NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - UNC ASHEVILLE VS UCLA

March 15, 2023

Mick Cronin

Jaime Jaquez

Tyger Campbell

Amari Bailey

Golden 1 Center

UCLA Bruins

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We have the student-athlete contingent from UCLA.

One question for you three guys. At what point in the season did you feel you were really playing at the top of your game compared to maybe earlier in the year?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: I think it's a long process, the season. There's a lot of games and there's a lot of ups and downs. So I don't know if there's any particular point where we felt we were playing our best basketball or worst basketball.

I think it's just the waves and tides of the season. Sometimes you have highs, sometimes you have lows. Overall I feel like we've had a lot more highs this season.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tyger and Jaime, you were last year in the tournament, was that Akron game I won't say wake-up call but what can happen when you go up against a fearless team, that they can win the game and you have to be locked in?

TYGER CAMPBELL: I just say that every team that's in the tournament is here for a reason. They either won their conference tournament or they got picked, had a good enough record.

We understand that every team in this tournament is a winning team. They're not scared. They're here for a reason. So we're going into this game, we just got to prepare like it's any regular game.

We respect them as an opponent. We're just going to try to win and do what we need to do, execute our scouting report against them because we know they're a good team.

Q. Amari, what have the two guys to your left told you about what to expect at tournament time?

AMARI BAILEY: What have you guys said (smiling)?

Q. You're trying to decide what's shareable (laughter).

AMARI BAILEY: I'm really just trying to think.

Yeah, that it's just going to be a great atmosphere, something that you really can't prepare for leading up to, like, now.

I feel like the Pac-12 tournament was, like, a little indication of what March can look like. I don't know, just get lost in the moment I guess.

Q. Do you really have any expectations going into this?

AMARI BAILEY: No. Just to have, like, a lot of fun. Just stay in the moment.

Q. Jaime, your sister is going to be playing Sac State on Saturday. Any piece of advice you've given her at all?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: I would just say enjoy it. It's a one-game tournament. A lot of things can happen. Enjoy it as much as you can. It's crazy how fast this has all gone by. Even this season, I can't believe I'm already here. It feels like we just won the Pac-12 regular season, now we're already back in March Madness.

Just enjoy it. It goes by fast, so enjoy every moment, play your heart out.

Q. Jaime, this is a very unique group with an international background. Guys from Italy, Nigeria, Turkey, and of course you having Mexican-American background. As the first player of the year in the Pac-12 to have that sort of background, do you feel like you have a role model? What is the message you want to send out? Not to put you on the spot, but if you can respond in Spanish, as well.

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: I'll try my best (smiling). I still need to work on my Spanish.

I try not to look at it such a wide picture. I think it's very easy to get lost through all that pressure to try to look at myself as something bigger than myself. I try to understand it as best as I can.

I also try to go out there and be myself really. I think that's the only thing I can do, is just be myself. If people are going to follow me or I'm going to inspire people, it's just going to happen naturally. I don't try to do anything out of the ordinary other than just be myself, so...

THE MODERATOR: Try Spanish?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Like I said. I can, but... Let me think. Put me on the spot here.

Can you help me out?

Q. (In Spanish.)

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: (Response in Spanish.)

Q. Centuries ago when you were a freshman, you had short hair, no facial hair. Now completely different. Is there an unspoken competition in the locker room to see who has the coolest hair, or is it just sort of that scrappy fighting image you want to project?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, I don't know. I think we got a lot of hair styles. I know Amari was up there, but he just cut it.

I try to go through my hair, I treat it as like the phoenix. I let it grow, I cut it all off just to be born again. I go through a process.

I know Tyger's hair is great, too.

TYGER CAMPBELL: I think our hair shows a little bit of our personality some. Of course, we're caring players on the court, we play a certain type of way. I think it just goes to show we don't really care what we look like. We're just trying to have fun. We're here to win games. That's what we're just trying to do. We're not really worried about everybody else.

Q. Jaime, what have you seen out of Pember? 6'10" guy. Are you expecting to have that assignment tomorrow?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, I think I'm going to take that challenge. I've been watching a lot of film lately. We know he can attack the rim as well. He's a really good shooter. He gets to the foul line. I think he's averaging 21 points per game. He's going to be a point of emphasis on the defensive end for sure.

I'm excited to take on that challenge.

Q. Tyger, so much of conference play is seeing teams that you're familiar with. In tournament play, you watch film. Until you're out there, you don't get a feel. How important is your own identity in the tournament?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, our identity is, of course, defense. Me personally or as a team?

