NCAA Men's 1st and 2nd Rounds: Hartford Wednesday, March 20, 2019 Hartford, Connecticut Markus Howard assignment you have tomorrow? Sam Hauser SACAR ANIM: Definitely. I play against a lot of top players in the country. Since this is my first time Sacar Anim playing them, I haven't had that much time to watch a lot film on them. But I played against a lot of great opponents in the Big East, so I think that's prepared Q. Markus, Ja talked about when you met at CP3 me so I'll be ready to go. camp. What's it going to be like playing against him and a lot of fun, too? Q. Again, Markus, what is your philosophy to MARKUS HOWARD: Me and him were pretty close. successfully play your position especially in a big We got close over that time in camp. We've been in game like you have tomorrow? contact throughout the season, supporting each other. MARKUS HOWARD: I think definitely just leading my To be able to share the court with him on Thursday is team in different areas, being a vocal leader, making going to be pretty cool. He's had a great year, their sure I'm taking care of the ball. And then when the team has had a great year, and, us as a team, we're time present itself, maintaining and being aggressive, looking forward to playing against a great opponent. finding my guys in open spots. I play with a bunch of great teammates that can really make plays. So being Q. Sacar, you're probably going to get the tough sure I get them going to start the game. assignment of tomorrow. After studying him for a few days, what is the important thing in Q. I'm sure you guys are used to this any time you defending against him? go into a game, Markus gets the attention and SACAR ANIM: Obviously, he's a terrific player with a lot against the other top scorer or whatever. For the of speed, the way he can create for his other players two of you, could you talk about what it's like? and also get his own shot. Like I said, just being able This game's getting so much attention because of to stay in front and making sure we don't get on the the high profile match-up. When you're playing, do side where we let them get a head of steam going to you ever get caught watching Markus and the other the rim. guy sometimes, or is that too much of a distraction? Do you just focus on what you have to Q. Markus, can you give us an update about your do. wrist and how you're feeling? SACAR ANIM: Basically, I just focus on what I got to MARKUS HOWARD: My wrist is all good. I've been do. Obviously, Markus is a terrific player. When he seeing our athletic trainer each and every day about it. gets to playing his game and gets the hinge shots, I But taking really good precautions with it, so I'm ready just worry about doing what I can do to help the team, to go and I'll be perfectly fine for tomorrow. just focus on that. When he gets hot, we let him do his thing. We have a big mission. We're just focusing on Q. Sam, what is the defensive philosophy going to winning the game. be tomorrow. Murray State is a pretty versatile team. How do you start that? SAM HAUSER: Kind of piggybacking off that. We're SAM HAUSER: It starts on the offensive end, taking not a one-man show; we're a great team. Markus care of the ball, taking good shots. They're very good knows that as well. Usually the teams we are playing in transition, very athletic. So taking them out of against are great teams as well like Murray State. transition and blocking them out because they're a very They're not a one-man show. I just focus on that, not good rebounding team as well. And then obviously getting caught up in the hype and focus on what sets guarding the drive. us up in the game.

Q. Sacar, you had guarded a lot of the really good Q. Has he done anything that just kind of stops in guards from the Big East, , all those your tracks and makes you go wow? guys. Do you think that prepared you for the tough SAM HAUSER: He's had 40 like five times this year, so that kind of speaks for itself.

Rev #1 by #448 at 2019-03-20 16:55:00 GMT page 1 of 2 experience? Can you see his game developing? Q. Sam and Markus, in your minds what makes MARKUS HOWARD: There is some play where he just Sacar such a good defensive player, and how nice displayed his athleticism. There's some alley-oops is it to have him on your team to take on tough thrown where his torso was above the rim. Just seeing assignments that he's done. that, I was blown away by that. Yeah, there's some SAM HAUSER: Sacar, he's very athletic and very crazy plays that he made throughout the camp in terms versatile. He's been able to guard multiple positions of him playing above the rim. That was definitely over his years here. He really takes pride in it. I think something that caught my eye. that's what makes him great, his competitive edge on that end, and he continues to show it.

