March 22, 2014

An interview with: year? The Sweet Sixteen, was that a pretty big goal? DOUG McDERMOTT: Yeah, it's always been a goal of ours. We haven't gotten there yet as a program, so that's something that was in the back of my mind. You know, we're finally to this point again where we've been the last two years, and, you know, it's played a big part in my decision, just being with these guys up here on the podium and playing for my dad another year and just playing for our great fans in Omaha and THE MODERATOR: We have with us throughout the state of Nebraska. Doug McDermott, Ethan Wragge, Jahenns Manigat and Grant Gibbs. We'll take questions for the Q. Have any of you had a chance to student-athletes. break down Baylor film? What have you seen out of them at the end of the year that's been Q. Doug, could you just talk about your able to help them go on this run, and what kind relationship with Cory Jefferson, how you guys of challenges do you think they present? got to know each other, and he said you guys GRANT GIBBS: Yeah, I mean, obviously still keep in touch? they play through their post, Jefferson and Austin. DOUG McDERMOTT: Yeah, I mean, Cory They're both really talented dudes, incredible on is a good friend of mine. I met him this summer the offensive glass. Then you know their zone playing team USA. Hung out with him during the gives people a lot of problems with their length. tryouts out in Colorado. We weren't roommates They've really gone on a big-time run here towards over in Russia, but we hung out a lot and walked the end of the year and piqued at the right time and around Olympic Village. Got to know him really played their best basketball. well and Brady Heslip. So it's pretty cool to be So watching them on film, we know they able to go up against them here tomorrow. present a lot of problems with their athleticism and length, and that's something we're going to have to Q. Just to follow up on that, did you be able to combat. have any conversations with those guys in the last few days about the possibility of this Q. This is for Grant or any of the guys. match up? How has Doug been as a teammate? DOUG McDERMOTT: Yeah, I actually Obviously, he scores a lot, but very unselfish. did. I got a text from both of them on Selection Can you just talk about that? Sunday about the possible match-up, so I told ETHAN WRAGGE: I mean, Doug's so them they have to take care of a good Nebraska great to play with. He just draws so much attention team first, who is really well-coached, and we down there. Just the ability for him to score and obviously had to take care of business first, too. kick and get three, four guys on him just makes our I talked to them and talked to Brady when I life so much better, leaving us with wide open got to town here. We weren't able to meet up, but shots or uncontested pull-ups or whatever you can. I'll finally get to see them tomorrow. So when you're playing with a guy that draws attention like that, it makes everyone's life a lot Q. This is also for Doug. What were easier. some of your reasons for coming back this

0c4e9683fec4453f6acc1633b7aca4 1 28.doc visit our archives at asapsports.com Q. If you could, how would you on last year was clearly mocking the players that compare your guys mindset and focus knowing weren't extremely good looking. Then this year, I that you've been at this point in the last two think it said something about him looking like Justin years? What is different about your Timberlake, which is like the wildest thing I've ever preparation this year and kind of your drive to heard in my life. So I don't know. Like I said, just get over this hump? another year. We'll see what magazine he ends JAHENNS MANIGAT: I mean, like you up on next year. said, we've been here the past two years. It's been JAHENNS MANIGAT: Yeah, I haven't extremely tough for us to go home at this point the really paid too much attention to that. I don't past two years. So it's something that we really personally think Wragge's the best looking guy out focused on this year. We wanted to get back to there. But I guess some other people have this game. This is the most important game of our become a fan of him and how he plays. I think him season, obviously. Another win-or-go-home being a bearded bomber is better than what he situation. actually looks like. And him being able to knock So I think our experience from having been down the threes is actually what's getting him in here before and just that drive to not want to be the magazine. sent home again after a loss is certainly what's So whatever they like about him, I guess pushing us. You know, we're going to have to it's positive. It's something that's positive for our prepare for a really good Baylor team today. team, and it's just creating a better buzz for our team, and people are hopping on to the Q. Doug, have you been paying bandwagon a little bit more because the guy to my attention to other results inside the left is attracting a lot of people. It's a good thing for tournament? our team all around, but I don't think he deserves DOUG McDERMOTT: Yeah. to be there. THE MODERATOR: Ethan, you want to Q. It seems like a lot of times the add anything to that? stories that are coming up the last couple days ETHAN WRAGGE: Sounds like a lot of are teams that are galvanized from playing jealousy. But I noticed that they both read it, so together for long periods of time. In a lot of they must be following me a little bit. But I'll just cases those are like upset situations like leave it at that. Mercer. It's not usually a team that finished at the top of a big conference, like you guys. Do Q. Doug, have you seen a lot of zones you think that there is something to the talent this year? Have you seen many with Baylor's versus experience aspect this year? length? DOUG McDERMOTT: You know, I really DOUG McDERMOTT: We've seen a little feel like experience plays a huge factor. You zone here and there. We saw George know, we've been together, this is our fourth year Washington's. We saw Providence, and we together as a group. We definitely did well in the struggled against both of those. I think the Big East this year. I think the Valley helped us kind Providence one, we kind of struggled because we of grow as a team. It's a tough, physical league. weren't prepared for it very well. They kind of Now we're here together. This is our last go threw us off to start the game, and we didn't really around, and I feel like those teams play the best practice it that much. because we've been through so much together to Now we know that we're going to see zone get us to this point. against Baylor, so we're going to work a lot harder on that in our preparation. Obviously, not a lot of Q. Grant and Jahenns, you guys are teams have guys that are 7'1", and 6'10" with that flanked by number 6 and number 7 on wingspan. So it's going to be hard to get a good Seventeen Magazine's Hottest College look at it in practice, but we're going to imagine it Basketball Players list. Do you have any and we're going to try to do our best. We have one thoughts on that? of the best shooting teams in the country, so we GRANT GIBBS: Just another year and actually like it when we get zone. another magazine for Wragge, I guess. I really don't have a comment. I thought the one he was

