NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - COLORADO STATE VS MEMPHIS

March 20, 2025

PJ Haggerty

Dain Dainja

Colby Rogers

Climate Pledge Arena

Memphis Tigers

Media Conference

Q. Colby, two-part question, first how is your anticipation for your first game, and also the second part is how do you see your role changing if your guys that are injured are not able to play?

COLBY ROGERS: Extremely excited. It's my first time here and I've been in college for a little minute. So it's everything I've kind of worked for and dreamed of.

I think my role is kind of the same. I think it's just as a team we just got to kind of make a collective effort to do whatever it takes to win and just go about it like that.

Q. You were a part of a Baylor team that won a National Championship and now you're in the NCAA yourself and kind of being the lead guy. What have you been able to communicate with PJ and Colby, the other teammates that have never been on the floor what to expect?

DAIN DAINJA: Just the little things, the things you work on in practice. Defending and rebounding, all the stuff we work on in practice, just translating over here in this tournament.

Q. PJ, consensus All-American, has that sunk in? What does that feel like? Fulfilling?

PJ HAGGERTY: Yeah it's a blessing. But I'm just the same guy. Just trying to advance in the Tournament.

Q. PJ, you'll have a matchup with Nique Clifford, who is a phenomenal guard himself. What have you seen from him and what makes him such a good guard?

PJ HAGGERTY: I mean, we watched a little film on 'em, I see where he averaged 19 and 10 rebounds, so it's kind of impressive. But just sticking to our principles, just guard him, contain him, things like that.

Q. Dane, I wanted to ask you about the matchup, what have you seen as far as like since you started prep on Colorado State, what have you seen? What do you feel like you can exploit within that matchup?

DAIN DAINJA: Within what matchup, with me and the other guy's big?

Q. Yeah.

DAIN DAINJA: Okay. Yeah, I definitely feel like I can use my speed and my quickness on him, for sure. I haven't -- we'll watch some more film on him today, but from what I've seen I can definitely use my speed and my strength, for sure.

Q. PJ, what excites you about playing Colorado State?

PJ HAGGERTY: What excites me? It's an opportunity in the NCAA Tournament and that's the most excitement I could get from being here, yeah.

Q. A lot of folks are picking Colorado State to upset y'all. Does that give you any kind of edge or what?

DAIN DAINJA: I feel like at the end of the day we're just here to do our jobs. We know who we are, the media and all that, we don't really pay attention to that. They're going to see at the end of the day.

Q. Colby, I don't know if the Clifford matchup will be your or Dain's. What do you think analytically is the way you're going to go with this?

COLBY ROGERS: I think that's a coach's decision but whatever they ask me to do I'll do it. I think that's more of a game plan decision with the coach and stuff like that.

But I think as a team all five of us will have to key in on him, it's not going to be a one-on-one island type of thing. It has to be a collective effort. I mean, he's a good player.

So I think it will be kind of a team thing and then at the end we'll probably switch matchups on him throughout the game, so we'll see.

THE MODERATOR: All right, thank you. Good luck. We'll have Coach Hardaway up here in a few minutes.