MARKUS HOWARD: Yeah, a lot of people -- just playing with Sac for so long, he's has one of the quickest first steps I've ever seen. Him having that in his arsenal, he's able to defend players really well.

Sac's one of the most competitive people I've been around. When he competes on the defensive end, he can guard anyone in the country. I think he's one of the best defenders in the country just based off his competitive spirit alone.

Q. Sacar, you redshirted a couple seasons ago when these guys last made the NCAA Tournament. What are you most looking forward to tomorrow and your NCAA Tournament debut, and have these guys told you or given you advice or anything? SACAR ANIM: I was looking forward to just going out there and competing, honestly. Like you said, I was off that year and didn't get to play, so I was just watching. I'm looking forward to going out there and compete. The NCAA Tournament is something you grew up wanting to play in, competing on the big stage. I'm just focusing on going out there with my boys, competing, and getting the win.

Q. Markus, can you talk a little about your own personal approach when you know you're going into a Big East game or whatever it is. Whoever you're playing, it's kind of another high profile, maybe all-American kind of guy. Do you prepare any differently? MARKUS HOWARD: No. I treat every game the same in term of how I prepare. I know I'm with a great group of guys that have my back no matter what. So going into games, I don't worry about doing anything too extra. I just stick to the plan, stick to the game plan that our coaches draw up for us, and then just trust our guys. I play with amazing teammates with amazing ability. So just relying on that each and every game is how I prepare. Not really thinking too much into it, just going out and playing our game. That's really we focus on each and every time we step out and play.

Q. Markus, going back to that Chris Paul camp experience. That was when Ja started generating a lot of buzz. What stood out for you in that

Rev #1 by #448 at 2019-03-20 16:55:00 GMT page 2 of 2 NCAA Men's 1st and 2nd Rounds: Hartford Wednesday, March 20, 2019 Hartford, Connecticut Steve Wojciechowski Marquette Golden Eagles to make this a one-on-one duel. But, from our perspective, this is Marquette versus Murray State. COACH STEVE WOJCIECHOWSKI: First and foremost. We're incredibly excited to be a part of the Q. I was wondering if, drawing on your experience NCAA Tournament, for all of our players and coaches. both as a coach and before that, there's this whole It's something that, as a young person, you dream of thing where, of course, you want to win every being a part of, and so we're certainly excited to be game, especially you want to win your conference here. We know we have a huge challenge in Murray tournament. But a loss in a conference tournament State, having been able to watch them and study them could be used towards like kind of waking your since Selection Sunday. Have a great deal of respect for their program, their players, their coaches. They team up and being like, you know, that's the last really do things the right way, and they're an loss you guys can take before the season's over. outstanding team. And I'm wondering how you've, you know, kind of lead your team on that thinking over the past week. Q. Studying Murray State, I'm sure you spent a lot COACH STEVE WOJCIECHOWSKI: Yeah, well, first of of time on Ja Morant. What do you think would be all, we never want to lose. You know, so I'm not like a the one or two things you guys need to do? firm believer you have to lose to be motivated. I don't COACH STEVE WOJCIECHOWSKI: Obviously Ja is think a loss should cause you to be more motivated. an incredible player and prospect. I want to make clear So we haven't really talked a great deal about what this is not a one-man band. Murray State is not in this happened in the Big East Tournament in preparation position because it's a one-man show. Certainly, he's for the NCAA Tournament. got special talent. He's unbelievable in transition. I think they get the ball as a group, and he heads it all However, those experiences go into what our guys down the floor as fast as any team we've played all have now as we start this new season. We have a lot year. They score the ball early in the shot clock and of reference points, mostly from things that have done often and he really keys that. really well, and then we have some reference points where things didn't turn out the way we hoped. So we And then you get in the half court, he's terrific off ball use all of those as we're at this point now. screens, so our ball screen defense will be tested, not only with his ability to turn the corner and score, but his Q. I know it's a team assignment, but Sacar is ability to come off ball screens and set other people up probably going to be the initial defender on Ja. for really good shots. What makes him a good player his feet, instincts? COACH STEVE WOJCIECHOWSKI: Number one, he Outstanding team, certainly he's an incredible talent. wants to. Sacar takes pride in trying to be a stopper It's going to be a huge challenge for us. and trying to play outstanding defense, and he combines that mindset with really good focus. Q. I'm most curious about your reaction Sunday Because, you know, in order to be a really good when you saw the match-up and I'm sure as a defender, you have to have great focus and coach, your thought goes to it's going to be a lot of concentration throughout possessions, especially when you're assigned to the other team's best player, which emphasis on that individual match-up between he often is. Markus and Ja. As a coach, does that bother you to think about all of the focus being on them, you So he's got the right mindset and want to. He's got know, in the media, or do you just roll with it? great focus and he's a really good athlete. He can get COACH STEVE WOJCIECHOWSKI: You know, we low in the stance, he can move his feet, and the can't really control what the media's focus is, and so combination of those three things is the reason why we try not to worry too much about things that we can't he's, I think, one of the better defenders. control. The things that we knew that we're in control of was our preparation for an outstanding Murray State Q. Do you think playing against all of those, you team, and, you know, I think a lot of people won't want know, those great guards in the Big East, Myles