Q. (No microphone.)

TYGER CAMPBELL: Our identity is defense. Coming into the tournament, we feel like we can control those things. Like you can't control when the ball goes in. You can't control whether you turn the ball over. You can control how hard you play on defense, you can control boxing out, certain things you can do on the defensive end.

I feel like having that is our identity. It's good. I feel like it goes both ways. We're so used to playing teams in our league that they know exactly how we're going to play, we know exactly how they're going to play. But I think in this situation it helps both teams 'cause we don't know exactly how they play. We haven't played a team like this. They don't, per se, know how we play. There's really no advantage on either side.

It's good that our identity is defense coming into this, and we're just not focused on offense or anything.

Q. Losing in the Pac-12 tournament game in the finals, does that light anything under you knowing this could be the last ride? Did that send anything to you in that loss at all?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Yeah, of course it's tough being a senior, losing the Pac-12 tournament. We know that we had a bigger goal at the start of the season. Of course, we take it one game at a time.

It's March. It's tourney time. It's win or go home. I think everybody is just preparing, like tomorrow couldn't be our last game. Of course, we are preparing as well as we can. We're confident going into it. But we're not taking any game for granted. We're just going to come ready to play tomorrow. We're not really worried about the past right now.

Q. With Jaylen Clark out, do you feel you need to step up a bit defensively, might get the assignment from the other team of maybe the best perimeter player? Do you have that kind of sense?

AMARI BAILEY: Yeah, 100%. Like I said, I think earlier just having little bit more of a role of just locking up, like, showing my defensive versatility, being able to guard different great players, really just be there for my teammates.

Q. Having played at Sierra Canyon, played in some pretty big games, is that going to prepare you for something like this, or are you not prepared for something as big as this?

AMARI BAILEY: I would say Sierra has helped me prepare for big games, just having big games as a little kid. I came here and played my freshman year for a state championship. I'm somewhat familiar with this stage, but nothing like March Madness at all. Nothing compares to it, in my eyes.

Q. It's no secret Will has struggled with his shot. What have you done to help him with his confidence?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, we know Will is a great player. Every day in practice he shows it. We're just trying to tell him, You just got to slow down in the games because we know you're a great player, you're not here for no reason.

We have never wavered confidence with him. That's why every time we pass it, we want him to shoot it. We see him attack the basket and shoot it. For Will, it's just slowing down a little bit and knowing we have so much confidence in him, we're going to need him, because he's going to play a big role in this tourney.

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: It's not easy to come back from the injury that he came from. I think he's still trying to find his way. Like Tyger said, we still have the utmost confidence in him. Every time we pass him the ball, we're going to expect him to shoot it without any hesitation because we believe in him.

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you and good luck tomorrow.

We have Mick Cronin with us.

Mick, you were here six years ago now, believe it or not, with Cincinnati. UCLA was also here. Here we are again.

MICK CRONIN: It's good to see you, my fine Irish friend (smiling). Nothing like Kelly and Cronin (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Cronin.

Q. Jaime seemed to be really soaking in the moment. Came in recording us with his phone. He answered a question in Spanish.

MICK CRONIN: How did he do?

Q. I don't speak Spanish, so I don't know.

MICK CRONIN: Could anybody analyze his Spanish?

Q. (No microphone.)

MICK CRONIN: Okay. Very suspect (laughter).

Q. Do you feel like your team is in a good place, loose and locked in, ready for these games?

MICK CRONIN: We've got some veterans. That helps us. They know how to lead is the best way to say it. The young guys, they understand, Hey, we've worked hard and you want to enjoy this, but we're here for a reason.

Everything we do at UCLA is to prepare for this tournament. Doesn't mean the regular season doesn't matter. Having 29 wins, having the most wins of any power six team is a heck of an accomplishment.

We prepare for this tournament. Look, they got to have fun. This is the time of their life. They understand. Like Jaime, first of all, he's probably filming you for some show he's doing. Times have changed, man. He could be sending it back to Jaylen Clark for his YouTube channel. I think it's great. Whatever he's filming, whatever he's up to, he's going to make some money off of it, so...

Hey, you know, we'll see. Everybody comes in thinking they're in a good place. Only 32 teams are going to make it to the weekend.

Q. Your evaluation of Asheville, what stands out on film? How do you rate this team, what they've done this season?

MICK CRONIN: I think Coach Morrell has made some adjustments that have obviously, from Christmas area on, have really, really helped their team. They've won 18 of their last 19.

