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NCAA MEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS REGIONALS: ANAHEIMMarch 21, 2008Josh CarterJoseph JonesDominique KirkMark TurgeonANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up to questions. Q. Joseph, just talk about last year's game here against the Bruins. You guys almost pulled that off. You lost by three. Kind of what do you remember about that game, and what do you think sort of came down to the difference that maybe you can change this time around? JOSEPH JONES: Last year was a great game. Like you said, we lost by three. Both teams played very hard. A tough, physical game. They hit some big baskets last year. I think Afflalo came in the second half, and he was doing a great job for his team. I think they're just a great team. Nothing really sticks out from last year. I think the three point at half-time is what really hurt us going into second half. This is going be another great game, a defensive effort and hope we come out with a win this time. Q. Does it do much good to study last year's game given the personnel differences on both teams this year and the fact that you all have a new style with a new coach? JOSH CARTER: Not so much. I mean, I've looked at film from UCLA this year. So, I mean, they're a new team; we're a new team. So last year is kind of out of the window. We just got to look at what they do now and what we do now. Q. Josh, you know, with the way BYU played defense, you got a lot of open looks. Can you talk a little bit about UCLA's defense. Just how much tougher it's going to go, those same kind of looks? JOSH CARTER: I'm sure they'll do a good job. I don't know what they're going to do. I don't know their game plan, just try to get open just like every game, and we'll just see what happens. Q. There's so much mystique associated with a number one seed. Everybody fast-forwards them through their brackets and stuff. Can you just talk about that, playing the number one seed. This will be the first time A&M's ever done that. DOMINIQUE KIRK: It's just going to be great. You know, UCLA is one of the best teams in the nation. We got to go out there and have our hard hats. We got to go out there and play hard, because it's going to be a physical game, going to be mostly a defense game. So we got to go out there and just play hard. JOSH CARTER: I think it's good. I mean, UCLA's a great team, like Dominic said. I mean we're just going to go out there and try to play hard and compete. They're great team. Like to think we're great team too. We're just going to come out and try to win. Q. Dominic, you guys are going for a second straight trip to the Sweet 16; they're guy trying to get to the Final Four. Can you talk about both programs playing for so much and everything being on the line? DOMINIQUE KIRK: It's great. You know, both programs going out there to try to get far. So try to get to where we didn't last year, just going to be a great game. It's going be a big battle for us. It's going to be a big battle for them. Just got to go out there and play hard. Q. I wanted to talk to you guys just a little bit just about these four years and what they've been like for you guys. Could you all imagine ever having the kind of success that you guys have ultimately had here? DOMINIQUE KIRK: Well, it's amazing. It's just been a fun ride. Four years, you know, it went by so fast but, you know, we had a great time, and eventually we worked hard to try to get to this situation right here, but it came early for us, our sophomore year, and it's just been a great ride. JOSEPH JONES: When we first came here we didn't think it would be this fast and this special. Like he said, we got to the tournament early as sophomores, and it's been great ever since, been the best four years of my life. Q. Joseph, could one benefit of last year's game possibly be y'all have seen that so-called UCLA mystique? I mean, you've seen the team; you've played against that team before so there's not that little mystery about playing UCLA. You've done it. JOSEPH JONES: Like Josh said, they're a totally different team now. They got a lot of key guys on the team. They're doing a great job for them this year. They got a couple of great guys like Kevin Love, and Westbrook is starting to play more. They're a totally different team. They run a lot of different assists, but at the same time seeing them play last year gives us a better look at them and just what they can do and what they have done. Q. How much has your confidence changed both as a team and you specifically since maybe a week or two ago heading into the Big 12 tournament? JOSH CARTER: I'm always a confident player. I mean, it does boost your confidence to see shots actually go down. But, I mean, I'm just going to play hard. My teammates want me and expect me to make shots, so I'm just going to keep shooting and hopefully they'll keep falling. Q. Dominic, can you talk about just your play, personally how you've been the last couple weeks. You really elevated here lately. Just talk a little bit about how you are feeling. DOMINIQUE KIRK: I'm just trying to step up for the team. Just trying to go out there and be more aggressive than I was earlier in the year and just trying not to just -- you know, just go out there and play hard. I know it's my last tournament and everything. I just got to go out there and keep doing what I'm doing for the team and just trying to keep playing hard. Q. Dominic, would it be fair to say through the ups and downs of the season beating UCLA would make this a successful season? DOMINIQUE KIRK: Well, you know, UCLA is a great team and everything, but, you know, if we beat them, you know, we still got games to go. So I mean we can't really just dwell on that and everything. We just got to go out there and just keep playing if we win the game. THE MODERATOR: Any further questions? Okay. Thank you, gentlemen. Good luck tomorrow. We'll open it up with a statement from Coach Turgeon, then open the floor to questions. COACH TURGEON: We're excited, obviously, you know, live another day. And, you know, you'd rather not be playing the