NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST FOUR

March 14, 2023

Steve Alford

Jarod Lucas

Kenan Blackshear

UD Arena

Nevada Wolfpack

Media Conference

Q. My question is from the selection show to now, kind of what's the experience been like and kind of the hype up to the game, how has that been going?

JAROD LUCAS: It's a great experience to get your name called on selection. As a college basketball player, you always look forward to playing in March. And being able to get this experience, for me, I played two years ago at Oregon State being in the tournament. It's good to be back and it's always a special experience, so it should be cool going back to the tournament, as well, this time with fans.

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: Yeah, it's a dream come true. Just talking to my brother and just basically he explained how it went for him. I just couldn't have picked it, really. It's just crazy. Crazy to put into words how I feel.

Q. Jarod, is there a moment or memory that you have of March Madness? Also from your past experience to now being able to play on that stage?

JAROD LUCAS: Moment from March Madness for me has always been watching highlights of Jimmer Fredette. But then for me personally, two years ago with Oregon State when we played Loyola Chicago in the Sweet 16, I hit a pretty big shot to send us to the Elite 8. So that's a moment that's always kind of stood out from playing in March Madness.

Q. Kenan, for you, your thoughts growing up watching this tournament?

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: Growing up watching this tournament, I always seen stars be born, really, and people come out of nowhere and just shock everybody, Cinderella stories. It all is crazy, and that's what March Madness is about.

Q. Jarod, I know you talked about sort of seeing your name called, but talk a little bit about Nevada to Ohio and what the last few hours have been like for this team in what I'm sure has been a whirlwind.

JAROD LUCAS: It's a quick turnaround when you hear your name called on Selection Sunday and then you play in the First Four. Being able to get out here, it's a long plane ride, but also for Arizona State, same type of trip for them, as well, too. It's cool, and you've got to soak up the moment. I've been telling the guys, just enjoy the moment, have fun.

Q. Kenan, what do you feel is the best trait of this basketball team?

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: I would say our chemistry compared to last year. We just worked on our chemistry since April really after the season. And we've just been connected more, together more, and that's shown on the court really.

Q. Kenan, just wanted to ask you, going against Desmond Cambridge and being able to guard him last year in practice, what stands out about his game, and what do you think you have to do to slow him down?

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: He's a good shot maker, great at getting his shot off, very quick release. I think what we have to slow down is make every shot hard for him really and just play good defense, play good team defense on him.

Q. Jarod, what's been your message to these guys about dealing with the pressure of playing -- what do you feel like is the best part of this team and maybe a moment during the year where you felt like something special was going to happen?

JAROD LUCAS: I think the best part of this team is we've been consistent. We've been consistent all year leading up to this last week of the season, so we have a group of guys that's really played well together. And we've just kind of got to keep that thing going and forget about last week's basketball.

I think we'll be fine as long as we keep everything rolling.

Q. Kenan, was there a moment for the selection show, sort of the lead-up there and hoping that your name is called, obviously proud of what you were able to accomplish this year but still sort of -- was it uneasy?

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: No, it wasn't uneasy. I feel like just getting your name called is a blessing. I don't know -- out of 300 teams, I don't know -- but just getting your name called and just being one of the 68 is just a blessing. I just take it like that. Everything is a blessing for me.

Q. Jarod, talk about playing with the pressure of being in March Madness. Obviously you've been able to do that and get to the Elite 8, and it seemed like you played really free at the conference tournament. What's been the message to the guys about pressure and playing up to your potential?

JAROD LUCAS: Like I had said earlier, you've got to enjoy the moment, realize as college basketball players this is what you work for, this is why you work in the summer. A lot of times you work for all got to lead up to play in the NCAA Tournament, and here we are now. So enjoy the moment, be free, play loose and be us, be the Nevada basketball team we've been all year.

Q. Kenan, have you had a chance to look at your opponent in Arizona State, and what do you think will be maybe some of the concerns in facing this Sun Devil team?

