University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
NCAA Tournament, Press Conference Quotes
NCAA TOURNAMENT, PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena)
ย
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Menโs Head Basketball Coach
opening remarks
โIt's great to be here. I just told these guys walking over, I haven't been here since '01 when Ashley Judd came in the locker room, and then I walked out with Coach Pitino to the loudest boo I have ever heard. It's good to be back in Rupp. I'm honored to be a part of that moment. Never forget that, of course, then he got cheered. He came back for Midnight Madness and got cheered. Obviously, all seriousness, we're excited to be here. Before you ask, we're used to the travel. It is what it is. It's old hat for us now. So our mind is on the game. Probably helps us that we got a night game, and usually in the Big Ten the team โ or always in the Big Ten the team we're playing didn't have to travel as well. Our opponent had to travel as well. I think it probably helps us. We are able to adjust today and have a bit later of a game tomorrow, instead of last week where we had a day game after we traveled. Got a lot of respect for Jerrod. He is a very good friend of mine, Coach Calhoun with the Aggies. So let 'em fly.โ
ย
on various ways he has tried to get his team ready for the NCAA Tournament
โI will give you big and small. Big picture, we talk about it in recruiting โ it's a responsibility that when you go to UCLA, there is an expectation level. When you have so many Final Fours, 18 or 19, you can't remember, you are at a school like that, right? A lot of my friends, be it Kelly in softball, Margueritte in soccer, Adam in water polo, since I've been there, there's been so many people I know that have won a national championship. John Savage is a good friend of mine. It's been a while, but he's won one. It's kind of just the way it is at UCLA. You try to embed that into your players as you recruit them as well. Look, you have got to understand the score, right? I would be remiss if I didn't try to, I understood the score when I took the job. I think it's important that you impart that on your players as well. On a smaller thing, everything matters. An out-of-bounds play, whether it's offense or defense, could decide whether you go home or not or you move on. The details that I try to be so demanding on with these guys during the season, there is a reason. It's all for this moment. To try to advance and win this tournament. That's just the way we operate. We talked about it again today as you're going over, you know, a special situation and how important one detail and one play can be."
ย
on conference realignment and menโs basketball resources he has seen in the Big Ten compared to the Pac-12
โI donโt think we've met before. I keep it real. The guy with the best players usually wins. There are multiple books with Coach Wooden's name on it, in quotes. In almost every instance of his interviews, he says usually when two teams play, the guy with the best players usually wins. Right now, the team with the most money usually has the best players. Usually. Usually. There have been some teams that have done great in the portal, like us, without the most money. And getting guys like Tyler Bilodeau, Eric Dailey, guys that were not ranked as big-time portal guys by your people that do that, that you work for. And it's like that in every sport, right? In free agency, guy goes under the radar and becomes a great pickup, like the Dodgers had last year at the end of July. Back to Coach Wooden, the team with the best players usually wins. We were in a window where if you had one donor, it could change the world for you, with NIL and collectives, and all rules were thrown out as far as regulating that. Now we're transitioning to the revenue share model, pending the approval of the settlement and how that's all going to shake out. Will there be NIL, will there not? Is the Deloitte thing going to work? That's going to be challenged in court. It's a wild time to be a coach, my friend. But the guy with the best players usually wins. And the team with the most money has the chance to get the best players. They don't always do that. But that's just the era we are in. Does that get you to what your answer is? I wouldn't say it isnโt a per SEC thing. I think it's a per school thing. And you're asking me about the Big Ten. I can't speak to [it], because it's all speculation, you know. It's like some agent tells me somebody else offered you a million dollars, well, he's probably