NCAA Men's Regional Semifinals and Finals: Anaheim Friday, March 29, 2019 Anaheim, California humble. Doesn't talk too much about , just Josh Perkins day-to-day life stuff.

Zach Norvell, Jr. JOSH PERKINS: These guys tackled everything. When I first met Rui he was a passive guy letting me sit in the front seat. I have no idea why, no reason. But I was like, Rui, you're 6'8". I don't need to sit in the front Rui Hachimura and now he's a confident dude who believes in himself and he's an animal and it shows on and off court and he's one of our brothers, somebody you can talk to about anything, and a fun dude, quality teammate, quality guy.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Welcome the Bulldogs. MARK FEW: I think he's worse now that he got here! Coach, we will start off with a statement. (Laughter.)

MARK FEW: We're thrilled to still be alive and playing No, he's been great. He's been so coachable, and just in the tournament. Actually probably more so than that a diligent, diligent, hard worker. The amount of work to still be together and practicing and have the both in the classroom and learning English and then opportunity to play another game against a very, very the basketball that was laid upon his shoulders was worthy opponent. So we feel great about getting by the epic, and he always handled it with a smile and such one last night and looking forward to a great battle grace. He's a wonderful teammate. He's an awesome tomorrow night. role model. My kids are young and they hang out around the program. So it's been an absolute joy to Q. I would like to ask all of you a two-part question: watch his development and watch him grow. How has Rui Hachimura improved on and off court from last season to this season, what specific Q. Josh, can you describe the challenges of areas? And secondly, how would you describe his learning to be a point guard in Coach Few's system personality? where there is a pretty intricate offense with a lot of BRANDON CLARKE: Yeah, I would say this year he's movement to it? playing like a lot more physical, I would say. He has a JOSH PERKINS: Challenge, is that the word, Coach? lot more trust in his game, so I feel like the game has come to him more easy than it did last year. Also he's MARK FEW: I think that's a fair word. just like a really, really funny guy, really goofy, too. So always fun to chill with him and play basketball with JOSH PERKINS: It's difficult, you know? A lot of him. different reads, a lot of different personnel, a lot of different players that you play with, but my hat goes off COREY KISPERT: I would say he's a much more to Coach from day one he's been somebody I could confident leader for us, and he's learned how to use his ask questions to about the game of how I can be more voice. He's learned how to echo calls and be a vocal comfortable running the team and from the get-go he leader on the floor, and to relate that to off the floor his said I could run it. And he's believed in me since day English is so much better than it was last year and one. I don't know if challenging was the word, but I makes him that much more fun to be around and we know throughout this whole process he has been enjoy hanging out with each other. somebody who has been supportive and really my confidence thrives through him. ZACH NORVELL, JR.: Just pretty much his confidence. We came here as freshmen together, so understanding Q. Zach and then Brandon, about Culver I'm English and understanding the plays and stuff like that assuming you will take the challenge to start off and off the court a really good guy, really funny and defending him. What makes him dangerous and

