NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR

March 27, 1998

Bill Guthridge

COACH GUTHRIDGE: Different in that I am doing this instead of being back in the locker room. As I've said before, I really haven't noticed much difference as far as excitement or preparation. I haven't thought of it in that terms of being assistant to head coach. First adjustments, first practice, first games, that type of thing. But since then everything seems to be normal. I don't even think about it.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: My high school coach. He is here for the game. I saw him briefly back at the hotel before I came and I saw Dean briefly last night at the Salute to the Final Four. I saw him briefly at the Shoot Around earlier today when I was over here when Stanford was practicing. So we haven't had any in-depth conversations. I have to watch what I say to him now because he is media now.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: I think Utah is very underrated as an athletic team. I think they are a very athletic team. They are a very deep team. We are a very athletic team, too.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: Utah has a long basketball tradition, too. In our area we think of Duke and Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest as being the mecca of college basketball, and there is great interest. But I've been out in Utah, and there is great interest there with BYU, and Utah, Utah State, Weber State. There is great interest out there, too. Utah has a long tradition, and Coach Majerus's record has been fantastic since he has been there. I think they will be a team that is going to show up in Final Fours more often in the coming years.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: I think the triangle two is very effective against Arizona. But they certainly did a lot of other things, too. Offensively they were great as well. Utah's basic defense, they are very sound and good at it, and that's their man-to-man defense. I suspect that's what we will see the most of. But I wouldn't be surprised if they try some gimmick defense. Just like any other team, I think we are prepared for any type of defense or any type of offense the team uses against us. From day one we prepare for moments like this. So you have to be prepared for whatever any team throws at you.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: I didn't hear the question?

COACH GUTHRIDGE: We mix up our zone and our man-to-man, and we will do that against Utah and see what happens. I think one of the key defensive roles is to contain Andre Miller. He is very hard to contain. And also another concern, and it is not just an Andre Miller team or Doleac team but Doleac does a good job of holding off inside. That's something we have to be conscious of. They are ten deep and Greg certainly uses them well.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: It has been hectic since October 9 when the change was made, that I knew, and for those of you haven't heard me say this before, I knew there was always this possibility over the last eight, ten years, that Dean was worn out when the season was over. Dean wanted me to think as a head coach. I hadn't had time to reflect on how much I have enjoyed it or what's gone on. Obviously, it was the type of year I have had and the relationship that I had with this team was very special I think when I do have time to reflect, I think I'll reflect on it being a great year.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: I think that's always a concern of being too fired up and ready to go. And trying to do it too quickly. I think that our team will play well, and I would imagine that Utah will play well, too. I think if both teams play well, it will be a very, very exciting basketball game. I think both of us have good teams and if we both play our best, it will be very good.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: A very sound defense. They keep in front of you. They play between the ball and the basket. They deny certain players. They try to pick out your strengths. I think Rick really does a good job of picking out the strengths of other teams and trying to deny them those opportunities, or at least eliminate as many of the possibilities as they can. But they are a very sound team. Their field goal percentage defense is very good. I think they are obviously one of the best defensive teams in the country. Of course, their rebounding margin is the best in the country. That's part of their defense, they're such a good boxing out team.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: I think that Vince Carter has really become a very good basketball player, and starting last year, his improvement in the last half of last year was one of the reasons why we finished so strongly. He has continued that. He is a very good defensive player, and a very good passer. What so many people talk about are his dunks, and they are spectacular. I have shown him some tapes of me in college and that's why he is such a good dunker. He's a very good basketball player.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: I don't think I have any advantage. I think there are very good coaches here, obviously. That's always been a debate, how important is coaching compared with the players. I think the one thing that coaches all get too much, like TV shows coaches all the time. They should show the players more. I think good coaches are certainly important but I think they get too much attention. The players should get more of the attention.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: We have talked about that with Shammond after last year. Certainly Shammond Williams didn't lose the game last year. We all contributed to that. I always think you have to give the other team credit, too. Arizona did the right things at the right time. But Shammond has worked very hard to get back here, and to try and redeem himself. He is such a hard worker in everything that he does, and I don't think he will try to do too much. I think he will do within the framework of the team.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: Trying to coach just like I've coached all year. I think that's important to coach in every game the same way, regardless whether it is in the Final Four or exhibition game. I think the team gets used to the way the coach reacts to certain situations. I think probably being consistent with the way that I have coached all year would be the most important thing.

COACH GUTHRIDGE: It is a goal for us and certainly a positive. I think there are probably 40, 50 teams each year when they start out, that that's a realistic goal. It depends on what happens as you go on. But I've also talked to our team about enjoying the journey and enjoying each game and not putting pressure on them to win this and they have to win that. But they have certainly worked hard, everybody goal oriented in trying to achieve their goals. One of them was to get here. Another one is to get more than just being here. I don't think they felt the pressure. I think they have enjoyed it, and they have been easy to coach. That's for sure.