lying. He's just trying to drive the price up. And nobody wants to admit what they spent on their team, right? Nobody wants to admit it. They want to act like they did a great job recruiting, okay? That's just how guys are in our business. I got problems, but that ain't one of them. I'll tell you exactly what it is. I just don't care. Some people think they need to play cat and mouse with that stuff. You're going to miss, you're not going to miss. I think it's a per program. I don't think it's a conference thing. I could be wrong with that. Because think of Ohio State football. Just because they spent what everybody says they spent versus what Illinois spent. But Coach Bielema did a great job. They had a hell of a year. But just because they're in the same league, it was probably like that, right? I don't think it's a per league thing. And then who knows. Every coach that gets up here is praying that we will have some semblance of uniformity of some way where we all are playing on the same field or at least close to the same field. But who knows.โ
ย
on what appealed to him about Skyy Clark and whatโs impressed him the most about Skyy
โOne, I've known him since he was in ninth or tenth grade. So I know what type of guy he is. He never wanted to leave L.A., and I didn't want him to leave L.A. Things happen. You know, things happen. Our recruiting, it was, I got a text, โCoach, I want to come. I want to come home.โ I said, โCall me when you're free,โ and that was the end of that. I've known him. What has surprised me most about him is his tenacity and toughness on the defensive end. Because when you're watching a guy in high school, you're looking at his talent level and all that. How good he's been on that end, and then how much he's grown up. Because he's been through so much adversity this year with his father's illness. It's been a huge challenge for him. I'm really proud of him and the person and the young man that he has become. Look, he's talked about it with Ben a little bit, but I can't tell you how hard it's been for him and his family, for him to be โ I was worried that he was going to need to just take the year off. Obviously, I would have supported him, but we needed him. He's played through it, and he's been a huge part of our success.โ
ย
on UCLA student manager Finn Barkenaes securing an NIL deal
โHow about that? I'm jealous. That's what I just told him. They just told me in the locker room. They were making fun of him back there โ something about how he canโt drink a certain kind of drink because he's got an NIL deal. I was looking around, and they said, no, it's true. And I said, you can't cut me in on it? I'm trying to make all the NIL money I can before I retire, man. I'm honest about it. Can I get in on it? Finn is great. Jack [Williams], Finn, and Trey [Doty], I will tell you that in my career, I've been blessed with a lot of guys. I've had guys go on to be Secret Service agents. I've had guys go on to coaching. And I try to talk them all out of coaching โ doesn't always work. I think we have placed like five guys since we've been at UCLA that are coaching. But you know these guys got into UCLA in the modern times on their own. They should not be coaching. I tell them all, โYou are way too smart. Your credentials are way better than ours.โ I used to tell them no, and then they go to the assistants who help them get jobs. I try to talk them out. I'm like, โI told you no, you don't want to be a coach.โ So we'll see how it goes. But Finn is awesome. We've got some young guys in the wings. But when you coach at a place like UCLA, where it's so hard to get in, almost impossible, you get the cream of the crop of students. Our guys reach out to us because they played in high school. So they want to stay involved, but they were the valedictorian at whatever high school they were at -- if you could invest in people like the stock market, I would tell you guys just come to UCLA and invest in all the student managers. You cannot lose. They're so impressive. But they don't need to go into coaching. I beg them. They can have a much bigger impact on the world. Kind of like when I told Myles Johnson not to play an extra year. He can change the world, go up north, Silicon Valley, write code, and that's what he's doing. He can have a greater impact on our world than me telling him to block shots, working for IBM, doing software and hardware stuff. If he's listening, Myles, when he comes up with his own idea, I want to be able to invest at the beginning. He promised me that.โ
ย
