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NCAA MEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS: MILWAUKEE

March 20, 2010

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

DENNIS KRAUSE: We're joined by Xavier student-athletes Jordan Crawford, Terrell Holloway, and Jason Love, and followed by Head Coach Chris Mack. Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Jason, a year has passed and rosters have changed for you and Pitt, but they beat you in the Sweet 16 last year. Does any of that carry over to this year, and did you want to get another shot at them?
JASON LOVE: We definitely remember that from last year, but like you said we're two different teams. Some guys from their team played in it and some didn't, just like us.
And like you said, we lost to them last year. But it's about this year, and we want to try to advance to the Sweet 16. And they're a real good team, a real physical team. Good guards. Good bigs, and it should be a good game.

Q. Whoever wants to answer, is it tough to know who to take away defensively on that team when they had six guys in double figures last game?
TERRELL HOLLOWAY: Well, I'm a big basketball fan myself. I like Pittsburgh, so I've been watching them throughout the year. I know they're all great players. Any given night any one of them could go out there and score 20 points a game. We know that Ashton Gibbs is shooting 40 percent. And Gilbert Brown is coming off the bench scoring a lot in spurts sometime. And Brad Wanamaker is scoring a lot, and Dixon scoring. Any of them guys can come out and have a good game. We're going out there with a good defensive mentality and trying to play hard on defense.

Q. Jason, usually good teams have outrebounded the other opponent. And last night the other player had 14 rebounds. How much will rebounding be a key to this game tomorrow?
JASON LOVE: You know, everything's going to be a big key. Pittsburgh prides itself on being physical and being tougher than you. But like you saw yesterday, we really stepped up to the challenge as far as Minnesota. They were big, but we were able to handle them down low.
We rebounded the ball real good. Jamel, he did a great job, getting 14 rebounds, and Kenny got in there. He made some plays as well. So I think it's going to be a big key to the game, and, you know we want to come out on top we definitely have to take care of the battle at the glass.

Q. Jordan, I know you've probably been asked a million times about the LeBron dunk. About how much conversation among people locally, nationally, since you've been here, have you heard about that, and how, if at all, has that changed things for you?
JORDAN CRAWFORD: I ain't really heard too much about it. Most of it is about the NCAA tournament and wondering how far we can go in it. That's all people have been talking about.

Q. Terrell, could you talk about the transition from being a defensive team last year to an offensive team this year, and when did you get an idea that you guys were going to be that type of team?
TERRELL HOLLOWAY: We're still a defensive team this year. It's just that we scored so many points sometimes that people forget how great we defend.
But regarding different players last year, this year we had C.J. Anderson, B.J. Raymond, who are a lot bigger, like shooting guards, small forwards, and now we replaced them with guys like Mark Lyons and Jordan Crawford, 6'1" and 6'4", who is a lot faster, so identity changes with the players, but we're still a defensive team.

Q. You had great, games against Big East teams this year. Is there something about teams from that conference that brings out the best in you, you think?
JASON LOVE: No, I don't think so. I just go out there and play the game. I didn't even realize that. I just go out there, try to do my job, rebound, play defense, do whatever I can to help my team win. It so happens that I grab that many rebounds, let it be, but as long as we win the game, it doesn't really matter what I'm getting. As far as whatever it takes to win the game.

Q. Jordan, one more on the dunk. I know you were sort of asked about this yesterday, but I know you're just trying to win games and whatnot at this time of year. But I guess this would be sort of an introduction, you're going to be sort of your introduction to a lot of people nationally other than what they've seen on that YouTube clip. Have you realized that?
JORDAN CRAWFORD: Can you ask that question again? I don't understand it.

Q. I know you're just trying to win games and it's not what you care about necessarily, but do you realize this is sort of going to be your introduction to the country, this NCAA tournament, other than what they've seen on you in that 30-second YouTube clip?
JORDAN CRAWFORD: I guess so. But Xavier, we played 33 games, I think all of them have been on TV, national TV. So I think the country's seen me play enough this year to know that I can play and that Xavier can play.

Q. Jordan, I was wondering, you guys had a really bad shooting half the first half against Minnesota, and then in the second half you kind of took over the game in a sense. Do you feel like you're playing as well as you've played in your career, in your life so far?
JORDAN CRAWFORD: Well, I had a very short college career so far. It's only been two seasons. I think I'm playing well. But that's because as a team Xavier's playing well. Before the Richmond game we had won like eight straight games. So I think we've come along as a team at the perfect time.

