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Not sure if these had been posted, but in case not, here you go!
Q. Nate, just wanted to ask you, going into the
tournament, normally it would be a team like
Middle Tennessee that people would be talking
about looking over. Do you guys feel looked over
with all the Blue Raiders talk this week nationally?
NATE MASON: We're really not paying no attention to
it. We know Middle Tennessee is a great team. We
got to be prepared to play.
Q. Both you guys, who do Middle Tennessee
remind you of that you played this season?
JORDAN MURPHY: I don't think they're like any team
we've played this season, to be honest. They have a
unique team and unique defense. They're kind of in a
category of their own, kind of to say it.
NATE MASON: Going off what Murph said, they got
great players. They play a weird defense. We got to
be prepared to attack it on our terms.
Q. Nate, this team obviously pulled off a huge
upset a year ago. BIG TEN style of play against
their style of play. What have you seen on film that
might concern you?
NATE MASON: They're a great offensive rebounding
team. We're a great defensive rebounding team. We
got to come out and force our will and impose
toughness right from the get-go.
Q. When you guys were going through that rough
stretch during the middle of the season, what did
you do differently to turn it around, and can you
kind of describe what it was like in that locker room
then compared to now?
JORDAN MURPHY: I think we had to look back
mentality-wise. We have to get tougher and better and
get back in practice and work even harder than we
were to get back to what we were doing during the
regular season. During that five game skid, between
then and now, I think the locker room is a lot more
optimistic. Guys have a lot of energy, really happy, too.
I mean, I think we're -- we have a good confidence
level right now and trying to keep that going.
THE MODERATOR: Anything else for the studentathletes?
Yes.
Q. Just one more quick. Nate, your fan base,
obviously you can drive here, travel, can turn this
building in a quasi home court. Yet Middle
Tennessee fits that description of a team that if
they've got a BIG TEN team like you guys down,
the building can turn.
Do you think about that at all, about how this is
kind of a double-edged sword, that this building
would be a very good venue yet can turn on you if
you're caught in the crossfire of an upset?
NATE MASON: For sure. We're definitely encouraging
all our fans to come out. We sold out of all our tickets.
It should be a pretty fun place to play. Hopefully all our
fans made the drive down. Without them we wouldn't
be what we are now. They play a big part.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, gentlemen. Good luck
tomorrow.
Please welcome Minnesota Head coach, Richard
Pitino. Questions, please.
Q. Coach, just to start, we were talking with Kermit
earlier, he told a story about going to the Kentucky
Derby with your dad. Were you there at all for that?
COACH PITINO: I was not. Sorry.
Q. Coach, congratulations on your season. Kermit
said earlier to me that you are loving all of the
attention that Middle Tennessee is getting right
now. Are you, in fact, loving it?
COACH PITINO: Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, it's
funny, I don't need to be told to respect Middle
Tennessee, probably because I was in their league and
I know how good of a coach he is and I know how hard
his players play and how good of a job he does
recruiting and getting his players better.
I didn't need that, you know, but with your players, you
Rev #1 by #274 at 2017-03-15 19:14:00 GMT page 1 of 3
never know. But I will say this, I don't think too many
teams overlook guys in the NCAA Tournament, you
know, so, we're excited about being the underdog,
been the underdog all year. So, it will be another great
opportunity.
But I think Kermit is a terrific coach. I kind of always,
whenever people talk about coaches that people may
not talk about, he's the first one on my list every single
time. So I got a bunch of respect for him and their
team.
Q. Coach, congratulations on a great year.
COACH PITINO: Thank you.
Q. Is this another typical matchup where the 12/5
just truly does not matter? I don't want to bring up
Vegas point spreads. Do you keep your kids away
from that 12/5 garbage?
COACH PITINO: We definitely don't talk point spreads
with them (laughter). Yeah. 12/5 seeds, I don't think
any of it really matters, you know. Maybe the 1 seed
may have a moderately easy game. I think Middle
Tennessee might be ranked. So, our guys know how
good they are. They've got some players that were on
last year's team who not only beat Michigan State but
won a lot of games.
You know, so, I've got a bunch of respect for them. I
think our players, when they watch the film, know it's a
terrific team. You know, they're not in my opinion a
Mid-Major team. They're a high level team. So, we
know we got to play our best game to beat them.