0c4e9683fec4453f6acc1633b7aca4 2 28.doc visit our archives at asapsports.com Q. Scott just said that you had an "Old the floor. It all stems from just generally spending Man's" game, and you were quoted as saying time together off the floor and creating a bond and you watch a little bit of the Spurs. Do you have a friendship. a particular player that you watch on that team that maybe you can compare to your game? Q. For Doug and for Ethan, as Doug DOUG McDERMOTT: There's not really a mentioned, you guys played against GW and spur that I compare myself to. Just in general I like Providence and played a little bit of zone. But I watching them play. They just play the right way, would guess for guys like you that particularly ball movement, just really unselfish. I feel like get out on the perimeter and shoot, zones are a that's kind of the way we play. We're obviously not situation where there's not one guy chasing the Spurs, but I feel like we move the ball well and you and you can usually spot up and find a we make that extra pass. And I just think that's a hole. Is that something that you're going to try good comparison. But I guess it's a to as you kind of maybe look forward to the compliment being called the "Old Man's" game. I fact that there's not going to be one guy just try to stick with fundamentals because I'm not dogging you the whole game? as athletic as some of the guys I'm going up DOUG McDERMOTT: Yeah, it's going to against. So I have to find other ways to take be tough because of the length they have. I think advantage of my skillset. we just need to do a much better job of moving the ball. The ball kind of got stuck a lot in those two Q. For Grant and Jahenns, there are games, and I'm sure that's something we'll work on lots of teams where you find like people go here in practice today, just trying to get the ball in through three and four seasons of playing the middle of the zone, and try to create stuff from together that don't seem to get as close as you that. I feel like we move so well as a team without guys appear to be. Is there some component the ball, that when there is a zone, we kind of just to it that it's more than just you've played in all stand around and we need to get back to cutting these basketball games and practices together through the lane and making that extra pass, that has galvanized you guys? because that's who we are. GRANT GIBBS: I think it kind of happened ETHAN WRAGGE: Yeah, that's exactly naturally with the personalities we have and kind of what we want to do. And to go off that, our guards the people that Coach Mac brought in and instilled, do a good job of getting in there just to spray the our camaraderie and those type of things. I think ball out to our shooters. That will be good shots for we revert back a lot to a team trip we took to the us. So we're focused on getting in there, attacking Bahamas which would have been three or four the zone and not standing around as much as we summers ago, kind of our first time all playing have in the past. together. Spent a lot of time with each other off the THE MODERATOR: Anything else for the floor, trying to build relationships and that trust in student-athletes? Okay, gentlemen, thank you. each other. It's really just taken off from there and We're joined by Creighton University kind of become our mantra. So more than it, over coach Greg McDermott. Coach, an opening time growing, I think it was something that statement? happened right away with the guys on the team, COACH McDERMOTT: It's great to be and the unselfishness of everybody from the top to back in this room today. That is the bottom line, the bottom. survive and advance at this point of the season. JAHENNS MANIGAT: Yeah, going off of Although we weren't perfect yesterday, we found a what Grant said, off the floor we spent so much way to get it done and move on to the next round. time together. We always live in the same dorms Very impressed with Baylor. Their play the and our rooms are really close by. We're either a last, really since the middle of February, has been floor below or above each other. So guys just about as good as anybody in the country. They've spend a ton of time off the floor. It's not played great basketball. They're getting necessarily just talking about basketball. It's really contributions from a lot of different places, and hanging out and building a friendship that will last their ability to chase the ball on the glass is as years far beyond our time playing together. good as any team we've played this season. So So I think that just kind of is the root of how obviously that's a concern for us, and it's going to well we've been and how unselfish we've been on

