home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR


April 5, 2015


Sam Dekker

Josh Gasser

Nigel Hayes

Frank Kaminsky

Bo Ryan


INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

THE MODERATOR: We'll begin with an opening statement from Coach Ryan and then go to questions.

COACH RYAN: Well, just very proud to represent our university and the Big Ten in this next matchup for the championship. It's exciting. Hopefully all the players will stay healthy between now and tomorrow. We're looking forward to it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It didn't seem like Frank had a ton of big-time scholarship offers out of high school. What stood out in him to you? Did you see this evolution coming?
COACH RYAN: Well, yeah, we've had this question quite a bit. I can't answer it in any other way other than the fact that when I saw Frank play, you know, one of my assistant coaches had seen him, then I go to see him. His ball skills for his size looked pretty good. I like that in a big man. And he loved playing the game. It seemed like it mattered to him whether or not he won a game or lost a game. In some people, when you watch them play, you just never get that sense. So a big guy that's competitive that was willing to work, great student, athletic parents that were good students - at least that's what they told me, Frank (smiling). Then he came in and he had some big guys to play against every day. You can't help but to get better. Then he played on the perimeter some. In our offense, you go inside, outside for guys his size. He's made the most of being in a program where those are points of emphasis. develop your total game in different drills. It's not just like guards can only do this, bigs can only do this. So Frank took advantage of every learning opportunity he had and he just kept making himself better. And he's going to be even better next year and the year after.

Q. Frank and Bo, we had this unfortunate incident with Andrew's comments. Frank, has he reached out to you? Your reaction to it? Bo, I know you're a teacher. I'm not trying to get you to pile on, but is this a teachable moment? Can everyone learn something from what happened last night?
FRANK KAMINSKY: Yeah, he reached out to me. We talked about it. Over it. Nothing needs to be made out of it.

COACH RYAN: Yeah, in this day and age, it always reminds all of us. It reminds us that whatever we say can and will be heard, it seems. So, yeah, the teaching moment is the individual himself learned from it obviously by reaching out to Frank. So we'll leave it at that.

Q. Bo, you know how this business works, despite what your program has accomplished in the last two years, what does winning the national championship do for what Wisconsin basketball is all about?
COACH RYAN: I don't know about perception. I do know these guys have established themselves as being a pretty good group of young men that have come together and kind of reminds me of the '07/'08 team. Unfortunately those two teams, each one of them had a major injury to a player that didn't get to finish. So we didn't make as deep a run in the NCAA tournament. But these guys remind me of that group. They remind me of the '05 group. Whatever this team accomplishes Monday night, one way or the other, it's still who they are. They proudly have represented the University of Wisconsin, the Big Ten. I'm never really concerned if there are people that perceive us a certain way because we are who we are. We play the way we play. We're sure happy with it. So we can live with that.

Q. Bo, a lot of attention this year to lack of scoring in college basketball, does there need to be rules changes? You and Duke are very good at it. Have you cracked the code?
COACH RYAN: Well, having players that have worked as hard as they have worked to get to this point where they are, a lot of people are talented coming out of high school, it's what people do with what they have. They've done an awful lot of positive things. Scoring is down one three-point basket a game. If people want to get nervous, break out, have problems with that, I feel sorry for 'em. You know, it's just amazing. Still, you can watch a basketball game and you can see a score, and they'll say what a great defensive battle it was. When we're involved in those games, how come it's not said, It's a great defensive battle? I could never figure that one out. But last year, what was it, we scored winning games, 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, and 48-38 over Virginia, against a good friend of mine, who we could not shoot it very well. It's not like we were not trying to score. People can talk about scoring being down. It really doesn't resonate with myself because we know what we're trying to do, we know what the other team is trying to keep us from doing, and also we know what we're trying to keep them from doing. That's what we get involved with. How everybody else interprets it, go at it.