We're excited about that challenge.
Q. I know when you got there, Wisconsin had
already built sort of a pipeline into Minnesota for
some of the talent and still gets a few guys out of
there.
What do you think this year can be for you in terms
of that recruiting Minnesota, and also how hard has
that been to build a wall around the state?
COACH PITINO: Our state is unique because
obviously we're the only Division I school in the state
for basketball. We get a lot of people from other states
who work there because Twin Cities has a lot of great
jobs. So, other schools have been able to come in and
recruit the state.
You know, when it comes to us and recruiting the state,
we've gotten the guys for the most part that we've
wanted. We haven't gotten everybody, but you're not
always going to need everybody. You only get a
certain number of scholarships. The guys that we've
targeted since we've been here, we've been pretty
successful.
Jarvis Johnson was a guy who hasn't played for us, but
he was a very good recruit for us. Amir Coffey was
another guy that we really locked in on and wanted.
We've done a good job recruiting the state, but when
you're successful -- there's two things, success and
commitment are what are going to help you with instate
recruits. Now that we're committing to the
facilities part of it, that's going to really help. And then
obviously our team being successful, Amir being
successful, Reggie Lynch being successful. Guys that
are from the state that are playing well, that also really
helps in recruiting.
Q. (Inaudible).
COACH PITINO: Mike likes to shout out. It's okay.
Tonight we will stay in the hotel. No different routine
than anything else. We will watch film after dinner, go
over the scouting report, and then go to bed. So,
nothing abnormal than any other game.
Q. What was it like when you guys went through
the slump in the middle of the season and how --
what was it like for you as a coach and what did
you tell your players or how did you get them back
on track?
COACH PITINO: Well, losing five games in a row after
last year, that was nothing. I could handle that one.
We went two months without a win last year.
I think last year definitely equipped us for this year, you
know, because we had lost a bunch of close games
last year. And I think with Nate Mason, Dupree,
McBrayer, Jordan Murphy, they were on the court for a
lot of those games last year. So as hard as last year
was, it helped us. And when it came down to that
losing streak, there was really only one game where I
thought we didn't play well and that was at Michigan
State. The rest of them we had opportunities to win.
So, I think last year helped everybody stay pretty
composed and poised and believing that we could go
on a run. You know, fortunately we went on a big run.
I'm not sure I anticipated an 8-game winning streak. I
did think we would break through. The guys were very,
very mature about it and level-headed about it.
Q. I was just wondering if you would speak sort of
more broad-brush strokes of the Big-Ten, what it
meant this year, couple of Cinderella stories with
Michigan and Northwestern, some of your success,
how that feels as a member of the BIG TEN
Conference.
COACH PITINO: There's been a lot of talk that our
conference is down. And I think a lot of that has to do
with we may not have a lot of teams in the Top Five or
Rev #1 by #274 at 2017-03-15 19:14:00 GMT page 2 of 3
Top Ten. But there's no easy outs. I wouldn't want to
play a Wisconsin who is an 8 seed. I wouldn't want the
play a Maryland or Michigan who is a 7 or Michigan
State. Those are all tough outs. You know, to go along
with us, Purdue is obviously terrific, Northwestern is
terrific.
Our conference is full of great coaches, really smart
players who know the game, don't beat themselves,
and talented players.
So, I think we've -- if we're not in the best conference,
we're one of the best. I think it shows when you get
seven teams in the tournament.
Q. Coach, talked to Nate and Jordan and we
brought up the scenario where you have a nice fan
following. This building will turn on a dime if
Middle Tennessee starts to beat you and take over
a BIG TEN team.
You reference this as just being any other game.
You know that as well as anybody, if this building
turns, how are you prepared to have your kids
handle that?
COACH PITINO: Well, I expect a pretty good Gopher
crowd. Again, from everything that we've heard and
read, I mean, I think everybody is expecting Middle to
win. And I think Middle is really good. And I've --
again, I've known Kermit for a long time. He's one of
the best coaches in the country.
So, I don't look at it like that. I don't think our team
looks at it like that. We know it's going to be a hardfought
game. And if we do win, we beat a really, really
good team.
Q. Coach, how impressed are you with Akeem
Springs and how he's handled the injury? He's
smiling, laughing. You can tell he still feels he has
a pretty big role on this team.
