NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - FINAL FOUR: MIAMI (FL) VS UCONN

March 30, 2023

Donovan Clingan

Jordan Hawkins

Tristen Newton

Andre Jackson

Adama Sanogo

Alex Karaban

NRG Stadium

UConn Huskies

Semi-Finals Pregame Media Conference

Q. How does Miami defend your position? When did you feel during the season that you had a chance to reach Houston, Texas?

DONOVAN CLINGAN: I feel like Miami likes to front the post a little bit. They're very aggressive. They try to get their hands in the passing lanes, and when you're driving in the lane they try to strip down the ball.

To answer your question about when I thought we could go to Houston, in the beginning of the year when we were on a 14-0 run, winning a lot of games, playing at our best, I thought we had a chance to make a deep run. We obviously went through a tough stretch, but I feel that made us stronger and made us better.

Q. Jordan, looks like there's been some times this year you've had a chance to talk to guys like Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton, guys that move the ball similar to the way you do. Curious what their insights provided you and what's it like having a resource like that available to you playing at a place like UConn?

JORDAN HAWKINS: It's a blessing for sure. When I got to UConn I knew those were the type of guys that played here. I had to live up to that standard. It's amazing I've got these two guys in my corner. I can go to them anytime and ask them a question about how I can get my jump shot off quicker. It's an amazing feeling, and I'm just blessed to have those two.

Q. What do you think is the biggest difference for you from last year to last year? Anything specific you did in the offseason?

JORDAN HAWKINS: I think my mentality changed completely. I feel like I had the skill to do what I can do now last year, but my mental wasn't all the way there with my game. I think that was the biggest thing that changed.

Q. How did your mental change?

JORDAN HAWKINS: Getting older, growing as a player, getting more experience in the Big East. Playing with the guys, getting used to my program.

Q. Donovan or Jordan, a couple of transfers that came in provided a lot more senior leadership to this team, and pretty much everyone from last year's team that was an upperclassman left. How important was it to have that piece in the mix this year, and what do you think players like Tristen bring?

JORDAN HAWKINS: I mean, yeah, last year we had completely different team. We had a lot of older guys leave, and so we knew it was going to be relatively young team.

So Coach did a great job bringing guys like Tristen and Hass and other transfers in. We've seen senior leadership. Tristen brings so much to this team on and off the court. He's a great guy and a great basketball player.

DONOVAN CLINGAN: I was around the program last year, watching practice and games and stuff. But over the offseason, in the summer, when Coach brings in these transfer guys, we all just started to bond together well.

And like people like Tristen, Hass, Joey, all the transfers, they all help us out and in big ways. We've got a deep bench because of the transfers, and I feel that helps us out a lot.

Q. Donovan, curious what you learned this season from going against Adama in practice?

DONOVAN CLINGAN: Adama has made me a much better player throughout the whole year. He's so talented on both ends of the floor. His footwork is amazing. So trying to defend him and keep -- stay on my feet and stay physical, it's been a challenge for me all year.

But he prepared me for Big East play, and he prepared me for the highest level, like that we're in now. Adama, all credit to Adama. He's a heck of a player, and he's definitely helped me improve throughout the year.

Q. Donovan, when it comes to Jordan's ability to hit shots, part of it comes from him and screens that guys like you and Adama set. Could you describe the choreography that goes into learning the way Jordan wants to play and him learning the way you guys set screens and how that's developed over the course of the season?

DONOVAN CLINGAN: Throughout the season, Jordan's a knock-down shooter. And when I'm trying to hand the ball off or set a screen, I've got to force the guy to try to go either under or over and just make sure I hold my screen just so that he gets as much space as possible to get a shot off quick.

Every guy's going to chase Jordan off a pin-down or a ball screen or whatever just because of how lethal of a shooter he is. I've just got to -- Coach calls it headhunting. Gotta find a body and screen and hold my screen.

Q. What has been the message when Jim Calhoun has met with you guys? What's been his message? And when you have someone who has obviously been to the top like he has, how helpful do you think it is that he's still around the program?

TRISTEN NEWTON: His experience and leadership is good for us. Tells us what to expect when we get to these positions. His message is really go out there, do what we've got to do to win a game. That's pretty much the main point of it.

JORDAN HAWKINS: He's the G.O.A.T. When he talks, you listen. He gives us great advice before the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight and he gave us great advice when we came down here. We'll have that in the back of our minds.