Rev #1 by #189 at 2019-03-29 23:20:00 GMT page 1 of 6 what are the ways you can slow him down? something we're going to want to do tomorrow. I just ZACH NORVELL, JR.: He's a weapon. When he feel like they couldn't really score on their late touches crosses half court understanding that he can handle it, in the paint either and they weren't shooting well from shoot it, make plays for others and stuff like that. The three. They were struggling to find ways to score. But biggest thing is to try to change up, different defensive I feel like that's stuff that we're great at as a team, so schemes and try to challenge him and challenge his we should be fine tomorrow. shots and make things tough for him. JOSH PERKINS: B.C., you nailed it. Good job. BRANDON CLARKE: I've watched him play lots of games this year and he has a quick first step. He can Q. Rui, you've got a lot of media here watching you. shoot it pretty well and obviously he's pretty bouncy, There's a lot of people back home rooting for you, too. So definitely going to demand the best out of our even though basketball isn't that huge of a sport in bigs in the paint. It's going to be a fun team effort Japan. How does it feel to be the center of playing against him tomorrow. attention maybe not here but back home? RUI HACHIMURA: I'm blessed to be here. I'm so Q. Corey, I don't know if you remember, but happy at this point I'm still playing basketball with these yesterday after your dunk in the second half you great people and I'm just enjoying this moment, and, kissed your hands or your smelled your hand. I'm yeah. curious, was that a celebration? COREY KISPERT: It's a team inside joke. It's like, I Q. Coach, tell us about the process that you and don't know, James Harden does when he dunks on the team go through after a game like last night. somebody. You're up so high that your nose starts to You're used to playing a game, having a day, but bleed a little bit. The altitude, I was checking to see if does it change at all at this level? my nose was bleeding a little bit, copying James MARK FEW: I mean, I think it was similar to maybe Harden. what we do in our league. This is similar to how our league is. We will play a game on a Thursday and Q. Was it? then, you know, usually get back to the hotel and have COREY KISPERT: No, clean nose, we're good. a film session or at least an information session. Then (Laughter.) get 'em up the next day, couple of film sessions and head out and practice. Then these guys will go out to Q. Zach, Josh was talking about the challenges dinner tonight together and then we will have one more being a point guard here. What about his film session tonight and that will be it. This has been personality and his skill set make him the perfect an unbelievable group. I've been blessed with some point guard for this team and this offense? extraordinary groups, but these guys have been ZACH NORVELL, JR.: He's a people person. He can unbelievable about assimilating the amount of get along with everybody. When he walks in a room information we're giving to them and taking it out into he's confident with himself, and I think that helps the action out on the floor. They all have, not just these team out a lot understanding that we have a leader guys, but the rest of the guys in the locker room, too, who is confident in his abilities and everybody here have a really good understanding of basketball and feel who sees him put in work day-in and day-out. So for the game and that makes our job, the coaches' jobs having trust and belief in this guy, seeing the work he easier and allows us to do more things and try some puts in you have no choice but to follow his lead. I more things. It's been great in that regard. think he takes all the media and the stuff that comes with it right on the chin. He doesn't shy away from it at Q. Brandon, did you have any doubts that your all, understanding that he's leading a top program game would translate to this level or did you have every day, day-in and day-out. So he's handled it pretty to make any adjustments for your game to adjust well. so well to this level? BRANDON CLARKE: I wouldn't say doubts, really, no. Q. Brandon, I don't know how much you guys saw There were times when I was, like, I would say of the Michigan-Texas Tech game yesterday. nervous, I guess, because it was just different playing Clearly their defense gave Michigan fits. I'm for a team that was, you know, trying to play for wondering how you break through and make sure something bigger than I was used to at the time. But, they aren't able to do the same thing against you you know, after not playing last year and just having guys? lots of days to practice and to work out, it was fine after BRANDON CLARKE: I watched most of the second like the first couple of months. half. It was a really, really physical game in the paint. I feel like Michigan lagged running in transition which is I was just, you know, really, really hungry to play on the

Rev #1 by #189 at 2019-03-29 23:20:00 GMT page 2 of 6 court again, and I'm just glad that it's here and it's been under their average on the season. What do they such a great season for us. do that kind of poses so many problems and how do you guys address that? Q. Coach, Josh has played in more games than ZACH NORVELL, JR.: I will just say, you know, just be pretty much everyone in the country now. When confident in ourselves. We've been scoring at a high you have a guy like that, that experience on the rate all year so do things that's been working for us, floor, what luxury does that give you as a head don't try to switch anything up or vary off, things get a coach? little mucked up understanding that they do have a MARK FEW: Is that true? high-level defense, but understanding that there are a lot of plays in the game and staying the course, don't Q. It is. get too big headed or anything in a situation. Try to MARK FEW: Okay. Hey, listen, Josh has pretty much stay level headed and keep the same plan of attack at this point in his career seen everything and that we came into the game with. experienced everything. I mean, you start a point guard in a national championship game and log a Q. A lot of the media point at the number one bunch of minutes and I think he had 13 or 15 at half, offense but you guys have a better defense under the brightest of lights. That's obviously quite a efficiency rating than both Michigan and Texas luxury to have as a coach and then also as teammates. Tech. Do you have like you have to answer some So, again, it's just about getting him right and ready for doubts as to your defensive play and trying to the moment and understanding the plan and then him reach the offense's level as well? going out and executing it. COREY KISPERT: Our offense has been stellar all year long, but that hasn't been the case for our Q. Mark, Josh is the only one up there who played defense. We have had to work really hard to get our in the Final Four games two years ago. How do defense to the level we wanted to and it's been a slow you explain what that feeling is to be able to? process and a slow build up to this point. But I think all MARK FEW: I thought I put you in, you did not get in? the guys sitting here and all the guys in our locker room are really confident in our defense and we think we can RUI HACHIMURA: No. stop anybody in the country.