0c4e9683fec4453f6acc1633b7aca4 3 28.doc visit our archives at asapsports.com have to be an area that we're very, very good They're totally different when Gathers tomorrow if we expect to move on. comes into the game, because he's more of a smashmouth, physical-type player that gives them Q. What do you tell Wragge before a a different look than when Cory and Isaiah are out game? What do you want him to do? Do you there together. So, they've got good depth, both in ever think that he should do more or do people the guard court and in the front line. want him to do more than he does? COACH McDERMOTT: Shoot. That's Q. Coach, the talk is about Baylor's what I tell him. He is who he is. That's why we've defense. But what do you guys have to do on been successful. We've got a group of guys that the defensive end to stop them on the offense? don't try to do things they can't do. We've got COACH McDERMOTT: I think rebound is some guys that are good at taking it to the basket first and foremost. I think teams that have been and creating things in the lane, and Ethan's one of successful against them have found ways to hang those guys. He's an elite shooter, and he's really in there on the backboard, and that's going to be good at that, one of the best in the country. So really critical for us. Obviously, we're not a team there is no need for him to try to post and put it on that takes any rebounds above the rim. Most of the floor and do things that he's got teammates ours are fundamental, block-out-type rebounds. that do better than him. So we're going to have to be very fundamental in His marching orders is if you get a look, our approach to rebounding tomorrow. Brady is you let that thing fly. That's what he's supposed to one of the best shooters in the country, and when do, and he does it as well as anybody I've he gets going, he's very difficult to stop. We have coached. to keep him in check. And Kenny Chery is kind of the X-factor for them. When he's making plays off Q. Coach, I would imagine that with the that ball screen and scoring himself and making way you guys shoot the ball that playing a zone plays for his teammates, it just adds another against a zone team, which you guys would be element to go with what they already have inside happy with that. But Baylor doesn't play a with Cory and Isaiah and with Brady's ability to typical zone. Is that a fair assessment? shoot it. COACH McDERMOTT: Yeah, it's a very good zone. Their length and athletic ability is what Q. Obviously Doug gets a lot of makes it difficult. The last time we played against attention. How has he handled all of that? In a zone for 40 minutes was the Big East what ways do you feel he's improved his game Championship versus Providence, and we had this year? some good looks at basket but we went 8 of 30 COACH McDERMOTT: I think this season from the three-point line. If we expect to win he's improved his range. I think he's shooting it tomorrow afternoon, that percentage is going to much deeper with accuracy than he had a year have to be much better. ago. That intermediate game, that 12 to 17-foot off the screen with one dribble, face-up, fadeaway, Q. Greg, have you faced a team with that shot has improved. His assist-to-turnover this much length not only on the starting front numbers are much better than they have been at line but also coming off the bench they have any time in his career, so I think his passing has bigs as well? improved. His decision making has improved. COACH McDERMOTT: Probably St. He's handled all this in stride. He's stayed very John's. St. John's I think led the country in blocked grounded, very hungry, very humble. For that, as shots for a long period of the season. I think in that proud as I am of the way he's played as his father, regard that they're similar. Isaiah Austin is as long I'm even more proud of how he's handled himself. as any player in the country though. Then you add his skill level to go with that. He's a handful. You Q. Along those lines, Greg, as a father know, Cory Jefferson takes up space. He plays to have been there for his entire four-year extremely hard. He's active on the backboards. career and what he's accomplished and the He can step out and shoot it, and he blocks shots fact that you know it's going to be over here as well. pretty quick as far as you coaching him, what