on this region in the tournament bracket having five coaches with something like a combined seven Final Fours, and how those coaches have not yet won the national title
โLook, our tournament is crazy. It's one and out, neutral sites, but they might not be neutral, depending on who you're playing, right? Injuries happen, officiating happens and luck happens. You saw the last play of that game last night, right? Alabama State? So our tournament is crazy. There are so many great coaches that haven't been to a Final Four or won a title. It's unbelievable. It really, really is. That is how people get crowned and they get into the Hall of Fame and stuff like that. But, again, with all due respect, there are certain people that, just look at the NBA, Coach Jackson. I've read all his books. I got unbelievable respect for him. But when Michael [Jordan] went to play baseball, kinda wasn't the same, I mean, that's just one example. And there can be many, many examples. I don't know what region we're in, by the way. How about that? I know we play Utah State, and I do know who the other game is, other than that with this pod system. I know Louisville is here, but I don't know if they're in our region. Are they?โ
ย
on matching up against Utah State, tendencies, and facing a match-up zone
โLook, you have to be prepared. I would say โ I played it. I know where he got it, the same person, Ralph Willard is the father of it, and he is a friend and mentor of mine, from Holy Cross, when he went to it. I played it at Cincinnati. I can tell you from experience, if a team is not prepared for it, it can mess you up big time. That's number one. Number two, Jerrod is a young guy, he's younger than me, and we're very close. But before these guys all hired analytics people, we all kind of knew when I was starting out with Rick Pitino and Bob Huggins that the easiest way to score was before the defense got back. I don't know if you need to pay an analytics guy to tell you that. And the faster you run your offense โ you have to use these terms, or you're not a cool, young, hip coach, but if you don't run your offense with precision and cuts like Pete Carril did, they ran it the way they ran it, and if you could slow it down, it's not as effective. I would just tell you this. I'm a block and tackle guy. The game hasn't changed. Don't get screened. If you get screened, and they don't get screened, you're in trouble. If you don't get blocked out, you're in business. You get blocked out all the time, you get screened all the time, you're probably going to lose. Nowadays there's a lot of terms that have to be used for all that type of stuff. Like practice with intention. How about just practice really hard. I left out the adjective. But now you have to do things with intention. Times change and, you know, you gotta use certain verbiage, makes you look smarter. But Jerrod is a great coach. He's a great young guy. Utah State has been on a run. They got Coach Sprinkle, before that Coach Odom, and now they got Jerrod Calhoun. I don't know how long they're going to keep him, but he's really, really good, done an unbelievable job there. To come in and do what he's done, you know, when you lose a guy like Great Osobor.โ
ย
UCLA senior guard Kobe Johnson
on what has jumped out on film about Utah State
โThey're definitely a good team, a physical team. They like to get around on defense, try to force teams into turnovers. But going into the game, treat them like any other team. It's a new season, basically. So they're going to come with their best game, and we're going to come with our best game, and we're just going to stick to the game plan.โ
ย
on his excitement level to be playing in the NCAA Tournament
โYou know, this is what we worked so hard all season for. It's what we gone through practices for so we work for, and it's what we lost for and won for. And everybody wants to play in this tournament, so we just gotta come out, play our way of basketball, and do all the little things. Like I said, there's not going to be any easy games in this tournament, so we got to be ready to play every single game.โ
ย
on what motivates him to excel in this NCAA Tournament
โWe play for the name across our chest, and this program holds a lot of weight in college basketball history, so coming into this tournament we gotta be able to uphold that standard, and we gotta show people why we are meant to be here. We've gotta go out here and prove a lot of people wrong. I know a lot of people are down on us right now, and we gotta go out there and handle business.โ
ย
UCLA sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr.
