NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - ARKANSAS VS KANSAS

March 17, 2023

Kamani Johnson

Jordan Walsh

Wells Fargo Arena

Arkansas Razorbacks

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Pleased to be joined by the Arkansas basketball team, Kamani Johnson and Jordan Walsh. Questions for our student-athletes.

Q. Jordan, Kamani, can you give us just a one-on-one on your team, what you're about. Also, looking at your athleticism last night, it was a shock to me to see that you lost four of five coming into the tournament. What was maybe the issues that came up where you weren't more successful with a higher seed coming in?

KAMANI JOHNSON: I mean, yeah, as a team we're pretty long, physical, and athletic. I think our struggles this year had a lot to do with injuries, kinda, to our two best players in TB and Nick Smith, and we had to figure it out.

I think also we let go of a lot of big leads in the second half within those games that you were talking about. We had worked on that, and last night we kinda fixed that problem.

Illinois gave us a run in the later half and we threw a couple punches back ourselves. So I think our team grew up, in a sense, during that game. That's kinda been our story all year and we fixed it last night.

JORDAN WALSH: I feel like the problems that we faced before now are just tests of adversity. I feel like every team in the country goes through them. So I wouldn't say there was any specific reasons to why it was bad for us, it was just adversity we all had to face.

Now that we have overcome that and now that we're in the Big Dance, you can see we have adjusted our team and our mentality to deal with those things, and that's what we did last night and came out with a W.

Q. Jordan, one of the things I noticed following the Auburn win in the SEC tournament and last night was your excitement level. I saw you jumping up and down after the Auburn win. I saw you and AB after he dunked it. What kind of emotional roller coaster was that as a true freshman to go through your first tournament wins?

JORDAN WALSH: Growing up as a kid you always watch these kids and you think to yourself, what if that was me who hit that shot? What if that was me who got that dunk? You put yourself into the game and imagine what it is like for you to be there and for your family to be watching and for you to be playing with those teammates.

And so to actually be there in person and in flesh -- (audio cutout) that was only the first round, so I can't imagine what it's going to be like on this upcoming road and what's next.

But for me personally, those wins alone were something that made me so happy that I could do nothing but jump up and down and scream.

Q. Kamani, for you, you had two or three straight offensive rebounds, but up the put-back, and then Nick pushes you so hard you fall to the ground. You get up and start laughing. He embraces you over at the sideline. Just take us through that sequence.

KAMANI JOHNSON: No, I mean, one of my roles and jobs on this team is to get extra possessions for the team. That's one of the things that the coach stresses to me. That was just me scrapping out, fighting for the board, getting the push back, and ironically like the skinniest dude on the court knocked me over and pushed me over.

It was funny. I told Nick I didn't realize how strong he was. It was kind of just a moment where we laughed and joked about it. It was pretty cool. I think that's the tale of what our team is right now, be there for each other when we're making big plays.

We're kind of connected and together right now, kind of growing through March, so it's the perfect combination for us right now.

Q. What jumped out to you guys about Kansas? What was the first thing you noticed about Kansas as a team?

KAMANI JOHNSON: I mean, they play four guards. Their pace is really high, but I think we play at a fast pace too. They can shoot the ball a lot and they move the ball pretty well. That's what I noticed at a first glance.

JORDAN WALSH: My first -- I noticed first that when they play and the team that they're playing against, they're not really pressured to make mistakes.

Like every team has kind of like backed off letting them into their motion, letting them into their offense, letting them get set and do all this stuff.

But I feel it's different when you come to the SEC. Dudes are going to push up on you full court, like 6'9" wings, 6'9" guards that are going to push up on and you make you turn the ball over.

So I feel like that's one place we have an advantage to push up full court and cause an uncomfortable feeling for them.

Q. Jordan, you've been described as one of the best defenders on your team so you probably know a little bit about Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson. I realize you haven't been on the scout very long, but going into the game what's some things in your head that you're going to be thinking about in stopping those two?

JORDAN WALSH: Obviously they're both good players. There is no hiding that. JWil he has experience, and Gradey is just a stud. It's not going to be easy to stop them, but going through the film I notice weaknesses, strengths, and tendencies, and those are the things I pick up on to be able to get the extra steals and stops we need to help us win the game.