DONOVAN CLINGAN: Like Jordan said, he's the G.O.A.T. He's been here multiple times. Hearing his position is important to us. Helps get us ready for this weekend.

Q. Jordan, thinking about this ride, I think back to your season opener when you unfortunately had to exit the game. I know it was tough. How would you describe the process of hearing about or saying to yourself this is what's going to happen, this is what's going to happen at UConn, and having to get through the hurdles of stuff like that and now it is happening?

JORDAN HAWKINS: I mean, it was definitely a tough stretch because in the season, the concussion, season opener, sophomore year, expected big things to happen for me, got hit with another concussion. But, I mean, just having the support system around you is the biggest thing. I give all credit to them. They kept me confident.

I was really at a low time. Really tough place. But you've just got to work out of it. I got great people around me. All credit to them. So without them I don't think I'd be in this position.

Q. You're a group that has the depth, well-rounded nature. That there's not just one leader, like a clear leader. That's coming from different sources. Can you reflect on how that's been built out with this group, that culture of unselfishness that guys are sort of given for the entire whole?

JORDAN HAWKINS: After the season ended last year, and we knew coaches were going to go to the portal, me and Dre and Adama took it really personal to build a relationship with the guys, every day hang out with them. During the summer, no one on campus, just us. Every single day we would hang out with each other, do something together. During the finals, we all got together, got some food. Just building that little connection on and off the court. We shoot together, do all those things together. Just build the chemistry up. Learn how each other plays.

DONOVAN CLINGAN: There's a bunch of leaders on this team. Dre, Adama, Jordan, senior older guys, they're all great leaders, and they helped build this team have a great connection like we do now. It's just great group of guys to play with.

Q. Every other team in this year's Final Four happens to be a lot closer to the beach than Storrs, Connecticut. Is that something that makes you jealous? Do you wish there was better weather where you guys play?

JORDAN HAWKINS: I don't think there's a beach in Connecticut? I've never seen it.

DONOVAN CLINGAN: Haven't been to the beach.

JORDAN HAWKINS: A little jealous, I'll say that.

Q. When it comes to shooting, have you always had the confident you have now or is that something that built over time throughout your career and just the idea that no matter when you let it fly, it's going to go?

JORDAN HAWKINS: I think I've had it since I was a kid. I just put so much hard work into it, so many reps. Once you do that, you have to be confident, just knowing you're doing the right thing. Just sticking to it. I've had this confidence since I was in middle school, high school, keeping that confidence that I was a jump shooter.

Q. Andre, I know you've watched and you thought about the Final Four and dreamed about it, but now that you're here, the last week, is the hype and the attention and all of the things that go around it, being driven in a golf cart to a press conference, are these things even above and beyond what you would imagine it to be?

ANDRE JACKSON JR.: Definitely. I just thought about playing the game. It wasn't about all the other stuff. But to be around all the different types of things they do surrounding the Final Four is definitely something I never really imagined. It's a great opportunity.

Q. When I say Houston, Texas, what's the first thing you thought of, obviously, before the Final Four?

ADAMA SANOGO: I don't know, maybe I think about food. They have good steak here. They have good steak. The food here.

ANDRE JACKSON JR.: I would say music, like Travis Scott.

ALEX KARABAN: James Harden when he was killing it with the Rockets, I'm not going to lie.

Q. Alex, I was curious how important the redshirt season was for you. Seems like there's hardly any freshmen in this Final Four playing a ton of minutes. You and Donovan are among the only two. How important was that for you?

ALEX KARABAN: Most important decision for me I think. It allowed me to get over the freshman hurdles right away and allowed me to practice against veteran forwards like Isaiah, Tyrese, and Tyler from last year's team. I got better from playing against them every day.

And I also learned how Coach Hurley operated offensively, what defense he likes to play, and the strength program really helped me get adjusted really quickly to the next level. If it wasn't for me coming early, I don't think I'd be playing this many minutes.

Q. Adama, as you celebrated and observed the fasting this week, to play at the elite level that you do, can you take me through your process and the difficulties and with the tip time, as it is on Saturday, what you'll do before tip?

ADAMA SANOGO: It's definitely hard because, like you say, it's my faith, and this is something I didn't start doing this year. I've been doing this since I was in high school. I used to do it during AAU.