COACH PITINO: Very impressed. He got hurt, it was
kind of weird because he got hurt and then a media
timeout happened right away. I didn't really notice it
because we went right into the timeout.
Then, all of a sudden, I say where is Akeem? He's
back with Ben Felz, our trainer. He comes back out
and is on crutches. He knows he's done for the rest of
the season. And I said, "Are you all right?" He looked
at me and said, "I'm fine Coach, let's go win this
game." Then after the game, we won, beat Michigan
State, he was, "Let's go get a ring, don't worry about
me."
The way that he handled that, I think is one of the
reasons why everybody has been kind of able to move
on in the right way and we battled obviously versus
Michigan. He's been really, really mature about it. His
family has been great about it. It's no surprise the way
he's handled it.
Q. Richard, this is your first time to the tournament
as a Head Coach. What lessons did you take from
your dad and Billy that's going to help you your
first time as a Head Coach here?
COACH PITINO: You know, I think more than anything,
I mean, appreciate it, you know, embrace it. It's an
awesome opportunity, but don't make it bigger than it
really needs to be. The game is really what matters.
Obviously, it's my job to prepare these guys to the best
of their ability to go play their best game, you know, so,
every tournament I've been around my dad, Billy, they
get looser as the tournament gets closer, you know.
So for me, it's probably just making sure my players
know that I'm confident in the game plan, excited about
the opportunity, making sure they're loose but also
understand they've got to execute, you know, and play
freely and just don't be a whole lot different than we've
been.
When you play in the BIG TEN, you're playing -- it's
different in a tournament, but you're obviously playing
in a high stake game. I think we'll be prepared for that
moment.
Q. Coach, you've been a team of runs at times this
year. Is there an element of your game that's
particularly good that keys those?
COACH PITINO: I would hope it's our defense. I think
we got a pretty good defense, pretty solid defense at
times, you know, so, we talk a lot about defense and
rebounding. In our league if you don't do that, you got
no shot. You know, so if we do that, we're able to get
out on the break, I think we can be effective. So, it all
stems around our defense.
THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Coach? Thank
you. Good luck, Tom.
COACH PITINO: Thank you. Thanks.
Q. Nate, just wanted to ask you, going into the
tournament, normally it would be a team like
Middle Tennessee that people would be talking
about looking over. Do you guys feel looked over
with all the Blue Raiders talk this week nationally?
NATE MASON: We're really not paying no attention to
it. We know Middle Tennessee is a great team. We
got to be prepared to play.
Q. Both you guys, who do Middle Tennessee
remind you of that you played this season?
JORDAN MURPHY: I don't think they're like any team
we've played this season, to be honest. They have a
unique team and unique defense. They're kind of in a
category of their own, kind of to say it.
NATE MASON: Going off what Murph said, they got
great players. They play a weird defense. We got to
be prepared to attack it on our terms.
Q. Nate, this team obviously pulled off a huge
upset a year ago. BIG TEN style of play against
their style of play. What have you seen on film that
might concern you?
NATE MASON: They're a great offensive rebounding
team. We're a great defensive rebounding team. We
got to come out and force our will and impose
toughness right from the get-go.
Q. When you guys were going through that rough
stretch during the middle of the season, what did
you do differently to turn it around, and can you
kind of describe what it was like in that locker room
then compared to now?
JORDAN MURPHY: I think we had to look back
mentality-wise. We have to get tougher and better and
get back in practice and work even harder than we
were to get back to what we were doing during the
regular season. During that five game skid, between
then and now, I think the locker room is a lot more
optimistic. Guys have a lot of energy, really happy, too.
I mean, I think we're -- we have a good confidence
level right now and trying to keep that going.
THE MODERATOR: Anything else for the studentathletes?
Yes.
Q. Just one more quick. Nate, your fan base,
obviously you can drive here, travel, can turn this
building in a quasi home court. Yet Middle
Tennessee fits that description of a team that if
they've got a BIG TEN team like you guys down,
the building can turn.
Do you think about that at all, about how this is
kind of a double-edged sword, that this building
would be a very good venue yet can turn on you if
you're caught in the crossfire of an upset?
NATE MASON: For sure. We're definitely encouraging
all our fans to come out. We sold out of all our tickets.
