NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL SEMIFINAL - MIAMI (FL) VS HOUSTON

March 23, 2023

Kelvin Sampson

Marcus Sasser

Jamal Shead

Tramon Mark

J'Wan Roberts

Jarace Walker

T-Mobile Center

Houston Cougars

Sweet 16 Pregame Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are ready to begin with the University of Houston Cougars. We will this time go with our student-athletes first. We have the entire starting five for Houston, Jamal Shead, Marcus Sasser, Tramon Mark, Jarace Walker, and J'Wan Roberts.

Q. Jamal and Marcus, can you just talk about the progression of your injuries and how you're feeling now, now that you've had some time to rest.

MARCUS SASSER: I've just been doing a good job getting treatment, massages, stretches. I've been handling it good.

I'd say I'll probably be around 90 percent by Friday, so I've been getting healthy.

JAMAL SHEAD: Mine was just a bang-up, so I'm back 100 percent in just these couple of days to recover. I'm back pretty good.

Q. For each of you, if you could each answer this, what is your favorite Coach Sampson one-liner? I know he's got a lot. During the press conferences, he drops them all the time. What does he tell you guys? What's your favorite saying that he has?

THE MODERATOR: I think we'll start with J'Wan and work our way back.

J'WAN ROBERTS: Could you come back to me?

JARACE WALKER: I'll go with "softer than puppy poop in the rain."

TRAMON MARK: "That which has been taught has been learned." Something like that.

JARACE WALKER: "Nothing's been learned till it's been taught."

TRAMON MARK: Yeah, that's it.

MARCUS SASSER: "Jamal, will run through a brick wall, but there's only one question here to ask. Do I get a head start?"

JAMAL SHEAD: I don't really think about them when I'm not in the moment. I don't know. I don't got one off the top.

Q. Jarace, now that the Tournament has started, are you playing any more locked in defensively?

JARACE WALKER: I mean, I guess you could say that. I don't like to try to change game from game. I just try to stay solid and try to give my all each and every half.

Obviously I had a pretty good defensive game last outing, but I felt it was due to how hard I was playing. Our backs were against the wall, and we didn't want the season to end. So we all gave it everything we have that second half.

Q. Jamal, we remember you from high school from Maynard doing big things in the postseason. Here you do big things in the postseason. What is it about your makeup that makes you built for the biggest stage?

JAMAL SHEAD: I would just say not really wanting to go home. You realize that, when you get to the postseason, that those games can be your last game. So just rising to the occasion and not wanting to go home.

Q. J'Wan and Tramon, what has it been like as Coach Sampson has gone through the loss of his sister and kind of dealing with that tragedy, what has that been like for you all as players and for him as well?

J'WAN ROBERTS: I would just say it's deeper than basketball. Once you lose a loved one, it's never easy. Just going through that time and just knowing how much love Coach Sampson had for her, with that just happening, it just really made us sit down and embrace what we have together and just know that anything could happen any day. Tomorrow is never promised.

Just being with these guys on my left, I just feel like everything I do from this day on, I just do it out of love because you never know whether I'll be with these guys after this. Just going through that time, I feel like everybody had to really settle in and just embrace everything that we have right now, knowing that if it doesn't go the way we want it to go, this will never be the same team again.

We're going to all split up, have different paths. I feel like with that happening it just brought us a little closer. I love these guys, and I know they love me. That's just how we is as a family on and off the court.

We're just going to ride this wave out as long as we can and just stay together.

TRAMON MARK: It just makes you think, like Coach Sampson gives his all every day for us. I just think it's only right for us to give our all for him. All the things he's done for us throughout the season, it's only right that we continue to go out and play hard for him and for ourselves.

Q. Following up on what J'Wan said, there's getting to the Final Four and winning a National Championship, but you guys could do it in your hometown. What's the word? Is it pressure? Is it anticipation? Do you feel it from home? People have been talking about it all year. Maybe just Marcus and Jamal.

JAMAL SHEAD: I'd say just more anxious. We understand what's at stake, and we know what's at home, but you've got to win to get there. So that's where our focus has been on this next game because Miami's not a pushover.