on what heโs seen on film about upcoming opponent Utah State
โYeah, piggybacking off what Kobe said, they're an aggressive defensive team. They get a lot of steals and fly around a lot. They're a very fast-paced team. We got to stick to our game plan. We play good defense, aggressive as well. And we play a great system of basketball. So as long as we keep playing our best brand and they're going to play their best brand, may the best man win.โ
ย
on adjustments he had to make as he transferred from Oklahoma State to UCLA
โI think the adjustment just having โ we had a whole new team come into UCLA this year. We all grew as one. Just my adjustment was just come in, play hard, give the team energy, as much as I can. And as we got on towards the year, getting more comfortable in the system. As a team we've grown together, and I feel like we're one right now. You can't be stopped when everybody is on the same page. So I feel like everybody is on the same page and clicking. So we're good.โ
ย
on former teammate Brandon Garrison now playing for Kentucky and what that relationship is like
โYeah, Brandon Garrison is my guy. We won the gold medal together at USA Basketball before going to Oklahoma State. I talked to him last night. We called each other. I was like, โI'm in your hometown.โ And he was telling me good luck and stuff in the tournament. Yeah, we got that connection. We came in as freshmen together, and I'm glad to see how he's doing in his season as well.โ
ย
on his level of excitement to compete in the NCAA Tournament
โYeah, I'm super excited to be here. This is definitely a dream come true, and making a deep run, that's what everybody wants. I remember as a kid growing up making the different shot clock situations as a kid and being in the tournament and national championship game, and now it's actually here. It could be a possibility for us now. I just thank God for the opportunity to be here.โ
ย
on motivation to advance in the NCAA Tournament
โI think coming to a school like this, the goal is to get the trophy. I think that's the motivating factor for us. Making the tournament is the first step to that, and we was all excited for that, but we know there is real work to be done, and we will be getting in it.โ
ย
UCLA junior Skyy Clark
on what he has seen on film with Utah State
โI think the toughest team is going to come out on top. Going in, being the toughest team, paying attention to the little details, like boxing out and getting offensive rebounds will be the deciding factor.โ
ย
on the excitement to make the NCAA Tournament
โThis is something I dreamed about as a kid, playing at this level, and the fact that I'm here is a super surreal moment, and I know everybody on the team is just super excited for tomorrow.โ
ย
on motivation to advance in the NCAA Tournament
โI say for everybody on the team, that trophy at the end of this tournament. It looks very nice, it's a very beautiful trophy, and I know everybody on the team would like to put their hands on it. I think that's what's kept us going for sure.โ
ย
on his personal journey and now having the chance to play in the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena
โIt's been a lot of hard work, definitely confusing at times, definitely hard at times, there was a lot of low moments, a lot of high moments. But I think this season has been a testament to everything that's happened, and I'm with the โ I love this team to death. I love the coaching staff, I love the players. I love everyone involved, and I've just been super happy here, playing freely. I think this thing has been a whole testament to my journey.โ
ย
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena)
ย
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Menโs Head Basketball Coach
opening remarks
โIt's great to be here. I just told these guys walking over, I haven't been here since '01 when Ashley Judd came in the locker room, and then I walked out with Coach Pitino to the loudest boo I have ever heard. It's good to be back in Rupp. I'm honored to be a part of that moment. Never forget that, of course, then he got cheered. He came back for Midnight Madness and got cheered. Obviously, all seriousness, we're excited to be here. Before you ask, we're used to the travel. It is what it is. It's old hat for us now. So our mind is on the game. Probably helps us that we got a night game, and usually in the Big Ten the team โ or always in the Big Ten the team we're playing didn't have to travel as well. Our opponent had to travel as well. I think it probably helps us. We are able to adjust today and have a bit later of a game tomorrow, instead of last week where we had a day game after we traveled. Got a lot of respect for Jerrod. He is a very good friend of mine, Coach Calhoun with the Aggies. So let 'em fly.โ
ย
on various ways he has tried to get his team ready for the NCAA Tournament
โI will give you big and small. Big picture, we talk about it in recruiting โ it's a responsibility that when you go to UCLA, there is an expectation level. When you have so many Final Fours, 18 or 19, you can't remember, you are at a school like that, right? A lot of my friends, be it Kelly in softball, Margueritte in soccer, Adam in water polo, since I've been there, there's been so many people I know that have won a national championship. John Savage is a good friend of mine. It's been a while, but he's won one. It's kind of just the way it is at UCLA. You try to embed that into your players as you recruit them as well. Look, you have got to understand the score, right? I would be remiss if I didn't try to, I understood the score when I took the job. I think it's important that you impart that on your players as well. On a smaller thing, everything matters. An out-of-bounds play, whether it's offense or defense, could decide whether you go home or not or you move on. The details that I try to be so demanding on with these guys during the season, there is a reason. It's all for this moment. To try to advance and win this tournament. That's just the way we operate. We talked about it again today as you're going over, you know, a special situation and how important one detail and one play can be."