number one seed in their backyard, but we kind of dug our own hole, lost a few home games we shouldn't have lost, got us to an eight or nine seed, and UCLA deserves this. They've had an unbelievable year, won a lot of games. They deserve to play close to home. Be a big-time challenge for us, but I know our young men are looking forward to it, and should be a heck of a game. Q. Mark, does it do much good to look at the film of last year's game given all the different personnel changes for both teams and the coaching change at A&M? COACH TURGEON: I haven't looked at it, and I won't. I haven't done that all year. So I don't know if my assistants did or not, but Kevin Love makes a little bit of difference on their team, and Collison is stepping up. Then we're completely different now without Acie Law. So, no, we won't watch that. But, you know, our kids are familiar with them and of course playing them in this building, so that helps. It all helps. Q. Coach, can you kind of contrast the ability that DeAndre Jordan has versus maybe what he's done this year productionwise? COACH TURGEON: Well, DeAndre has a chance to be one of the all-time best defenders if he commits himself to it. I think that's where his ability lies right now. He's got great length, great body, pretty good timing, and pretty good understanding. I think defensively is where we won at Baylor. DeAndre was phenomenal, six blocks. That's where we kind of dictated the game. That's what we need him to do tomorrow when he gets in there. Offensively it's never been easy for him. A lot of points he got this year were on dunks or he had angles and things, so he continues to improve. He's got to get a lot better at that end of the floor, and it's just going to take time. Whether it's a year from now, two years, four years, I don't know. But right now he has a chance with his ability that you are talking about to affect games more defensively. Q. Coach, can you talk about DeAndre's role tomorrow, might be a little more than what it was yesterday with the big, physical game expected? COACH TURGEON: Yeah. We need him to play well. He went in against Kansas and couldn't play in that game; they went right at him and got three quick fouls. So we need him to play well. We need him to play with confidence. We need his length. We need Junior Chinemelu to play well too. It's going to be a war out there, be very physical. They're great on the boards, but we're going to need all four of those post guys to play well tomorrow, so hopefully they'll be ready. Q. Coach, wanted to ask you, DeAndre just a few minutes last night, was he feeling okay? COACH TURGEON: He was fine. They played a small line-up, so we played Beau at the four. I thought Junior did a great job on Plaisted when he was in there. You know, I just thought he was more physical when he was out there, so I just went with that line-up. That's the line-up that played well in Kansas City, and it played well last night. And, you know, if DeAndre goes in there and plays well, he is going to play more. But we're just trying to win as many games as we can here. Q. Coach, can you just talk a little bit about Kevin Love and what really impresses you? COACH TURGEON: Well, you just got to love watching him play. A big kid like that moves so well and knows how to play. He's got the full package. He's become -- I just watched film from earlier in the year till now how much better a defender he's become throughout the year. He can shoot the three, he can post up, he can pass it, he can dribble it, he's a great screener, great offensive rebounder. He does it all. He's good. Probably the thing he does the best is his outlet passes. Have you guys seen these things he throws? You haven't seen that in years. So got to try to slow that down somehow, because that leads to their break. So he's really good. It's a tough match-up for us. And what makes him even better is they put him and Collison together on those ball screens. You got a heck of a point guard and a heck of a big guy that can shoot it or roll to the basket, so makes it very difficult. I think they compliment each other and make each other look pretty good out there on the floor. Q. Coach, I wanted to see if you could talk a little bit about kind of what Joe Jones and Kirk have given you in terms of leadership and even playing ability. I know for both of those guys at times it's been a little bit up-and-down this year. But later on, I mean, it seem like they really came through. COACH TURGEON: Well, it's a long season, and you are going to have ups and downs. But they've been great, I think, all year. You've heard me say early in the year this is a very immature team. We're still immature. We just hide it a little bit better, so it was hard for them to lead this team, just like at times it's been very hard for me to coach this team. But they just stuck with it and stuck with it and stuck with it and continued to lead, and I think Beau coming to the forefront here, too, being a senior, he has kind of stepped in there and helped them with some things. But Joe's been great all year. It's not easy to lead your peers. He's been great. I think Dominic does it by example, brings it every day, so they've been great. And they've had an unbelievable career to this point, and, you know, last night made me think about the K-State game, the big rebounds that Joe had and the big shots Dominic had, then last night the big rebounds that Joe had and the big shots that Dominic made. They've been there. You can tell the veterans last night, Sloan, Carter, those two guys. Those guys were really making the plays. They've been here and done it before, but those two have been great all year. I wish I could coach Joe Jones and Dominic Kirk the rest of my life, then I'd be a happy coach, because they're fun to coach. Q. Coach, you're able to get Josh Carter a lot of open looks last night. How much tougher is it going to be against UCLA to get those same kind of looks? COACH TURGEON: He's not going to get those looks tomorrow. They're going double the post; that's what they do. If we can handle that, we might sneak one out for him. Might sneak some