Q. Any of you, can you talk about what it was like to go through the coaching transition, and if there's any differences in styles between Coach Miller and Coach Mack?
JASON LOVE: It was difficult at first. But I think our team, we just rallied around each other and really stuck by each other and kind of rallied to get Coach Mack to get the job and the rest has kind of been history. We kind of went through our struggles, growing pains and getting used to all the new assistants and whatnot.
But it's been a growing process for the whole team. Every month I feel like we've gotten better and we just keep continuing to grow, like J.C. said, we're playing the best basketball we had all season. Won eight straight before the Richmond loss. And I just feel like the sky's the limit for this team.

Q. Jason, what about the change was particularly tough?
JASON LOVE: Just the fact that everybody was recruited by Coach Miller and everybody knew him, and we were so confident in the team kind of coming back, based on the fact that we knew his style and everything like that.
But like I said, Coach Mack has really brought us together. We stuck by each other and kind of rallied around each other at times when nobody really thought we were going to do much this year. Kind of doubted us after our tough losses over in the Old Spice Classic earlier in the year. But we stayed with it and stayed together, and we're here today, one game away from the Sweet 16.

Q. I know you said that this is a very different team, but is there a revenge factor from last year? Do you want to win for last year's team at all, the guys that left?
JASON LOVE: I mean, I just want to win to get to the Sweet 16. I'm not -- I don't think we're really worried about -- I mean, last year is last year. Let's just worry about this year and this team, and we really want to get to the Sweet 16, and that's our whole focus right now.

Q. Terrell, you said you watch a lot of Pitt on TV. And when you guys look at a Big East team, do you guys think you see a little bit of yourselves. Do you kind of play that Big East style, do you think?
TERRELL HOLLOWAY: Well, we play to what fits like best for our guys. So we don't feel like we play a Big East system or anything. We just have talented players just like the Bees have talented players.
DENNIS KRAUSE: Thank you, gentlemen.
Questions for Coach Mack.

Q. You guys have some new personnel this year, playing a little bit different style compared to the last time you guys played Pitt. I was wondering if you could talk about that transformation, if there was any indecision going from one style to the next over one summer?
COACH MACK: Well, I think maybe from an outsider's perspective you would think we have a much different style than we did last year. I would say it's more personnel-based than it is philosophy-based.
Everything that we run, with the exception of a few things here and there offensively, we've really stuck to what's worked over the last five years. I love the style of play, the philosophy that I coached under with Sean. And we've really tried to continue that.
Having said that, when you have faster players, it lends itself to being a faster team. We replaced really good players, B.J. Raymond. C.J. Anderson, with guys like Mark Lyons and Jordan Crawford. If you had those guys run a foot race, it wouldn't even be close. So I think a lot of times when teams think of us as this attacking transition team, it's not because Coach Mack has let off the reigns, we just have faster players. And a few years ago when Drew Lavender was a senior, we averaged about the same amount of points. We were a very fast team. It's more personnel-based than it is Coach Mack-based.

Q. When you look at a Pittsburgh team that had six players in double figures yesterday, and Ashton Gibbs wasn't even one of them, how challenging is that defensively to just know who you take away first?
COACH MACK: Well, Pittsburgh, whether it's the offensive end or defensive end, is a very challenging team. Really impressed with the job that Coach Dixon's been able to do to lose the amount of talent they did off of last year's team and come into this year probably with not as high of expectations as they've had.
It's been remarkable what they've done. But they certainly are a balanced team on offense. I think they're more perimeter-oriented than they are post-oriented. But nevertheless, you make a valid point that they share the ball and so we're going to have to make sure that everybody on the defensive end is locked in and understand their assignment.

Q. When you shoot the way you did in the first half against Minnesota, is it your expectation at a point like that, that Jordan Crawford is a player that has to pull you out of that, or can anything --
COACH MACK: No, Minnesota had a lot to do with that. We don't necessarily face from game to game the amount of size that we saw yesterday. Give them a lot of credit. They're one of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten. But I don't think our team ever looks to Jordan to simply take over and the other four guys stand around. I think when that happens we become a much easier team to guard.
I think that's how we were earlier on in the year. But what I wanted to do was get more ball movement. Guys driving to the hole. And when those post players collapsed on penetration, be able to kick out and find the open man.
And I do know when Jordan gets a little bit of space, he's awfully good. And he was remarkable yesterday in the second half.
DENNIS KRAUSE: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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