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NCAA MEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS: MILWAUKEEMarch 18, 2010Jordan CrawfordDante JacksonJason LoveChris MackMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN DENNIS KRAUSE: Questions for the Xavier student-athletes Jason Love, Jordan Crawford, and Danté Jackson. Q. You've waited a long time to get back here to the tournament, Jordan, with everything that went on at Indiana. Can you talk a little bit about your mindset coming into this and how important it is to you to make a sustained run in the tournament this year? JORDAN CRAWFORD: My mindset is just to play team ball, get defense first, lock up on D and get out on offense. Transition. And I think make a big run we've just got to stick to what we do best, and that's back line defense and sharing the ball. Q. Danté, they have a guy, Blake Hoffarber shooting 47 percent from 3-point range. Could you talk about how important it is to clamp down on the perimeter tomorrow and what your impressions are of Minnesota's perimeter play? DANTÉ JACKSON: Blake shoots the ball really well, as does the rest of their perimeter guys. I think their starters are over 40 percent. So I think it's really important that our team hones in and focus in on high hands on every catch and not allowing them any easy looks. But I think it's going to be an entire team effort, especially on Blake and the rest of those guys, just to limit their looks and touches, because they're going to get shots off, and they're going to make some because they're good players. But I think our goal and our focus is just to limit how many good looks and open looks they get. Q. Jordan, some of the Minnesota players likened your game to Kalin Lucas of Michigan State. Do you think that's an accurate portrayal? If not, do you think there's somebody who best patterns what you're able to do offensively? JORDAN CRAWFORD: I mean, it's cool for them to say Kalin Lucas because we're from the same place, so that's all right. But I don't really pattern my game off of nobody. Just doing me. I can't really say I play like anybody else. Q. Jordan, can you take us a little bit through going to Indiana, and then the transfer to Xavier and how maybe that was a transitional period for you? And obviously you seem to be fitting in really well right now. JORDAN CRAWFORD: The Indiana situation, I think everybody pretty much knows how that was, something that had to be done. Transferring to Xavier, I think I fit in real well, my teammates allowed me to fit in. I think as the season went on we kind of meshed together real good and made a good run, and I hope to do the same in the tournament. Q. Jason, does Minnesota remind you of anyone you've faced this season? JASON LOVE: You know, coach has kind of compared them to Charlotte as far as they really -- you take great pride in getting it to the box and battling down low. They've got a lot of good size down there and athleticism. And it's definitely going to be a challenge for us to keep them off the glass and to finish around the rim. They're a real good shot-blocking team as well. But I feel like it's nothing that we haven't dealt with before, and I feel like we're ready. Q. Jordan, can you talk a little bit about what you remember about Minnesota early on when they had Tubby Smith as coach and then any similarities to this team? JORDAN CRAWFORD: Three of their players I played against my freshman year, and I remember how good of a shooting team they was. And it's the same this year. So going into the game, we're going to have to really focus on those three. And that's pretty much all I remember. Q. Danté, could you speak to the importance of guard play in this tournament, specifically point guard play? DANTÉ JACKSON: Yeah, I think that's probably the most important position on the floor, especially at this time. And I feel like we've got two guys in Terrell and Mark who have been through the battles this year, and Terrell for last year. And so I just know that if we don't turn the ball over -- I think the rest of these guys would tell you that if we don't turn the ball over and we execute offensively, we feel like the sky's the limit for us. And I think Terrell and Mark have done a great job so far this year. And so we need them to lead us tomorrow. Q. Jordan, can you talk a little bit about where you were at last year at this time and maybe what you were thinking about, sort of, sitting out? JORDAN CRAWFORD: Last year I was with Mark Lyons all the time, together watching the games and anxious. We was out on the floor, wishing we could be part of the run they made last year. I came a long way since then and I'm thankful for it. Q. Jordan, can you expand on that just a little bit more about sitting around and having to watch and if that was frustrating, or what did you do to pass some of the time in between there? JORDAN