ย
on conference realignment and menโs basketball resources he has seen in the Big Ten compared to the Pac-12
โI donโt think we've met before. I keep it real. The guy with the best players usually wins. There are multiple books with Coach Wooden's name on it, in quotes. In almost every instance of his interviews, he says usually when two teams play, the guy with the best players usually wins. Right now, the team with the most money usually has the best players. Usually. Usually. There have been some teams that have done great in the portal, like us, without the most money. And getting guys like Tyler Bilodeau, Eric Dailey, guys that were not ranked as big-time portal guys by your people that do that, that you work for. And it's like that in every sport, right? In free agency, guy goes under the radar and becomes a great pickup, like the Dodgers had last year at the end of July. Back to Coach Wooden, the team with the best players usually wins. We were in a window where if you had one donor, it could change the world for you, with NIL and collectives, and all rules were thrown out as far as regulating that. Now we're transitioning to the revenue share model, pending the approval of the settlement and how that's all going to shake out. Will there be NIL, will there not? Is the Deloitte thing going to work? That's going to be challenged in court. It's a wild time to be a coach, my friend. But the guy with the best players usually wins. And the team with the most money has the chance to get the best players. They don't always do that. But that's just the era we are in. Does that get you to what your answer is? I wouldn't say it isnโt a per SEC thing. I think it's a per school thing. And you're asking me about the Big Ten. I can't speak to [it], because it's all speculation, you know. It's like some agent tells me somebody else offered you a million dollars, well, he's probably lying. He's just trying to drive the price up. And nobody wants to admit what they spent on their team, right? Nobody wants to admit it. They want to act like they did a great job recruiting, okay? That's just how guys are in our business. I got problems, but that ain't one of them. I'll tell you exactly what it is. I just don't care. Some people think they need to play cat and mouse with that stuff. You're going to miss, you're not going to miss. I think it's a per program. I don't think it's a conference thing. I could be wrong with that. Because think of Ohio State football. Just because they spent what everybody says they spent versus what Illinois spent. But Coach Bielema did a great job. They had a hell of a year. But just because they're in the same league, it was probably like that, right? I don't think it's a per league thing. And then who knows. Every coach that gets up here is praying that we will have some semblance of uniformity of some way where we all are playing on the same field or at least close to the same field. But who knows.โ
ย
on what appealed to him about Skyy Clark and whatโs impressed him the most about Skyy
โOne, I've known him since he was in ninth or tenth grade. So I know what type of guy he is. He never wanted to leave L.A., and I didn't want him to leave L.A. Things happen. You know, things happen. Our recruiting, it was, I got a text, โCoach, I want to come. I want to come home.โ I said, โCall me when you're free,โ and that was the end of that. I've known him. What has surprised me most about him is his tenacity and toughness on the defensive end. Because when you're watching a guy in high school, you're looking at his talent level and all that. How good he's been on that end, and then how much he's grown up. Because he's been through so much adversity this year with his father's illness. It's been a huge challenge for him. I'm really proud of him and the person and the young man that he has become. Look, he's talked about it with Ben a little bit, but I can't tell you how hard it's been for him and his family, for him to be โ I was worried that he was going to need to just take the year off. Obviously, I would have supported him, but we needed him. He's played through it, and he's been a huge part of our success.โ
ย
on UCLA student manager Finn Barkenaes securing an NIL deal
โHow about that? I'm jealous. That's what I just told him. They just told me in the locker room. They were making fun of him back there โ something about how he canโt drink a certain kind of drink because he's got an NIL deal. I was looking around, and they said, no, it's true. And I said, you can't cut me in on it? I'm trying to make all the NIL money I can before I retire, man. I'm honest about it. Can I get in on it? Finn is great. Jack [Williams], Finn, and Trey [Doty], I will tell you that in my career, I've been blessed with a lot of guys. I've had guys go on to be Secret Service agents. I've had guys go on to coaching. And I try to talk them all out of coaching โ doesn't always work. I think we have placed like five guys since we've been at UCLA that are coaching. But you know these guys got into UCLA in the modern times on their own. They should not be coaching. I tell them all, โYou are way too smart. Your credentials are way better than ours.โ I used to tell them no, and then they go to the assistants who help them get jobs. I try to talk them out. I'm like, โI told you no, you don't want to be a coach.