NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - BAYLOR VS DUKE

March 22, 2025

Langston Love

Jeremy Roach

Lenovo Center

Baylor Bears

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. We are now ready to start the Baylor student-athlete press conference.

At this time, we'll open the floor up for questions.

Q. Langston, you guys had a lot of active hands yesterday, diving on the court for loose balls. How much more of that are you going to need tomorrow against Duke?

LANGSTON LOVE: It's just going to be an all-out effort every play. You can't take no plays off in March or that could cost you the game.

We're just going to go out there and give our best effort on every play and just do whatever it takes.

Q. Jeremy, just if you could run us through your emotions of facing Duke and how you think it's going to be lining up against guys that were your teammates like Tyrese and Caleb?

JEREMY ROACH: It's going to be cool. Definitely excited for the matchup, not trying to overlook it or make anything bigger than what it is. It's another basketball game.

I mean, it's March Madness, but at the same time, it's still another basketball game. I don't want to get into I used to go to Duke or anything like that. Just focus on what Baylor has to do -- personnel, scout, stuff like that, getting me ready mentally and physically. So not trying to put too much into it.

Q. Jeremy, obviously you're not trying to put too much into it, but can you talk about Tyrese last two games shooting very well from 3 and deep? Can you talk about his game and what you learned playing against him four years?

JEREMY ROACH: Coming in, Tyrese, he came to Duke early, and a lot of people like gave him some criticism and stuff like that there in his freshman year. Then last year had a kind of up-and-down season, got hurt.

He's just always put the work in. He's stayed true, always stayed true and stuff, and this year he's blossoming. Shooting like 40 from the 3. The last couple games, he's been really setting the tone.

He's been a great leader for them. He's been through the war, so the right guy to have. Super happy for him and super excited to match up against him tomorrow too.

Q. Langston and Jeremy, what did you see when you looked back at the Mississippi State win? And what are you looking to carry over or fix going into the Duke game?

LANGSTON LOVE: I just saw a team that's just very resilient. We had a couple games like that earlier in the season, and we pulled it out in March. So that was great.

Then going into the Duke game, we just want to bring the same energy. We've got to clean up a couple things, but just that effort that we were fighting with on the boards and just the little plays we were making, we wanted to carry that over.

THE MODERATOR: Jeremy, do you have anything to add?

JEREMY ROACH: Kind of the same thing. We're super active. We're on the glass and running out in transition. We're going to need a lot of that tomorrow, just being active and controlling the glass too.

Q. Jeremy, you guys watching the selection show, you see your name come up, there's a big cheer. Then you see the bracket and see what could possibly happen in the second round. Could you go through your emotions, your thoughts as you were watching that and come to the realization that this game could actually happen?

JEREMY ROACH: I didn't really think that we were going to be in the same bracket, but knowing the committee, they like a story and stuff like that.

No, like I said, not really trying to put too much into it, not trying to really get too emotional about it. It's just like another game. I'm with Baylor, so like I'm just focusing on what we got to do and what we got to do to win this game, and how we've got to play for 40 minutes and just lock in on personnel and stuff like that.

Q. Jeremy, having been at one school for four years and then coming in one year, totally new environment, totally different program, how have you found just navigating, finding your place in the program, fitting in, role definition, and things like that?

JEREMY ROACH: I think a big help was Langston. We bonded. We bonded from the first day. He's been my brother the whole time. He just taught me like the ways how to move in Baylor, how Waco is and stuff like that.

So it was a pretty easy transition. And you've got the rest of the guys. It's been a great group of guys, great coaching staff, and just a great all around staff who's just brought me into their family with open arms. So it's been super, super cool.

Q. Jeremy, I know you said this is just another game. Wondering if throughout the course of the year have you just, even as someone who was tied to the program before, were you watching Duke? Is that something you're staying in touch with those guys? Tyrese said he saw you yesterday.

JEREMY ROACH: You're asking have I been watching Duke? Yeah, I was watching their games. They're always on TV, so I'm going to check them out.

I mean, Tyrese, Spencer, Neal, all of them are my brothers over there, C-Fos, all of them are my brothers, so I've always got to tap into them for sure.

Q. Langston, you all are going to be undersized or have been for a while going forward without Josh. I was wondering how you all are going to continue the rebounding effort that we saw yesterday, and what's been the message from the coaches as far as getting on the glass goes?

LANGSTON LOVE: We stress it every day. We always say the toughest team wins, so we're just going to go out there and hit and try to be as active as we can and just be first to the ball. Going out there, playing against guys that are bigger, you've just got to hit them early and just make sure your presence is felt.

We try to stress that every day.

Q. Langston, there are upsets every round of March Madness. Do you guys kind of take like a "why not us" approach to this deal? I mean, trying to knock off Duke.

LANGSTON LOVE: Yeah, of course. We believe that we can beat anybody. Going through this year, we had a lot of ups and downs, a lot of inconsistencies. So just to have some consistency right now, it's huge for us.

As I said, we're a team that hasn't even peaked yet, and we haven't played our best ball yet. So why not do it this next round?

Q. I know, Jeremy, everyone has been asking you a lot about your relationship with Duke. I'm just kind of curious, we sort of almost take the transfer portal for granted now, talk about this sport being a business. What has the experience of this year meant to you having -- you're a veteran, in your fifth year, playing one year at a new school. Has it been a benefit to your career, benefit to you personally? Has there been drawbacks? What have you thought of it?

JEREMY ROACH: This year, there's been a lot of good benefits for sure. It's been a learning experience for sure. Like I said, I've enjoyed every moment of it, trying to stay in the moment as much as I can. It's my last year. I wanted to make the most of it. That's really it right there.

Q. For either of you, I was just curious, this is going to be essentially a home game for Duke, if not 95 percent Duke fans in the stands. I'm wondering what you all are telling the younger guys on the team about blocking out the noise and how loud and rowdy it's going to be potentially in the stadium tomorrow?

LANGSTON LOVE: We just want to just practice keeping a level head out there. When they make plays, it's obviously going to be loud, just like playing in any other arena. Especially playing in the Big 12, you're dealing with that on a constant basis.

So just keeping a level head out there and just making sure that we just stay poised is just the biggest thing.

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, you're excused. Thank you very much. Good luck tomorrow.