CRAWFORD: I learned a lot from sitting out last year. The game slowed down a little bit to me, and to pass time I was with Mark all the time. He had to sit out last year. We were always together. After the game I asked my teammates how was it on the road, how was the NCAA tournament. And then just going into the gym when I was -- sometimes couldn't control myself, I would go in the gym and just shoot around. That's pretty much how I passed time. Q. How long would you go to the gym at a time? JORDAN CRAWFORD: It would just -- I don't know how long -- specifically how long it would be. But I would just go in there, shoot a round, think about stuff, play games with Mark. That's pretty much it. Q. We're doing a little story, which seems to be the trend these days, doing a story on Sister Roseanne Fleming. Could you talk about your experiences with the sister? JASON LOVE: I guess I'll say since I've been with her the longest, she kind of embodies Xavier University as far as academics, and she's just been great for me during my career here. She's really hard on you, but statement she's a gentle lady as far as she really cares about where you go after basketball. And she's just there wherever you need her, whichever way you need her. I mean, I can't put it any other different words. She's just a great person. And you can ask all the rest of the guys, she means so much to us and this program and the success that we've had academically, graduating all our seniors, and I'm definitely on track to do that this year. So keeping that streak alive. She's just great for the university. Q. Jordan, can you talk a little bit about if your brother has mentioned anything to you about playing for Coach Tubby Smith and how that was? And obviously he's going for you in this game, but is he watching the game, both sides, knowing Tubby, and obviously growing up with you? JORDAN CRAWFORD: He really didn't talk about Coach Tubby. He just congratulated me for being in the tournament, just make the most of it, enjoy every second of it, and try to lead your team to how far we can go. He didn't really elaborate or talk about Tubby or me versus him at all. Q. Jordan, obviously you've had a huge season offensively and been honored as the conference player of the year. What's been the key for you to having such success at Xavier and getting your shots? JORDAN CRAWFORD: I think just every day not taking this game for granted. I think I learned for the couple of years I sat out in high school and college, don't take it for granted and love every minute of it. And I think I just took advantage of it, and my teammates did a good job of bringing me into this system and allowing me to play my game. Q. Jason, when you watch film of the Gophers and/or the Big Ten, what sort of sticks out in your mind? Is it the physical play or the deliberate play or what? JASON LOVE: Everything is, I think, it's the physical play. And Big Ten is known for kind of slowing it down and pounding it inside and for the size, and Minnesota has really tremendous size in there and they look to utilize it. They go inside to Sampson and Iverson, and those guys are really good with what they do. But at the same time I feel like myself, Kenny Frease and Andrew Taylor, we're ready to play in there and played some really physical teams this year. And I think we tested enough and it's going to be a battle down low and we look forward to it. That's how we like to play as well. And it's going to be a tough one, but I feel like we're ready. DENNIS KRAUSE: Thank you very much. Welcome head coach Xavier Chris Mack. Q. Coach, can you talk about preparing for a team like Minnesota, who I think they're one of the few teams if not the only team in the tournament that doesn't have an all-conference player. Not one player that you can focus on to try to shut down. Does it make it a little more difficult? COACH MACK: I think anytime you're in the NCAA tournament, no matter who you play, you're generally unfamiliar with that team when the selection comes out on Sunday night. But we've done our due diligence to make sure we understand who Minnesota is. And as you mentioned, they're a very balanced team; both with who scores for them, but also from inside and out. And I look at their team, and I think they're better than the sum of their parts, and really made a heck of a run in the Big Ten tournament. I don't think there's any one guy that you can key on. And we know they're a big challenge, and our guys are excited and ready to go. Q. Jason said that Minnesota reminds him of Charlotte. Can you talk about that and what challenges that Minnesota presents? COACH MACK: Well, we talked to our guys to make sure that you're trying to compare teams so they understand maybe what Minnesota's mission is on the offensive end. And I think when you use Charlotte as an example, he was simply talking about a lot of their