Q. How do you explain it to the rest of the guys MARK FEW: I would say our defense won the first what it feels like to get to that point? three games so far in this tournament. That's been the MARK FEW: We're not explaining anything. We're just one consistent thing. We've played pretty good explaining how to beat Texas Tech right now. That's offense, but our defense has been stellar in my opinion. 100% what we're dialed into, just figuring out ways to attack this defense that's, I think, ranked No. 1 in the Q. Is there any message that any of you gentlemen country. Also, how to defend in a short time of would like to give about the existence of Gonzaga? preparation, a motion offense that you just don't see ZACH NORVELL, JR.: Come to Spokane. You will love much. That's 100% what we're focused in on is just it. the task at hand. We're not talking Final Fours or anything like that. THE MODERATOR: We will let the student-athletes head off. Thank you, gentlemen. Q. Has anyone talked to you about the experience of being in the Final Four before? Have any of your Q. I know all those guys on Texas Tech can play teammates spoken to you about the experience or defense, but specifically Matt Mooney, their grad what they can expect here and if you guys move transfer, what do you think he adds to their mix on on? that end of the floor? JOSH PERKINS: Honestly, no, at the beginning of the MARK FEW: First, he adds a shot maker and a crafty year it was a goal we set for ourselves. So other than element to the team that is so necessary when you are that not really. We're focused on each opponent and playing five-man motion in a motion game. I've been we're going to get every team's best in these so impressed with how handsy he is. He gets his tournaments throughout March. That's our sole focus hands on a lot of balls and knocks 'em loose or creates right now and if we take care of our business tomorrow steals and it's remarkable how many turnovers they then we can have that talk and I'm looking forward to generate just in the half court. doing that. Q. Coach, we heard Brandon talking about working Q. Guys, Texas Tech has been able to hold most of out and that year he had to go through. How the opposition the postseason close to 25 points rewarding is it to see him advance with this team