out in transition; you never know. He might get some, but he won't get as many open looks as he had last night. We had them doubling the post early. We know UCLA is going to double us, too; they just do it a little better than BYU. Something they do every day, and they're very physical with it. We might sneak out a few shots, but they got the PAC-10 player of the year that's going be in most of the night, so some other guys are going to have to step up. Q. I know you guys are thinking about tomorrow, but he's got a lot of people whispering in his ear, it sounds like, about the NBA. I am just wondering what you make of that, thinking he needs two or three more years to develop? COACH TURGEON: I didn't say that. I didn't say he needs two or three more years. Where is he from? Q. Riverside Press-Enterprise. COACH TURGEON: Here in California? Q. Yeah. COACH TURGEON: I can't control any of that stuff. I can't control any of that stuff. I just got to coach this team. That's what I'm trying to do. People been on my ass all year about coaching, and I think I've done a pretty good job. I'm trying to coach this team the way I can help us be successful. But, you know, I do think that he's got a ways to go in a lot of areas, but he's come a long ways this year. So when I say two or three years away, you know, what are you talking about? Talking about college or pro? But, I mean, everybody gets better as they get older. He is 19 years old. Q. Along those lines, the players were talking about how pumped up they were when they saw the draw and the potential second round match-up. I know you were probably pumped up, as well at the opportunity. What does this mean to you and trying to get this game and get this win for this program? COACH TURGEON: I wasn't quite as pumped up when this draw came, but our guys were excited. I think maybe it was the west coast. I'm not sure they knew how good BYU was going to be, and I did. So that's why I wasn't excited. Then having to play UCLA in their backyard, this might be their best team. They've had two Final Four teams, and this might be their best team. We're looking at it as a great opportunity. We played the number one seed last week on their home court and did pretty well. I think we're a better team today than we were last Saturday, and we'll see. Obviously we're going to have to figure out a way to score baskets to stay in the game. If we can do that, we'll give ourselves a chance. You just want to have a chance the last ten minutes of the game. You know, I don't think about stuff like, you know -- I'll think about that after the game. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to guard UCLA and the best way to try to attack their defense. That's all that consumes me, especially as good as they are and as well coached as they are; it should consume you. Then if we're lucky enough to pull something off then you think about what it's going to do for your program. It's a long ways between now and that happening. We're going to have to play one of our probably play our best game of the year for it to happen. Q. I guess physically Joe is best equipped to bang down low with Love. When he steps out to shoot threes, are you confident he can get out there and stay with him when he steps outside? COACH TURGEON: We'll throw a lot of different guys at Love tomorrow, and all our guys have gotten better about guarding the perimeter. I think it's been pretty obvious. Something that kind of hit us between the eyes at Texas Tech, and we've really worked hard at it. We did an unbelievable job on Tavernari last night. He got a drive for a layup late, and actually Dominique was guarding him when he hit a three, so I'm confident, you know, but the hard thing is you got Collison coming off ball screens and then him popping, so that makes it pretty tough. So you got to figure out a way to guard both in that situation. But, no, I'm confident that our guys will be close enough to him to, you know, hopefully play his shot on certain situations, and hopefully we'll be physical enough to keep him off the glass. Q. Coach, you talk about both teams being really good on defense. Is that the kind of game that you want? Like a game, the first one to 50 wins or the first one to 60 wins, because that was the score last year. Both teams were still known for their defense. COACH TURGEON: I think that's what it's going to have to be for us. I mean, we're not going to go out there and score 80. We haven't scored 80 in a long time. And so it might be the first team to 50 wins tomorrow. Yeah, we're going to have to make it that kind of game. In this building with their fans, we can't get into an up-tempo game. We got to run when we have chances and take advantage of certain situations, but besides that we're really going to have to execute and try to take care of the ball best we can and just guard them. And put together a game plan that we think is going to work and try to execute it and see what happens. Q. You mentioned earlier that people have been on you all year about your coaching. Do you sense that regularly and do you still feel like you have something to prove to people? COACH TURGEON: When they're on me, I don't have anything to prove. I know I can coach a little bit; might not be the greatest coach in the world. Don't ever claim to be, but I'm really proud of what we've done here this first year. Losing the players that we lost, new coach, the league being as good as it is, and so, you know, and taking over, just all of us getting used to each other. But I just think that, you know, when we started to lose, I just thought it was a little bit too much coming after me, but that's fine; that's part of the business. That's why they pay us so much money. You gotta quit being so sensitive. Q. What did you feel like? COACH TURGEON: I just felt like it was -- I don't read anything, so I don't know and I don't listen to anything. But I just felt like -- I can hear it. You can tell. You can tell. THE MODERATOR: Any further questions? All right. Thank you very much, Coach. Good luck tomorrow. End of FastScripts |
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