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: Just slowing down their pace. They're a fast-paced team who try to speed the opponent up on defense, really just being under control. Me being a point guard, I have to take my time, make the right reads and just believe in my teammates really and just dissect the defense really. That's what I notice.

Q. Jarod, where do you think you can excel tomorrow night?

JAROD LUCAS: You know, they're a team that really pressures the ball. We've got a lot of guys that can score the ball. I think they play 10 guys, as well. They have a lot of depth, so we've got to do our best, just like Kenan said, to try to slow them down. I don't think there's particularly one area, but like I said earlier, play our game, and we'll be fine.

Q. Kenan, obviously you mentioned Arizona State's pressure defense, their ability to create turnovers. But you guys have been elite this year at not turning the ball over. What do you think has been the biggest key in your ability to value those possessions and not allow teams to speed you up to where you are getting out of rhythm offensively?

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: Probably just our spacing really. Our spacing really, and then probably just our flow really has just not caused a lot of turnovers I feel.

Q. Jarod, what's your favorite thing about this basketball club?

JAROD LUCAS: You know, our ability -- everybody, 1 through 14, 1 through 15, all being on the same page. We've got a good group of guys who likes to hang out with each other off the floor. And when you have that kind of group, it usually translates to success on the court. All the moments off the court has always been special with every guy on this roster.

Q. Kenan, same question to you.

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: Just to piggy-back off what he said, our chemistry, just us being together, coming off a hard year last year. We really was tested in the summer, like our chemistry and being together, and that's shown throughout this whole season.

Q. What has been the biggest change in the year from where you were last season and then here you are playing in March?

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: Our chemistry and trusting each other and then just basically us watching film. A lot of our players watch film and just dissect their teams, like what they want to do, what they want to get to. Everybody just being on the same page and just being dialed in even before the ball is tipped is really a big thing for us.

Q. Coach offered this is his 12th NCAA Tournament with five different teams now. How have you guys leaned on that experience, and what's been the biggest message that you've received from him as you prepare for this?

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: He's won the National Championship as a player, so he knows what we're going through. He's just basically just saying like take in the moment and just basically kill the opportunity, what's in front of you basically, is what he's told us.

JAROD LUCAS: Coach has a unique perspective being that as a player he won a National Championship. I don't think too many coaches can say the same thing. As a player doing it, and then also as a coach, coach at UCLA was in the First Four, so he's been here. I'm sure he'll talk to us a little more tonight and tomorrow morning about this experience, but he has unique perspective, and he's done his best to get us ready for tomorrow.

Q. Kenan, what does it say about representing the Mountain West and sort of your league, and not being a Power Five, still really strong and obviously being in your position of playing in the First Four, what you see night in and night out from December to March.

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: Every game in the Mountain West is tough. From the top to the bottom, it's just been close game after close game.

Just for our league to get recognition and for us to finally be able to be with the Power Fives and play with the Power Fives, it's pretty cool, and it's pretty good for the league going forward.

Q. Kenan, have you traded messages with Des and Warren since the selection show? How much are you looking forward to playing against them?

KENAN BLACKSHEAR: Those are my brothers, and I love to battle it out with them for 40 minutes. It's crazy how the story unwrapped, but that's how it goes. And I haven't traded messages with them.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, just an overview on your season, what your team has been able to accomplish here playing in March.

STEVE ALFORD: First, I just got to see Coach Donoher, and that was great. He was my assistant coach back on the Olympic team in 1984, so it was great seeing him, and obviously he's meant so much to this community and this university, so it was great seeing him.

Our team has really had a consistent year. That's what's been fun coming off last year where I didn't think we handled adversity very well, and I took responsibility for that. I just don't think the things that happened -- again, COVID was going on and we got hit with a lot of different things. But I think as part of a leader, you have to figure those things out.

I think this team since April have really worked, and new pieces have come in, June, July with the portal and those type of things. But they've just done a really good job since last April of working and grinding, getting better. We started the year off very well, and we played well down at a multi-team event in the Caymans and had a very nice non-league.

