UCLA players and coach Mick Cronin press conference transcript from Thursday here in Philly.
Q. Jaime, are you practicing today and expect to play tomorrow?
JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, I mean, I'm day-to-day, you guys will see at practice. Did some light stuff yesterday, but I'm just day-to-day right now.
Q. You guys have been through a lot of NCAA Tournament games together. Is there a favorite part for you as far as something that you've come to look forward to the most, whether -- it could be anything, just going to a meal with these guys or a walk-through or the game itself or the celebration? Is there something that's become special to you?
JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: I think just after film going to Tyger's room and playing Super Smash Bros. And being around my teammates. That's probably what I look forward to.
Q. Tyger, who's the best on the team at Super Smash Bros.?
TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, you know, everybody would be a different opinion. Some guys say me, some guys say Russ, some guys say Jaime. I haven't heard anybody say Jules really. Some guys say Cody. But me personally, I'd say I'm the best player. I'm the best all-around Smash player on the team.
Q. Who's your go-to player?
TYGER CAMPBELL: I play with King K. Rool and I use Ganondorf sometimes, but I'll go randomly get some wins, so it doesn't matter.
Q. You've talked before about how you want to be a voice for Coach on the court, and obviously being the point guard that translates pretty clearly on offense when you're distributing the ball. But on defense do you take on that role do you think or is that more everyone plays their equal part?
TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, Coach is a great defensive coach, so we all -- especially in this tournament how we've been playing defense, we all have to come together and play defense and lock in. So it's really not just one person that can do that, it's everybody being on the same page and actually wanting to play defense out there and get stops. That's what I would say.
Q. Johnny, last year getting to the Sweet 16, how is this year different in terms of you guys knowing what to expect, getting to the Final Four last year and really having a lot of these guys back in the mix?
JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, obviously we've got almost the same roster, but I do think it's a different experience. Last year obviously coming in as an 11 seed, I guess the dynamic of the games is a little different. This year we need to be sharp, play our best, handle business, and I would just say the pressures are a little bit different. You're dealing with maybe more pressure, the favorites a lot more games this year.
So just staying sharp and still -- even if you are a higher seed, still being the hunter, playing like the hunter and coming out aggressive and trying to throw the first punch.
Q. I'm wondering if you guys are reminded of yourselves a little bit when you see this Carolina team. It's a talented team that struggled early in the year, figured it out late, is playing really well coming in as a slightly higher seed in the tournament, and what it feels like to be a team like that that's figured things out down the stretch and feels like you're playing your best ball right now.
JULES BERNARD: I would say there are definitely some similar qualities. They have a lot of talent and they play hard. Like you said, they are playing some of their best basketball later on in the year.
But I feel like we've studied them a bit, quite a bit actually since we were supposed to play them early on in the season and we couldn't play them, unfortunately, due to COVID. But they're a lot different team now and we know that, and they have -- I feel like they've really bought into who they are as a team and really keying in on what they need to do to win games, and we've seen that over the past few weeks with them.
They're a great team. They're different from who they were before, and we're just prepared to fight and claw and do whatever it takes to bring out a win.
Q. Jules, to stay on that, you guys were supposed to play them earlier and they are a lot different. What are some of the noticeable differences to you guys in them now from what you studied before? And also, is it kind of cool that you finally do get a chance to play them considering you were supposed to before?
JULES BERNARD: Yeah, I feel like for one, you could just tell that there's more assertiveness on both ends. On the defensive end they play hard, and then on the offensive end I feel like they've kind of found their identity. They have some really great guards. And then obviously they have a shooter in Brady Manek and an offensive force in the post with Bacot. I feel like they understand who they are a little more now as the season -- that comes with time and experience. So as the season has come along, I feel like they've sort of found that identity, and they're playing really well right now.
Yeah, it'll be definitely fun to finally get to play them and play them at their best. We love a challenge, and it's definitely going to be a challenge and a great game. We're looking forward to it.
Q. Johnny, you've talked about the togetherness on this team. What does that feel like to you? Can you kind of unpeel that a little bit? What does that feel like, the togetherness, to be part of that, and what does that feel like to you and what does that mean to this team to have that?
JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, you can feel it. It's just the support for one another. You can feel it, and honestly I think it's just gone to a little bit more -- not that we weren't together before, but to another level when it comes to tournament time. You can feel all the touches, talking about this, talking about that, whatever. Great job on this, great job on this, look for this, look for that. You can feel the cohesion come even tighter.
I think you can feel it in a lot of ways, but it's I think at this level what you need to win. So one of the biggest things is who is the most together because there's going to be trying times. Every team, especially at this point, is great, so it's not whether or if there will be challenges, there will be, and there will be those moments in the game where things aren't going your way for certain. So the team that's really, really together can come out of that. So no, I think it's great.
