NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - AUBURN VS IOWA

March 15, 2023

Allen Flanigan

Jaylin Williams

Zep Jasper

Legacy Arena

Auburn Tigers

Media Conference

Q. Just coming in last night, how was the travel for you guys, not too far? How does that help you guys going into this weekend?

JAYLIN WILLIAMS: It's going to help a lot. Only a two-hour drive. It's going to help us a lot, just having our fans, the family to be around, especially in the Alabama area. It's going to feel like a home game in a way. It's a great advantage.

Q. With Bruce's history with Iowa, has he brought it up at all? Is he getting emotional, you know, he's got some history.

ZEP JASPER: I've seen a couple things on Twitter last night. He ain't really bring it up, you know, but he was young. I seen a young picture of him coaching back in the day. I know B.P. is pretty excited just playing against Iowa with him having history with those guys. He haven't really brought it up.

Q. You guys have any additional motivation looking at how this season has gone with all the close losses and last season with how you ended in the NCAA Tournament with this season?

ALLEN FLANIGAN: Really us trying to make a run in this tournament. Trying to make history. That's what we come to Auburn for. To make history, that's what our motto is. Just being here, just trying to win each game. Just taking it game by game.

Q. For any of you, it seems like going to be a conflicting styles matchup between Iowa and Auburn. You guys played some really good defense. Iowa can get out and run, play offense. Have you played teams in the SEC like Iowa, and how do you handle a match up like that when it's conflicting contrast in styles?

ZEP JASPER: I think that's what you get prepared for. We have played a couple teams that play Iowa style. But we don't look on the past, we look on the present. You take it one game at a time. It's March Madness. It's March. It's what we're here for. We're here to play some of the best teams in the country. And that's what we have all week to prepare for. Iowa is a great team. They can score the basketball in so many different ways. BP put us in position. We come here to make history. We come here to make things happen. And one thing we want to do is win.

Q. With some of the games, Jaylin, that you have had so close, does that give confidence? You play with some of the best and almost beat the number one team that's here today.

JAYLIN WILLIAMS: Yeah. Gives us a lot of confidence. At the end of the day those are still losses. We have to move on and learn and see where we can pick up from, and the little things that cost us the game, learn from that and just move on. Obviously, Alabama is one of the best teams in the country and played them close and have us be up by 17 and then compete with them. Just tells you we can compete with anybody in the country.

Q. I know you guys are taught to think one game at a time, and you don't look at the brackets. But we all do. If you win this game is a game with the No. 1 seed in the region. And it's going to be here in Birmingham. So it looks like there's a path to the Sweet 16 that is pretty realistic if you get past this game. Can you talk about how exciting that possibility is, if you win this game to get a shot at the No. 1 seed.

ZEP JASPER: You know, we really just focussed on the present because we know how tough this could be. It's like we out here in Birmingham, two hours away from Auburn. We take it one game at a time. Never look past. Everyone put their pants on the same, put their shoes on the same. You have to prepare yourself for this one game only. We take it one at a time. And keep fighting and keep climbing because you never know what can happen. It's March. But, you know, looking at the path, there's great teams in this path, and we are one of them.

Q. Okay. For all three of you guys. Talk about The Jungle and the fan base and just how active they are and how, you know, rowdy they are, and how they can create a home court advantage for you this week?

ALLEN FLANIGAN: Well, I mean, The Jungle, the fans they travel, they travel well. When it's a close game or a far game, they are going to show up. They are going to show up deep. They are going to be loud, rowdy, it's going to feel like it is in The Jungle, night in and night out.

ZEP JASPER: We got the best fans in the country. I can't say nothing else. But I know our fans will be here this weekend. And I look forward to playing this game. This game is going to be special to me, special to our fans. I just know the fans will show up, and we will be loud.

JAYLIN WILLIAMS: Yeah. Selection Sunday, I just knew once we were selected to play at Birmingham, I knew that all the students were looking at tickets right away, knowing how loud The Jungle is going to be like here, supporting us, and they are always supporting us.

Q. For all three. Guys, what did you learn just from the experience of the NCAA Tournament a year ago?

ALLEN FLANIGAN: Just that, you know, anything can happen in March. It's called March Madness for a reason. Each game is going to be competitive. It's going to be great competition. All the teams in the tournament are tough. Tough to beat. And just, you know, you got to bring it every night.

ZEP JASPER: Last year was pretty interesting. We was the number two seed coming in with a lot of confidence, being one of the best teams in the country. I learned a lot. Because you can lose at any time no matter what seed you are, no matter what you're ranked. It's a thing, you have to stay humble, stay dedicated to the grind. Every game is a grind. Like you're climbing a mountain to get to where you want to be, to get the gold, to win a championship. What I learn is take it one at a time, and you know, just be dedicated to it. You know, keep fighting, keep going, because, you know, at any time you can gain confidence, any time you can just have a spark where you just make sparks and have the confidence playing defense each and every time. That was my focus on coming to this year and coming into March Madness.

JAYLIN WILLIAMS: You can't take anyone for granted. These guys put on the same shoes we put on. Anybody can hoop in this tournament. 1 through 16, on the east side of the bracket -- like, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some type of upset. These guys work just as hard as anybody else. As the first-round pick to not even being drafted. They still work hard and they still got game. Taking everybody and respecting each team and taking it one by one.

THE MODERATOR: Okay, gentlemen, thank you.