It's not going to be easy. I don't think it will be. But I feel like we have a chance, for sure, because our team and our coaching staff prepares us for every possibility that they can throw at us so that's the most important part, following the scouting report.

Q. A couple of your teammates played with Gradey in the McDonald's game. What did you take away from watching Gradey in that game that might lead you into how you're going to defend him tomorrow?

JORDAN WALSH: With him and JWil, I've seen him play a lot growing up in Dallas, so got a lot of chances to be able to play him and do all that. And Gradey the same way.

So I come with experience in that regard. Obviously roles are different, it's a different situation, but I may know a couple more moves that they do that our team doesn't know.

So me being able to share that with our team to give them a little bit more of an upper hand could make the whole difference in a game.

Q. And you're taking on not only a number one seed but the returning national champion team. That bigger motivation going into tomorrow's game?

JORDAN WALSH: For sure. Like we were talking about in the back, everybody loves a good underdog story, and right now to everybody we're the underdogs.

So putting that extra pressure on us I wouldn't even say it's pressure, it's just extra motivation to make us want to go out there and handle it up on them show them that we're Arkansas. We are not seated as high and not known as well, but we're here to put up a fight and we're going to do that every night.

Q. Kamani, I know Dakari went several place in the NCAA Tournament with Kentucky and you had your own run as well. Have you talked to your older brother about going far in the NCAA Tournament? Maybe experiences that you can gain in addition to yourself the last two years?

KAMANI JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, growing up watching him and obviously going to the games and the tournament, you kinda just watch it a lot, but you gain a hunger for wanting to be where he was at.

These past two years I've been to two Elite Eights and I'm just trying to get over that hump. Talking to him he compared this year -- my Arkansas team this year to his first year at Kentucky and how they struggled and kinda how they all came together during March, this time period, and they made the champ and lost to UConn.

So been talking to him about it.

Q. And Jordan, I think you said it after Maui, kind of joking about if Arkansas Razorbacks fan knew we were playing in Africa, there would be hog calls in Africa. What do you think about the impact of this fan base being just six hours away from here tomorrow?

JORDAN WALSH: It's a big impact, you know. Like small stuff like that can make a difference in maybe just one possession or maybe even the whole game. So to have that level of commitment and support from those people who you know are spending their time and money to be able to come and support us through whatever problems they could be facing in their own life, it means a lot for us. Not just us, but our team.

Everybody recognizes it. That's why after every game we wave them off, do a hog call at the end. We want to show them we are thankful they spend their time and come support us, because they don't have to. Six hours is a drive,, I don't like driving six hours, but they came and they came to support, so we want to thank them.

Obviously we have the best fans ever, but we want to thank them for sure for all they have gone through to come and support us.

Q. Jordan, Jalen Wilson was talking about growing up in the same general area. He's older than you but maybe played pick-up with him. Do you remember that and what's it like to play such a high caliber athlete on such a big stage?

JORDAN WALSH: Yeah, in Dallas there were always stars we were playing with, and he happens to be one of them. Obviously played against him a couple times and it's always been a friendly battle, but it's always been healthy. And even though we're not on the same team and even back then he could come up to me and says, Jordan, on the roll you could have hit the corner; he was open. You gotta look for that.

Just things like that that an older guy can tell you to elevate your game because maybe many people your age don't know that secret. It's a big thing to have the support from somebody who may not be exactly the same place you are, so it's always a good thing to have.

I appreciate any support anybody wants to give me, so I'm proud and thankful.

Q. (No microphone.)

JORDAN WALSH: No, but it was a simple example I thought of.

Q. Kamani, last year a lot of people were doubting this team heading into San Francisco against Gonzaga, the number one overall seed, and Eric touched on that after the game, that you used that as motivation. Has he pulled clips or Tweets to as use motivation in the last day or so?

KAMANI JOHNSON: I think the only motivation is we are here with a great opportunity to make a Sweet 16 and do something that this team -- we struggled a lot this season, and, you know, I think everybody was on us from media to our fans to just the general public. Everybody. Which, you know, it was deserved. Some of it.