โ So we'll see how it goes. But Finn is awesome. We've got some young guys in the wings. But when you coach at a place like UCLA, where it's so hard to get in, almost impossible, you get the cream of the crop of students. Our guys reach out to us because they played in high school. So they want to stay involved, but they were the valedictorian at whatever high school they were at -- if you could invest in people like the stock market, I would tell you guys just come to UCLA and invest in all the student managers. You cannot lose. They're so impressive. But they don't need to go into coaching. I beg them. They can have a much bigger impact on the world. Kind of like when I told Myles Johnson not to play an extra year. He can change the world, go up north, Silicon Valley, write code, and that's what he's doing. He can have a greater impact on our world than me telling him to block shots, working for IBM, doing software and hardware stuff. If he's listening, Myles, when he comes up with his own idea, I want to be able to invest at the beginning. He promised me that.โ
ย
on this region in the tournament bracket having five coaches with something like a combined seven Final Fours, and how those coaches have not yet won the national title
โLook, our tournament is crazy. It's one and out, neutral sites, but they might not be neutral, depending on who you're playing, right? Injuries happen, officiating happens and luck happens. You saw the last play of that game last night, right? Alabama State? So our tournament is crazy. There are so many great coaches that haven't been to a Final Four or won a title. It's unbelievable. It really, really is. That is how people get crowned and they get into the Hall of Fame and stuff like that. But, again, with all due respect, there are certain people that, just look at the NBA, Coach Jackson. I've read all his books. I got unbelievable respect for him. But when Michael [Jordan] went to play baseball, kinda wasn't the same, I mean, that's just one example. And there can be many, many examples. I don't know what region we're in, by the way. How about that? I know we play Utah State, and I do know who the other game is, other than that with this pod system. I know Louisville is here, but I don't know if they're in our region. Are they?โ
ย
on matching up against Utah State, tendencies, and facing a match-up zone
โLook, you have to be prepared. I would say โ I played it. I know where he got it, the same person, Ralph Willard is the father of it, and he is a friend and mentor of mine, from Holy Cross, when he went to it. I played it at Cincinnati. I can tell you from experience, if a team is not prepared for it, it can mess you up big time. That's number one. Number two, Jerrod is a young guy, he's younger than me, and we're very close. But before these guys all hired analytics people, we all kind of knew when I was starting out with Rick Pitino and Bob Huggins that the easiest way to score was before the defense got back. I don't know if you need to pay an analytics guy to tell you that. And the faster you run your offense โ you have to use these terms, or you're not a cool, young, hip coach, but if you don't run your offense with precision and cuts like Pete Carril did, they ran it the way they ran it, and if you could slow it down, it's not as effective. I would just tell you this. I'm a block and tackle guy. The game hasn't changed. Don't get screened. If you get screened, and they don't get screened, you're in trouble. If you don't get blocked out, you're in business. You get blocked out all the time, you get screened all the time, you're probably going to lose. Nowadays there's a lot of terms that have to be used for all that type of stuff. Like practice with intention. How about just practice really hard. I left out the adjective. But now you have to do things with intention. Times change and, you know, you gotta use certain verbiage, makes you look smarter. But Jerrod is a great coach. He's a great young guy. Utah State has been on a run. They got Coach Sprinkle, before that Coach Odom, and now they got Jerrod Calhoun. I don't know how long they're going to keep him, but he's really, really good, done an unbelievable job there. To come in and do what he's done, you know, when you lose a guy like Great Osobor.โ
ย
UCLA senior guard Kobe Johnson
on what has jumped out on film about Utah State
โThey're definitely a good team, a physical team. They like to get around on defense, try to force teams into turnovers. But going into the game, treat them like any other team. It's a new season, basically. So they're going to come with their best game, and we're going to come with our best game, and we're just going to stick to the game plan.โ
ย
on his excitement level to be playing in the NCAA Tournament
โYou know, this is what we worked so hard all season for. It's what we gone through practices for so we work for, and it's what we lost for and won for. And everybody wants to play in this tournament, so we just gotta come out, play our way of basketball, and do all the little things. Like I said, there's not going to be any easy games in this tournament, so we got to be ready to play every single game.โ
ย
on what motivates him to excel in this NCAA Tournament
โWe play for the name across our chest, and this program holds a lot of weight in college basketball history, so coming into this tournament we gotta be able to uphold that standard, and we gotta show people why we are meant to be here. We've gotta go out here and prove a lot of people wrong. I know a lot of people are down on us right now, and we gotta go out there and handle business.โ
ย
UCLA sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr.