Our focus has been on the next game. We understand what's at stake. But we have the right focus right now.

MARCUS SASSER: Kind of just like he said. We're taking it game by game, one game at a time. Really try not to worry about it too much. Just really be where your feet are.

We've got two more games, but we really don't even look at it like that. We just look at the next game. If you handle business, next thing you know you'll be where you want to be. So really just being where our feet are.

Q. For all of you, what challenges does Miami present for you guys individually and as a team?

JAMAL SHEAD: They're really good at what they do. They're a really good offensive team. Everybody on their team can score the ball in a variety of ways. They can really shoot the ball.

Like I said, they're a really good offensive team. They offensive rebound. They get out and run.

Everything that they do, they do it at a good pace. And they know how to play with each other, and they play well together.

MARCUS SASSER: Basically what he said. Very consistent. Very active on defense. They like to run in transition, and they all play good together.

TRAMON MARK: Fast-paced team. They like to get out and shoot threes. We've just got to do what we usually do, just get out to the shooters and guard the ball the way we usually do, and I think we'll be in a good spot.

Q. Jamal, start with you and Marcus, what does it mean to all of you guys that you have captured the attention of the city of Houston?

JAMAL SHEAD: They've been behind us all year and showing love. The more you win, the more love you'll get. That goes with whatever sport, whatever you do in life. The more successful you are, the more love you'll get.

So they've been behind us, and it's just been really awesome to feel the love of the city.

MARCUS SASSER: They've been supporting us since day one really. Just to see them always having our back, traveling like this out here. We're needing it sometimes. We've been needing that energy, especially when other teams go on runs and stuff like that. So we need them for sure.

TRAMON MARK: It's been good the whole season really. Just the energy they provide us through all these games, it's definitely key here throughout these next games that we'll be having. I just love our fans and the things they've done for us.

JARACE WALKER: It just means a lot, that they're willing to obviously come to the games in Houston, Austin, but also to take the time to travel. I know they have busy schedules as well, but they travel with us, show their love and support. It means the world that we have the ability to show out for them.

J'WAN ROBERTS: Basically everything they said. Just being very supportive. Every road game that we play, we look in the crowd, and there's always a portion of Houston fans. So it just shows all the dedication that they put in, all the time that they invest into us.

They try to travel in packs, and that's what we need. I always say we're all we got, so just stick together.

Q. What's your pregame song on your playlist that you go to when you're trying to get ready for a game?

J'WAN ROBERTS: I've got a variety of artists that I listen to, but my go-to is I would say Meek Mill, just for the motivational purposes in his songs.

JARACE WALKER: Pregame, I don't got a song. I would probably go with Ralo or G. Herbo. They get me started.

J'WAN ROBERTS: Do you all know who that is? No?

TRAMON MARK: You're not going to know mine, but he goes by the name of BEZ. He's pretty good.

MARCUS SASSER: I'll probably listen to Lil Baby or Gunna one of them.

JAMAL SHEAD: Mine is probably Riley or Drake.

THE MODERATOR: Guys, we're going to let you get out of here. Start thinking about the game tomorrow.

We are now joined by the head coach at the University of Houston, Kelvin Sampson.

Coach, we'll turn to you for an opening statement.

KELVIN SAMPSON: This stuff never gets old. I think coaching in the NCAA Tournament for basketball is every kid's dream. They grow up watching it, and then when they get in it, the emotions of playing in it gives you -- there's nothing that gives you the chance to be a GOAT and a hero in the same sentence as the NCAA Tournament. There's already been so many fantastic stories.

I'm excited about our guys. We came here last year, had four seniors who were a big part of who we were. We lost those four seniors. Now we had to start over. Two kids were coming off major surgeries, in Tramon Mark and Marcus Sasser. Then we brought a kid who came off the bench last year, J'Wan Roberts. Then we had three freshmen -- Jarace Walker, Emanuel Sharp, and Terrance Arceneaux. Mix them up with Reggie Chaney and a little dose of Ja'Vier Francis. And we became a good team.

