NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - BYU VS UCLA

March 20, 2021

Johnny Juzang

Hinkle Fieldhouse

UCLA Bruins

Postgame Media Conference

UCLA - 73, BYU - 62

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Johnny Juzang.

Q. Johnny, great first half of shot-making. Can you talk about coming back from the ankle injury? And the moment that really stood out to me was Jaime grabbing the rebound away from Haarms. Who had a 9-inch height advantage. Did that kind of symbolized the toughness you had? How did you think about how you took it to them?

JOHNNY JUZANG: I think that was a two-part -- I guess the rebound with Jaime, man, we got guys on this team, everybody on this team wants to win. And we wanted to lay it out there every night to get that done. So we got some Warriors on this team, and we're going to try to keep that going, playing with heart and leaving it out there, because any game could be your last one. So we know that. And we want to win. So just leaving it out there.

Q. Coming back from the ankle injury, making all those shots particularly in the first half.

JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, I mean, we've done a great job with the treatment and just taking care of it around the clock. So, you know, grateful to have such a good staff and trainer. So luckily we came out tonight feeling great.

Q. What did it mean to you to have this kind of March moment, fans yelling as you left the court for the final moment and then after your postgame interview, too?

JOHNNY JUZANG: It's a great feeling. This is what we live for. This is the height of college basketball, March Madness and playing for the Bruins, I'm from Los Angeles, playing with a lot of guys I've known and a lot of -- everybody we're all brothers. Putting on this jersey with my brothers and coming out playing for the home team. And able to make everybody on the team proud and everybody in the stands, it's a great feeling to bring home wins for the UCLA Bruins. We have a great team. I just love going out there with my brothers.

Q. Mick said after the previous game just how big that Michigan State win was for you guys psychologically. I'm just wondering, how much tougher is this team, how much more confident is this team now than, say, maybe at the end of the regular season or, say, even before the season started?

JOHNNY JUZANG: It's tough losing consecutive games. But again we've got great coaches and a tough group of guys who everybody really wants to win. So I think the Michigan State was a nice reminder of that and what we're capable of. So definitely great for morale. Definitely great for morale.

But a reminder, coming into that game we had some great practices, really, really great practices, and really shaped up to get news the right mindset going into that game and that game was great for the confidence, like Coach said.

Q. After having won these two games, do you start kind of thinking, okay, you know, we have something special going on here and this could be a special March for us?

JOHNNY JUZANG: You know, a win like this, it's great for morale but we know we're not finished. Nobody's satisfied. So we know what we're capable of but nobody's satisfied. We want to keep this going and we don't plan on going home.

Q. You had 19 points in the first half, were limited offensively a little bit. But you, Jules Bernard, Jaime Jaquez, you guys all pulled through offensively. What was it like for the team to not only keep that lead when you had tough second halves but just to put that pressure on BYU in the second half?

JOHNNY JUZANG: Oh, man, everybody on this team, especially, I think you could see it now more than ever, really trusts each other. We have guys who can go, guys who can play so it makes it easy for everybody. We knew coming into the second half I was going to be a focal point for BYU's defense.

So just doing whatever I can, whether that's just spacing the floor and keeping my guy so we can play four-on-four and spacing the floor, or whether I'm setting screens to get guys open, due to the lack of help off of me. It's great. It's great having guys you can trust and lean on and they got it done. All credit to them.

Q. Do you guys have kind of a chip on your shoulder? The idea that you got put in the First Four, is that maybe a little extra motivation for you guys and maybe a chance to show people something?

JOHNNY JUZANG: The way that we saw it, it was an extra game to go out and compete. We just want to win. We just saw it as an extra game and to do our thing. So I would say we had a competitive mindset about it. Michigan State, great program. So just another great opportunity. But we definitely just want to keep this thing rolling.

Q. And then playing the way you did in the second half the other night, how much did that carry over into tonight?

JOHNNY JUZANG: I wouldn't say really anything with the individual performance had anything to do with it. So I'm just, I mean, literally I'm just trying to come out and fight and compete and leave my heart on the floor. And that's what everybody in that locker room is trying to do. As a team we're just trying to leave it on the floor.

So whatever that takes, whether it's scoring or defense, rebounding, communication, leadership, anything is what we're trying to do. So I wouldn't really say the scoring performance had much to do.

Q. Johnny, was there any doubt you were going to play tonight? Kind of just take us through what the round-the-clock treatment was like for you?

JOHNNY JUZANG: No, there was no doubt. You know, it's March Madness. So it's do or die. I mean, I knew I was playing. Went down pretty good. But, again, we did some nice stuff. It was icing around the clock and treatment and strengthening and balance and keeping mobility in the ankle, but also keeping the swelling down from the jump and getting that better and better while simultaneously keeping the motion and strength. We were very diligent and we'll continue to do so. It felt great.

Q. For people that haven't seen you a lot, are there some things that are taking place the last couple of games, things that are clicking now that maybe hadn't been?

JOHNNY JUZANG: I mean, I don't know, you see behind me, it's March Madness. It's March Madness. So these are the moments as players we live for and I just love to compete. I love to compete.

Q. Let me ask you, I guess, you've mentioned a few times just how competitive everybody on the team is. And when things aren't going well for a team, a lot of times players can try to take on too much instead of doing -- how is that -- what's at the core of that trust that you spoke of, of everybody, of just trying to do your job? Like you said, in the second half today for you was stepping back and creating space for other people. How did that trust sort of develop?

JOHNNY JUZANG: Well, I think before we came to Indiana, we did a great job of preparation. I think we really came in after some great practices and just really came in with the right mentality and cohesion coming into Indiana. And I think we came together more than ever with those practices. And I think that's where it started.

And also just the way this is laid out, it's win or go home. And I think that we've taken that the right way and we have to continue to do so. But we've taken it the right way, realizing that all we've got is each other. All we've got is each other, who is within this program. So we just gotta roll the dice and trust each other, which I think we've done. Everybody likes each other. Everybody on this team, we've got great chemistry. All we've got is each other. So we just go out and do it together.

Q. You have 50 points now between your first two tournament games with UCLA. Second only to Lew Alcindor and Reggie Miller for most by a Bruin in their first two tournament games. What does it mean to be up there with those big names, historic names, wearing those four letters on your chest during March Madness?

JOHNNY JUZANG: That's an honor. Those are some legendary names. It's an honor to be mentioned with them, no doubt.

And, again, we're not done. We're not finished. So I'm happy I've been able to contribute in that category. But we're not satisfied. So we're going to keep -- lock in and keep going and leave it out there as a team.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.