NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR

March 26, 1997

Clem Haskins

Rick Pitino

COACH HASKINS: First of all, we're just delighted to be here at the NCAA Final. We're here because we had 9 players that played double-figure minutes for a ballgame, and we're here because of a strong defense, and we've done everything we can to win.

COACH HASKINS: Anytime you have that type of injury, you don't heal in one week. But he worked out a little today, he has not tried since he got hurt. But we feel he will be able to play, and we're going to test today to see what happens in practice.

COACH HASKINS: No. 1, Kentucky is a fine ball club. You don't get here unless you have a good ball club and great coaching. He has 8 or 9 qualified players that have done great every night. Mercer is one of the finest college players, tremendous quickness and speed, and he played great team basketball.

COACH HASKINS: Coming up in Kentucky first of all, you have to understand I lived in an area and didn't have TV and radio. So going to college was probably an afterthought when I got to be a junior in high school. I never listened to Kentucky games, there was no interest in me going to Kentucky. I'm excited to going to Western Kentucky University, I had a great career there. If I had to do it again I'd do the same thing. I never regretted going to Western Kentucky University.

COACH HASKINS: Bobby Jackson is a tremendous basketball player. The world and I realize he can play the game of basketball. He's an explosive, very athletic young man. And he's made some second team All Americans, I think he deserved that. He deserved a year in the Big 10. This is kind of one of the best kept secrets in basketball. I hope we can keep it two more basketball games, that he can play. I think it's important to have a good, strong guard play. I think Kentucky gives them a good strong guard play, that's why we're here. And we're here because Bobby Jackson is give us the same kind of play.

COACH HASKINS: No. 1, we're here because we worked hard and have a very good basketball team. I think we're motivated to a great degree. You have to have good players and quality coaching to advance this far. We're here because we've worked so hard in the last couple of years. And getting into the Final Four didn't start this year, but the last 11 years, so we're very fortunate to be here. My heart attack gives me a different look on life. You look at life, and you're laying on a bed and you can't move and you're thinking about, boy, this may be the last breath. So you start putting things in perspective; God, family and job. And I've worked all my life believing in God but even stronger now. I've put him first, my family second and my job third. God has always been first in my life. I look at life different in the last two years.

COACH HASKINS: I think I've been very, very fortunate. Like I say, God has blessed me. I've played all level of high school, college and pro ball, championship game, NIT championship and the Final 8 before; as a player and as a coach. But this is a highlight to win a National Championship. That's what we all strive for as coaches, it's a dream come true for me to be here. I'm excited about it and looking forward to competing.

COACH HASKINS: I never worry about other people. I do what's best for Clem Haskins and the University of Minnesota basketball program. It was unbelievable to get out of town, we've got bands outside the dorm, we've got everybody patting them on the back. We're really excited to be in the Final Four. But to compete with a great team like Kentucky, you've got to be focused. If you're not you're in big time trouble. We have to get here and get back to the basic and intent on playing basketball.

COACH PITINO: I feel the same way to a certain degree as Clem. Every team is different, though. I like to come in as late as possible. If I could I'd come in Friday night. But we have obviously some press things we have to do on Friday. But we travel game day most of the situations on the road. And we're conditioned to do that. So it's all depends on what you're conditioned to do during the regular season.

COACH HASKINS: We're delighted to have Charles Thomas in our program. His biggest problem has been health. He's had a bad back all season; not been able to play 10 or 12 minutes in post season games. We extended it to 10 to 20 minutes a night. He's good hard worker, good hard player, we're delighted to have Charles in our program.

COACH PITINO: The Minnesota perimeter game I think is terrific. They're a team as you watch them that is well schooled in all areas; they play zone well, they play man well, they take good shots, they're very physical. I don't think there's a weakness that sticks out and I think their perimeter game is strong. It's unique how many times Bobby Jackson, when you look at it, some of their other players, as well, but their back court of Harris, Jackson, go to the line an incredible number of times, 148 and 173, they double most of our players. So we certainly have our work cut out for us, not only to play good defense, but also not to foul.

COACH HASKINS: You've got to give them the credit. They've had a great tradition for many, many years. It's been like that as long as I can remember. They've got great tradition. But you know here those things have been happening to us all year. Every Big 10 game is like an NCAA game. We lead the country in the pennants and in the Big 10 we're used to playing before big houses and spectators, a lot of fans, so we're looking forward to it.