They remind me of us in a way that they know how to win close games. As you know, they won some close games. They came from behind in the semis and the finals. So they got some guys that know how to win. Obviously Coach Morrell does a great job.

Players on the floor, late game, get better. That's what I see in a close situation. Pember is obviously great. Jones, leading scorer in the history of the school, right? And they play hard on defense, which I respect. They really defend you.

Like, you know, looking at them, I can see in their league they probably had just a little bit better athlete than the rest of the teams in that league. Then you throw Pember in there, nobody in the league has a guy like him. You can see why they won, dominated the league the way they did.

Having watched them, having coached at Murray State back in the day somewhat at the same level, they got a heck of a team.

Q. What kind of influence did Rick Pitino have on you as a coach? What has made him so successful?

MICK CRONIN: Not enough time in the day for that one. He's like my older brother. We're extremely close. So I'm happy for him. I was worried about him last year when they got beat by St. Peter's. I know how hard he is on himself. He was down about that.

I told him his mid-major stint may be over. He matched me, two-out-of-three NCAA tournaments, Iona and Murray State. We'll see what the future holds. I know they have a big one at UConn on Friday.

I was lucky to have Bob Huggins and Rick Pitino, a long time ago as a young guy with a full head of hair, two Hall of Fame coaches that were able to mentor me, take the things my father taught me, turn me into the guy that had a chance as a head coach.

In my opinion -- look, I'm biased, right? In modern college basketball, to me, if Rick Pitino would have never gone to the NBA, he would have been the best college coach ever in modern basketball. Now, Coach Wooden obviously, all time. Nobody is going to win 10 titles, yeah. Especially in 11 years...

But in modern college basketball, to me, tactically, it's not even close. From the press, to the three-point shot, to all the things he was ahead of the curve on.

His Louisville teams, people don't talk about innovation, he's playing zone and man in the same possession. Teams had no idea what they were doing. To me it's not even close.

To quote an end of mine, an NBA scout, he'll take his players and beat you, then the next day he'll take your players and he'll beat you.

Q. I wanted to follow up on Pember a little. How unique of a matchup is he? Have you faced anyone like him this season? And what is the status on Adem Bona?

MICK CRONIN: Adem is getting better. He was better today. He's able to do some stuff in practice today. We'll see how he feels. He's just sore, so every day is a progressive day for him. So we'll see tomorrow.

I'm not trying to play coy. Literally we'll see.

I don't know on Pember. You guys got to help me. You've probably already thought about an answer to this. I don't know. As far as like somebody that we played? Nobody comes off the top of my head.

Tubelis is great at driving the ball, but he doesn't shoot the ball from the perimeter. To play against a 6'9" guy, I guess Michael Mayer from Illinois, if you were to put him in the same position that Pember plays, he's got the same skills, but he's a guard.

The way they use him, like I was alluding to, I think they made some adjustments to their offense. They use him a lot, like we use Jaime. Eerily similar, high post, top-of-the-key area. It's the old Dirk Nowitzki position, which is now the Joker, Djokovic's position. You can pass it up there, shoot it up there, drive it up there. You're facing the basket, so you can see double-teams coming.

If you lead the nation in free throw attempts, you really know how to play. Like, the thing that jumps off the page for me with Pember is how smart he is. I don't need to talk. If you try to deny him, he knows it. He sets you up for a backdoor, literally for him it's taking candy from a baby.

Like I told our guys, it's like you're playing against a guy that's been playing professional basketball for 10 years. Like, that's the way he plays. I mean, he really, really knows how to play. He knows if you're overaggressive, he's throwing a foul. If you're overaggressive before he gets the ball, he gets a backdoor. If you gap him, he makes a shot. If you crowd him, he drives. He's not even a great athlete and he leads their league in blocked shots because of his timing. He's smart.

Whenever a guy is a great shot-blocker that doesn't jump out of the gym is because he's smart. We made a highlight clip of his blocks. There's no time right now. I mentioned it to Mac Etienne, but you got to watch this guy. You don't have to jump over the guy to try to block his shot, like he did against Arizona a couple times. It's all timing.

So his intelligence. I can just tell how smart of a player he is, combined with his ability to make shots.

Q. Mike Morrell is coaching as a head coach in his first NCAA tournament. I believe you're in your 14th tournament. I wanted to ask you, when you had your first appearance, early on, do you remember coming up against a coach that was experienced like yourself? What was that like?

MICK CRONIN: Actually I -- I don't know if I coached against Bruce Weber. I don't know if I coached against him. No, it was my first year at Murray State. He had just left Southern Illinois at that point. But we played his team. Matt Painter was the coach that year. We played Southern Illinois. We beat them. A good game, though. We didn't beat Illinois, but it was a great game (smiling).

