NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - NORTHERN KENTUCKY VS HOUSTON

March 15, 2023

Jamal Shead

J'Wan Roberts

Legacy Arena

Houston Cougars

Media Conference

Q. Jamal, last week you talked about just remembering Northern Kentucky watching them beat Cincinnati. Now that you've had a little more time to study them, sort of the impressions of the team, the challenges they bring.

JAMAL SHEAD: They are really good at what they do. They are top five in the nation in steals. They really move the ball. They know their strengths and they really play together. You can tell those guys have a lot of good chemistry just by on film, they play together, everybody shares the ball well, nobody look selfish. They look like a really solid team. The match-up zone they run is really impressive. They do a really good job at what they do.

Q. Jamal and J'Wan, you guys have had, you know, seasons like last year where you didn't play with some guys, especially Marcus. With his status right now sort of up in the air, how do you guys approach an opener, you know, whether he's going to be at full strength or not?

J'WAN ROBERTS: We approach it the same way we do every game; same mindset, same preperation, come in ready to work, come in listening and come in focused.

JAMAL SHEAD: Basically have confidence in our other players. Knowing when it's time to step up. And one game at a time. And at this point in our season, we know how important every game is. And without Marcus not playing, if he might or not, still have to keep going. It's 13 more players on our roster you and all just have to step up.

Q. For both players, when you think about going back to that summer workouts, the gruelling practices, the long workouts and everything like this. To get to this point and position that you guys are in, what kind of comes to mind now that you're here at this big stage now?

J'WAN ROBERTS: Just basically all the work that we put in for this very moment. We had a great season. And it matters now, all the early waking ups, going at each other in practice. Everyday prepares us for this moment. Never take it for granted. We know how important every game is. Once you stick together, I feel like we can keep going.

JAMAL SHEAD: Taking it one game at a time. Realizing that every game could be your last. Not taking it for granted like he said. Realizing that you're playing for more than yourself. You want to play with the guys that you're with right now for as long as possible.

Q. Guys, I know you are taking it one game at a time, but both you and Alabama are projected to be potential Final Four. What is it like having that down the road, potentially having that rematch after what happened in the regular season?

JAMAL SHEAD: They are a really good team, and they have been doing really good all year. They deserve their ranking and they deserve the ranking. They deserve what predictions they get. They are playing at a really high level. It's exciting getting a little bit of media and getting a little bit of predictions, like you said. We have to focus on the first game just to get to those games, you have to take it one game at a time.

J'WAN ROBERTS: Same thing like he said. That game is probably going to be later down the road. We have a game this Thursday. Our focus really isn't on that, but what's in front of us.

Q. J'Wan, Jarace has talked about your mentorship of him and Jamal was telling us the other day his advice to the freshmen like Terrance and Emanuel. What advice do you have for Jarace now that you are under the biggest lights?

J'WAN ROBERTS: You know, just to have fun. You know, this is something that you see growing up. As a little kid you watch March Madness and you want to be in March Madness. So now you're actually here. Ain't no running from it now. So my advice to them, too, just go out and have fun. Play with your brothers that you have been doing the whole year. Stick to the script. Don't try to do anything different because the lights are brighter. Don't try to be Superman or try to impress somebody. Stay the course. And whatever you want to accomplish we will get it done.

Q. It's one thing when you guys are playing your conference team, you are used to the way you defend and rebound. How you do it, do you look at it as an advantage here in the tournament? Where you are facing teams that have never seen your style of play and actually faced you guys and how you go about with defense and rebounding?

JAMAL SHEAD: Yeah. That was an advantage we had last year. We kind of surprised teams with how aggressive we came out, and how physical we were. It helps because, you know, a lot of teams aren't prepared for that. Or they haven't seen it before. Sometimes you try to prepare for something, but you can't duplicate what we do when we're doing it the right way. So it helps us a lot.

J'WAN ROBERTS: It's just our culture. Trying to be consistent in what we do. Going to the same game with the same mindset and same approach every time. Now that we're playing against a different team. I'm not going to say you can't prepare for what we do, but we do it at such a high level that it's kind of hard to stop that sometimes once we all engage into the same thing. Just going forward and playing against new teams, we have to still adjust because we're playing a new team. Once we stick to our culture, do what we have been doing, we'll be pretty good.

Q. Jamal, after a momentous game the other night, Coach was telling us he had to put on the psychology hat and say -- you haven't lost a lot in the last year. Did a game like that come at a good time in terms of maybe some adversity, maybe get that loss out of the way as you entered the tournament, that kind of stuff?

JAMAL SHEAD: Yes and no. Because you never want to lose. Loss is never something you want to schedule or plan. If we went 34-0 we would be happy with that. Certain losses help us; Temple loss helped us, Alabama loss helped us, and hopefully the Memphis loss is going to help us going forward. Hopefully a lot of guys got to grow in that game. Terrance played 35 minutes in that game. That's the most minutes he played this whole year. Eman played a lot of minutes in that game. And Jay got to sit out and realize how he could help in that game. Hopefully the young guys realize how they can help going forward.

J'WAN ROBERTS: And the loss too just shows how hard it is to win the game. You never just go into a game thinking it's going to be easy or we're going to blow a team out. Once we come with the wrong approach, anything can happen. Taking that loss, we don't look at it as anything is bad, but just learn from our mistakes and move forward to the next game.

Q. For both players, for guys who have -- both you have been here before. How would you compare the speed and intensity from maybe the regular season to these win or go home games that you will be playing from here on out?

J'WAN ROBERTS: Nobody wants to lose. At this time everybody going to give it their all. Sacrifice their bodies for anything because nobody wants to go home. I feel like everybody in this tournament, playing for the one goal. Going into any game that we have further, we're going to get their best, and they are going to get our best. Let the tougher team win.

JAMAL SHEAD: He said it perfectly.

THE MODERATOR: Okay, thank you.