News Conference: SMU First Round Preview

Q. You've played these guys before. It was much earlier in
the season, played them in November. Your team is
completely different now. From a comfort
ability standpoint, how are you guys
feeling going into this matchup?
STERLING BROWN: We're feeling pretty confident. We've
came a long ways since the first match up. I feel like we

feel like we got better in all years areas
and we're just ready, ready for the game Moore .
BEN MOORE: The coaching staff has done a great job of
getting us prepared. We know USC is a great team, but we feel

against them
. Q.
Q. Given the new makeup of your team and the new offensive
schemes that you've brought to the table since transitioning
after Harry Froling and Tom Wilson
transferred, what new challenges are
being presented to you with your new style of play, and what do
you feel that you don't have to worry about anymore?
Moore BEN MOORE: Well, we feel like
we're very versatile on offense, so that's a big plus
for us. As far as worrying about
different things goes, we're not as big as most teams, but we
feel like we can use that as an
advantage. STERLING BROWN: Like he said,
we're pretty versatile, and I mean all we gotta really
worry about is just staying out of
foul trouble since we're limited with guys. That's pretty much
it
. Q.

lost to USC earlier this year give you any extra motivation?
/PWRUPB STERLING BROWN: Yeah, it
definitely does. Getting a chance to play them again,
that's something special, especially in
this tournament and just being in this tournament for us is
special. So I mean we got a lot behind us. We're going to be
ready for the game tomorrow. Moore
BEN MOORE: Just to build off what he said, yeah, we're
excited to play them again. We feel like we owe 'em one. And
we know they're a great team, so
it's a great opportunity to play
them in this tournament. Q.

senior class that has really been instrumental in the turna
round of this program. You were in
the tournament two years ago, got out in the first round after
a controversial call in the final seconds. What
would a win or possibly multiple wins in this tournament mean to

Moore BEN MOORE: I mean it would mean
everything because that's what we're trying to
build is winning basketball. The
senior classes before us they've established a great program.
The coaching staff has done a great
job, so we're just trying to build
on that and keep it moving? STERLING BROWN: Like he said,
it would mean a lot to us. This is what we came here to do.
We came up short a few times, but just to have the opportunity
right now, that's all we ask for
. Q.
Q. What can you guys take away from your last March Madness
two years ago brown /PWROUB ?
STERLING BROWN: I mean pretty much just take every
possession, just cherish cherish it. Don't

take every possession, just cherish it.
Don't take it for granted. Late in
the game we gave up a couple easy baskets and turned the ball

the ball every possession. Moore
BEN MOORE: Yeah, valuing every possession is the key.
Staying composed throughout the game is a big key. So you know,
I think we're ready for that and I
think we're just looking forward
to playing t
omorrow ,
you know, I think we're ready for that and
I think we're just looking forward to playing tomorrow.
MODERATOR: Before you ask that
Moderate
Q. So last night in the southern Cal providence game, I
believe southern Cal came back from a deficit of either 17 or
18 points
Southern Cal providence game, I
believe Southern Cal came back from a deficit of either 17 or
18 points. You guys have been one
of the best defensive teams in the
conference Providence
game, I believe Southern Cal came back
from a deficit of either 17 or 18
points. You guys have been one of the best defensive teams in
the conference in all of the nation
per defensive efficiency.
-Providence game, I
believe Southern Cal came back from a deficit of either 17 or
18 points. You guys have been one
of the best defensive teams in the
conference in all of the nation per defensive efficiency. So
are you concerned about their
ability to get hot quick and make a run
on you, especially after what happened in the American
quarterfinals against east Carolina?
STERLING BROWN: No. I don't think we're concerned at
all. We just /TAEUBG stick on our game plan and stick
to our principles. We should be fine
Ea st Carolina?
STERLING BROWN: No. I don't think we're concerned at
all. We just stick on our game plan and stick to our
principles. We should be fine. That's March
Madness. Teams make runs. You
just gotta withstand them Moore .
BEN MOORE: We're not really concerned. We're looking
forward to accepting the challenge of a great offensive
team. Cristie Kerr
Albuquerque Cristie Kerr
Cristie Kerr Albuquerque Cristie Kerr

.

