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MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 8, 2007

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

THE MODERATOR: We're now joined by UNLV head coach Lon Kruger and student-athletes Wendell White and Kevin Kruger.
Coach, if you want to begin with some comments on the game.
COACH KRUGER: I thought it was a ballgame that early on, Utah kind of had us on our heels a little bit with what they were doing offensively. Nevill is a big target in there that does a great job. We gave him a little more room than we wanted to. They got guys around the perimeter that shoot the ball well also.
I thought midway in the first half got a little bit of rhythm defensively, started converting some turnovers into transition opportunities. To be up 10 at the half was a nice run. I thought kind of gradually built it out in the second half.
A lot of different guys played well. Good to see that.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Kevin, in this day and age, there's not a lot of players that get into playing defense, it's all about scoring, highlights. What is it about this team that finds a passion to play defense, especially over the last eight and a half minutes of the first half?
KEVIN KRUGER: I think it's the crowd really. After a few games into the season, though, we all bought in and realized that defense was our ticket to a successful season.
Everybody bought in. The crowd kind of gets us going. We kind of just play off of it and go from there.

Q. How important was it for you guys at the end of the second half to be able to sit down and get some rest? That's got to help you going into the game tomorrow.
WENDELL WHITE: Well, basically we fed off our defense. It was a great job we did for the first 15 minutes of the second half. It's great to get the bench players in. We fed off that.
KEVIN KRUGER: You know, really I think our depth is one of our strong points. Everyone's -- we really don't have anyone out there playing 40 minutes. That's what's helped us be successful all year.
You know, I think either way a lot of people are going to play. You know the minutes aren't really off of what they are every night, not much, so it's been good. I'm sure it will help.

Q. Kevin, when you've got you, Wendell and Wink playing as well as you three did tonight, how tough is this team to beat? Is this the first time in a while you think you three really played this well in the same game?
KEVIN KRUGER: I think tonight was kind of what happens when our of offense is clicking. We played defense I think the same way we played the majority of the year, getting up, frustrating our opponent.
But tonight, you know, the shots were falling a little more than usual. We were getting good looks for each other, creating for each other. The shots were falling. The score kind of spread itself out.

Q. Kevin, can you tell us what it's been like to play this year for your father, what kind of a transition that was coming to the new team as a fifth-year guy.
KEVIN KRUGER: Well, the transition was easy. There was no transition period really when you think about it or when I look back on it. Things just kind of clicked from day one with everybody.
We had a lot of new guys, a lot of people who didn't play last year, whether injury or redshirt. So it was pretty easy for all of us to come together.

Q. What was it like playing for your father?
KEVIN KRUGER: It's been great to be around my family all year, being able to see him pretty much whenever I want has been something most college kids don't get to do.

Q. Kevin, looked like you were shooting lights-out there in the first half from three-point range. Are you using that as motivation because you didn't get named for the All Mountain West Conference first team?
KEVIN KRUGER: No, I don't really look at that. I guess I will now for you (smiling), but we'll just see how it goes. Hopefully I don't go 0-for tomorrow.

Q. Wendell, is there a point when you guys played defense that you actually see in the opponents' eyes that, they've got us by the throat?
WENDELL WHITE: We play real hard on defense. The last five minutes of the first half we were very focused. Coach told us to go in there, and we worked by like every four minutes, like what was it, the every four minutes of like the first half, like every timeout. We take coach to heart basically. He says what we need to do and we do it.

Q. Does your approach change at all in a situation where you know you have to come back in less than 24 hours and play another game right away the next day?
KEVIN KRUGER: I don't think so. You know, we spent the last few days working on Utah's stuff, how to defend them, kind of the game plan we wanted on them. We never once mentioned or prepared for who the next opponent might be.
I know that we, as a team, as players, didn't think about it at all. We were focused on what we had to do tonight because if you -- as you know, there is no tomorrow if you lose tonight.
WENDELL WHITE: The same thing. Like Kevin said, we were very focused on Utah. We can't sleep on nobody in this league 'cause everybody's good. We're happy about the results tonight and we're going to get ready for San Diego State or Colorado State.
THE MODERATOR: Kevin and Wendell, thanks. Questions for Coach Kruger.

Q. What has it been like as a father and coach to have Kevin with you this season?
COACH KRUGER: It's been really good. We recognize it as really a blessing that we don't take for granted. I would have seen Kevin, Barbara my wife would have seen him a lot more because she would have gone to all his games.
I would have seen him play three or four times, maybe been around him five or six days total during this final year of his college experience. To have him here every day, it's been frustrating a little bit for him because of the injuries that he had throughout, but it's good to have him healthy now. It's great to have him around.

Q. What is it about today's kids that you're able to get them to play defense where so many other coaches can't get kids to play defense, it's all about scoring, trying to get highlights? Your guys came out and play with such intensity defensively.
COACH KRUGER: Guys have done that pretty much, as you know, throughout the year. I think that's an area we've kind of gradually built and improved on since November. When you think back to October, we didn't really know that that would be part of our identity.
We thought we might shoot the ball pretty well and maybe be a little bit more finesse oriented. It's kind of -- I don't think I've been around a club in 30 years where they've kind of surprised us with regard to what their identity became because we haven't shot the ball consistently all year.
But we have been very consistent with getting a little bit more physical and getting a little more aggressive on the ball and kind of hanging our hat on that, even those nights where we haven't shot it well.

Q. In the event you play San Diego State, could I get your thoughts on that match-up?
COACH KRUGER: Two good ballgames in the next ballgame. Both pose problems. San Diego State is a club that obviously has played very well in the last month especially. A lot of weapons.
Start with Heath, go down the line, Abukar, Spain, Wade, Williams. They all can hurt you, and they all have had big games. Whoever wins this ballgame we know we'll more than have our hands full and have to play extremely well to have a chance to win.

Q. Do you think Air Force's loss earlier today hurts the conference as a whole getting three teams into the tournament?
COACH KRUGER: Certainly hope not. Air Force is a ballclub -- obviously they've had two tough weeks, but they're a ballclub, however many weeks there are in a season, if you got 28 out of the 30 weeks you've been in the top 25, you've been ranked, you've played great.
It's unfortunate for Air Force, number one, and the league, number two, to have these four losses over the last two weeks. But I know they would represent the conference very well if they get a bid.
I know other people won't like playing them. I really hope they get a bid, very much think they're deserving.

Q. To me the obvious thing about your team is how hard you all work, above all on the defensive end. Why do you think you're doing so well at home this year?
COACH KRUGER: I think these guys have worked hard regardless of where we've played. I think, as Kevin mentioned, Wendell mentioned, the crowd. You feed off the crowd a little bit. I think anyone gets a little more energized at home.
The crowd picks you up a little bit. You're a little bit fatigued, you get a deflection, get loose ball, you convert that offensively and it kind of energizes you and picks you up.
I think a lot of it, if any team, any young player, the crowd helps a lot.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, coach.
COACH KRUGER: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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