Kermit Davis Breein Tyree Devontae Shuler Terence Davis
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NCAA Men's 1st and 2nd Rounds: Columbia Thursday, March 21, 2019 Columbia, South Carolina Kermit Davis Are you guys concerned that you don't have any? Breein Tyree Breein, why don't you start? BREEIN TYREE: I do feel like experience is a big thing Devontae Shuler in anything you do. We're experienced guards, and we played a lot of college basketball, but this is our first Terence Davis time in the tournament. This will be a new experience Ole Miss Rebels for us, but on the other side of it, we'll be just as excited as any other person would be for this major THE MODERATOR: We have the student-athletes from opportunity. Ole Miss. We'll introduce the players -- Terence Davis, Devontae Shuler, and Breein Tyree. DEVONTAE SHULER: Definitely for me, too. We definitely got to have a great experience. Of course, Q. Devontae, when you saw the draw and you saw I've never been here, but us going against a D-I college basketball team, we're going to treat it as if it's an SEC Columbia pop up next to your team's name, just regular season game. what was your first thought? DEVONTAE SHULER: It was just an opportunity for me TERENCE DAVIS: And just to go along with them, we to come back home and play in front of my family and three guys who have been playing with each other for friends and also for me to have a better chance to play quite some time. We have no experience in the NCAA better in my home state. Tournament, but we do have experience together with this team. So we'll be okay along the road. Q. Devontae, what's it been like to talk to your sister earlier this week, ticket requests and Q. T.D., this is what you came back for to play in everything. How many people do you expect to this. Now that you're here, what's the feeling for have here, and just, last time you guys were here you? last month, didn't go so well. What needs to TERENCE DAVIS: It's unbelievable. To get to share happen to have a better performance? this moment with some of the guys you've been around DEVONTAE SHULER: I have plenty of family and forever, and just to be here, man, is just special. But friends coming, of course. This is like right in the we're not satisfied. middle of where I'm from. For the most part, for me just to come back and stay focused and just for me to Q. Terence, the last couple of games, you've had a come back and get the win, that's the main part of me hard time scoring, getting buckets. Have you kind coming back home and playing in this. That's really it. of flushed that, or do you feel like you need to see a couple go in to get some confidence going Q. I'll continue the line of questions for Devontae. I tomorrow? believe you were teammates in high school with TERENCE DAVIS: Once it's the game, that's flushed. Braxton Key from Virginia. What do you remember The great thing about it, we have another opportunity about him, and have you guys maintained a to play tomorrow, and that's the good thing about it. friendship? DEVONTAE SHULER: Definitely. I won a National Q. Breein, from your scout of Oklahoma so far, Championship with him, so we always stay in contact. what stands out about what they do well and what Braxton is not just a friend of mine on the court. Off kind of challenges might there be in this game? the court, he's a great person. We always say in BREEIN TYREE: They shoot the ball really well. They contact. He's always in contact with my sister, so it's a also exploit mismatches very well. All their players long relationship. from one to five can bring down the ball and dribble the ball. They do a lot of isolation. We just need to guard Q. Breein and Terence and Devontae, if you'd like, the ball, stay in front of our men, stay second in the air, you can chip in on this, too. Experience is always be physical with them and rebound the ball, and I think considered a big thing in the NCAA Tournament. we should be fine. Rev #1 by #181 at 2019-03-21 16:18:00 GMT page 1 of 4 Q. Breein, a big reason why you all were able to do THE MODERATOR: Any more questions for the the turnaround was because Devontae got moved student-athletes? Thank you, gentlemen. to point guard and you got to be moved off the ball. What kind of growth have you seen in Devontae, We'll go ahead and get started with Ole Miss head what he's been able to do at that position coach Kermit Davis and SID Adam Kuffner. specifically? BREEIN TYREE: Tremendous growth. Even from his KERMIT DAVIS: First of all, probably been one of the freshman year, when I was playing point and he was most rewarding years of my 37 years of coaching to playing the two guard, he grew tremendously in that come to Ole Miss, which is back home for me and my year. But just from freshman year into his sophomore state and to be involved and connect with the Ole Miss year, just leadership qualities has grown tremendously, spirit. You take a team that finished last, picked last, to handling the ball, making better decisions, getting and for the improvement that they've made, I have so the team in the right sets. I don't want to say taking a much respect for our players. backseat to me and T.D., but not taking as many shots and maybe not even getting the spotlight at all times, And then to see the connection with our fan base that but he just keeps it going, and he's a major part of our we probably grew nearly 25 percent increase in team. Without him, this train doesn't go. His growth attendance in SEC games, which was the most of any has been tremendous, and he's still not done yet. league team. So that part has been great. We've got a long way to go as a team. Then to play a really good Oklahoma team in the Q. Breein, along those lines, what specifically has NCAA Tournament, known Lon for a long time. He's that freed you up to do on the wing as opposed to had so much success in this tournament. He's got you having to play point last year? another really, really good team, and I think it will be BREEIN TYREE: It's freed me up to just be a lot more another really, really good 8-9 matchups. aggressive offensively. That's what Coach wants me to do, assert myself on the offensive end and take better Q. Kermit, Devontae Shuler's move to point guard shots than I did last year, and Devontae's helped me was so big as far as the turnaround was do that a lot this year. Just getting me open because concerned. How far has he come at that position he's such an aggressive guard. A lot of help will come specifically, and what have you seen as far as what and kick outs to me and T.D. on the wings, and then it's he's been able to do, ball handling and all that time for us to make a play and try and get the ball in stuff? the basket. KERMIT DAVIS: He's probably been the key to our team. He got nicked up for five or six games after the Q. Devontae, as a younger -- as a young person, Mississippi State game, and he's now back healthy. He how many times did you come to this gym as a fan, didn't even play point guard at Oak Hill for Steve Smith. and did you play here? He kind of played off the ball all the time and played off DEVONTAE SHULER: I didn't really come to many the ball as a freshman. We really met in the spring, games, but my sister was a big fan of the basketball and I really think he understood. team and my brother. So they'd always tell me, like, come into USC and get a good feel for how Coach The biggest thing he's done, he's valued the ball. He's Frank Martin is, just me being around and the a tough, competitive guard on the ball defending. He environment of me getting a feel for a college really has -- Breein and T.D. have had these great All- basketball stadium has been great. SEC years, but Devontae Shuler has been maybe our most valuable player on the floor. Q. T.D., Devontae is a guy that you took under your wing really, really early in his career. It was Q. You mentioned this team finished last, picked important in getting him here actually. What have last. What point did you realize they had the you seen from him, and how far he's come as a potential to be an NCAA Tournament team and player and just all around in terms of his game? exceed all these expectations? TERENCE DAVIS: Like Breein touched on, Devontae, KERMIT DAVIS: We took a trip to Canada that really just a tremendous player.