And then when the league started, we've had two different times we had four-game winning streaks. And I think that starting well, going 4-0 helped our team get some confidence. Then you can start listening to some outside noise when you get close to the big dance. And I don't think we played particularly that bad down the stretch, but I thought we were tight. We blew an eight-point lead at home late in the season that we've been undefeated at home all year. So we've had two overtime losses.

I don't think we're playing particularly bad, but that tightness you could see. So it was good to hear our name called, and I think our guys are pretty excited about playing. I think they're loose now, and knowing that they've accomplished something that they wanted to accomplish.

That experience I think will bode well for us as we move forward.

Q. Is there a team that you played this year, whether conference or otherwise, that reminds you of Arizona State? What can you maybe take away from that as you prepare for them?

STEVE ALFORD: Yeah, I think just their activity, their athleticism. Probably UNLV, just with the athleticism. I think Arizona State might be a little bit taller and longer in positions and probably shoot the ball better.

But defensively as far as their length -- that's what we've got to do. We've got to take care of the ball. We've been a team that's taken care of the ball all year long. We just had a couple games where that hasn't been true. But if we value the ball, we've got to get the shot that we want.

But we've got to get back to guarding. In our three losses, two of those three losses you can look at a lot of different things, but we haven't defended the way we've defended all year. All year, the one, two, and three best defensive teams in the league have been San Diego State, Boise and ourselves. We've had some slippage in the last 10 days. Our focus has been getting back to guarding the ball the way we've got to guard it, finish defensive stops, be a better rebounding team, those type of things.

Arizona State puts a lot of pressure on you because they've got a lot of guys who can drive it, a lot of guys who can score it, very good rebounding team. That athleticism stuff is probably most comparable, I'd say, to UNLV.

Q. When you look at the matchup with Des and Warren, is there an advantage for the player in that situation or for the former team? This is a pretty unique deal to be on this kind of stage to have guys that you coached on the other side. Is there a place that favors one side or the other?

STEVE ALFORD: I don't know. That's hard. I mean, they should know how we do things. Maybe Warren and Des is telling them our whole offense and now they've just got to hope that we haven't changed a lot of things, I guess.

There's probably familiarity both ways. Obviously our guys know Des and Warren very well, and the guys that have been here, obviously, and they know us. Des and Warren did a lot of good things for us at Nevada and appreciate what they did and contributed to our program. They decided to move on. They'd probably say things have worked out well for them, and things have worked out well for us.

Anytime there's good things that are happening on both sides, that's kind of a cool deal. But always wish them the very best. And I like what our guys have been able to do this year and the connectivity and the unselfishness that we've had in our locker room. It's been a lot of fun to coach this group this year.

Q. Have you played or coached here before, and could you expand on what your experiences were like --

STEVE ALFORD: Yeah, it wasn't fun. It wasn't fun. The hard part, I think, about the First Four is sometimes it has to do with travel. I was at UCLA, and we traveled obviously from Los Angeles and we played St. Bonnie here. And St. Bonnie, I thought, played really well, and we had one of our worst games. We didn't handle -- they threw a zone at us, we didn't handle the zone well.

But that can be tough because Selection Sunday is obviously on Sunday, and you've got to play a Tuesday game in Dayton, and we're coming three time zones. St. Bonnie, same time zone. Not an excuse, I'm not saying that. But I think there is a difference when it's a 48-hour period. We didn't play well.

My experience was not good, and it was short. But my hometown is an hour from here, so I've been here several times. Never played here in college and have only coached here once. But obviously with the relationship I've had over the years with Coach Donoher and being -- he was an assistant on our Olympic team and stuff and the proximity of New Castle being so close to Dayton, this is an area I did get to some. And I followed Dayton basketball, probably more so when Coach Donoher was coaching than since then, but it's always been a basketball area. And I feel like New Castle, Indiana, is a basketball area, so there's some proximity stuff there that I'm familiar with.

But as far as being here in this gym, just once, and that was not a good experience because our UCLA team did not play well.