It should be a pretty fun place to play. Hopefully all our
fans made the drive down. Without them we wouldn't
be what we are now. They play a big part.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, gentlemen. Good luck
tomorrow.
Please welcome Minnesota Head coach, Richard
Pitino. Questions, please.
Q. Coach, just to start, we were talking with Kermit
earlier, he told a story about going to the Kentucky
Derby with your dad. Were you there at all for that?
COACH PITINO: I was not. Sorry.
Q. Coach, congratulations on your season. Kermit
said earlier to me that you are loving all of the
attention that Middle Tennessee is getting right
now. Are you, in fact, loving it?
COACH PITINO: Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, it's
funny, I don't need to be told to respect Middle
Tennessee, probably because I was in their league and
I know how good of a coach he is and I know how hard
his players play and how good of a job he does
recruiting and getting his players better.
I didn't need that, you know, but with your players, you
Rev #1 by #274 at 2017-03-15 19:14:00 GMT page 1 of 3
never know. But I will say this, I don't think too many
teams overlook guys in the NCAA Tournament, you
know, so, we're excited about being the underdog,
been the underdog all year. So, it will be another great
opportunity.
But I think Kermit is a terrific coach. I kind of always,
whenever people talk about coaches that people may
not talk about, he's the first one on my list every single
time. So I got a bunch of respect for him and their
team.
Q. Coach, congratulations on a great year.
COACH PITINO: Thank you.
Q. Is this another typical matchup where the 12/5
just truly does not matter? I don't want to bring up
Vegas point spreads. Do you keep your kids away
from that 12/5 garbage?
COACH PITINO: We definitely don't talk point spreads
with them (laughter). Yeah. 12/5 seeds, I don't think
any of it really matters, you know. Maybe the 1 seed
may have a moderately easy game. I think Middle
Tennessee might be ranked. So, our guys know how
good they are. They've got some players that were on
last year's team who not only beat Michigan State but
won a lot of games.
You know, so, I've got a bunch of respect for them. I
think our players, when they watch the film, know it's a
terrific team. You know, they're not in my opinion a
Mid-Major team. They're a high level team. So, we
know we got to play our best game to beat them.
We're excited about that challenge.
Q. I know when you got there, Wisconsin had
already built sort of a pipeline into Minnesota for
some of the talent and still gets a few guys out of
there.
What do you think this year can be for you in terms
of that recruiting Minnesota, and also how hard has
that been to build a wall around the state?
COACH PITINO: Our state is unique because
obviously we're the only Division I school in the state
for basketball. We get a lot of people from other states
who work there because Twin Cities has a lot of great
jobs. So, other schools have been able to come in and
recruit the state.
You know, when it comes to us and recruiting the state,
we've gotten the guys for the most part that we've
wanted. We haven't gotten everybody, but you're not
always going to need everybody. You only get a
certain number of scholarships. The guys that we've
targeted since we've been here, we've been pretty
successful.
Jarvis Johnson was a guy who hasn't played for us, but
he was a very good recruit for us. Amir Coffey was
another guy that we really locked in on and wanted.
We've done a good job recruiting the state, but when
you're successful -- there's two things, success and
commitment are what are going to help you with instate
recruits. Now that we're committing to the
facilities part of it, that's going to really help. And then
obviously our team being successful, Amir being
successful, Reggie Lynch being successful. Guys that
are from the state that are playing well, that also really
helps in recruiting.
Q. (Inaudible).
COACH PITINO: Mike likes to shout out. It's okay.
Tonight we will stay in the hotel. No different routine
than anything else. We will watch film after dinner, go
over the scouting report, and then go to bed. So,
nothing abnormal than any other game.
Q. What was it like when you guys went through
the slump in the middle of the season and how --
what was it like for you as a coach and what did
you tell your players or how did you get them back
on track?
COACH PITINO: Well, losing five games in a row after
last year, that was nothing. I could handle that one.
We went two months without a win last year.
I think last year definitely equipped us for this year, you
know, because we had lost a bunch of close games
last year. And I think with Nate Mason, Dupree,
McBrayer, Jordan Murphy, they were on the court for a
lot of those games last year. So as hard as last year
was, it helped us. And when it came down to that
losing streak, there was really only one game where I
thought we didn't play well and that was at Michigan
State. The rest of them we had opportunities to win.