One of the things this team learned to do along the way was how to win. Everybody wants to win, but how are you going to win? Once we figured that out, our leadership took over. Marcus Sasser, Jamal Shead, those kids are great leaders. That's one of the great things about our program over the years is we've always had great player leadership. That's one of the reasons why we've been successful.

Q. Coach, it's a lull for the last ten years in terms of three-point shooting through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, 31.2 percent overall. Any idea why that's happened and what you would attribute that to?

KELVIN SAMPSON: How about attempts and makes? The percentage is skewed sometimes based on how many attempts and makes you have. Do you know what those are?

Well, if we're shooting a particularly low percentage, it's probably the guys that can't shoot doing most of the shooting. I'm not real smart, but I figured that out. It's like free-throw percentage. People say, Coach, why don't you all work on shooting free throws? We do. We're not very smart, but we figured that out.

But if your worst free-throw shooters are shooting most of your free throws, you're going to have a lower free-throw percentage. No difference in the three-point line.

Some coaches are -- more and more coaches are fine with anybody shooting them because sometimes that's the best shot you're going to get. And they also create long rebounds, which are more 50-50 balls.

The closer in you shoot the ball, the more likely you are to have defined block-outs. But when you move the ball around, you get in the paint, you kick it out, which is where a lot of the threes come from, right? And you shoot it. You may kick it to a guy who's not necessarily a good shooter, and he may not know it, but he's open, right?

What do they say? "Coach, I was open." Then what does the coach say? "You're always open for a reason, son."

But I know what you're saying. I don't overreact to those things because it's all cyclical anyway.

Q. Just a little bit off topic, what are your thoughts on Willis Reed and his passing?

KELVIN SAMPSON: Another icon. Willis Reed wasn't the greatest NBA player ever, but he might have been the greatest leadership center. He and Bill Russell, when you look at these last two icons from the NBA, Bill Russell and Willis Reed and what they're remembered most by -- not their stats. Most people don't remember what Willis Reed did, but they remember that he won, and I think that's a great legacy for Willis.

Being in the NBA for six years, you get to know all those guys, Oscar, Willis, Walt Frazier, Elgin Baylor, Bill Russell, Jerry West. That was a special era for me because I was a little boy growing up in that era.

In 1970 when he came out -- was it Game 6? Game 7, right? When he came out in the Garden -- I mean, guys are out for two months with that injury now. They wouldn't even think of finding a way to come out on the floor, but he did.

Coach Holtzman with that team, DeBusschere, Bradley, Frazier -- that was a great team, man. Barnett. That was a great team. But Willis Reed.

And I always appreciated him, how he was an advocate for HBCUs. HBCUs, when you have Willis Reed being a graduate and being an advocate, that's a good thing. Rest in peace, big man. Your legacy is secured.

Q. I know you've obviously got more important things to worry about than next year at this point, but the Big 12 Tournament is in Kansas City and will be for a few more years. Is there any significance to playing here and being a part of the basketball community here?

KELVIN SAMPSON: I played in Kansas City in the Big 12 Tournament a lot of years. I think there's a reason why it's here. I was in the first group when it moved to American Airlines Arena. How long has it been back here, for a while?

Q. '08.

KELVIN SAMPSON: I remember we went to the Final Four in '02, and I think the next year was in Dallas. If you're in Oklahoma and Texas, you like it in Dallas, but if you're -- I was part of the old Big Eight. That probably tells you it's about time to leave, isn't it? You remember the old Big Eight with Danny Nee, Norm Stewart, Roy. Let's see if I remember those guys. Eddie, Norm, Roy, Danny. What schools am I forgetting? Kansas State was Tom Asbury. Iowa State was Tim Floyd.

Q. Ricardo?

KELVIN SAMPSON: No. Was it Harrington that first year? I think so. And then me at Oklahoma. That was the Big Eight. I think we were together for three years, right, Blair? You haven't changed much. (Laughter).

You haven't changed much, man. I still feel like this is Oklahoma and somebody. Back here in Kansas City.

Back then it was old Kemper. I went into Kemper Arena this past summer, and I was just in awe what they've done to that place. There was a recruiting event there. It was amazing.

