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NCAA MEN'S 2ND & 3RD ROUNDS: NASHVILLEMarch 15, 2012Deividas DulkysLeonard HamiltonBernard JamesNASHVILLE, TENNESSEE THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and take questions for Deividas or Bernard. Q. Bernard, the guy that you'll be playing against, Nicholson from St. Bonaventure, I'm curious what you've seen from him on film and what kind of player do you think he is? BERNARD JAMES: He's a really solid big man. I've done a little bit of homework on him. He's a first round prospect for the NBA and the guy can score away from the basket, near the basket. Pretty physical, relentless on the boards. So, we're going to have our work cut out for us. We respect their team as a whole. You know, we're not looking past them, and, you know, we're going to treat them like the team they are, a good team. Q. So when they call themselves Cinderella playing with house money, you're not exactly buying that argument from them? BERNARD JAMES: No. They're in a tournament for a reason. They earned their way here. They won their conference tournament. These guys can play. I don't buy the whole Cinderella story thing. That's a little ploy to get people's guard down, having people thinking it will be an easy game and they come out and hit you in the mouth. So, I mean, we're definitely expecting a punch right out of the gate. We're going to throw one ourselves. THE MODERATOR: Other questions? Q. Deividas, could you talk about Mike and how he's evolved as a teammate and as a player. The last couple years, he was kind of a role guy, now he's emerging as a guy that everybody is kind of looking at. What's it been like watching him go through that? DEIVIDAS DULKYS: Mike was a great player coming in, we knew that from the get-go. It was fun to watch him develop, going through the process of being a freshman, had to find a role, sophomore, everybody is just kind of trying to figure out. And at the beginning of the year, we didn't know who was going to be the guy, who was going to score most of the points. And we struggled a little bit, and Mike stepped it up and took us on his shoulder, and now we just -- we like what he's doing and we're very happy with him. Q. Deividas, this is your fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament. Does each experience kind of feel the same, or are they unique in different ways, and just how that has changed for you from a freshman to now? DEIVIDAS DULKYS: It's different. Every year is different. My freshman year we were very excited just to be there. We lost to Wisconsin to a very tough game in overtime. Then the next two years, we didn't play to our capabilities. Last year we made the Sweet 16, but lost to a very good VCU team in overtime again. That kind of hurt us. We've grown, we have senior leadership, we have Mike who is a big time player, just got that momentum going this year, too. So I think it's a little different. Q. Bernard, actually kind of piggybacking on what Deividas just said. At times before the season you guys talked about that VCU loss. How much did you guys think about that going into the year and how can that impact you in this tournament playing a team like St. Bonaventure? BERNARD JAMES: I mean, personally I thought about it every day since the VCU game, just a constant reminder not to let your guard down, no matter who you're playing, no matter what the name is on the jersey. Any team is capable of beating you if you don't come out at your best. We're definitely using that. We talked about it in practices already, you know, as this being our opportunity to kind of make right what happened last year in the tournament, you know, as far as us not making it as far as we thought we should, you know, and falling to the VCU team that was a good team, but we felt like we were better than them and we definitely could have beat them. We just didn't come out and execute. So, we use that as a constant reminder every day to stay focused and to perform at the top of our ability. Q. Bernard, how much have you guys -- now that you've looked back at the ACC tournament and the way were you playing and you had a chance to sort of soak that in and assess that, what's been going right for you guys overall? When you look at that tape, what's been going right for you guys? BERNARD JAMES: I think everything we've done right over the past four, five games, it's been because of communication. My team, we've reached another level of closeness. We're talking all the time on the court. It's basically what our coach has been trying to get us to do since day one. And it's a little easier said than done, but once you get that mindset, the mindset we're in now of talking constantly, just letting your teammates know every single thing you're doing, where you're at on the court. I know a lot of times in the Carolina game, I would say push-up, push-up so that David wouldn't allow a shot. Just things like that throughout the entire game, talking about offense and defense. Is brings our team closer together and let's us operate as one entity instead of five individuals on the court. Q. For you Deividas, how much are you guys kind of implode and tuned out from everything? I don't know if you guys are aware, but a lot of people are thinking maybe you guys are the darling of this year's tournament. How much have you guys kind of unplugged from that? DEIVIDAS DULKYS: We do whatever we can. It's hard to ignore everything. You watch ESPN, you watch ESPN2, they all have the predictions and you see those things. We try to ignore that and try to focus at one game at a time and just the next game with St. Bonaventure, we're going to try to beat them. Q. Deividas, their coach talked about that they're not just a one-man team, not just Nicholson. Could you talk about that, the other guys, what do they do offensively that you guys have to kind of focus on? DEIVIDAS DULKYS: They have very good guard play aside from Nicholson. They're going to penetrate and kick and create for each other. We're going to have to guard them and contain the dribble. That's been our weakness a couple games we lost this year. We've got to find their shooters, because they got guys that can really shoot. One of the other things we talked as a team