Q. What was it like the day before you competed for the national title in '91 as compared to now?
COACH RYAN: Training table meal was hot dogs. The morning of the game, I had a cream doughnut and a diet pop. Now we have the best, French toast, pancakes, eggs, omelettes. We have people cooking omelettes. What else do we have? Bacon, turkey. Did he say prunes (laughing)? All the fruit you could possibly think about eating. I think there was a stringer, one stringer, from the Madison paper that actually show up and covered the game. So you ask me what it was like. It wasn't like this. My own mindset, I hope these young men who we've worked with and have worked with us, hope they perform at their highest level, and the outcome is going to be what it's going to be. It's still about the development and watching these guys grow and their experiences together. The problem with my guys is they're too tense. Can't you tell that? They're so tense. The groupie had in '91, they were really serious, kind of like these guys.

Q. Coach K referenced this as a reference for his team to try to put Saturday in the past and fight human nature to linger in the celebration of an accomplishment. You would figure to have an even bigger challenge in that regard given you had a year to wait for a chance to get back at Kentucky. You obviously went 15 rounds with them last night, spilled a lot of emotion. How tough will it be to go back to the emotional well and do what it's going to take to get the job done against Duke?
COACH RYAN: We had three straight games in the Big Ten tournament. We had to win at Minnesota, at Ohio State, at the end of the year, and Michigan State at home to lock up the Big Ten championship regular season. Then, of course, the three games in Battle 4 Atlantis. They've had some experience at this. This past weekend, you play Thursday/Saturday or Friday/Sunday. You know you have to forget about the one you just played. The only thing that's going to help you for that next game is what you learned for the 40 minutes during that Thursday or Friday game. In this case it's Saturday/Monday. Today when we're at practice, they'll be reminded about a few things from last night, but it will be how we can get better.

NIGEL HAYES: I think it would be pretty easy for us to do. I don't really know how to answer questions. I just thought I was brought here to say some words and you guys might laugh.

COACH RYAN: Nigel, do you have a couple?

NIGEL HAYES: Well, I have one to describe pops. Logorrhea. If you don't know what that means when you look at it, you'll laugh. And succedaneum. Those are my two words I have today. Thank you, everyone, for the questions. I'm over/under two. I'm under right now.

Q. Coach, you've coached in Wisconsin a long time, Platteville, Milwaukee and now at Madison. As you prepare for this national championship game, is there a time or is there a moment where you just try and tell your team or you get your guys to embrace what you have done, the legacy they've set not only for the program at UW, but the state of Wisconsin as a whole?
COACH RYAN: Well, they do know they represent more than just themselves. Obviously their family, you just keep taking it out from there. They know that they have a chance to make a mark in history. They understand that. They've already done some of that. But when you're an athlete and you're competing, there's unfinished business here. There's 40 more minutes, at least. You know, they understand who they are, what they're trying to do, and they're enjoying it while they're doing it. That means a lot, too, because these guys have overcome so many things, injuries, all that to be where they are today. So they do understand. For the state of Wisconsin, for them to get a national championship, yeah, I think that would have a lasting impression.

Q. Bo, Mike Krzyzewski just said that because of Kentucky's pursuit of perfection, he thought you guys flew under the radar in terms of how good you were because the spotlight was on them the whole year. Can you say the same about Duke, that because everybody talked about Kentucky, maybe until the last few weeks people didn't understand how good Duke was?
COACH RYAN: Well, sure. I don't think basketball fans that I know wouldn't think that Duke didn't have a good team. A lot of people thought they had a pretty good team because they came in and spanked us at our place. I can't answer that because I think everybody that I've ever been around this year knew that Duke had a really good team. So I can't say that they were ignored, that's for sure.

Q. Frank and Sam, this standup routine, the dance videos, is that all organic to who you are? Is some part of it strategic to help you limit the pressure? Does it help you or am I just crazy?
FRANK KAMINSKY: Yeah, we're just a fun group of guys, as you can tell by us sitting up here not getting any questions. We're just sitting here joking around because there's not much else to do. Just trying to have as much fun as possible with all of it.

SAM DEKKER: Yeah, I guess that's how we are. We kind of feed off one another in that sense. But, yeah, it's fun to be around these guys. You know, some people tell us, like on Twitter, they'll be like, Focus, guys. But that's just us. We know when we have to focus. When we get on court, it's all business, which is how it should be. But when we're doing this stuff, you should just be yourself, not get too caught up in it. Yeah, that's how we all live.