Rev #1 by #448 at 2019-03-20 17:04:00 GMT page 1 of 2 Powell, Phil Booth, do you think that's prepared supportive of the other guys, so, you know, our offense Sacar for this match-up? runs best when we don't turn it over and we got to COACH STEVE WOJCIECHOWSKI: I certainly hope really take care of the ball. so. Obviously Ja is the guy that people are saying is going to go in the top two or three in the NBA draft. But Sacar on our team has had the challenge of playing other really good and great college guards. So hopefully we can use that experience to our advantage. Although Ja may be a little bit of a different type of guy.

Q. Coach, I know you weren't coach of Marquette in the old Big East days, but is it cool to you that you guys have Villanova, you guys, and not Leonard Hamilton as Big East experience. Is it cool for your experience here in the former Big East building? COACH STEVE WOJCIECHOWSKI: Yeah. It's cool. I haven't really thought about it that way. Certainly I'm happy for all of the current Big East teams in the NCAA Tournament who earned that honor. And know Coach Hamilton from not only his days of being a Big East coach, but ACC, and have a lot of respect for him and his program. A lot of focus has been on Marquette and Murray State, try to stay in those two lanes.

Q. Murray State's got a couple long-armed defensive guys, Shaq Buchanan. Turnovers has been an issue for you guys off and on this year. What are you telling your guys to prepare for that defensive attack? COACH STEVE WOJCIECHOWSKI: You know, I think we've seen -- and Murray State can really pressure the ball, and as you mentioned, they have a lot of -- especially on the perimeter, very active defenders, and they can turn you over. Buchanan's a heck of a defensive player. Ja Morant gets his hands on a lot of balls. He gets a lot of deflections. Again, we have to be strong with the ball. We have to keep it simple offensively and be as fundamentally sound as we can possibly can be, because if you turn it over against them, you're probably going to end up on "Sportscenter."

Q. Woj, when you have an outstanding player like Markus, and they have Ja, an All-American player who can dominate a game, is it a different coaching challenge for you right from the beginning of the year to get your kids to adjust to that, and then not sometimes not maybe be tempted to just kind of stand around and watch and rely on them so much? COACH STEVE WOJCIECHOWSKI: Yeah.

You know, I think the strength of our team this year has been our team and certainly Markus has had an incredible year with incredibly high scoring output. But it's a function of team play. And, you know, I think our guys are wildly supportive of Markus, and Markus is

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