Okay. The statement, JANKOVICH:
Okay. The statement, real excited to
be here. So happy that we were lucky enough to get a venue that

could get here. But even more excited for our players, the
opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament again, and you know,
after the after some of the heart ache from
last year. So unbelievably excited to be here
Q.

from last year. So unbelievably
excited to be here. Q. Tim, can you talk about what
shake Milton has meant to your team and what it's like to
have an opportunity Shake
Milton has meant to your team and what it's like to
have an opportunity for him to come back and play here in front
of his hometown people? COACH JANKOVICH: Yeah, I was
asking him about that, is this a good thing or a bad thing
and he was like it's a great thing. So he's excited. He
always seems to play really well
here. And ,
it's a great thing. So he's excited. He
always seems to play really well
here. And I hope that holds. It's
a great thing. So he's excited. He
always seems to play really well
here. And I hope that holds. He's a great player. He's a
great person. Last year you could
argue that we had to play
Last year you could argue that we had to play him out of
position. He loves to play point guard, even though he
doesn't look like one. And we played h
im off the ball a lot. Of course
he's such a darn good shooter a nd good scorer, you can do that.

idn't have the ball in his hands.
And people thought, well, we'll have no one that can play the
point this year, of course. And he's just been amazing. His
numbers are great. But it a lways goes way beyond the
numbers.
Moore, so he didn't have the ball in his hands.
And people thought, well, we'll have no one that can play the
point this year, of course. And he's just been amazing. His
numbers are great. But it always goes way beyond the
numbers. It goes into winning plays, IQ,
toughness, you know, teammate, all
those kind of things, and he's an A plus in every one. We love

Q.

earlier this season, do you find that this opponent is going
to bring winning
plays, IQ, toughness, you know, teammate, all those kind
of things, and he's an A plus in every one. We love him.
Q. Having played Southern Cal earlier this season, do you
find that this opponent is going to bring an extra sense of
team or like in the conference tournament, does
the opponent really not matter to your players?
COACH JANKOVICH: I doubt something that happened in
November is probably the biggest deal. This is the NCAA
tournament, and that alone -- that's enough motivation, no
matter who you play. I'd like to think
that -- well, I know we are a completely different team than
we were then. We didn't even play
the same. But at the same time they're a much better team.
They're very well coached, and that's kind of the idea of
coaching coaching. You start out in N
ovember with the idea of making sure
you're getting better, and they

They're very well coached, and that's kind of the idea of
coaching. You start out in November with the idea of making
sure you're getting better, and they
certainly have. So I think that
is more
But at the same time, they're a much better team.
They're very well coached, and that's kind of the idea of
coaching. You start out in November with the idea of making
sure you're getting better, and they
certainly have. So I think that
is more just a coincidence. I don't think it'll have a bearing
at all on the outcome
Q.
. Q. Your thoughts watching the
USC game last night and the differences from the first half
to the second half? COACH JANKOVICH: My thoughts
are I wish they would play two halves like their first half
. That's kind of what I'm hoping.
I like their team way better in the first half, and I recommend
they stay with that plan. They are incredibly explosive, and I
was saying at halftime when everyone -- I shouldn't say
everyone, but I still felt like I've seen
them play enough. I've seen the
records of when they were behind . I saw them come back on
Arizona from I don't know how many
points back. It's -- you better get
way away from them. So not surprising. They're so /SHROEF
explosive,
So not surprising. They're so explosive, so many weapons

score, and I thought that he had an
incredible .
And I thought that he had an incredible second-half
confidence
performance. Q.
Q. Coach, you've been playing against the zone all year, a
lot of teams like to play zone d efense on you. They like to
play that as well, they like rotating
a lot, especially. What challenges does
. They like rotating a lot,
especially. What challenges does that bring,
their rotation in the zone? COACH JANKOVICH: You know what,
the zone, we had a favor done to us -- didn't feel like a
favor, but early in the year, and
if I'm not mistaken, it was our second game of the year in our
MT MTE, we drew Eastern Michigan,
who basically runs the Syracuse zone, and because of the fear of
that, .
And because of the fear of that, we spent an /EUPB order
/TPHAPBT amount of time way back making sure that we were going
to be advanced in zone offense,
just for that game. And
inodrinate
amount of time way back making sure that we were going to be
advanced in zone offense, just for that game. And also, as
time has gone on, knowing that we're
a little bit of an awkward matchup , we knew the first --
the first answer to bad match ups is go to go zone.
So we've spent a lot of time, as much
time, more time than I've ever as a coach spent trying to be
equal zone and man, knowing that the
kind of team we are is going to have people going back and
forth. So we're ready for both. I
honestly don't prefer one over the other. I've seen games w
here we're tremendous against both.
I've seen games as
a coach spent trying to be equal zone and man, knowing that
the kind of team we are is going to
have people going back and forth.
So we're ready for both. I honestly don't prefer one over
the other. I've seen games where
we're tremendous against both. I've
seen games where we're not so good against either one. But I
don't think that will matter. I think what'll matter the most i
s
we're ready for both. I honestly
don't prefer one over the other.
I've seen games where we're tremendous against both. I've
seen games where we're not so good
against either one. But I don't
think that will matter. I think what'll matter the most is just