Q. Jaime, are you practicing today and expect to play tomorrow?
JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, I mean, I'm day-to-day, you guys will see at practice. Did some light stuff yesterday, but I'm just day-to-day right now.
Q. You guys have been through a lot of NCAA Tournament games together. Is there a favorite part for you as far as something that you've come to look forward to the most, whether -- it could be anything, just going to a meal with these guys or a walk-through or the game itself or the celebration? Is there something that's become special to you?
JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: I think just after film going to Tyger's room and playing Super Smash Bros. And being around my teammates. That's probably what I look forward to.
Q. Tyger, who's the best on the team at Super Smash Bros.?
TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, you know, everybody would be a different opinion. Some guys say me, some guys say Russ, some guys say Jaime. I haven't heard anybody say Jules really. Some guys say Cody. But me personally, I'd say I'm the best player. I'm the best all-around Smash player on the team.
Q. Who's your go-to player?
TYGER CAMPBELL: I play with King K. Rool and I use Ganondorf sometimes, but I'll go randomly get some wins, so it doesn't matter.
Q. You've talked before about how you want to be a voice for Coach on the court, and obviously being the point guard that translates pretty clearly on offense when you're distributing the ball. But on defense do you take on that role do you think or is that more everyone plays their equal part?
TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, Coach is a great defensive coach, so we all -- especially in this tournament how we've been playing defense, we all have to come together and play defense and lock in. So it's really not just one person that can do that, it's everybody being on the same page and actually wanting to play defense out there and get stops. That's what I would say.
Q. Johnny, last year getting to the Sweet 16, how is this year different in terms of you guys knowing what to expect, getting to the Final Four last year and really having a lot of these guys back in the mix?
JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, obviously we've got almost the same roster, but I do think it's a different experience. Last year obviously coming in as an 11 seed, I guess the dynamic of the games is a little different. This year we need to be sharp, play our best, handle business, and I would just say the pressures are a little bit different. You're dealing with maybe more pressure, the favorites a lot more games this year.
So just staying sharp and still -- even if you are a higher seed, still being the hunter, playing like the hunter and coming out aggressive and trying to throw the first punch.
Q. I'm wondering if you guys are reminded of yourselves a little bit when you see this Carolina team. It's a talented team that struggled early in the year, figured it out late, is playing really well coming in as a slightly higher seed in the tournament, and what it feels like to be a team like that that's figured things out down the stretch and feels like you're playing your best ball right now.
JULES BERNARD: I would say there are definitely some similar qualities. They have a lot of talent and they play hard. Like you said, they are playing some of their best basketball later on in the year.
But I feel like we've studied them a bit, quite a bit actually since we were supposed to play them early on in the season and we couldn't play them, unfortunately, due to COVID. But they're a lot different team now and we know that, and they have -- I feel like they've really bought into who they are as a team and really keying in on what they need to do to win games, and we've seen that over the past few weeks with them.
They're a great team. They're different from who they were before, and we're just prepared to fight and claw and do whatever it takes to bring out a win.
Q. Jules, to stay on that, you guys were supposed to play them earlier and they are a lot different. What are some of the noticeable differences to you guys in them now from what you studied before? And also, is it kind of cool that you finally do get a chance to play them considering you were supposed to before?
JULES BERNARD: Yeah, I feel like for one, you could just tell that there's more assertiveness on both ends. On the defensive end they play hard, and then on the offensive end I feel like they've kind of found their identity. They have some really great guards. And then obviously they have a shooter in Brady Manek and an offensive force in the post with Bacot. I feel like they understand who they are a little more now as the season -- that comes with time and experience. So as the season has come along, I feel like they've sort of found that identity, and they're playing really well right now.
Yeah, it'll be definitely fun to finally get to play them and play them at their best. We love a challenge, and it's definitely going to be a challenge and a great game. We're looking forward to it.
Q. Johnny, you've talked about the togetherness on this team. What does that feel like to you? Can you kind of unpeel that a little bit? What does that feel like, the togetherness, to be part of that, and what does that feel like to you and what does that mean to this team to have that?
JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, you can feel it. It's just the support for one another. You can feel it, and honestly I think it's just gone to a little bit more -- not that we weren't together before, but to another level when it comes to tournament time. You can feel all the touches, talking about this, talking about that, whatever. Great job on this, great job on this, look for this, look for that. You can feel the cohesion come even tighter.
I think you can feel it in a lot of ways, but it's I think at this level what you need to win. So one of the biggest things is who is the most together because there's going to be trying times. Every team, especially at this point, is great, so it's not whether or if there will be challenges, there will be, and there will be those moments in the game where things aren't going your way for certain. So the team that's really, really together can come out of that. So no, I think it's great.
