hear that over and over?

JERMAINE SAMUELS: I think it's the same thing we heard last year when we lost Collin. I mean, we were grateful enough to make it to the Sweet 16. We don't see it as, like -- yes, it's very tough that we lost Justin. And it does hurt a little bit. But these guys are ready. The same guys put in the same work as Justin all year. A lot of people don't see the hours they put in after the games, before the games, and they're ready to go and they're ready to contribute.

Q. Jermaine, what do you remember from that game in December '19 against Kansas? And what you've seen from McCormack on tape, how different he might be?

JERMAINE SAMUELS: I remember that game was electric and his presence and I think -- Azubuike's presence -- they always have great guys in the front court, very physical. Know how to use angles and rebound very well. Their presence has always felt and it's always noticed. And I'm expecting, we're all expecting to see that on Saturday.

CHRIS ARCIDIACONO: They've had a couple of the same players on that team, Agbaji and Braun -- and then McCormack and even Lightfoot. They've had a lot of guys who have a lot of experience over the years. And like Jermaine said, they're a tough, physical team who has gotten better ever since that game. It's going to be a challenge for us.

Q. How important is it with increased minutes to continue to play your game and not try to do too much, not to overcompensate for Justin but to play your game and do what you do best on Saturday?

BRYAN ANTOINE: It's pretty simple. Just whatever Coach asks us to do, go in there do that and not think of anything else off the court or anything of that.

CHRIS ARCIDIACONO: Like Bryan said, it's up to Coach. But it's not just Bryan and I filling in for the minutes or having to fill Justin's shoes. Everyone else is going to step up -- Jermaine, Slate, Caleb, Eric -- everybody will play a role to fill what Justin did for us on the offensive and defensive end.

Q. Jermaine, does it mean anything to you to be here with schools like Kansas and North Carolina and Duke, three of the most storied programs in college basketball history, and kind of have you guys on that same stage? And do you feel like you guys have laid a foundation for Villanova in the future?

JERMAINE SAMUELS: Yes, it's an honor. Ever since I started watching basketball, all you see is Carolina, Duke or Kansas making it to the Final Four. Being part of it makes it that much special. And I think it's just a tribute for us as Villanova to the guys that came before us. Even the guys that may have not made a Final Four or may not have gotten that far. All the work they put in and we do it for them. And it's interesting to see what's going to come of the future. But we're extremely grateful to be here.

Q. Jermaine, we hear the term "Villanova basketball." Every one of you guys say it. Coach says it all the time. For people who don't know, can you define what Villanova basketball is?

JERMAINE SAMUELS: Villanova basketball is playing hard, smart and together with pride for 40 minutes for your teammates and coaches. That simple. It's all about being a part of something that's bigger than yourself, giving it up for your teammates.