So, I think last year helped everybody stay pretty
composed and poised and believing that we could go
on a run. You know, fortunately we went on a big run.
I'm not sure I anticipated an 8-game winning streak. I
did think we would break through. The guys were very,
very mature about it and level-headed about it.
Q. I was just wondering if you would speak sort of
more broad-brush strokes of the Big-Ten, what it
meant this year, couple of Cinderella stories with
Michigan and Northwestern, some of your success,
how that feels as a member of the BIG TEN
Conference.
COACH PITINO: There's been a lot of talk that our
conference is down. And I think a lot of that has to do
with we may not have a lot of teams in the Top Five or
Rev #1 by #274 at 2017-03-15 19:14:00 GMT page 2 of 3
Top Ten. But there's no easy outs. I wouldn't want to
play a Wisconsin who is an 8 seed. I wouldn't want the
play a Maryland or Michigan who is a 7 or Michigan
State. Those are all tough outs. You know, to go along
with us, Purdue is obviously terrific, Northwestern is
terrific.
Our conference is full of great coaches, really smart
players who know the game, don't beat themselves,
and talented players.
So, I think we've -- if we're not in the best conference,
we're one of the best. I think it shows when you get
seven teams in the tournament.
Q. Coach, talked to Nate and Jordan and we
brought up the scenario where you have a nice fan
following. This building will turn on a dime if
Middle Tennessee starts to beat you and take over
a BIG TEN team.
You reference this as just being any other game.
You know that as well as anybody, if this building
turns, how are you prepared to have your kids
handle that?
COACH PITINO: Well, I expect a pretty good Gopher
crowd. Again, from everything that we've heard and
read, I mean, I think everybody is expecting Middle to
win. And I think Middle is really good. And I've --
again, I've known Kermit for a long time. He's one of
the best coaches in the country.
So, I don't look at it like that. I don't think our team
looks at it like that. We know it's going to be a hardfought
game. And if we do win, we beat a really, really
good team.
Q. Coach, how impressed are you with Akeem
Springs and how he's handled the injury? He's
smiling, laughing. You can tell he still feels he has
a pretty big role on this team.
COACH PITINO: Very impressed. He got hurt, it was
kind of weird because he got hurt and then a media
timeout happened right away. I didn't really notice it
because we went right into the timeout.
Then, all of a sudden, I say where is Akeem? He's
back with Ben Felz, our trainer. He comes back out
and is on crutches. He knows he's done for the rest of
the season. And I said, "Are you all right?" He looked
at me and said, "I'm fine Coach, let's go win this
game." Then after the game, we won, beat Michigan
State, he was, "Let's go get a ring, don't worry about
me."
The way that he handled that, I think is one of the
reasons why everybody has been kind of able to move
on in the right way and we battled obviously versus
Michigan. He's been really, really mature about it. His
family has been great about it. It's no surprise the way
he's handled it.
Q. Richard, this is your first time to the tournament
as a Head Coach. What lessons did you take from
your dad and Billy that's going to help you your
first time as a Head Coach here?
COACH PITINO: You know, I think more than anything,
I mean, appreciate it, you know, embrace it. It's an
awesome opportunity, but don't make it bigger than it
really needs to be. The game is really what matters.
Obviously, it's my job to prepare these guys to the best
of their ability to go play their best game, you know, so,
every tournament I've been around my dad, Billy, they
get looser as the tournament gets closer, you know.
So for me, it's probably just making sure my players
know that I'm confident in the game plan, excited about
the opportunity, making sure they're loose but also
understand they've got to execute, you know, and play
freely and just don't be a whole lot different than we've
been.
When you play in the BIG TEN, you're playing -- it's
different in a tournament, but you're obviously playing
in a high stake game. I think we'll be prepared for that
moment.
Q. Coach, you've been a team of runs at times this
year. Is there an element of your game that's
particularly good that keys those?
COACH PITINO: I would hope it's our defense. I think
we got a pretty good defense, pretty solid defense at
times, you know, so, we talk a lot about defense and
rebounding. In our league if you don't do that, you got
no shot. You know, so if we do that, we're able to get
out on the break, I think we can be effective. So, it all
stems around our defense.
THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Coach? Thank
you. Good luck, Tom.
COACH PITINO: Thank you. Thanks.