Q. Bo, in 1991, when Duke knocked off UNLV, Mike said he had to stop the team from celebrating, they had another game in two days. Did you have to do anything like that last night?
COACH RYAN: Mark Johnson is the women's hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin. Won a lot of national championships. Great, great teacher, great coach. I was reminded I can't tell you by how many people, Hey, Bo, in 1980, you know after we beat Russia, we had to beat Finland. The first guy that said it to me, I don't know a lot about hockey, but I knew about the '80 team. I said, You know what, you're right. Most people think that Russia was the gold medal game. I think it was Finland, wasn't it? I've been reminded on a few text messages that Finland is Duke, both really good teams. Duke is a really good team. I think Finland was a good team because they got to the finals. So, yes, we know we've got 40 more, as I've said a thousand time. But we know we got some work to do. I think last night's game simply says, Okay, it puts you in position now to go after the championship.

Q. Frank and Bo, how much are you looking forward to that matchup with Jahlil Okafor?
FRANK KAMINSKY: It's going to be a good matchup. To be the best, you got to beat the best. He's one of the best in the country, and Duke is one of the best teams in the country. We see it as another good matchup for us. We're going to do whatever we have to do to come out on top.

COACH RYAN: There's no way I could match up with him, he'd kill me. Is that what you're asking (laughter)? Whoa, I'd have to take him outside, get behind the three-point line and work him over a little bit. No (laughter). Do you mean as a coach, am I looking forward to it? Yeah, we just did it three or four months ago. But, yeah, two very good players. Two guys that are very important to their teams. It's should be pretty interesting for purists of the game to watch two bigs like that go against one another.

Q. It was pretty momentous when Ohio State won the football national championship, first one in a while for the Big Ten. Hasn't been a basketball title since 2000. First of all, what do you make of that? Does it surprise you?
COACH RYAN: You know, I thought we had some teams from the league that had very good chances of getting it done. It's amazing how this game can just snap. Two-minute period, 30-second period. I mean, there's been chances for Big Ten teams since 2000. Now we have a chance. For Ohio State to do what they did for themselves, then for the Big Ten, makes a huge statement, especially since it was the first one with the setup the way it is now in football with the playoff system. So, yeah, this would be better late than never if we could get it accomplished. The 15-year drought. So, yeah, we're going to try to represent the Big Ten, for sure.

JOSH GASSER: Obviously you want to represent the conference well throughout the tournament. You're rooting for teams like Michigan State, who made it pretty far. We've had some really good teams in this league over the years. Kind of surprised there hasn't been a national champion, but that doesn't take anything away from the conference as a whole, I don't think. We're just trying to represent the conference. It's not about the Big Ten, it's about us, what we can do to win a national championship.

Q. Gary Close has been known over the years for how he's helped improve shooters over the years. In what way has he done it with this group?
JOSH GASSER: GC, he's huge for us. He probably couldn't play at all back in the day, so he had to figure out how he could get into basketball. He's worked with all of us, as shooters especially, working on skill development. If you want to play, you got to be able to shoot. That's pretty much how it works. If you want to be on a good team. I know he's helped me a lot personally. From my freshman year to my sophomore year, I spent a lot of time in the summer changing my shot, changing little things, and it got a lot better. I'm not the only one that can say that. He's great that way. Also just his aura, he jokes around with us all the time, keeps us loose, that's what it's all about.

COACH RYAN: Did he ask you at your last family reunion, cousin (smiling)? Yeah, I knew Gary from way back. Tom Davis, a coach at Stanford at the time, when I got the Platteville job, Tom Davis is a graduate of Platteville - you knew I'd get that in. So he had me out to Stanford 'cause I wanted to spend some time with him, get some nuggets. He took care of everything. He kind of pawned me off on Gary Close and Bruce Pearl. Obviously I had a lot more fun with Gary Close. Do you think Bruce is going to hear this (smiling)? So with Bruce and with Gary, I got a chance to spend some time with him. That's the first time I got to know him. Then when I was at Iowa, I would go to their practices, to their camp. Then when I got to Wisconsin, Tony Bennett left to go with his dad to Washington State, that's when I hired Gary. He's done a great job for us.