Q. You talked about your team playing tight down the stretch. Did getting into the tournament and finding that out, did that kind of loosen your guys up again and maybe take some of that tension --

STEVE ALFORD: Yeah, I think you've seen the video, so there's a lot of looseness in the video. When I say tight, I think that's a hard thing to measure. I don't think we played poorly, and we're not a team that's going to win every game. We were picked ninth in the league. We were coming off a losing season, picked ninth and lost three starters to the portal. Lost nearly 60 to 65 percent of our scoring.

I don't know what the expectations were. I know what it was in our locker room, and with 10 days to go in the season, we're one game behind San Diego State to win a conference championship.

So I just think you start feeling that, and when you're an athlete and you haven't been through that -- last year's guys, they weren't through that. Last year's team was finishing up. They're done. Today is our 100th practice. Been doing this a long time. If you get to 100 practices, you've had a really good year. I don't care whether you're in the NIT, the NCAA, if you get to 100 practices you've had a really good year.

Look at the NIT field. Wow. If you get a chance to continue playing and get to that many practices, you've had a very successful year.

I think these guys, you start listening to the other stuff, and you just feel that heat. But I told our team it's because they care. They really care. As a coach, you appreciate that. You do everything you can to try to loosen them up a little bit. But UNLV, what did we shoot, 65 percent at the free-throw line? We haven't had one game this year where we shot 65 percent at the free-throw line. Not one.

We lost one game at home. We had a good road record. We had a good neutral record. These guys have done everything we've asked instead, a NET inside 35 all year long.

Been very consistent. I know everybody looks at the last three games, but what if those three games were December? Nobody would be talking about it.

These guys have been very consistent all year, and they've been so fun to coach. I do think they're loose, but this is the NCAA Tournament. This is called the big dance for a reason.

Everybody but Jarod Lucas is going through this for the first time. This is their first experience at doing this. I don't know what to expect out of that, but we had nobody that played in The Pit in Albuquerque. That's one of the hardest places to play in the country, and we were able to win in there.

You just never know. That's the joy of the tournament, it's the joy of being around 19- to 23-year-olds. I hope we shoot at the right goal. That would be a positive if we did that.

Q. This is the fifth program you've led to this point. What have you learned about leading these young men through these moments and getting the most out of it?

STEVE ALFORD: Yeah, you just want them to enjoy it. You enjoy the journey. And when you get to March, it's called madness for a reason, because you have these highs and then you can have just a terrible low because the low now is the season is over. That's what March is about. You get in the conference tournament, you're guaranteed one game. You don't win it, that's over. That tournament is over. You get to the big dance, you're guaranteed one game. If you don't win it, it's over.

These guys have been so good, they love one another, they love being in the locker room together, so that finality of the end, that's not fun. So I want them to enjoy it. I don't want them to, hey, go down fighting, go down just giving your best. We don't have to be supernatural here, we just have to be at our best. If you can defend at a high level and make some shots, that's your best opportunity to advance in this tournament.

If we can just keep it simple. I don't think this is the time of year where you start putting in amoeba defenses and recreating your offense and doing something different with your rotations and that type of thing. It's trying to be as consistent as you possibly can and as confident as you possibly can. Because we know as coaches, this group has been a lot of fun to coach, and it's been a fun journey to be a part of.

I want them to continue to experience -- we got in at 1:30 last night with a hotel going absolutely berserk. We've got a guy on pipes going crazy, and that's fun. We've only got one guy that's been through this, Jarod Lucas, and he went through it in the bubble. He's got his camera out and taking video of it because he's like, Coach, there was nothing in the bubble, there was no people, there was no fans. It's a lot different.

When you're doing it for the first time, I want them to enjoy it. That doesn't mean we'll take anything less. We feel very confident, and we hope we play very well and give ourselves a chance to advance. This is not going to help us just this year but moving forward to get some experience, and obviously the more games you can play, you get more experience, and it's a positive thing.

Q. You mentioned the turnover in what was a year ago to where we are now. For you, was there a moment where you really felt like this team could do something special?

