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NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR

March 27, 2002

Mike Davis

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

JIM MARCHIONY: Good afternoon, everyone. This is Jim Marchiony. I am the Media Coordinator for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Welcome to you all, and particularly to our first guest Indiana Coach Mike Davis. Just a reminder before we get into questions and answers that you can for the media, you can call the same number you dialed today to listen to press conferences all weekend, Friday from 1 P.M. to 3 P.M. eastern time, the Final Four coaches and players for a half hour each, Saturday after the games; Sunday, from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. eastern time: Then Monday night after the Championship game. Dial the same number you dialed today. That having been said we'll turn our attention to Indiana Coach Mike Davis. Mike, perhaps you can get us started by just talking about what the mood is like on campus in Bloomington.

COACH DAVIS: It is unbelievable. I never experienced anything like this before. I think Indiana fans are not used to it which they haven't experienced it in ten years. Players are so excited about having the opportunity to go to the Final Four.

JIM MARCHIONY: Thank you, coach. We'll turn it over now to Premier Conferencing to moderate the question and answer part.
Q. Mike, can you talk a little bit about how do you contain or stop a guy like Hollis Price who has just been on fire the whole month of March for the Sooners in both the big 12 and NCAA tournaments and what he brings to the table and have you coached against someone like that before?

COACH DAVIS: It is a difficult matchup. We played against really good players before Jason Williams. You are not going to really stop him. So if they miss the shot you want to stay close to him and try to contest their shots. But they are very good players and he's a really special basketball player.

Q. Two-part question on Dane Fife. What has happened this year that's allowed him to realize that some of the offense is potential -- I know a lot of people are on him. What about the ways that his personality and attitude, particularly the way he attacks how has that rubbed off on his teammates?

COACH DAVIS: Well, it's contagious. Dane is a very aggressive guy. He hates to lose. He hates guys that score on him. He takes everything personal. That's why sometimes in the game he's all wound up about certain things. He's really helped our basketball team. He's responsible for our defense. It is definitely not me. (Inaudible) everyday in practice he's doing the same thing, watching film, maybe point things about him to the team that he's doing and it has been great. You need a guy like Dane Fife on your team. As far as his offense goes, he's playing well. He's shooting the basketball. He comes in all the time and works extra before practice and after practice. Any time you work like that, it's definitely going to pay off in the game.

Q. Can I ask the obligatory update on Tom Coverdale and last weekend in Lexington he had said before the Duke game he was like 65 percent. Just what do you think his chances are this weekend?

COACH DAVIS: Well, I think 50/50 that he plays. We want him to get well. As of now he's still on crutches. Today is Wednesday, and he only has two days to recover.

Q. Just as a quick follow-up, anyone on that team that can get out there, I would guess you'd think it would be him?

COACH DAVIS: Definitely. If anyone can play through injuries it is definitely Dane Fife and Tom Coverdale.

Q. Is some of the toughness for this team maybe some of the things that it's had to go through maybe the last two years, which it has a unique mental toughness?

COACH DAVIS: I think so. We have been through a lot on and off the court, so that's a great question, and that's probably true, definitely true.

Q. Is that something that obviously there's a lot of talk and there's some people it's still a divided situation as far as Indiana maybe some peoples' loyalties, as far as distractions, is this the kind of team that usually handles distractions; doesn't let that sort of stuff bother them?

COACH DAVIS: We handled it in the past but this year they have been great in handling situations. We have a good basketball team. These guys have really represented Indiana well, and they want to win. It's nothing that we're doing as a coaching staff that's any different than anyone else. It is the players that are giving it.

Q. When you look at Oklahoma - I know your team is known for toughness and you play in a tough league, but they are known for toughness. I wonder, they look like you in terms of toughness and the other thing, what are your impressions of Magee and what kind of problems he might pose?

COACH DAVIS: Magee is a really good player. He can shoot the outside shot. He's strong in the post. Very physical on both ends. He's definitely a matchup problem for any power forward, not just for us, but in college basketball. Oklahoma is a very physical team. We watched them on tape because defensively they play with a lot of toughness and hit hard. I think we're a tough basketball team but after watching them, it definitely raises the bar.