our comfort level
. Q. a little bit about
the uniqueness of your team, the unique match ups
we're not so good against either one.
But I don't think that will matter. I think what'll matter
the most is just our mindset, our
confidence and our comfort level.
Q. You talked a little bit about the uniqueness of your
team, the unique match ups that SMU presents. What advantage do

in a tournament of this magnitude
magnitude? COACH JANKOVICH: Yeah. This
has been the most unique team I've ever coached in all my
years, either as assistant or a
head coach. Because of that, m ost every single team I've ever
been around has been pretty traditional. You got your big
guys, got your point guards and winnings and you kind of go from

our game these days. This team is
so fun because we really -- we don't have -- I mean

and that's just kind of our game
these days. This team is so fun
because we really -- we don't have -- I mean we
n and you kind of go from there
and that's just kind of our game
these days. This team is so fun
because we really -- we don't have -- I mean we don't
gs and you kind of go from there
and that's just kind of our game these days. This team is so
fun because we really -- we don't
have -- I mean we don't have positions.
ing and you kind of go from there
and that's just kind of our game these days. This team is so
fun because we really -- we don't
have -- I mean we don't have positions. I think
s and you kind of go from there
and that's just kind of our game these days. This team is so
fun because we really -- we don't
have -- I mean we don't have positions. I think they're five
guards. We

you kind of go from there and that's just kind of
our game these days. This team is
so fun because we really -- we don't have -- I mean we don't
have positions. I think they're five
guards. We just got five guards
on the ,
and you kind of go from there and that's just kind of our game
these days. This team is so fun
because we really -- we don't have -- I mean we don't have
positions. I think they're five guards. We just got five
guards on the floor, and it allows us
to try to get out of the
there. And that's just kind of our game these days. This team
is so fun because we really -- we
don't have -- I mean we don't have
positions. I think they're five guards. We just got five
guards on the floor, and it allows us
to try to get out of the box and
not play traditionally and make them play out of their box

really -- we don't have -- I mean we don't have positions.
I think they're five guards. We
just got five guards on the floor, and it allows us to try
to get out of the box and not play
traditionally and make them play out
of their box. I think that's the biggest thing. Out of their

hopefully we're taking some people out of their comfort
zones to guard us. And it is it has worked
well for us. It doesn't always work. Certainly we -- you know,

of the way we are,
And it has worked well for us. It doesn't always work.
Certainly we -- you know, we have some challenges because of
the way we are, but we hope that we
have more positives because of o ur
difficulty to match than we do the negatives
. Q.

from Kansas, bill Self and everybody. Will you have a
chance to get with them at all or run
into them, talk to them? COACH JANKOVICH: I'm glad I h
ave friends. I'm glad I
Bill Self and
everybody. Will you have a chance to get with them at all
or run into them, talk to them?
COACH JANKOVICH: I'm glad I have friends. I'm glad I
have friends in Kansas. That's really good to know. Sometimes
, but yeah, we've been texting. I don't know if
you're going to get together for dinner. We're a little bit
busy
. But yeah, we've been texting.
I don't know if you're going to get together for
dinner. We're a little bit busy. have been. I'm excited
that Kansas is here because I do hope that, you know
, run into
I'm excited that Kansas is here because I do hope that,
you know, run into a lot of people. I haven't been back in
a while. So it's a little extra
exciting for me that they're here

News Conference: SMU First Round Preview

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