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NCAA MEN'S 3RD & 4TH ROUND REGIONALS: SAN ANTONIOMarch 21, 2007Joey DorseyJeremy HuntSAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Q. For both players, do you guys think you've answered your critics with regard to having not played high caliber competition this season in building the 24 game winning streak? JEREMY HUNT: Not really. They're still talking -- putting us down. But we're not worried about what people are saying. You just come ready to play and to win this tournament. The winning streak is pretty much over, that was during the season. When you go into tournament time, we're 2-0, we're not too much focused on the winning streak anymore. JOEY DORSEY: With me, I listen to what everyone says. I want to play the toughest team every night, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Ohio State. I would like to play Tennessee, but I'd love to play Ohio State. They still are doubting us. And our winning streak is still going on. Q. I know you're not a doctor or trainer, but what do you know about CDR right now, and if he isn't able to play or limited, obviously that will impact your role and what are your thoughts on what you have to do tomorrow night? JEREMY HUNT: If he's able to play then he'll play. If he's not, you know everybody else is going to have to step up, and including myself, period. Like we did last game when we went out. Everybody had to be sharp and step up and play the role a little better than what they're playing. It would put me in that position, but I'm going to continue to play how coach wants me to play, how I've been playing. It's not going to really change too much. Q. Talk a little bit about your improvement the last couple of years. Two years ago foul trouble, and now you're staying in the games at the very end. JOEY DORSEY: It was just buying into what Coach Calipari was saying. My freshman year I wasn't listening the way he wanted me to do, fighting him a lot. He came around, we sat down and talked and he told me what he wanted me to do, play hard, get every loose ball and rebound and try to defend everyone. I've been trying to do that the last couple of years since I've been in Memphis. At practice I try to beat them on every ball. Q. You guys were talking a minute ago about the critics. But talk about the respect factor. Here you are two years in a row, higher seed and you're playing basically in somebody else's backyard. What did you learn last year that helps this year? JEREMY HUNT: I mean, that's not -- a hard question to answer. Two years in a row. This is the second year that we've basically been in the opponent's home court. Hopefully we'll have a couple of our fans. Hopefully more than just a couple so it would be neutral. Either way it goes, whether it's at home or whether it's somewhere close to Memphis, we still have to go out and play the game. We've been up against it in hostile environments all year long, every road game has been sold out. We're pretty much used to hostile environments. JOEY DORSEY: It's no pressure on us. We played in San Antonio, and they haven't been this far in 30 years, coach said. So there's no pressure on us, we've just got to go out and play. Q. For both you guys, can you talk about Acie Law and his ability to hit clutch shots late in games and the defensive emphasis on him? JEREMY HUNT: Acie Law, he's one of those players that you've got to play in any kind of way. He can drive the ball and go left and right. It's going to really be hard guarding him. We've got to figure outweighs to guard him and pick and rolls, and bun one-on-one defense. We've been going over that. It's going to be a good game. I'm pretty sure he'll score a couple of buckets, we just have to play him without fouling. JOEY DORSEY: Basically we've got to try to contain him, form a wall, get back on defense really fast and pick and rolls I, he likes to turn down the pick and rolls. But basically forming a wall and helping my teammates on Acie Law. Q. How is the free throw visualizing going? JEREMY HUNT: We don't visualize. There may be a couple of players that visualize. JOEY DORSEY: I do. JEREMY HUNT: Joe has made them. He's a prime example. He's worked on his free throws. And sometimes I've seen him in the gym by himself at night. He's worked on it. And year by year he's become a better free throw shooter. He's one of the guys that are making them late. Free throw shooting is not really a problem with us. A lot of people might look like we miss a lot of free throws during the game, but what about the key points at the end of the game when we make them. We're 90 percent at the free throw line at the end of the game. Q. Is it true Joey, that you actually take that practice shot at the end of warm ups, and if you make that that gives you confidence and if you don't, it sikes you out? JOEY DORSEY: Yes, it does. The lay up line, every time we're in the lay up line, it's a minute before we have to go in the huddle, I take one free throw shot, and it I make it I have the confidence that I'll have a really good game and shoot good from the free throw line. If I don't make it my confidence is lagging. I have to make one before we go in the huddle. That's true. Q. Have you considered shooting until you make it? JOEY DORSEY: That's what I do now, I shoot until I make it and then go to the huddle. Q. A couple of freshman looked shaky towards the end of the game. What would you tell them, especially Joey, you've been in the situation before. What do you tell them to calm them down and be a big part of things at the Sweet 16? JOEY DORSEY: Coach told me on my sophomore year, go out and play hard on defense. When you play hard on defense, get big rebounds, the game comes and fellows. With Doneal, if he gets a couple of rebounds, we know we're going to have a good game and he'll hit a couple of key shots for us. Just play hard on defense, and everything else will come. JEREMY HUNT: It's basically what he's saying. If you play hard, period, on defense, basically you let the game come to you. Don't be out there trying to not make mistakes. If you make mistakes, so what, just make it up on defense. That's pretty much it. You've got to be out there playing loose. You can't be up tight. Q. Joey, for those of us who haven't got to cover you all season, how would you describe yourself and your attitude for those who don't know you? Jeremy, how would you describe Joey and what his attitude means to this team? JEREMY HUNT: Joey, he means a lot to us. Whenever he was in foul trouble, we pretty much struggled, and on the rebound game. But now he's keeping himself out of foul trouble and making smarter plays. He's been a big help to the game. His attitude has been great. At times he may get a little mad and he'll come back and apologize. He's been great all year long for us. I wouldn't rather have another teammate than the big man, Joey. He's going to play hard. And when he plays hard it's amazing what he can do. He tries to go for every rebound, he basically gets almost every rebound, blocking shots. He's intimidating people from coming into the hole. I wouldn't rather have another big man there. JOEY DORSEY: That's crazy. Like last year when we went up against UCLA I got my first foul. And they came and said don't pick up your second foul. And I think I picked up the second foul 30 seconds after he told me that. And I always watch that game, before we play against any of our opponents, I felt like in I stayed in the game we wouldn't have lost that game. The first game against north Texas the guy was playing harder than me, and Calipari said is this UCLA all over again? Is this UCLA all over again. I said, no, Calipari, I promise you I'm going to get us there, we're going to get to the Final Four. I was trying to play harder than my opponents so we can get to the Final Four this year. End of FastScripts |
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