0c4e9683fec4453f6acc1633b7aca4 4 28.doc visit our archives at asapsports.com are your emotions just having coached him for wish I had another one of him. I'd have kept four years in college now? having kids if I would have known that. COACH McDERMOTT: It's been an incredible experience. It's an experience that Q. Coach, it's becoming more rare for a every parent, I wish they had an opportunity to sit group of veterans to stick together like this in my chair and be able to go through these times through four years. What's that been like for with Doug that I've been able to experience. It's you? Can you sense that hunger to get beyond been absolutely fantastic. this step and keep playing? I haven't thought too much about when it's COACH McDERMOTT: No question, it's going to be over, because the reality of it is I wasn't been one of their goals all year is to get back to sure this year was going to happen anyways. I this game and have an opportunity. We've thought there was a good chance he was going to knocked on the door and come so close the last enter the draft. So I got 34, 35 bonus games to few years to try to get into that Sweet Sixteen and coach him. I think we've both done a good job of see what happens after that. But there are a lot of probably enjoying it more this year than we have in things that had to transpire for this group to come the past. together. Last year we didn't know when the last Ethan Wragge's injury that forced him to home game was or when the last time he leaves red shirt, so he's back a year. Grant Gibbs gets the locker room or gets introduced to the starting his sixth year of eligibility. Doug decides to come lineups. There is a little bit more finality to it this back to school, and all of a sudden you have these year. But it's been such a great ride. I hope pieces in place again for really a fourth year nobody wakes me up from it. It's been pretty cool. together. So I think you're seeing in the NCAA So I'm not going to shed tears when it's over. It's tournament that that experience is trumping been absolutely incredible. We'll be one of the, athleticism, length at times. Just because these some of the best years of my life. guys play together and they have so much confidence in one another when you have a group Q. Doug's game has been labeled "Old that's been together that long and has achieved Man." As his father and his coach, do you success. agree with that "Old Man" game label? I think our group fits that mold. There is a COACH McDERMOTT: I think he's -- he confidence about them. That's not an arrogance. plays with a high basketball IQ, and maybe where They're confident in each other. They believe in that maybe could be why that statement has come each other. They understand that we have to play about that he's got a little bit of an old school a certain way for us to be successful, and I'm game. But the guy can do a lot of things. He can hopeful we can execute that plan tomorrow. score in the post. He can shoot threes. He can score on the move, going to the basket. He's done Q. From your time at Iowa State, I a good job every year of taking a part of his game assume you still kept a pretty close on him. that wasn't good and making it better. They're obviously playing here. I wondered As a result, now you have this very what you thought the reaction was when you complete basketball player on the offensive end of heard Niang was out for the season now? the floor that has an unbelievable understanding of COACH McDERMOTT: I felt awful. I've how to read a screen in a split second and make gotten to know Georges a little bit. We you pay much like he did with that three-point shot scrimmaged them this year, and Fred and I are he hit yesterday. They had chased that screen the good friends. Obviously there are a lot of entire game and that's what we thought we were connections still to their support staff. Melvin Ejim going to get. I thought we were going to get him was my last recruit there. So I've stayed in close curling to the basket. To Doug's credit, he made a touch with their program and obviously want to see great read, Ethan Wragge set a great screen, and Fred and his team do well. So that was a big blow. he pops it and hits the three to ice the game. You feel bad for the team. You feel worse for If being a fundamentally sound basketball Georges because I know how much he's invested player and not doing a lot of things above the rim, if in making himself the player he is today. So I wish that makes his game old school, then so be it. I them all the best tomorrow.

0c4e9683fec4453f6acc1633b7aca4 5 28.doc visit our archives at asapsports.com Q. Coach, what would it mean to you personally to take this group of guys to the next level? COACH McDERMOTT: I'd be most satisfied that this group was able to finish their career doing something that nobody else has done in the modern era of the NCAA tournament. This group has achieved a lot of firsts in the history of Creighton basketball, and I couldn't think of a better way for their career to end than to go to Anaheim and have a chance to go to the Final Four. So it would be very rewarding. In some ways it would be justice served because of how hard they've worked and how well they've represented our program. It's one thing the things they've done on the floor, but there hasn't been one time in their four years that there's been anything embarrassing that they've done that's had a black eye on our program. When you have 18 to 20-year-old young men that can happen once in a while. But these guys have made all the right decisions, all the right choices. They've sacrificed and they continue to grow collectively, so it would be a pretty special thing if we could make that happen.

Q. Can you compare today and then last year in Philly that same day, difference in their attitude and their focus? COACH McDERMOTT: Well, they're older, you know? The way Grant and Ethan are walking around, they look much older today. But you can't get out of your routine because the stakes are higher. You're successful because you have a certain way that you prepare. If you're going to be a team that's won on the road, which we've been able to do the last few years, the preparation and the routine is really important. You can't ever get too high or too low based on an outcome. These guys have stayed pretty even keel in their approach. That's what I've seen the last couple days. That's what I saw last night in the film room, and I think when we head to the practice floor, I think I'll see a team that's focused and hungry, willing to listen, willing to learn and try to get as much ironed out as we possibly can in the short time we'll be on the floor. THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Coach? COACH McDERMOTT: Thank you. FastScripts by ASAP Sports

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