But like definitely it's hard because last game against Gonzaga I was like a little bit tired, like you said. But the good thing is our Saturday game is -- the game is at 7:49, and I think I will be able to eat at 7:40. So that's like eight minutes before the game. So I think I should be fine for the game, for sure.

Q. Adama, how good is it for to have someone like Donovan to practice against all year? He talked a little bit about going up against you. How much do you think that's helped you, though, having him there?

ADAMA SANOGO: Having Donovan on the team definitely helped me. I think it definitely helped me personally because it made me ready to -- going against him in practice made me ready for all the other guys, other big men, other seven footers in the conference that I play.

And this is a guy like, there's a lot of freshmen, their first year, they're not denying the ball, but they're going to give up in practice, they don't want to practice, but Donovan, every practice he brings it to you. He wants to fight. He wants your spot. So that's something that I like from him. So definitely good playing against him.

And the thing is he helped me a lot -- he helps a lot because last year I was playing 30, 35 minutes a game. By the end of the season I was very tired. But this year I'm playing 25 to 26 because he's coming to play some time away from me.

So it was definitely helpful to have him on the team this year.

Q. I know it doesn't necessarily show up in the stat sheet when you set a great screen and Jordan hits a 3 off of that. But what does that feel like? Does the coaching staff track it, or how much pride do you guys take in knowing that the role that you play creates some of his open shots?

ANDRE JACKSON JR.: I think we all know that. We know the significance of that, just doing all the little things right is something that everybody reiterates to us. And to what he said earlier, setting a good screen, even if the play is not for you, that's what builds championship programs.

We know what it takes to win. It's not just about the glory, who gets the point, whatever, it's about us going as a team, and we all know that.

ALEX KARABAN: I agree with Andre. And I definitely love doing it for Hawk too because he's such a great shooter. When we set those screens he starts getting hot, it's something special even watching as a teammate playing with him. And it just makes us a thousand times better when he gets going.

Q. Adama, you said you'll be able to eat eight minutes before the game on Saturday?

ADAMA SANOGO: Yes.

Q. What can you eat so close to playing?

ADAMA SANOGO: Coconut water, coconut water and oranges, I think I'll be fine.

Q. How challenging is it, though, to have to balance it?

ADAMA SANOGO: I feel it's definitely hard. But I feel like the more I'm thinking about it, the more it becomes harder. That's why I'm trying to just do it not thinking about it too much because like last eight years I've been doing it. I'll be fine. I'll be fine.

Q. It didn't seem to -- it hasn't seemed to affect you at all during the tournament. Why is that?

ADAMA SANOGO: I'm used to it. The last eight years I've been doing it. And I'm not thinking about it. I'm not thinking about it too much, because I feel the more you're thinking about it too much, the more it's going to be hard for you to do it. And so I do it. I'm not trying to think about it. No.

Q. Are you allowed to eat anything before the sun is up, and do you have just a massive meal then? Are you stuffing your face at halftime? How do you handle refueling and not enough calories to function?

ADAMA SANOGO: I will be able to eat after the sun goes down at 7:40. So from that to like 5:00 a.m. to the next morning, I eat like, like a lot of food with protein, like some -- my strength coach, he makes sure I drink a lot, I hydrate -- and hydrate a lot. For example, I wake up at five, drink a lot of water to make sure during that day I stay hydrated. That's what we're doing right now, wake up at 5:00 a.m., drink a lot of coconut water to make sure I stay hydrated during the day. That's my plan right now.

Q. Alex, your assists are really up in the last 10 or 15 games, over two per game, is that a conscious decision, something your coaches told you about, or you just becoming more comfortable with the offense, knowing where your teammates are going to be?

ALEX KARABAN: Yeah, I think it's just being more comfortable with the offense. I think the coaches always gave me the freedom to attack and make the right reads. I think I just got more comfortable out there on the court being more aggressive at times and just getting used to the college experience of reading defenses better to where I could find my open teammates easier. Just credit to them for making the shots.

Q. I saw a stat earlier that 27 of your 31 assists in this tournament led to a dunk or a 3. What's that say about the shots that you're creating when you're distributing the ball?

ANDRE JACKSON JR.: I would say that a lot of times when I make plays it's in transition. A lot of guys run the floor well. We have some athletes. They get out in transition, get some dunks with Adama.

I like to pass it to the 3-point shooters because that gives the team a lot of momentum. And that's kind of the strength of a lot of the players I'm playing with. So that's something that I just like to do is get guys, like, shots close to the rim and 3s.