STEVE ALFORD: Yeah, I think the muli-team event down in the Caymans was big because that was a very -- you look at the teams that we played. We play Tulane who had a great team this year, lost in their championship of their tournament, we beat a very good Tulane team down there. And then we take Kansas State to overtime, played really well against an outstanding Kansas State team, got beat in overtime down there. And then beat a really good Akron team, really good team.

To be able to do that, I think, gave our guys a little bit of momentum, a little confidence coming out of that.

Q. You mentioned Jarod being the only player that has been able to experience the big dance, and you also alluded to the fact that it was unique him being in the bubble. How do you try and relay your experiences as a player and a coach?

STEVE ALFORD: Yeah, it's hard. Playing-wise, you don't do that so much anymore because I'm ancient. Playing in the 80s, I could show them clips, but you can't even tell what jersey number I am anymore with the footage coverage. It's much, much different.

It's a different game. I like to -- sometimes I like to tell my guys they're playing in a PlayStation era where you can just shoot any shot you want and do the things you want and those type of things. They get probably mad at me when I tell them that. A little bit more physical, a little bit more contact, in my opinion, back in the day.

But we don't really spend much time other than my experience of being able to go through a tournament, as a player and now as a coach, 32 years in the business, I've been extremely blessed and fortunate to have great teams, great coaches that have helped navigate what a tournament situation is all about.

I think there's a Catch 22. If you spend too much time on that, then I think guys start worrying about are we really in something different versus you want them to concentrate on the job at hand, and that's, what do you got to do to execute the game plan offensively and defensively to give yourself the best chance of winning. And we probably focus more on that.

Q. In the last game Will Baker only had two touches. How important do you think he is to get involved in this game, and what do you do to challenge him to get more --

STEVE ALFORD: Yeah, I think it's huge, and it's not just Will's issue, it's our team's issue. We've got to get him more touches. He's got to work harder obviously for those, but I don't think it's a secret. Our last 10 days or our last three games haven't been up to Will's standard, and it's affected us. But again, it's not all on Will. It's a team thing.

But we've got to -- he's had phenomenal practices this week, and I think he's feeling very good. We had some sickness that we've been battling that hasn't been brought up much because we're not about excuses, and there was no excuse, but he was one that was battling some illness now.

We're healthy, as healthy as we have been really, and that's not just from an injury standpoint but just the overall health.

I think he's feeling better. We've had really good, spirited practices without even knowing we were in the tournament yet. I look for him to respond, and we obviously need that. Having guys that -- those three of Kenan, Jarod, and Will being pretty consistent scorers, I think have enabled the freeing up of Trey, the freeing up of Darrion, Nick coming off the bench, and now you've got Hunter. And then obviously with Tyler and TP coming in, I think those are things that really help us.

We need that inside-outside presence, and Will obviously is a huge piece of that, and we've got to get him going in this game.

Q. Talk about the challenge of going against Desmond Cambridge now from this side, coaching against him. What kind of challenge does he pose?

STEVE ALFORD: Well, one, he's a tremendous athlete. He's got that factor that he can really score the basketball. He really understands how to score. He's got that quick twitch that we always talk about in coaching that you can't coach that. That's not something that's developed. Either you've got it or you don't have it, and Des has that next level of athleticism of not just being fast, but being very quick.

That helps him offensively, it helps him defensively. He's a two-way guy. That's the thing I always appreciate with him. He guarded very hard, and he also worked very hard at scoring. That's a tough matchup.

Q. Same question about Warren Washington, just the challenge he poses.

STEVE ALFORD: Yeah, great length. Warren was somebody that when we got him from Oregon State was a 1.1 rebound type of guy, and he was a double-double guy almost for us. He's somebody that with his length can change things at the rim, which we've missed because of KJ being out. KJ is that type of player for us, and we only got him for four games. He gives them a rim protector. And then obviously somebody that you've got to pay attention to in the post that can take it on the perimeter with ball screens and DHOs and that type of thing. Because of his athleticism and his skill set, he's able to do that, and he's had a good year for them.