Rev #1 by #189 at 2019-03-29 23:20:00 GMT page 3 of 6 after the hard work he's put in to get there? reminds me of R.J. Barrett a little bit who we have MARK FEW: It's great. It's kind of what it's supposed played against. Excellent passer, sets his teammates to be all about when you're coaching, right? Your goal up and he's got a huge usage rate on the offensive is to make these guys, you know, as good as they can end, so the ball is in his hands a lot and it's leading to possibly be and help 'em to get, you know, where they baskets or free throws or things like that. They can reach the goals that they set for themselves, surround him with a lot of skill. So it's hard to help from whether it's being an elite player in college and moving different spots. Chris does a good job of getting him on and playing in the NBA. So it's been awesome to the ball in different spots and places where, you know, be part of his development. There is still tons of room you can't just key in on it. So it's tough. We kind of for growth in his development. He's still very much on went over and over about maybe some things we could an upward swing. The neat thing is he's been very do but he's definitely a tough, tough guard and a tough coachable. The other interesting thing is both Rui and match-up. Brandon, here they are these incredible players. But they're so humble and so differential, sometimes too Q. Not many coaches get a 20th tournament as you much even on the floor still. It's pretty cool to see in are in this time. I was just wondering, the first one, this day and age. when you were a head coach and you're going I think to Albuquerque and you're up against Denny Q. I'm curious if you could kind of detail the lineage Crum, royalty. of your offensive philosophy, where it first came MARK FEW: Yeah. from and then how it's progress and had changed over the years? Q. And you had just been an assistant in the Elite MARK FEW: Wow, that's a great question. I would say Eight. What do you remember about that and how it first came from maybe watching some of our older might you critique that coach from back then? teams when I was at a young assistant at Gonzaga MARK FEW: Should have called a timeout at altitude. I and we were pretty rigid, pretty tight, look at the bench think we played Purdue, maybe, and we were winning a lot after a missed shot or mistake, and if I was every at the time and running up and down, but we only had to become a head coach I wanted my guys to play with six guys and we had one of those runs where there a bunch of confidence and a bunch of freedom and just was no stoppage of play and then by the time they get drill 'em down in practice so they knew what to look for, to the bench they were just out of gas. So I kind of what to expect and how to react. But once we got in always remember that especially when we play at a games kind of let it rip. I think those are the hardest high altitude. teams to guard. I would just say I remember feeling a lot of pressure in Obviously very, very into playing up-tempo and playing our conference tournament back then because in those transition basketball. That's what I love to watch and days, you know, I don't know that we would have made love to coach. So all of our teams have been real good the NCAA Tournament to keep this streak going if we about that. Very, very concerned with taking care of didn't win our conference tournament. the ball. That's a big stat for us. Shooting a high percentage shot. Technically it's went from flex early to We beat an amazing Pepperdine team that year that some motion to a bunch of high-low through the Turiaf went on and handed Bobby Knight his last loss at years when we were getting bigs like Ronny and Indiana by 30. I think we won in overtime and it was people like that and eventually we got into ball screen just a war. That was, you know, that's kinda what got action that we stuck with that's been very, very good for this whole thing going. A little bit like this group, once us, but all the while sticking with our high-low because we got in the tournament, we had experience of what that's been the bread and butter of our program for to expect, the Santangelos and Frahms and Calvarys, quite a while now. and played really well, made it to the Sweet 16. So that was something. Q. Culver is obviously a really good talent. What are the things he does really well, and is there Q. What would he say back to you? anything you can do to slow him down? Or do you MARK FEW: Who? That guy? Good question. He have to mediate him? would probably admit, yeah, I screwed up. I should MARK FEW: He's tough to slow down because he have called a timeout and you were right! does pretty much, I don't know that he has a weakness. He shoots from deep. He's got a really Q. I assume that Zach would be taking the first good mid-range game, much like Rui has, that's kind of assignment on Culver. Is that the case? rare in this day and age. He's big and athletic. He's a MARK FEW: Yeah, I mean, again, it depends. They good finisher and in that regard his body and game play a small lineup. They play a big lineup. So we will

Rev #1 by #189 at 2019-03-29 23:20:00 GMT page 4 of 6 have different coverages in different match-ups based here and those other guys played significantly last on that. But, yeah, Snacks has done a nice job thus year, obviously even this year we've had. Baylor made far. a great run at us in the second game of the tournament. Duke made a legendary run at us over in Q. What can Zach bring to the defensive end Maui at the end of a game where we missed a bunch against Culver? What can he do that might help of free throws and they came roaring back and we tried your defense against him? to hold them off and you try to put them in the right MARK FEW: Again, it's hard to guard Culver one-on- spots with what we're doing defensively and offensively one and literally this is a coaching cliché. We're going and believe in them. They made a lot of big plays to have to guard him as a team. We switch a lot, too. down the stretch because Florida State is not an easy Zach is a bigger guard. He's moving his feet better. team to try to close out. There is no rhythm on offense He became so much better at attention to detail with because they take you out of everything and they're so scouting reports and our coverages. So that's why we dangerous with their athleticism and length on the trust him so much on guarding so many of these good glass and around the hoop on the offensive end. players. Q. I was wondering if you could maybe just Q. Mark, you've had international players now for describe some of the defensive teams you're going so long. Are there things that you do as a to be playing and what the differences are between coaching staff or as a school to try to make guys Florida State and Texas Tech. that are coming from different cultures, different MARK FEW: Yeah, again, I think the one question countries feel a little bit more at home? came up about how they hold points gone and all that. MARK FEW: Yeah, I think we first of all there is a trust This is not going to be a high-scoring game tomorrow. involved there with just the track record of all the Usually it takes two to tango in pace of play and things success, all our players from other countries have had, like that. So we understand that. We've played many so they can look up there and just see how well those games this year where the tempo probably hasn't been other players' careers went. I think there is definitely at the speed we like to. Florida State likes to run up an understanding within our staff and actually within and down. They're more than happy to run up and our school about, you know, this is different. These down, but their defense is every bit as good in a full guys are thousands and thousands of miles away from court essence. They're going to press you, trap you, home, immersed in a totally different culture. So deny every pass, so long, so athletic. everybody understands that and really reaches out and makes them feel at home and part of a family. Texas Tech's is just tough as nails, don't make a mistake, don't miss an assignment, gap oriented, with Then, you know, we're always very, very cooperative all their help built in and a real conviction to guard you with the national teams and don't demand that. I would as a team, and it's tough. They don't give you any just as soon these guys not go to summer school and easy shots and like I said earlier they're very handsy play on their national teams and not stay at Gonzaga and they attempt to take a lot of charges, too, they and work out with us. I would rather see them, again, jump up and fall down on all the drives and all that and with my involvement in USA Basketball I think that's a you just gotta kinda navigate your way through that. really, really valuable development piece is getting out there and competing in those international Q. Could you talk a bit about Donny Daniels and tournaments and it also means so much to those kids what he's meant to this team and your staff since and the players to play for their home country. So coming on board? we're cooperative with that. Our school is cooperative MARK FEW: Donny has been great, man. I wish with, if they have to miss a week or so of school somebody would do a story on Donny. He's got coming back in September because of those things, enough experiences to write a book. Are you kidding too. me? I mean, he was down here in the LA area, played at Cal State Fullerton and worked for Rick Majerus all Q. Last night when the score got to 60-56 and you those years, that should take up the majority of the missed two front ends right before that seemed book right there. Then went on from Rick Majerus to scary to a witness, anyway. I was wondering if you work for Ben Howland with all the Final Fours at UCLA. knew your team had in it what it showed right after His number of Final Fours he's be been involved in as that or if you wondered slightly? an assistant, I don't know how anybody else can have MARK FEW: No, I knew they had it in 'em, but I don't any more. So he's got an incredible winning kharma know if they were going to show it. I knew they had it about him, unbelievable person, makes everybody feel in 'em. They have weathered many a storms over the good about him. His experience, again, he's seen so years. You go way back with how long Perk has been many things and been a part of so many things, he's