was offensive rebounding, which is big for them. So hopefully we can just box them out and get those -- win the rebounding war. Q. Bernard, going back to Nicholson, does he remind you of anybody that you marched up in your college career. Does he compare to anybody you've seen? BERNARD JAMES: He's kind of a combination. Actually, you know what, he does remind me a little bit of Clanton plate from UCF. He has the same style of game. He can go out and shoot it, he can play back to the basket game as well. I think this guy is a little bit tougher and taller than Clanton, but he does have that same solid play. Q. Bernard, you talked about their offensive rebounding. What do they do that makes them so effective rebounding the ball on that end of the floor? BERNARD JAMES: They just go, really. Lot of teams, you know, they tell their guys hit the offensive glass, but a lot of guys end up looking a lot of time, they don't throw their body in there and mix it up and get physical. These guys aren't afraid to get physical. They use their bodies pretty well, from what I've seen, you know, and that results in a lot of offensive rebounds. It's our aim to be just as physical and slow them down on the boards. THE MODERATOR: Any other questions? Q. Deividas, from what little bit I've seen of them, it seems like they use the ball screen quite a bit. You've seen a lot of different types of that in conference play. Can you describe what they try to do with their ball screens? DEIVIDAS DULKYS: Their ball screens for like every ball screen is for a different kind of action. Sometimes they try to get all the way to the rim, sometimes they try to get the ball in the post. They have a lot of different sets that we try to go over, and it's going to be just for us knowing our principles guarding those ball screens. Q. One last question. You've got a former teammate at South Florida who is going to be here in. Have you talked to Hugh at all and are you happy for him? BERNARD JAMES: Yeah. On Selection Sunday they flashed their team on the screen and I saw him sit in the front row, so I sent him a text telling him I saw him on TV, good luck in the tournament and everything. I'm proud of him. I was able to watch a couple of his games this year, and he's doing pretty well. Their team is doing good. So, I mean, I hope they do well in the tournament. THE MODERATOR: Okay. Thanks guys. We will begin with coach Leonard Hamilton. We'll take an opening statement from coach, and then you can raise your hands and ask questions. COACH HAMILTON: I've had the same question asked of me probably about 7, 8 times about the focus of our players and how we are going to come down after winning the ACC tournament. These guys seem to have maintained the same level of focus that we had going into the ACC tournament, kind of a business-like approach. They're holding each other up, lot of communication, lot of talk. I think that's the benefit of some of the guys being here before and not feeling like we came out of the tournament playing in the last game that we lost as sharp as we could be. I think that that experience probably is a little bit more beneficial than I thought it would be, because they seem to be having a focused and serious approach. Hopefully that will allow us to be better prepared for the first game and hopefully that will be something that will last throughout the tournament. Q. Coach, what is it just for you to come back to your old stomping grounds. You're an assistant at Austin Peay and been playing at UT-Martin? Is that pretty cool? COACH HAMILTON: You guys act like y'all in church. It's not church, you guys can come sit right here. Nobody is going to pass the pan (laughter). Kind of like an elementary school, everybody go sit in the back of the classroom. To answer your question, I do have a lot of fond memories of being at Austin Peay. I worked for a great guy, the late Lake Kelly. Guy that I learned an awful lot from. Gave me the opportunity to work and learn and grow. I have a lot of fond memories of going to the University of Tennessee at Martin. Back in those days it was a tremendous experience for me getting away from North Carolina, which was a pleasure to have the opportunity to get my education in this area. I have a lot of friends. Only thing negative, I've had to buy 20 extra tickets. That's a little bit costly. I didn't realize it coming into this area, my phone is ringing off the hook. People I haven't heard from since I graduated from college, all of a sudden they want to reacquaint themselves. So that's a little bit of a challenge. But for the most part, it's going to be business as usual for me. Whenever we go into areas, I kind of shut it down and stay focused on the task at hand. It's always nice to come back in the area, but my family probably has spent more time enjoying it than I will. Q. Coach, I just wanted to ask you about Andrew Nicholson. From what you've seen of him on film, what catches your eye? What makes him so special? COACH HAMILTON: Well, I'm probably one of his fans. Probably like most of the NBA people taking all those notes. He's a very talented youngster. Has all the package. I've been impressed by the fact that he shoots so consistently from the perimeter and goes over the right shoulder, left shoulder, he's a smart-headed player, has a great feel for the game. He's the kind of player that you can kind of build your system around. He has good hands, good passing skills. He has the whole package. He's just a guy that -- similar to a lot of players that we play against in the ACC. We have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and I hope that the energy that we play with, the effort that we give will be a direct reflection of the respect we have for him, his potential, how far he's been able to carry his team. Q. Coach, Mark Schmidt talked about how they're playing with house money, miracle happened in the A-10 tournament for them to even be here. Do you buy that when you look at them on film? COACH HAMILTON: I'm glad I didn't hear that comment. That's kind of a cliche that you guys can use. We've watched an awful lot of film on them. They do a great job of executing the offense, very aggressive on the defensive end. The perimeter guys are capable of shooting