on what heโs seen on film about upcoming opponent Utah State
โYeah, piggybacking off what Kobe said, they're an aggressive defensive team. They get a lot of steals and fly around a lot. They're a very fast-paced team. We got to stick to our game plan. We play good defense, aggressive as well. And we play a great system of basketball. So as long as we keep playing our best brand and they're going to play their best brand, may the best man win.โ
ย
on adjustments he had to make as he transferred from Oklahoma State to UCLA
โI think the adjustment just having โ we had a whole new team come into UCLA this year. We all grew as one. Just my adjustment was just come in, play hard, give the team energy, as much as I can. And as we got on towards the year, getting more comfortable in the system. As a team we've grown together, and I feel like we're one right now. You can't be stopped when everybody is on the same page. So I feel like everybody is on the same page and clicking. So we're good.โ
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on former teammate Brandon Garrison now playing for Kentucky and what that relationship is like
โYeah, Brandon Garrison is my guy. We won the gold medal together at USA Basketball before going to Oklahoma State. I talked to him last night. We called each other. I was like, โI'm in your hometown.โ And he was telling me good luck and stuff in the tournament. Yeah, we got that connection. We came in as freshmen together, and I'm glad to see how he's doing in his season as well.โ
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on his level of excitement to compete in the NCAA Tournament
โYeah, I'm super excited to be here. This is definitely a dream come true, and making a deep run, that's what everybody wants. I remember as a kid growing up making the different shot clock situations as a kid and being in the tournament and national championship game, and now it's actually here. It could be a possibility for us now. I just thank God for the opportunity to be here.โ
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on motivation to advance in the NCAA Tournament
โI think coming to a school like this, the goal is to get the trophy. I think that's the motivating factor for us. Making the tournament is the first step to that, and we was all excited for that, but we know there is real work to be done, and we will be getting in it.โ
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UCLA junior Skyy Clark
on what he has seen on film with Utah State
โI think the toughest team is going to come out on top. Going in, being the toughest team, paying attention to the little details, like boxing out and getting offensive rebounds will be the deciding factor.โ
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on the excitement to make the NCAA Tournament
โThis is something I dreamed about as a kid, playing at this level, and the fact that I'm here is a super surreal moment, and I know everybody on the team is just super excited for tomorrow.โ
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on motivation to advance in the NCAA Tournament
โI say for everybody on the team, that trophy at the end of this tournament. It looks very nice, it's a very beautiful trophy, and I know everybody on the team would like to put their hands on it. I think that's what's kept us going for sure.โ
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on his personal journey and now having the chance to play in the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena
โIt's been a lot of hard work, definitely confusing at times, definitely hard at times, there was a lot of low moments, a lot of high moments. But I think this season has been a testament to everything that's happened, and I'm with the โ I love this team to death. I love the coaching staff, I love the players. I love everyone involved, and I've just been super happy here, playing freely. I think this thing has been a whole testament to my journey.โ
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