Mfiondu Kabengele Terance Mann Trent Forrest
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NCAA Men's 1st and 2nd Rounds: Hartford Friday, March 22, 2019 Hartford, Connecticut Mfiondu Kabengele Terance Mann principles to try to disrupt them. Q. You guys obviously faced Zion this year, too, Trent Forrest and that was a huge challenge. What do you Florida State Seminoles compare this challenge with Morant like to facing him? Q. Talk about facing Ja Morant. Have you watched TERANCE MANN: I would say they're both great him at all? What kind of challenges does that players in what they do. Zion is very athletic, Ja Morant represent? is very athletic. We've been facing great players all TERANCE MANN: He's a good player, we're just going year especially throughout the ACC. Both guys are try to contain him as best we can. He's a good passer different, so our coaches have a great came plan for also. He likes to find his teammates. So we just try to us. Try and stay in front of them and contain them, and get in the way of that, stick to our principles, and things I think we'll just do a good job of that. should fall in place. Q. For any of the players, I know your teammate TRENT FORREST: Kind of what Terance said, just had a tragic loss yesterday. I'm wondering how kind try to disrupt him as much as you can. It's kind of he's doing and how you guys are helping Phil sort hard to stop a player who likes to pass and get the ball of get through a tough time? to his teammates because you never know what he's TRENT FORREST: I mean, it's hard any time when going to attack or pass. Probably just disrupt his you lose a parent. I mean, he's been doing pretty rhythm is the biggest thing for us. good. I mean, we've all been there for him since it happened, and we're just helping him get through it Q. You guys obviously have a big size advantage, and giving him his space, his time that he needs, and but that's not uncommon. You're larger than a lot just be there for him when he needs it. of teams on the wings and especially in the middle. How do you best take advantage of that? MFIONDU KABENGELE: Sums it up. Obviously you'd love to dominate the glass. They're small but not as small as some teams you Q. Throw you one more at you on Ja Morant, played. because he's obviously been such a big story. I'm MFIONDU KABENGELE: We recognize our size is sure you watched tape. Can you sort of appreciate going to be a advantage. It's important to stay his game yesterday? I mean, in other words, do consistent through the first half. We know they going to you sort of sit back and say, this is kind of fun. Or very energized. We have to keep chipping away and is it too much, like man, we got to deal with this wear them down with our length and our depth and guy? Can you sort of step back from a fan's point continue to be aggressive on the glass, just wear them of view and appreciate his game for the sort of down. With our guards being as disruptive as much as spectacular plays that he makes? possible, getting on transition. I feel like we'll chip away TERANCE MANN: I mean, yeah. He had a triple- and be victorious. double, and that doesn't happen often in college basketball. So, I mean, you could appreciate the triple- TRENT FORREST: Yeah. Just try our best to use that double that he had, but also facing him next also is in to our advantage as we did that pretty much all season, your head, trying to figure out how you're going to cut just with smaller teams. Just like Fi said, just chip away that down and not let him have the type of game that at it the whole game, stick our game plan. Make them he had yesterday. But like I said, you know, we're just see bodies, make them go around our length and size. going to use our athleticism, be lengthy, be smart on I feel like we just need to use that to our advantage. our defensive end and try to disrupt it. TERANCE MANN: I agree. Just being consistent, I TRENT FORREST: Yeah. I mean, what he's been think, with our length and athleticism throughout the doing as a season -- as a fan, I mean, all you can do is whole game and especially sticking to our defensive respect it honestly. As Terance said, it doesn't happen Rev #1 by #448 at 2019-03-22 17:46:00 GMT page 1 of 2 when you see triple-doubles in college. I mean, I feel from a fan's perspective, you definitely have to respect what he did all season. Just going into tomorrow, we just have to be locked in, and it's going to be tough stopping him because he's such a good player. Q. I was just curious, obviously a lot of questions about Ja, but what do you think you guys bring to table in a game like this knowing that the Sweet 16 is right in front of you? MFIONDU KABENGELE: I think with our team, obviously our quality of our depth, our length, but more especially our intelligence. I feel like we're one of the smarter teams in this conference. I feel that goes underrated, and I feel like our decision-making and our game plan preparation is very excellent. Our coaching staff does a great job. Players do a great job of adjustment, especially in the Vermont game. It was tied and you know, we were able to regroup. And seeing where we could have made mistakes and what we could improve on, and especially in the second half, I give credit to the our mindset and our intelligence. I feel like with this team our overall mental preparation, our game intelligence, and basketball IQ, it is something we will bring to the table. TRENT FORREST: Definitely our athleticism, our length, our size, so I would say that definitely. And another thing going along with the IQ is our experience. I mean, I feel like from top to bottom, we have a lot of guys that's been here. We understand what's at stake. We understand how to win these tough games. I mean, yesterday it seemed like they had a pretty good crowd. So just being able to manage their crowd, manage the emotions of the game, just for the whole 40 minutes, that experience, I feel is going to be an advantage for us as well. Rev #1 by #448 at 2019-03-22 17:46:00 GMT page 2 of 2 NCAA Men's 1st and 2nd Rounds: Hartford Friday, March 22, 2019 Hartford, Connecticut Leonard Hamilton Florida State Seminoles strengths and we plan to do the same thing. I think the team that's going to be successful is the team that Q. Coach, in watching tape on Murray State and comes closest to being who they are to the best of their particularly on Ja, what did you notice different -- abilities. I hope that answers your question. have you had a chance to see any of them play last year and did you notice big differences in the team Q. Leonard, what was it like to find out about Phil's and Ja? father, and then how do you as his coach approach LEONARD HAMILTON: What I notice is he's one of the that and be with him and support him? I imagine it most exceptional players that I've had a chance to was a very incredible difficult night. watch play. He's kind of a throwback to guys who have LEONARD HAMILTON: Of course, it was. Mike Cofer, the ability to score points. But also has the passion Phil's father, was one of the most competitive human and the excitement about creating opportunities for his beings that has ever played in the NFL. Tremendous teammates, guys like a Nate Archibald who can lead amount of character, loved and respected by everyone. the NBA in scoring and lead in assists at the same Not only the guys who played with him, teammates, but time. A guy like Magic Johnson, who got so much joy anybody who's ever been around him after his playing making the game easy for his teammates. Even a career was over. He is a guy who had to endure an player like Muggsy Bogues, who has an uncanny way unbelievably challenging debilitating disease that of making things easy for his opponents. mentally and emotionally was draining in itself, but the physical toll it took on his body is beyond anything that My opinion is you have to be careful because he's not you possibly could explain. And he never complained. winning the games by himself. He's surrounding He always faced it every day with the heart of a lion, himself with good players who feed off of who he is and with tremendous amount of courage, and he passed what he is about as a player. And I'm excited for him that same mental and emotional aspect over to his son, and for their team, because I enjoy watching guys play Phil.