NCAA Men's Regional Semifinals and Finals: Washington D.C. Thursday, March 28, 2019 Washington D.C. they have down low in Naz Reid and Kavell Bigby- Tom Izzo Williams and some of those other guys? NICK WARD: They're huge down low. That's going to Nick Ward be a challenge for us. And we'll have to box out, rebound, stick to the game plan. They're one of the Matt McQuaid bigger teams we faced this year. So we're going to Cassius Winston have our hands full. Q. Cassius, I'm staring at your backpack right now Michigan State Spartans with the green bear on it. Can you explain where you found this backpack, what it's of and why you THE MODERATOR: We're joined by the student- bought it? athletes from Michigan State, Cassius Winston, Matt CASSIUS WINSTON: Oh man. Well, it's from China. McQuaid, and Nick Ward. We're going to open it up for My mom went to China earlier this year. She saw the Q&A right away. Coach Izzo will join us following the backpack she thought of me. So I love cartoons and student-athletes. the cash money thing so it was just a play off that. I love the backpack. Q. Your team is comprised of juniors and seniors mostly now. But being in the position last year, like Q. Matt and Nick, what do you think about the LSU is in now, how does experience really help a matchup at point guard? team this far in the tournament? MATT MCQUAID: Like Cassius said, it's not individual CASSIUS WINSTON: Experience, we've been in a lot matchup but Tremont Waters is a great player. Like of situations as a team. I said it all year, there's really you said, he does a lot for his team. He can shoot. He no situation that we've come across that we feel like we can drive. He can pass. But they've got a lot of other haven't been in before. So we've seen it all. We've good players on their wings and we've just got to be made it through a lot of situations. So that experience, ready. just being comfortable in those situations just kind of helped us along the way. NICK WARD: I totally agree with what Matt said. It's not really a individual battle because they both do a lot MATT MCQUAID: Like Cassius said, we've been for the teams. But I feel like we've got to come out and through a lot together. We've gotten a lot closer this execute. Cassius will have to play well, and Tremont year, just through everything we've been through, and will have to play well for his team. It's going to be a it's really just brought us closer together. battle. Q. Cassius, how familiar are you with Waters? And Q. Nick, can you describe what this team's do you look at this as a challenge? Arguably the character is like, to be able to keep on an even keel two best point guards in the country playing in this when so many guys are going out this year? game. NICK WARD: That's a great question, because it CASSIUS WINSTON: I've seen him a lot at AAU and speaks a lot about our character. Our character has I've been watching him this year. I don't get into been very high this year. Missing me, Josh, Matt individual battles, you know? We both do a lot for our McQuaid four games, Kyle -- that's a lot of injuries. teams. And if we're playing our best then usually our That's our core people. team is playing their best, too. So the victory in itself is just winning the game. So we just battled adversity all year and we pushed through it and we were able to overcome it. Q. You've never played him in AAU or anything? CASSIUS WINSTON: Not that I remember. Q. Matt, 10-1 against ranked opponents this year. How much is that in the back of your mind Q. Nick, what are your impressions of LSU, what tomorrow against LSU, and how important will that Rev #1 by #188 at 2019-03-28 16:53:00 GMT page 1 of 6 be down the stretch? help us get to the next step. He's been pushing for it MATT MCQUAID: It's good for us and like during the every step of the way. regular season, but it's a different time of year. We know we're facing a really good LSU team with great Q. I'll go back to the backpack because you started players through the board -- really big, that rebound laughing at it. Do you guys have an opinion over and quick guards that can do a lot of different things. Cassius' backpack, and do you think it fits his personality well? So, like Nick said, we know we'll have our hands full the MATT MCQUAID: I think it definitely does. Like he whole game, and they're a good team. said, whenever I walk into the Brez in the morning he always has cartoons on, it just fits him well. And the Q. You guys guard the 3 pretty well. This LSU team cash money thing, I think it all flows together. hasn't shot the ball very, very well this season. Mostly get the ball inside. How does that kind of NICK WARD: I completely agree with everything Matt play into your guys' strength especially at a stage said because he does watch cartoons all the time. I like this? live with him. I hear all the little gunshots, the little MATT MCQUAID: Yeah, I mean, like you said, they're "Looney Tunes" stuff. But for sure it fits his personality. kind of a streaky team. But they still have guys that can make shots. You saw Mays hit that big shot Q. Nick or Matt, with all the injuries you guys have against Maryland and Waters can shoot. They have dealt with this year, how important has just guys that are capable of stepping up and knocking Cassius' consistency been to the success of this down shots when they need them. team? MATT MCQUAID: It's been huge. Cassius has played Q. Cassius, you and Tremont have both been uber every game. He's kind of been the stable guy. But it's productive this year despite kind of bucking the not a one-man team. We kind of just had that -- it's not trend of taller point guards in college basketball like a next-man-up mentality either. It's a group effort and the NBA. What attributes in you or Tremont's and everybody stepping up and stepping up and doing game do you point to to explain that production? more in their job and role. CASSIUS WINSTON: He does a good job of using his quickness, changing speeds and things like that to get But Cassius has been great all year, consistent all year to his spot. He does a good job of just staying poised doing a lot of things for us and just keeping the core and staying in control during the whole game. group together. He does a great job controlling that team, pushing NICK WARD: Completely agree. Cassius has been tempo, doing a lot of good things for that team. really consistent this year. Between me and McQuaid, we missed ten games together. I missed six and he And I guess in my case, I play within myself. I know missed four. That's a lot of games missed this season. what I'm good at. I know my spots. And I don't try to So Cassius has led us and he's been really consistent. play outside of my strengths. Q. Nick, you all don't play a lot of zone, right? Why Q. You play for a guy who is regarded as one of the is -- LSU struggled at times against the zone. Why top coaches in the history of the game. Just what is it you all haven't played much zone? And do you are some things you see on a day-to-day basis -- think you might try some in this game? practice, offseason, in-season -- that make him the NICK WARD: I don't think we're going to try any zone. great coach that he is? But that's not -- we're a man team. We press up. We NICK WARD: Coach Izzo is never satisfied. That's do our principles. Zone isn't really our MO. great, because he wants you to be the best. He pushes you to be the best every day. Q. Why is that? Why isn't it, do you think? NICK WARD: You know what? I don't know. That's up We watch film every day, see what we can do better. to our coaches. We just do what we're told. We go over plays, typical coach stuff. But Coach Izzo is a hall of famer for a reason. CASSIUS WINSTON: Like he said, that's what we do here at Michigan State. We've got a good system. You CASSIUS WINSTON: Like Nick said, he always wants help your helper. You are there for your teammates. you to get better. There's no point of the season, no Man has been working for us all year.