Q. We had some history made this week, I guess the Academy Awards with Denzell Washington and Halle Berry. You look at this matchup, I believe this is the first time that two minority coaches have ever faced each other at the Final Four. Any significance to that in your mind? Is that another hurdle knocked down?

COACH DAVIS: Well I really haven't even thought about it. Someone asked me about basic (inaudible) about minority, but they never said about being the first time that two faced each other. But I mean facing Coach Sampson is enough just to think about, he's a really good basketball coach. I mean, I like him a lot. I do. I respect him. As I said before, he's one of the only coaches that called me and wrote me when I got the job. So I always followed him because of the letter that he wrote. It is another thing about just facing him, because he's pretty good.

Q. In this year Coach Richardson made that such a topic and it became such a controversial point again. Are there aspects of being, in your mind, a minority coach in any realm in college basketball that still makes it harder?

COACH DAVIS: Well, you know, with me, I just try to focus on -- tell you the truth I focus on more of trying to help other assistant coaches, whether they are black or White, because everyday they get up and go to work, they are preparing to be a head coach, and whenever the assistant coach has an opportunity like I have here, if they are successful there, that kind of paves the way for other coaches. That has been my focal point more than -- you know, what is a (inaudible) --

Q. This is something you could probably go on for hours about, but I am just wondering if you could maybe capsulize how difficult it has been back there to replace an icon like Bob Knight?

COACH DAVIS: Well, it has been difficult because I didn't understand it. I think sometimes I took things personal and just reflecting back on it, I knew it would be a tough task, but I just wasn't ready for how tough it has been. But now I understand that it's not about me. It is about being a guy who followed Coach Knight. I don't like the criticism sometimes but it is a part of it and I guess I just have to accept it.

Q. Did you have a low point?

COACH DAVIS: Oh, definitely, definitely. I had a low point last year and a lot of low points this year. But you know, it even got to the point to where I was like you know, maybe just get something else and leave the program in good shape because any other great program, great program, you know, if I move on somewhere else, I would have been happy. But this friend of mine told me that you never should leave because of fear of something if you are a believer and that made sense to me. If you want to move on, move on because you got something better and not because you fear the criticism from people.

Q. What was the most important things you learned from Coach Knight and what do you think you changed most about the program?

COACH DAVIS: I didn't really change a whole lot really. I just put in my system offensively and my defense. Coach Knight taught me preparation, just because he is so detailed. He will always say that he can beat you with his team and turn around and beat you with your team. That's because he's studied the game so well. I could remember on several occasions just asking him what he'd look for when he watched tape. He's really helped me out and now I am able to see the same things and make the same adjustments in the games.

Q. Have you heard from him this year or even since taking over?

COACH DAVIS: No, I have not.

Q. Disappointed about that, would you like to talk with him about the transition?

COACH DAVIS: I am not disappointed because there's a lot of guys that I have been closer to than Coach that I haven't talked to because once you get so busy, I mean, I have a friend, we were like best of friends, and he stayed with me for two years and I think I may have talked to him one time since the two years I have been here. I am not disappointed -- I would love for you know, just for people to say that, hey, coach, I want to coach these guys, so, it's no problem if we talk or not.

Q. What were some of those low points this year and last year that you just talked about a little bit and where did they come from?

COACH DAVIS: Well, the low points they were just how my family was being affected by the criticism, you know, it wasn't about me really. It was about my family. I have a 16 year old son, he's a basketball player, and you know, when he's crying sometimes and you see the hurt in his eyes about some of the things that was said about me, it really affects you because you love your family probably more than you love yourself, and when they are hurt, you know, it really hurts you. I just felt like I put them in a difficult situation. It was really my fault, but at the same time I just felt like you know, I was meant to be here and whatever happened, happened. Everything has worked out. People have been very nice to me. And they just want to win, you know, I guess they are no different than I am, if I am watching a basketball game or football game then I am pulling for that team, if something happened that I think is stupid that's the first thing coming out of my mouth, "how can they do that," especially if you lose. So I realize that but at the same time I just don't want my family to kind of go through it.

JIM MARCHIONY: Coach, thank you very much.

COACH DAVIS: Thank you, guys.

JIM MARCHIONY: Look forward to seeing you this weekend.

COACH DAVIS: Thank you.

End of FastScripts...

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