COACH HASKINS: We try to treat it like another game on the road. It's an opportunity once in a lifetime. We're here to play a couple of hours a day, and relax a couple of hours a day and get the kids downtown to see what's going on and enjoy that, too. I've been around a long time, I've played games at all level. I asked them to give me two hours of work a day at on the court and two hours of session, and 4 or 5 hours we enjoy going to the movies and socializing with each other.

COACH HASKINS: The first question, my brother, yes, played at Kentucky from '73 to '77, under Coach Hardy, was captain the last year there; very successful young man with Philip-Morris Tobacco Company. I don't know why people don't respect us. We have a problem with that. We know we have a fine ball club. Anytime you play the Big 10 and you win 16 basketball games you know you've got to be doing something great; great coaches and great players. We have confidence. We do have a good program and good team. But I think other people are beginning to recognize that now.

COACH HASKINS: Coach Pitino has done a tremendous job with his program there, and they've been tenacious. They play full press for 40 minutes, but they seem to keep the heat for 40 minutes. And you've got to be on your toes and be ready for the heat for 40 minutes. That's probably different than most teams, is the pressure.

COACH HASKINS: It makes you feel good. I think it's important as a parent. I'm a family man, I believe strongly to see your kids successful, whether it's coaching or working. I have my son, like you said working here, and I have a daughter who is in law school. My daughter is coaching basketball. So they have their own niche. But if they're successful it makes you feel good. I feel good about having my son here, who is going to be an excellent head coach down the road. He has to pay his dues for four or five years, but he has great potential and a great mind. Like I say, most coaches know the game, and my son really knows the game. And he'll be an excellent coach down the road.

COACH PITINO: I don't feel our depth is, before the season started our depth was very good. Right now we're playing 8 people. We don't have the depth that Minnesota has. But that's something that we've been conditioned to go without. Certainly we both have more depth than Carolina only plays six or seven people. And most of us have more players, we just want to play a certain amount and that's our option. But I'm very surprised at the way we've developed because quite frankly the preseason for me out of all the years I've been in Kentucky was a nightmare as far as our expectations and what we thought. And then we just lowered our expectations a little bit and tried to just say we're going to be the best we can be each day and hope for the best at the end. Our guys have done a men job of focusing in with adversity. I'm really proud of this ball club because they've earned everything and deserve the credit and now they get to go to a Final Four because of it.

COACH HASKINS: I think you need as much information you can get. There's no substitute for experience. You want to talk to people who have had experience in the field. I've talked to a lot of people who have been at the Final Four and asked for suggestions. In the end you've got to know your team and what's best for the team and make the decisions. I've been in big games as a player, but I've talked about several people about what goes on at the Final Four and how to deal with certain situations.

COACH HASKINS: Not really. If you were talking about 25 or 30 years ago, yes, it would have made a lot of difference. But over the years I've been through enough and I'm completely over that. Kentucky is an outstanding program, one of the best in the country. The record speaks for itself. Rick Pitino does a great job there. And his record speaks for itself. They've been the national champions. Not necessarily going against Kentucky, because I'm from Kentucky, but it's an outstanding basketball team and an outstanding coach I'm going against.

COACH PITINO: I can't find many weaknesses, and I've watched about 8 films so far and neither can our assistants. Their program last year that probably deserved to be in the NCAA. They had a winning record in the Big 10. They play a tough schedule. They compete very hard. But they've got valuable experience from the NIT and they took that game to a new level this year. And they have more experience now with an added year. But they're as well schooled at the fundamentals as any team we've faced this year. They do everything well. They help off the ball well, they trap well, they change their defenses well. And it's one of the few teams I've seen when they switch to a zone they're just as strong and just as well schooled. So we're going against the toughest team we have faced. But you're supposed to when you reach the Final Four. The competition is supposed to get stiff and it certainly is with Minnesota.

COACH HASKINS: I don't believe in that. My dad taught me years ago, and my father was the inspiration of my life today, taught me the values of hard work and being honest and fair. And my dad had a third grade education. He raised 11 kids on 35 hundred dollars a year. That's where I got my values. I don't believe in earrings, long pants and those things I don't believe in. Yes, I have some guys that have tatoos, and some guys that have earrings, behind my back. When we go out they don't do those things. I don't believe in those things. A few more years I'm going to be forced out of coaching because young people don't believe in that. And I think coaches give into that. But I can't give into that. To get the Blue Chip player I guess you probably have to, and that's probably why I don't get that many guys. I believe in going to church on Sunday mornings. But you have to be very selective in the people you recruit and that's why I've been selective in Minnesota, because every kid doesn't see it like that.

