NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR

March 31, 2000

Mike Kelley

Andy Kowske

ANDY KOWSKE: You know, yeah. I heard Coach talking, and, you know, there is some seeds of doubt when you lose to a team three times in a row. It just shows us that we're going to have to play extremely well to win this game. And we, you know, we know what Michigan State's all about, and obviously being such a good team and losing three times, you know, to win this next game is -- most people think is improbable. But I think, you know, we just go out and play defense, that's our confidence right there, is our defense.

MIKE KELLEY: Well, if we can get them to continue to play the way they have been, it will help us a lot. In previous games against Michigan State, we've struggled to score against them. We've done a fairly decent job of executing defensively, but offensively we haven't put up enough points to beat them. And so if we can continue to get Jon open, have him hit the outside shot and have Mark work inside and outside to score some points, it will take some pressure off us on the offensive end and hopefully get us going.

ANDY KOWSKE: Well, as far as that second game goes, I remember the first game, they outrebounded us something like 50 to 25. It was ridiculous. We were a little bit upset. We worked all week leading up to that game, did a lot of rebounding drills. I think it helped out. We came out with a lot of intensity. I think the front line was upset about what happened in the first game. As far as individually with this game, I'm not out there to, you know, pass or score many points. I'm basically a screener and a rebounder. I think it's going to be very important for me to keep their guys off the boards and to help out with us on the offensive boards.

ANDY KOWSKE: I probably misquoted myself saying, "The perfect game." I don't think there is a perfect game. (Laughter.) But, you know, I do think we're going to have to play our best game. They're such a great team; they do everything well; they're so gifted. And for us, we have to play, you know, our best game of the year by far to beat them. But the perfect game, I don't think there is such a thing.

MIKE KELLEY: Well, I certainly don't think that I've ever gotten under his skin. When you're an all-American point guard, you just stay focused on what your team needs and yyou're not broken down easily. And so I don't expect for that to happen again. I think what makes him so special as a point guard is his unselfishness and ability to set up his other teammates. He's got an excellent game and certainly to average a lot of points if he wanted to, but he understands what his team needs. There are times when he takes the outside shot if he think that's necessary and there are times he's going to drive and kick when he knows his team needs that. His ability to lead and understand what his team needs is probably the most impressive quality about him.

ANDY KOWSKE: As far as, you know, the first few games, we haven't gotten off to the best of starts. I think, you know, they come out, they play so hard and they're very intense, and if you don't match that right away, they're going to get a quick lead on you. And, you know, as far as their runs, you know, the big thing for us is to just stay in the ball games. Because, you know, with the type of style we play, if we spot a team a big lead, most of the time we're not going to come back. I think it's very important for us to, you know, keep their runs at bay and hang with them the whole game. I think if we're there at the end of the game, that's the way we're going to end the game. Stay with them, not let them get a big lead. Usually they get those big leads off their run.

MIKE KELLEY: I agree. I think when they played us at the Kohl Center the first match they got off to a real quick start and we just never got back into the game. I think the reason that we stuck with them at their place is because we didn't let them have that huge run. We kind of stuck with them for most of the game. And they also, they had a run in our Big Ten Tournament game but we were able to come back from that and fire our way into the game somewhat. If we can hold those at bay, if we can stop them from getting those runs, it will certainly be in our favor.

ANDY KOWSKE: You know, we have -- we have come back. We've had some defining moments this year. Obviously, I think, you know, when we played at Iowa, coming back from the half-time deficit, you know, it does -- it does give us confidence knowing that, you know, we can go out there and just, you know, play our game, play defense, and go out there and beat teams. We beat a lot of teams that are better than us. Like I said, we've lost to them three times already this year, but we've shown that we can beat very physically gifted teams and teams that have played well all year. Just knowing that, we're going to go into this game with a little extra confidence.

MIKE KELLEY: Well, I think, you know, I love the way we play. I think it's beautiful to be able to play basketball, you know, five guys and take on superior athletes with more skill, you know, as far as athletically and be able to beat them. I don't know how you can't enjoy that. But to the outside observer who isn't a part of our program, a part of our team, I think it is viewed as ugly by many people. And so we have to understand that, understand how we're, you know, looked upon by people around the country, and I think it humbles us a little bit and it keeps us from, you know, maybe getting a big head.

ANDY KOWSKE: I think we're not -- when you go out there, at all five positions, the other team is bigger, faster, stronger, more athletic, and you win the game, you know, it's just kind of -- you got to love that. And we play the style of the game that we have to play. There's no other way we can play. If we tried to run and gun, I mean everyone would run right by us and we wouldn't get anything accomplished. Like Mike said, to the outside observer, you know, they like to see the running, the dunking, with us you're not going to see that. So obviously, you know, they're not going to like the way we play.

ANDY KOWSKE: Well for me personally, it wasn't a difficult sell at all. I grew up in Wisconsin, I saw him coach at UW-Green Bay, growing up I was a Marquette fan. I saw Marquette beat Green Bay a couple times. I knew that playing his system you can win ball games. It wasn't difficult at all to come in here and learn the style of defense. When he recruits you, he tells you this is the way we're going play, this is the way I'm going to teach it. For him to sell it to me, it wasn't hard at all.

MIKE KELLEY: I think I said yes before he could even offer the scholarship, get it out of his mouth, I knew what he did at Green Bay, I knew what he was trying to do at Wisconsin and I was certainly ready to come help him.

MIKE KELLEY: You know, you look at a lot of the guys and they're not big cities, but everybody was sort of close. I mean I know I'm listed as Menomenee Falls but my parents are divorced and my mother lives in Milwaukee, I went to high school in Milwaukee. Andy and Jon Bryant in Plymouth -- is right outside of Minneapolis and he played in the city as well. It's a misnomer to say we're all from small towns, we've had experience playing in the city. I don't know, I guess that's it.

ANDY KOWSKE: We're just suburban kids.

ANDY KOWSKE: I don't count his floor burns, but I'm sure there's been quite a few.

Mike has the best reaction I've seen from any point guard. He's just so quick with his hands. He sees things on the floor that I don't see. It's just amazing to just -- his -- he anticipates so well. And you put that all together in a point guard and you're going to get a lot of steals. You know, he was Big Ten Defensive Player-of-the-Year last year. I can't say enough about him. He's a great leader. If this team didn't have him, we wouldn't be here.

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