Now we are in a great opportunity to put ourselves in a great place to do something really special, and that's all the motivation we need as a team.

Q. A lot of questions for them about who you guys remind them of. Maybe you have been asked this, but who does Kansas remind you guys of? SEC or somebody you have played this year?

KAMANI JOHNSON: If I could compare them to one SEC team, maybe Texas A&M. Just the pace that they play at and how well they move the ball. I would think Texas A&M or maybe Mizzou when Kobe is at the five and the way they move the ball. They run well in transition. So those are the two teams I could compare them to.

JORDAN WALSH: I would agree with Mizzou, but Kansas is their own school. They have their own wrinkles and a coach that knows the game in and out, so a lot of respect for that. They have their own special twitch to it. They have a five man who wants to make plays on the perimeter, who is throwing bullet passes through the defense to hit a flare to Gradey Dick all the way in the corner and he's in the slot.

Just small stuff like that that separates them from other SEC teams, because maybe SEC teams aren't as confident to make that pass because they haven't seen it enough because the defenders are always on them. But for them it's the usual and it's what they do, and it's kind of like how their offense -- what their offense is based around.

They're a different team, but they have some similarities to SEC schools. They're still a good team.

Q. They're obviously trying to figure out if they're going to have their coach with them or not and it's been that way the last week or so. Can you begin to understand how tough it is for a team not to have their head coach?

KAMANI JOHNSON: I mean, it's probably tough not having the head of your team. But, I mean, hope he's there coaching them. You kinda gotta focus on what's ahead of us.

JORDAN WALSH: Yeah, I mean, I couldn't imagine what it's like for us to play without Muss, so I could just imagine what those guys are going through in their heads. But obviously I wish the best for the coach. I hope he's healthy in everything he's doing.

But at the same time, you know, we have a game we have to go out here and compete and win, and that's the main objective. So that's what we're keeping our mind on, not whether they have a coach or not, if they do great, if they don't great, cool, we're going to prepare the same way and hopefully come out with the same intensity to win the game.

Q. Along the lines of the extra motivation, returning national champion, number one seed, but also Big XII has been getting a lot of notoriety as being the toughest conference in the country by everyone. You gotta be sick of that a little bit. Is that something you hear from the SEC schools, take down them? That's the Big XII. Show 'em. Let's have some SEC pride?

KAMANI JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, I've been locked into the Big XII games. My brother Markquis Nowell is playing at K-State, so I just know how tough he is. I've been watching the games a lot and the Big XII, and they are a tough conference. And the SEC, I don't know when that switched or who gave that title up, but we've been known to be the tougher, more physical conference out of anybody.

Coming to the Illinois game we just heard about how they're the toughest rebounding conference and we kinda rebounded well with them. The SEC, we got a lot of athletes, a lot of length and size, and I think the SEC is probably the toughest conference to play basketball in. The Big XII has had a great year, though.

JORDAN WALSH: Yeah, there is something special about every conference. Big XII has the name of being tough, I guess. I'm new to college so I'm new to these things, but I've learned that everybody has their own little signature things about them, attributes you could say.

I feel like -- me personally I feel like the SEC is the best in every attribute, but I have been told that some places are a little more physical, a little bigger. But I always watched the Big XII growing up and the SEC, so for me it's two good conferences with good players.

Q. Kamani, you were talking about the ups and downs of the season, different media, different fans' reactions. If you guys are able to pull it off, back-to-back number one seeds tomorrow, do you feel like it's a redemption? How do you view the win tomorrow based on the expectations of this season?

KAMANI JOHNSON: It would just be a big win for not only us and just our program. You know, as being here -- since I've been here we've had a lot of big-statement wins just for our program in general.

I think we get this win tomorrow, like, I know our fan base -- I love my fan base to death, you know what I mean? They're crazy, and that's what makes them them, but you have to trust in Muss because he obviously knows what he's doing.

Like any great fan base, whenever we're struggling it's like the world is on fire, but that is credit to Muss, what he's done since he's been here. Two back-to-back Elite Eights, and tomorrow would be a big statement for our program. I can't say enough about the coach he's been and a leader for the program.

I think Arkansas is back, you know what I mean?