Q. You said before that you don't really worry about the perception that there is of you guys. I think this is the second year in a row you have had the highest offensive production in your era. Why do you think that perception hasn't changed?
COACH RYAN: I don't know because I don't hang around people that ever say anything other than, Man, your guys are pretty good. They're pretty efficient. I don't know. It must be the way I walk or the places I go. I only hear that these guys are pretty good and that they can score, they can defend, they can play. So when people say to me about perception, I don't know what you're referring to other than it must not be that these guys are good. Is it? I don't know. Somebody would have to explain to me that a team that averages 1.2-something points per possession isn't a pretty good team. I don't know.

Q. Coach, of the folks that are up there on the podium right now, you're likely the only one that has had some kind of interaction with Coach Mike Krzyzewski. What makes Coach K Coach K to the outsiders? I think you'd agree he has a certain aura, over a thousand victories. What do you see in him that makes him who he is?
COACH RYAN: Well, he and I have both been involved with the military. We both have served. I remember seeing Army play when Coach Knight was there one time. I've just watched him grow in the profession. He didn't have instant success at Duke when he was there. He just kept working through it, made Duke relevant again, so to speak, meaning championships. They had a down period, as all schools tend to every once in a while. And then being involved with USA Basketball, he's been on committees that I've been on with the National Association of Basketball Coaches. So I see him wearing a lot of different hats, not just Coach K. We've been involved with things where we've tried to help the game, tried to help the student-athletes being treated a little bit better. So I see him as just an all-around ambassador for the game of basketball.

Q. Coach, you talked about wanting your players to enjoy the opportunity of being here. What about you personally, kind of getting a chance to play for a national championship?
COACH RYAN: Well, it's just like in '91 when that Platteville won the national championship. The first thing I did is I looked at the crowd because I wanted to see how happy everybody else was, to see how happy the players were. This team affects a lot of people and their emotions. What I like as a coach is when you win a conference championship or whatever, and you watch people, you just know that they have a lot of emotion involved in it. That's what I get a thrill out of, seeing how success can affect not only the players, but the people that have helped them get to that point, who drove them to their practices, who helped them go to camps in the summer, who helped them understand the value of an education. Their parents, their family, all the people they've been around. So that's what I see. I just see how emotionally it affects everybody else.

Q. Frank, I read where you were quoted as saying earlier in your life when you were playing, you were not considered or you didn't consider yourself 'the man.' Are you the man now? If so, if you're coming close, what made you that way? I read about your preparation. Is it that?
FRANK KAMINSKY: I don't know. I wasn't prepared for a question of this magnitude (smiling). So do you want like an intellectual answer or...

Q. Whatever.
FRANK KAMINSKY: I just think back in high school and everything, there were people that were considered better than me, and that kind of irritated me. I don't know why. It's just something deep in me. I'm a competitor, I've always been very competitive in everything. In a sport like basketball, you always want to be better than your competition. It's just something that always drove me to become a better player so I could be at the top hopefully. It's been good to me. So I'm happy I have that competitive drive and that competitive nature.

Q. Sam and Frank, what is it that you do offensively that makes Frank more effective, and Sam, what do you do to make Frank more effective?
SAM DEKKER: Well, obviously a lot of stuff starts with Frank. I think that's what obviously helps us to be a good offensive team, when we run a lot of things through Frank. I just like being another option for him and for our team. I can go inside and out, so I think that helps our whole team with spacing and getting open looks, just drawing defenders. That's something I like to do. If a shot is not there, easy bucket is not there, a lot of times some attention will be paid to me. Obviously that will leave somebody open. I think coach puts you on the floor because you're unselfish. That's something he looks for. If you're willing to pass up some looks for better looks, that's obviously going to raise your level of play on the offensive end and make you more efficient. I think my ability to read the defense, go inside and out, take guys off the dribble, opens things up for my teammates hopefully, find where they can get an easy bucket.

FRANK KAMINSKY: Just with Sam's ability to put the ball on the floor, to post up, to shoot the ball, it makes my job a lot easier. If you look at some plays at the end of games here, it's me setting ball screens for Sam. Not many times do you see a 7-footer setting a ball screen for somebody who is 6'9". It opens up a lot of stuff for people because they got to be paying attention to where we are on the floor. Just something that skill set, having that ability to make plays really helps out our team from both of our standpoints.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297