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

March 16, 2023

Ed Cooley

Bryce Hopkins

Ed Croswell

Jared Bynum

Devin Carter

Alyn Breed

Greensboro Coliseum

Providence Friars

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here we go with the student-athletes for Providence. Questions?

Q. Just, Bryce, what was your reaction when you saw Kentucky versus Providence up on the bracket on Sunday?

BRYCE HOPKINS: You know, when the seeding was coming out and it got to the last region, I had seen that Kentucky wasn't being picked yet, and we hadn't been picked yet either, so I had seen a lot of mock drafts and mock bracket reveals, and they were saying that we were going to play them.

I was kind of expecting us to receive that matchup. I was just excited to play a team that I came from and, you know, just playing against some familiar faces.

Q. A follow-up to that, have you stayed in contact with any of the Kentucky guys throughout the course of the season, and then did you hear from any of them after the show Sunday?

BRYCE HOPKINS: Yeah, we're all in a group chat still from last year, so, you know, once that matchup had been revealed, we all were texting and just excited to play each other, so that was pretty much the conversation after that.

Q. Ed, how do you feel about going up against somebody like Oscar, and he has been shown to be kind of vulnerable to some physical play lately? What's the strategy in dealing with him?

ED CROSWELL: You know, our strategy going into this game is playing our brand of basketball, Providence College basketball. Physical, strong, tough. We're going to bring that heat, and we're going to bring that energy tomorrow.

Q. This is for Jared. Jared, we didn't see you start the UConn game, the Big East tournament. Any idea who you might start tomorrow?

JARED BYNUM: I guess we're going to have to wait and see until tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure the team knows. I'm not sure that's information Coach wants to let out or anything, but...

Q. Jared and Ed, you guys were on the team that made a nice run a year ago. Is there any such kind of carry-over for what you experienced last year, and if there is, how do you portray that to your teammates?

JARED BYNUM: Yeah, the carry-over is this is a wonderful time of the year to be playing basketball. I mean, I'm just expressing to the guys, you know, how much of an opportunity that we have from what I experienced last year being able to play in this first weekend and trying to make it out the first weekend to continue the season.

So, you know, I'm just glad I'm still able to play with my teammates and have a good time on the court and go out and compete with them.

ED CROSWELL: Just carrying off what Jared said, expressing to our teammates how much of a good time this is, how fortunate we are to be at this stage of our careers right now, and then also, like, paying attention to what's coming up tomorrow and be ready for our matchups and be dialed in and be ready to play.

Q. This is for everybody except Bryce. What has Bryce told you about his experience at Kentucky and has he given you any inside information?

ED CROSWELL: Bryce has explained to us, like, you know, he wished he had a fair chance at Kentucky, but he has moved past it, and he is at his happy home now, and Providence has taken him in. He has passed it, and now he is playing some of the best basketball of his career.

DEVIN CARTER: Yeah, it's going over what Ed say, what happened in the past happened. That's pretty much about that situation, so...

ALYN BREED: I don't really feel like he is worried about what happened at Kentucky. I feel like he is more focused on this opportunity now, and I feel like he is going to take full advantage of it.

JARED BYNUM: Like Alyn said, I don't know if he is thinking too much about last year at Kentucky. He is thinking about the great year he had this year and being able to play against them tomorrow, and hopefully we win the game and continue to play and make more memories for this year.

Q. Devin, can you just talk about being here in Greensboro and playing in the NCAA tournament tomorrow?

DEVIN CARTER: It's a blessing, you know? Everybody grows up and wants to play in March Madness, so now that we're finally here, especially since I didn't make it last year, it's a good opportunity for using to out there and show what Providence can do, so...

Q. Jared, happy birthday, first of all. Is that true? Can I confirm that?

JARED BYNUM: Yeah, today is my birthday.

Q. All right. Coming in, losing three in a row, four or five, whatever it is, how does this opportunity maybe give you guys a clean, fresh chance?

JARED BYNUM: Yeah, you know, we lost three in a row. We lost -- the mindset going into New York was, you know, we lost two in a row, but it's a new season. We're in conference tournament now, and then we lost there too. I guess you could say we're 0-1.