Rev #1 by #189 at 2019-03-29 23:20:00 GMT page 5 of 6 been huge. MARK FEW: Listen, it's going to be a really tough Q. You used to go head-to-head with him in game. We knew when the bracket popped up two recruiting so what's it been like to add him to your weeks ago Sunday that this was just going to be one of staff? those brackets where you're going to have to fight like MARK FEW: It was good. When he was at Utah we crazy. It's not going to be pretty, but we've got to enjoy were knocking heads time and time again because at the fight and embrace it and to be sitting here forty that time they really targeted the same kind of people minutes away from another Final Four is, you know, an we targeted back, those Utah teams. They were tough awesome feeling and an awesome space to be in and to beat. Man, they were tough to beat in recruiting. it's going to require our best. I think the guys are ready They were so diligent and so hard working. Seemed and excited. like they were everywhere all the time. So that's been good to not have to run into him on the road and finally THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. have him on our team.

Q. Mark, I think last week it might have been Boeheim who said nobody's every going to the NBA based on their defense. It was when they were asking him about recruiting to play defense. Not to make you dis on Boeheim, but do you agree with that? MARK FEW: First of all, he has more NBA experience than any of us here, been around the NBA guys and has a lot of experience. I think that's a pretty valid point that you're probably going to get drafted more on your offensive expertise and what you can do on that end of the floor. But I think you can eliminate yourself from being drafted and not moving on by not being able to play on the defensive end of the floor.

So, I would say, you know, yes to most of it. But probably no to part of it because I think it's something that can easily keep you out of the league if you don't.

Q. Coach, you've been in 20 of these. Has this time had a few more distractions? How have you guys been able to handle the extra media attention that you've received? MARK FEW: I would say having done it so many times that it's great for the staff, for the players like Perkins and even Zach Norvell, Jr. and Rui to a certain extent. They're very used to it. So the shock of the NCAA Tournament and the amount of media attention and the amount of time devoted to that is kinda old hat to everybody.

Gonzaga, the administration is so used to it and our SID, Barry, and everybody, they understand how to keep it as best to a minimum for our guys and even for me in many cases where those first years, whoever was asking me about that, it was, we were like kids in a candy store. We were eating it up and saying yes to every interview, and now we're a little more selective and probably better at saying no.

THE MODERATOR: Anything you want to say to close things out?

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