NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR

March 27, 1998

Michael Doleac

Drew Hansen

Andre Miller

MICHAEL DOLEAC: I don't know if it was a whole lot of pressure. I never expected to be the same type of player as Van Horn. That's not my style of game. To be much of a star, I guess, or -- but the biggest adjustment was that we will be seeing the ball more and looking to make plays. I look at the ball a lot on the side at all, along with Hanno, and a lot more shots to go around Keith not being there. I don't think it was an adjustment to be a Van Horn type player, not my style of game to be that pivotal on the team but to contribute a lot more. It worked out very well. The first few days of practice everyone felt everyone out and the new guys came in. I didn't feel that much pressure as far as just stepping up and being a Van Horn type player.

ANDRE MILLER: I don't know where you heard that from, but as far as being a goofball, especially when you are only 22 years old.

MICHAEL DOLEAC: Look at him.

ANDRE MILLER: I think it is the best thing you can ever have. When I came here, I had to go through everything, run the 20 sprints and just ride me for three hours of practice. You know, basically you get used to it, you know, even though he comes at you in a negative way. You have to loot at it and turn it into a positive. I just looked at it, you know, he got on me because he wanted me to become a good player. I just turned everything into a positive.

MICHAEL DOLEAC: I agree with what Andre said. The better player you are, the more he will be on you. The first few years he was on Keith pretty bad. So if you have a lot of talent, he will ride you pretty hard. After the Wyoming game the first year, it was a rough week of practice as far as taking a lot of abuse from the coach. It makes you a better player and if you handle it the right way, it is not that bad. You take it, take the basketball out of it and take the other stuff and just throw it away.

ANDRE MILLER: Basically I was recruited by Utah and got recruited by Utah, Long Beach State, University of San Diego and Oregon, and they called my mom and they buttered her up really good. My mom basically made the decision for me to go to Utah. I was thinking about maybe going to a junior college but there was no chance of that. She sent me straight to Utah, told me don't come back.

MICHAEL DOLEAC: I wish my GPA was a little higher. I try pretty hard in the spring quarter, load up on classes. It is hard in the winter because you miss so much school. You miss the WAC tournament and the -- and you miss a lot of classes. It is difficult to manage your studies and basketball. I think it is hard to find time to give 100 percent to academic and the to basketball at the same time. It is one of those things, if you organize your time well enough, you can do it. It just takes a little bit of discipline to say I can't watch this hour of TV tonight and I got to sit down and study or just go right to dinner and go get your books instead of wasting time. You can find the time to do it.

ANDRE MILLER: I don't think that's a mindset to go in and expect to lose a game. Everyone has worked hard all year and we had great competitive practices. When we did make it this far, why not make it all the way and win it? We don't really expect to go out, and you know, lay over and let North Carolina run over us. We will go out and compete and try to win a game.

DREW HANSEN: Great to be the Final Four but Utah made it to the Final Four and five years from now, if we win this next game and have a chance to play for a national championship, at chance to do something special. If you can't get excited and think you will win it right not and rest on your laurels right here, you shouldn't be playing basketball.