But now the mindset is we're going into March Madness, the NCAA tournament, so everybody is 0-0. Records don't matter. We're going in with a clean slate, and, you know, hopefully at the end of the month we're 6-0, but tomorrow we're just hoping to be 1-0 at the end of the day.

Q. This is for Bryce. Jeff Capel was talking from Pittsburgh earlier today about he thinks kids can move on quicker and turn the page with transfers more common now. They don't get as emotional about things when they move on forward. Do you sense that as well; that players are more matter of fact about changing schools in this era of the transfer portal?

BRYCE HOPKINS: Do you mind repeating your question?

Q. Sorry. Jeff Capel had said earlier that he thought players weren't as emotional maybe as the adults when players transfer and leave a program and then have to play them again. He was saying he thought kids move on faster and turn the page faster, the players do. Do you sense that from players now with transfer portal making it so easy to move schools?

BRYCE HOPKINS: I think so. I think some kids, when they enter the transfer portal, they're just looking for a new opportunity.

That's pretty much the biggest reason why I had transferred, is just looking for an opportunity to put myself in the best position to showcase my talents.

I feel like that's a big reason why kids enter the transfer portal today.

JARED BYNUM: I got something to say. None of these guys got me a birthday gift today, so I'm planning on tomorrow I'll get my gift then. It's all right. They got me tomorrow (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Did you get them one on their birthday?

JARED BYNUM: Nope (laughing).

ED CROSWELL: He definitely got some birthday punches coming up, though.

Q. Did you put your coaching hat on for the guys on the team to give them some guidance, some hints on how to cover the guys who were on your team last year, Bryce?

BRYCE HOPKINS: For sure. I kind of pretty much told them, like, what to expect. Kentucky, they're fast in transition, so we're going to have to get back in transition. They rebound. Obviously, you know, Oscar is a helluva rebounder, so we're going to have to keep him off the glass. Same with Jacob. He crashes the glass.

Then just go from there. I feel like if we move the ball and play to the best of our abilities, we'll have a great chance at coming out with the win.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys. See you tomorrow.

ED COOLEY: This is one of the most exciting days for our program. It's one of the more exciting days for me as a head coach. Any time you can sit here and represent Providence College and our community, it's what it's all about. March Madness, represent the Big East. I can't tell you how excited I am to be here. It's really, really hard to get to this stage.

To be on this dais is something we've always dreamed about, I've always dreamed about, our players have dreamed about, and I do not take this day for granted. So to get here to be in front of all this, to play on this national stage, we've earned the right to be here.

Just I can't tell you how happy I am. It brings joy to my soul and tears to my eyes to be sitting here to know that we are playing in March Madness representing the Big East. I am so excited.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Cooley.

Q. How do you think Bryce will approach playing his former team, and is this a situation where maybe you have to have an extra conversation or two with him about not getting too amped up?

ED COOLEY: Bryce and I have had a great week together, and we've spoke about that. He is human. His former teammates are human. I'm pretty sure there's going to be a lot of excitement.

But what we've got to do as the guardians of the game and the leader of the team, you have to tell him, it's okay. It's okay to have that level of anxiety, level of excitement, and just taper it, understand it. You're not trying to prove anything right or wrong. You're just trying to go out there and play and try to help Providence College advance.

It's going to be natural, he's going to be nervous. I'm pretty sure his other teammates are going to be nervous. But it's not about Bryce. This game is about Providence College versus Kentucky.

Q. Coach Calipari was earlier talking about pressure coaching a blue blood. I wanted to ask you the pressure of being a hometown guy coaching your hometown team.

ED COOLEY: That's pressure in itself. When we came here in 2011, it just was a dream of mine to represent the young men and women who have been pushed aside and been told you can't. My job for those young men and women who were pushed aside that always had a dream and an opportunity is take advantage of it.

To be on this stage says anything can happen. Dreams can come true. Not only can you do it in your hometown, but you can advance and excel and put other people on the map. Don't ever make it about yourself. Empower others.