high-low looks during the course of in the half court. They'll play twin towers a lot, Iverson and Sampson. They'll hit one at the top of the key and look for the other. So Charlotte does that a lot. But I wouldn't necessarily say that they're very similar to Charlotte, but for our post players, it's a similar type of understanding going into the game. Q. Can you talk about how important Jordan Crawford has been to your success this season, and did he maybe surpass your expectations? COACH MACK: I don't know if Jordan necessarily surpassed my or our expectations. We knew Jordan was a heck of a player. We didn't see him day one this year. He practiced with us all last year. So our staff, the players on our team, they knew what to expect. Like every player on our team, he's improved as the season's gone along. I think early on he would probably admit, and he took some ill-advised shots, and I still wanted him to have that freedom. As the season has gone on, I think he's done a better job picking and choosing his spots. But there's no question he's our best player. I think he's one of the best players in the conference. We lean on him a lot on the offensive and defensive end. But we're not relying on him. But there's no question he has the ability to take over a game. Q. Did he impress you with the way he conducted himself when he had that year lay-off and he was practicing? Obviously, it wasn't a lay-off, but his attitude and work ethic. COACH MACK: Sure, you don't battle a ton of adversity, at least in the course of practices and whatnot, when you're a sit-out. He knew he had to sit out, and that's awfully tough. But you don't ride the highs and lows of winning and losing when you're a red shirt. Certainly you feel bad for your guys because those are your teammates. But you're not living and breathing every game because you're not allowed to wear a uniform. But he did a great job. He improved. I think obviously his 3-point percentage this year as opposed to his freshman year, I think he's rebounding the ball extremely well. Like a lot of guys that sit out in college basketball, he's gotten better. And our team's better because of that improvement. Q. You have been exposed to the NCAA setting and venues over the course of your career, but it's different this time. You are the man. What's that like? Can you talk about that? COACH MACK: I don't know if I'm the man. I get off the bus and I've got my four-year-old and three-year-old and they're screaming at me to get their camera and stuff like that. So I wouldn't say I'm the man. To me, and maybe it should be more of a story line, but I just feel like it's business as usual. I've been in the NCAA tournament a lot as a player, as director of operations, as an assistant coach. And other than me standing a whole lot more during the course of the game, I just feel like Xavier's used to being in the NCAA tournament. And we're excited like we always are, and we'll be ready to go on Friday. Don't make anything bigger of it than that. I think good players make good coaches. Roy Williams is a really good coach. He's not playing in this tournament. The same with Ben Howland. I'm blessed to have really good kids, kids I enjoy coaching that have done a really good job, improving as the season's gone along. Q. On the subject of somebody who makes good student-athletes, could you talk about Sister Roseanne Fleming? COACH MACK: People around college basketball don't know what Sister Fleming means to our program. Every team, every program around the country has an academic advisor. That's their job. It's not Sister's job. It's her passion. It's what she's done at Xavier since 1985. We've never had a player complete his eligibility and not get their degree. And we've graduated 77 kids in a row. Sister Fleming's the biggest reason why. And the kids that we have in our program understand that and the kids who we recruit understand that. Xavier is not for everybody, but that's one of the reasons that makes Xavier so special is how we care about our kids off the floor. And she's a huge part of that. Q. Can you talk about Jason Love and just how far he's come and kind of what he's meant to your program and what his leadership means to you this year being a senior? COACH MACK: He's amazing. He's absolutely amazing. Mario Mercurio, Director of Basketball Administration, pointed out that I think Jason scored in his freshman year two more points than our current freshman Jeff Robinson. It's amazing where he's come. And I am so excited for him. He's the all-time winningest player in the history of our program. Our program has had a lot of really good players. He's done it by example. He's not the most vocal kid in the world. He never will be. But he's carved himself quite a legacy in an incredible program. DENNIS KRAUSE: Coach, thank you. End of FastScripts |
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