Yeah, I don't know. Look, he's been coaching five years. I'm sure he's been on many NCAA tournaments, I'm not sure, as an assistant. I know he has. I don't know how many.

Nothing changes. I think all that stuff's overrated. He can coach.

Q. In the time between, in all your NCAA tournaments, what is one thing that stands out that's so important in these tournaments?

MICK CRONIN: The toughest one for us right now, being healthy, in my opinion, by far. Being healthy. Having your players at game time. Practice is overrated at this time of year. Got to be healthy.

During the game I would tell you, made shots. We proved that two years ago on the way to the Final Four. Made shots. You can execute, but still got to make some shots. It's not two-out-of-three. It's not best out of five or best out of seven.

Made shots, which is why when somebody asked me my concerns. Their ability to shoot the three is a huge concern. You let a team have one night against you where they make 13 to 15 threes, you could be in deep trouble. I don't care who you are.

Q. Speaking in theory, not necessarily in relation to Adem, if you had a player that was available but only 85%, would you play him or try to rest him and get him to 100% the next game?

MICK CRONIN: Greatly worded question. I want to commend you on that (smiling).

Yeah, Adem's situation, being transparent with you, is twofold: we're trying to get him better every day, and then when the game comes we'll assess where he's at and I'll make that decision, if it would be prudent to rest him or not.

If he was in any way medically -- I can just say, I always say one thing to any injured situation, any injury: if a guy can -- Jaime's ankle last year. If they would have said he needs to be shut down 'cause this could worsen for his career, he would have been shut down. It was something he could get fixed later, so he had to manage it.

With Adem's situation, it's simply how sore is he and how much can he play effectively. If he can't, then there would be no point in playing him.

He's going to have to play through some soreness at some point if we're still playing. But he would never be put in harm's way for his career. The question is how much can he do effectively, which has improved every day. We'll make an assessment on that before the game.

For you, think of it like a sprained ankle. It's just easier to think of that way. Is he going to be able to... It's not Game 7, Isiah against the Lakers. Hopefully, if we win, there's more games.

We're worried about Asheville. At the same time if he can't be effective, no point in putting him out there.

Q. Tyger and Jaime, what they've done the last couple of years, the experience that they've gotten in tournament play, how influential is that in terms of the rest of the guys in the room, what they've been able to tell guys about what it's like?

MICK CRONIN: Well, I would add David to that. David is the most important vocal guy, to be honest with you. He's the more vocal of the three guys as a player.

But it's huge. I'd say they proved how good they are at it. The reason we got 29 wins. Again, the most of any teams in the power six. I'm going to keep saying that. I don't know if you figured that out (smiling). You like that one?

THE MODERATOR: I like it.

MICK CRONIN: I wish we could toast to that right now, but that wouldn't be appropriate. It's what the Irish do (laughter).

Q. If we put a pint of Guinness in front of you Friday, what would happen?

MICK CRONIN: My brother got the beer-drinking gene in our family.

Just the leadership, what they've done all year, they're going to continue to do it. I also think for freshmen, look, we got to win Thursday. Every game for those guys, to me they got more comfortable in a tournament setting. Every game you can get in you. Just like the season. Amari would tell you he's gotten more comfortable every game as the season's gone on.

You got to win, get some experience. That helps as well. But it definitely helps playing with some guys that have helped you all year make your life easy. Guard your man when you guard the wrong guy. Change the play when you've lined up wrong so we can run something that you actually know. These are things that veterans do for rookies.

We play six freshmen, so it's unbelievably important part of our season, the leadership of our seniors, without a doubt. And the fact that they're great players.

Q. The difference between then and now, the difference between conference and now you're in the big tournament.

MICK CRONIN: I mean, I don't have a very verbose answer to that other than we'll see.

Q. I mean, the way a younger player reacts to that.

MICK CRONIN: I mean, they trust those guys, I will tell you that. They totally trust those guys, so...

Again, it's all about results. It's a one-game shot. All this stuff sounds great, I know you guys got questions to ask me, but we got to score more points than Asheville. I know all the rest of this stuff is neat, but... Pember, what did he get, 46 in a game this year? If he gets 48, we're in trouble. He also plays with the leading scorer in the history of their school, which is a very interesting combination, so...

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you.

MICK CRONIN: Thank you, my friend. See how the Irish treat each other. Then we fight after the bar closes (laughter).