It's pressure, but pressure is a privilege. Many of you sitting in here would love the pressure that I sit under when you can sit on this stage and represent the Big East in March.

Q. Can you tell me and can you tell us what it's like when you saw Kentucky's name pop up on the bracket and knowing that you are going up against a program that's steeped in tradition like Kentucky has and what that means to you as a challenge and trying to build up your own program to get to that point because I'm sure that's what most coaches try to aspire to.

ED COOLEY: First and foremost, I was more happy to see the Friar head more so than anybody's. That was the most important thing. They could have put the Globetrotters for us to play, but we were excited to play. When we saw it was Kentucky -- because you start doing process of elimination and where people might be seeded by all the bracketologists, and for the most part they do a great job. It was excitement. You know, it also was a jolt of energy for us.

Let's face it, we haven't played well the last five games. We haven't played as well as we want to. We haven't had the success we wanted, but I think seeing a blue blood like that gave us a jolt, gave us some energy and gave us an opportunity to continue to build our program and play against what everybody considers the most elite college basketball program in all of college basketball history.

So, lace them up, throw it up. 7:10, it will be time to play.

Q. You're going up against a National Player of the Year in Oscar Tshiebwe. What are some of the challenges you see in being able to defend him?

ED COOLEY: Oscar is an elite, elite rebounder, elite player. His length, his second jump, his physicality. He also has some elite teammates. You know, he is the National Player of the Year, but he can't do it alone. His teammates know his strengths and weaknesses. He has a Hall of Fame coach who I respect to the highest level.

They're a great team, but, you know, when you are preparing for someone like that, you've got to try to go at them as much as he is going to come at us.

So great player. You know, I hope he has a bad day tomorrow, as they hope we play bad tomorrow. He deserves everything he has received because is he one great player.

Q. His Hall of Fame coach also said regardless of who you are, if you are a coach, you're going to have butterflies. Are you nervous, and were you able to get any sleep last night?

ED COOLEY: I slept great last night. Tonight will be a different story. If you are not nervous in March, there's something wrong. You know, I get nervous when we play pick-up. You know, you want to win. You want to advance. You're playing for your league. You're playing for your team. You're playing for your school. You're playing for your supporters, your students.

It's nerve-wracking. It's March Madness. By some way we all have got to try to advance, right? Our goal is to win a national championship, and the only way you can do that is to be invited into the championship round. We're here.

Somebody is six wins away. Our athletic director told me that one morning. Whoever can win six games. Steve Napolillo will talk about this. Six games. If you had told me at the beginning of the year you are six games from winning a national championship, sign me up for those butterflies.

Q. Ed, how do you handle job speculation this time of year when people link you to open jobs, and have you or any of your reps been in contact with Georgetown?

ED COOLEY: I think this is a natural thing that we've gone through every single year. And there's speculation on coaches all across the country. Love your question. Respect all the questions with it.

This is about Kentucky. This is about Providence. We're all going to be linked to jobs if you do a great job. I've been fortunate, been blessed. But that's just speculation. That's rumors.

Providence plays Kentucky tomorrow at 7:00, and I can't tell you how excited I am about that.

Q. You mentioned you had not played well the last five games. What do you need to do on Friday that you were not doing in those games?

ED COOLEY: Normally my teams are known to defend. I don't think we've defended with the type of personality that it takes to win games. Especially on the road. I think we have to move the ball a little bit more. I think we have to be a little bit more physical on the ball. I think we need to get on the offensive glass and get to the free-throw line.

But, again, like you said, that was the last five games. This is a whole new different deal when you are in this tournament. I've seen one team, one called Providence College, I think, in 1997, I think they lost three or four in a row that ended up in the Elite Eight. I saw an 8 seed last year get to the national championship game.

So it's not a matter of how you played coming in. It's where you are going to play when you are in the moment on this stage. That's what I'm more concerned about. We can cry about spilled milk when this tournament is over. Right now it's a new life.

Anybody in the country would sign up to play in this game who is not here. So they're not worried about missing the free-throw and getting beat at home. They're more concerned about the game is about to start. That's what that one shining moment is all about.