COACH PITINO: He's been remarkable. Quite honestly he wasn't playing too much the first half of the season in terms of practice. And we had Derek Anderson and Allen Edwards and Cameron in the Arkansas game was out for about a week with a bad ankle. I put in the game, he responded as if he played 30 minutes a game every night. It's a remarkable thing for me because when I watch him play in practice I don't see what's happening in the NCAA tournament. And he's just a young man. I think Nazr Mohammed is the same way. From my pro experience there are guys out there that just play hard in practice but they don't play well. But when they get in games, they're game players. And both of those young men have done that, you really can't evaluate them at practice because they mislead you a little bit.

COACH PITINO: I don't know if he'll start, but Jamaal is coming on. He is a young man typical of most high school basketball players, the first thing they're thinking of how long it would take them before they can go pro. And he just needs to learn the college game and take it one day at a time. And he's done that. He's improving, but he has a long way to go, obviously, before he's a factor at this level. But where he's very good, he's a very good defensive player. He has a big body that's only going to get better. And all he needs is experience playing the game. He just needs to play more basketball. And that's something in the off season he has to concentrate on. As far as starting I'm not sure whether he will start or not.

COACH PITINO: To tell you the truth, I think -- I don't think it was much of an upset, looking back on it. I think it was a great basketball game that we lost in over time. We didn't play any of our big people in that game. We played Jared Prickett the entire game and Clemson just was better that night. But we've played well in the Dome, but we've played well -- I know it has nothing to do with the Dome, it has nothing to do with Indianapolis. I know we're undefeated in the pyramid and I know why. If I would have come in with the teams I had the first three years we would have had a terrible record, but with the talent -- it's the talent on the court, not the facilities. And I think Indianapolis is a great place to have the Final Four and we're excited to be back.

COACH PITINO: If I had my entire team back from last year, I think it's a little bit of an advantage, because they've been there, they know what to expect. But I don't have my entire team back. Five or six key players are not back with all the minutes and all the points and all the rebounds. Although Anthony Epps, and some of other players have experienced it, this is basically a new basketball team. And I don't think anybody has an advantage from that sense. So right now I think we're going in there with a positive attitude. But I said this the other day, I think going in late, going in early, what you eat, distractions and all of that is what people try to pick out because there's so much air time, so much media time, they don't know what to talk about, so they bring up all those things. What's going to win or lose the basketball game is how good is Minnesota's defense and Kentucky's defense and all the offenses and how they execute that Monday night. All the other things of when you show up and when you don't show up are going to be meaningless.

COACH PITINO: I don't think, really, again, I was a 500 coach when I first came to Kentucky because I had 500 talent, what dictates how well you coach is the talented ball players on the floor. I've watched Rick Mageris (ph) on film and studying his system and Tom Davis and when I watched away and Coach Phil Matelli (ph) from St. Joe's. I walked away saying these guys are some of the better coaches I've seen in the country, in the way they run their systems. And now that I've watched seven or eight films on Clem Haskins and I was fortunate enough to see him on TV a few times, there's not a better coach in the game than him. At every phase of the game his kids play well, and they execute. And they're well disciplined, well organized. So I think today certain coaches -- and I've been fortunate enough to get a lot of good press because we won a championship last year, and Clem's going to go through it this year and another coach and certainly you have the dean of all coaches with Dean Smith in North Carolina. We all know what wins or losses is the players. You don't get better coaches than the three people that are in this tournament. And certainly it's great to see it happen for Clem Haskins, because he's paid his dues and he should be recognized as one of the premiere coaches in our game, and he certainly is.

COACH PITINO: Last year the most important thing for us is we had too many players, we had too much talent. And we had to get the players to understand that they weren't going to get the minutes they hoped for and we had to convince Antoine Walker and Tony Delk and Walker and Mercer and Anderson that in order to win a championship you have to check your ego in before you ever cross that line. You all have to be for the system, for the wins, and then some day you'll be national champions if we do that. We established that chemistry early on. With this team the only thing we've been trying to do is get better improved. We never thought in terms of -- well, I shouldn't say that, we did think of defending the national title, when Derek went down, all we did was try to get better. Now we have an opportunity to do that but we understand we're playing Minnesota and it's going toy difficult task.