and knocking down 3's. They're quick and skilled enough to take you off the dribble. Those things are dangerous skills to prepare for when a team is quick and attack the basket off the dribble and then be adequate from the perimeter, both inside, low post presence. Sound like I'm talking about a typical ACC team we play on a regular basis. I'm sure that coach knows his team better than I do, so I can't really comment on -- I can't contradict what he's saying, but I know what I've seen. I can see them being a tough matchup for anybody. Q. Coach, can you talk about Mike's development from last year to this year? He mentioned before the season that he kind of tried to start taking pressure off himself and let the game come to him. Did you see that maturity? Is that through conversations or just growing up? COACH HAMILTON: I think Mike has -- he's such a competitor that he sometimes has been overanalytical and critical of himself. He's a perfectionist and he wants to hit all his free throws, he wants to do all the things correctly. But I think as he's gone through the process, he's realized it's okay to make a mistake, it's okay not to be perfect. I think the number going through the cycle, freshman and then to sophomore year, realizing that it's a team game and that you have to find to contribute what your skills will allow you to contribute on a consistent basis is the key to any team being successful and everybody doing their part. I think he's settling into what his role. He doesn't really do anything other than demand of himself. He's playing with a lot more confidence now. He's communicating more and talking more and engaging his teammates a little bit more and -- because I think he feels more comfortable with where he is, he's at peace with his skill level and that he understands exactly how he needs to play within our system in order to be effective. And he has a good look in his eye that I like, and I think he's trying to assume a little bit more leadership responsibility but not wanting to be the lead because he realizes we have six seniors on our team. Q. Coach, you mentioned Lake Kelly before. Can you just elaborate a little bit on how much influence he's had on your career and what philosophies and styles you may have picked up from that time at Austin Peay? COACH HAMILTON: In my opinion, Lake Kelly, he was extremely bright, knowledgeable and detailed in everything that he did. He was meticulous in his approach, how he designed his drills, how he communicated with his players. I was so fortunate for that to be my first coaching opportunity. I was just blessed that it worked out that way, to be involved with a guy who was so organized and he loved defense. As a child growing up, obviously, I really enjoyed that part of the game and he -- he simplified the offensive part. I also thought that he did a great job of just relating to the players and getting the most out of them without sometime all the drama that goes along with sometime trying to motivate guys. He created a family atmosphere that I felt was extremely important. He treated the players with respect and I thought they responded very well. It was a tremendous opportunity for me, just being in the right place at the right time, to have an opportunity to work for a guy that I learned so much from as a basketball -- technically as a basketball coach, but just how to communicate with players and how to navigate through building programs. I enjoyed it. It was probably three of the most beneficial years of my life. It was unusual beginning for me because I was a graduate assistant, and then the full-time assistant coach became ill in January and had to resign. So that was my first year out of college. Even though I was in graduate school, I had basically all the responsibilities of a full-time assistant coach while I was in graduate school teaching classes and working with Coach Kelly. So, now things that normally you don't have to be involved with as a graduate student, I was put in the position to have to learn and grow up kind of on-the-job training, which at the time didn't realize how beneficial that would be to me. So just having an opportunity and having him give me the opportunity -- given an opportunity for me to assume the responsibilities that otherwise had it not been for the absence of the full-time assistant coach, that I would not have had the opportunity. Back in those days we only had -- he only had one full-time assistant coach. The other coach resigned. I was it. Q. Coach, from what little bit I've seen of St. Bonaventure, seems like they use that ball screen an awful lot. You talk about the challenge that presents and the different types of ways they use it? COACH HAMILTON: Well, it's similar to this is the way college basketball game has gone. Years ago, the NBA did a lot more ball screening. The colleges have now picked up on that, and it's very similar to the way a lot of people in the ACC play. So we're very familiar with that type of system. In fact, we use a lot of it ourselves. We think it's extremely effective, and we have to come up with what we feel comfortable, the approach that we feel comfortable using to counter some of their offensive schemes. What makes their schemes so difficult on the ball screens is that -- and Nicholson, he's such a good shooter and he's a great post-up player, and they have a very unique way of sometime popping him to the 3 for a 3-point shot and sometime roll him into the block and posting him up. They diversify their offense enough that they're moving him around. He's a moving target. You can't really key on him nearly as well. He's not always in the post. He's not always on the perimeter. Plus he can take you off the dribble, so that whole system. And then a mid range guy who is about 6-6, 6-7, then they come off the bench with a 6-10, 6-11 guy and he's in the ball screen action as well. So they give you some different looks that you have to be able to adjust to. But like I say, once again, similar to a lot things we -- where we have to be prepared for when we play against a typical ACC team. THE MODERATOR: Any other questions? All right. Thank you, Coach. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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