First time I was ever in Kemper, I watched Wisconsin-Stevens Point with Terry Porter versus Southwestern Oklahoma with Dennis Rodman. I watched that game. That was 1983, '84, something like that. They had a restaurant outside that had a cow with big horns.

And I never had enough money. I was an NAIA guy. I never had enough money. I said one of these years, if I ever get enough money, I'm going to take my family in there, but I never have. They still have it? Do they still have that restaurant?

Q. I don't think so.

KELVIN SAMPSON: I got enough money now.

(Laughter).

I just don't have the time. Back then I had time. I was more of an McDonald's/Burger King guy because I could always get a number 7 or something. I could afford that.

Q. Your players said the loss of your sister kind of brought the team closer, kind of realizing how precious life is. What has this been like for you coaching on the biggest stage but also dealing with one of the biggest losses of your life as well?

KELVIN SAMPSON: I think we all have self talk where we just kind of -- I didn't want to make this about me. I didn't want to bring any attention to that.

We were getting ready for the East Carolina game, and I was in the hotel when my youngest sister, who lives in Phoenix, called me that morning. I'd been talking to her every day. And I knew that it was going to come sooner, but I also know that the minister that -- the guy that did my mother's eulogy said something that really hit home with me. It's that you know God's a merciful God when He takes them when He does, and it was time.

Q. Pardon me if this has been asked, but the fact that you guys could play at home next week, do you use it as motivation, or do you tell these guys put it out of your mind, we've got work to do?

KELVIN SAMPSON: Neither one. I never think about it. I literally don't. Probably everybody does but me. I don't care. I'm not most people. I don't march to anybody's drummer but mine. I literally do not get influenced by other people.

Our record says 33-3, but that has been a really struggling 33-3. We've struggled a lot this year. That Auburn game probably was a capsule of our season more than anything else. It's been really difficult for us to put two halves together.

We have at times, but I think when you play as many freshmen as we do -- Dennis, Walker, Arceneaux, Francis -- I'm thinking of all of our bench guys basically. Ja'Vier Francis is 19 years old. Walker's 19. Arceneaux, and Sharp. That's four of our top eight -- and Chaney. So four of our top nine are freshmen. That's going to lend to inconsistency.

Last year we had four starters that were all either grad students -- shoot, we had one kid in his sixth year. Taze Moore, he was a sixth-year guy. They were fourth, fifth, or sixth year. This year they're first-year guys. We're not a dominant team.

People say, well, this is your best team. Well, that's your opinion. The only person's opinion that matters on that is mine because I coached them all. I'd probably have a better feel whether this is the best team or not, and it's not. This has not been our best team.

Two years ago we went to the Final Four. I thought that was a really good team, but I didn't think that team was better than Baylor. Baylor was better than us. I've always been brutally honest with that stuff. If you ask me about a team, I'll tell you whether I think we're better than them. But we weren't better than Baylor.

Last year, though, I didn't think there was a great team. Baylor is the best team I've seen in eight years or nine years now. Kansas won it, but that wasn't Bill's best team. Bill's had some great teams, but that tells you about college basketball last year.

Kansas is really, really good. So is North Carolina. So is Villanova. Villanova's best player got hurt, I think in the last two minutes of our game. Can't remember his name, but he was really good. They could have won it. I thought we were good enough to win it last year. Villanova was. Kansas was. North Carolina was.

And I think the same thing this year. I don't think there's a great team this year. I think there's a lot of good ones, and I think we're one of them. But we're not special. We're not -- you look at us and say, well, they're really good. No, we're down ten our last game. We struggled against Northern Kentucky.

Now, we've looked good at times, but we're not a team where you sit and start thinking about next week. We're 40 minutes away from going home. That's reality. A lot of people don't like to hear that, but they'll get over it.

If we play good tomorrow, we've got a chance to win. If we don't, we'll go home, and that's just the way it is. Hasn't changed since this tournament started. That's why you don't ever prepare for next week. You prepare for it logistically, but these games are hard to win, man.

Look at the teams that are at home. Ask them how hard it is to win in the tournament. It's difficult. That's why it's a blessing to still be here.

THE MODERATOR: Good luck tomorrow. We will see you then.