Mike Hopkins Jaylen Nowell Matisse Thybulle
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NCAA Men's 1st and 2nd Rounds: Columbus Thursday, March 21, 2019 Columbus, Ohio Mike Hopkins JAYLEN NOWELL: I do not remember that. 2011, I Jaylen Nowell was probably 10 years old. Probably somewhere in my backyard maybe, shooting. I don't know what I was Matisse Thybulle doing. Do you remember? Washington Huskies MATISSE THYBULLE: No. I think for me and I know THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Washington for Jaylen as well, it's really exciting to be able to bring student-athletes Matisse Thybulle and Jaylen Nowell as U-Dub back to this stage because I know that Husky well as head coach Mike Hopkins. Questions for the basketball has been known as a great program. And student-athletes first? they went through a stretch they were able to get out, play in March Madness for a little while and it's been Q. Matisse and Jaylen, after taking a look at Sam too long. And we're just really happy to be able to Merrill on tape or sort of as you guys get into Utah bring us back. State a bit, what jumps out at you about, first, Sam and then how they run their offense? Q. What's your campus experience been like since MATISSE THYBULLE: First thing for me is firstly how Sunday? Obviously there's a high level of talented he is as a scorer and just how he does it so excitement among the other students who are on effortlessly. He's able to put up big numbers and it's campus, and you guys are heroes for at least a few not by forcing things or taking bad shots. He's a great days, and hopefully more. team player. MATISSE THYBULLE: It's been cool just to see over the course of the year just how people have just And also to add on to that their team as a whole plays banned together and supporting us, whether it's been really well together. And it's cool to see, but, yeah, from professors to students to staff members. And it's they play well together and they have a great leader in been really cool to see how people are getting excited Sam and a great scorer with him as well. again about our basketball team. JAYLEN NOWELL: He really moves the ball very well. Q. Matisse, what's the biggest difference you've He doesn't really force a lot of shots. That's something seen from Jaylen when he was a freshman coming you really need as a leader. He's been having a great in this season? What's the biggest development year and he's a really good player. He's been leading you've seen in his game? that team very well this whole year. MATISSE THYBULLE: That's a tough one. We've talked about it a little bit. When Jaylen got to U-Dub, Q. Matisse, just how have you guys gone about he was just a killer. He knew how to score. So his shaking off the loss in the conference tournament freshman year was a lot of that. You saw that with his and then entering March where a lot of teams come first game. Who comes out in their college debut and in really hot? scores 30 points? That's insane. MATISSE THYBULLE: I mean, it's always the next game. Win or loss, you can't dwell on it. For us we And I think his biggest development is just being -- he's moved on the second we got off the bus and we're become a greater, like a well-rounded player. He excited to be here and have this opportunity to play in thinks the game at a way higher level. He makes March Madness. everyone around him a lot better now. Just to be able to see how far he's come from that first year in just one Q. It's been since 2011, I believe, since year really has been really impressive. Washington's been back to the tournament. You guys were in late elementary school, middle school Q. I wanted to ask about Mike Hopkins. What have maybe then. Do either of you guys have any you seen him do in the last two years to start -- memory of that? And then your thoughts about maybe set his culture with the program? And he being the ones to get Washington back here? just got signed to an extension. Where do you see that development potentially going? Rev #1 by #188 at 2019-03-21 20:44:00 GMT page 1 of 4 JAYLEN NOWELL: Well, first, I would love to say I'm able to go and make plays and try and chase the Coach Hopkins has been one of the best coaches I ball around a little bit. And that's been, that's huge for could ever ask for. And when he comes in day in and me because just trying to be disruptive, I have to be day out, he works very hard on everything. He loves all able to go and get out and gamble sometimes and kind of us. We love him. And we just love coming in and of put our team in some tough situations. And they do working hard for him. an incredible job having my back. And the first year was exciting. For him to come in and And honestly they make great plays out of that. So I especially this year with just the energy he gives us, he think from my own personal success a lot had to do brings us all as a team, brings us together even more with, one, Coach Hop, and, two, the four guys I have on as a family. That's really one thing that he really harps my back at all times. on is that we're all family and that's what we've all been. Q. When you were growing up, is that the style you had or is that something you grew into when your Q. What's been your experience like, Matisse, with body grew? Hopkins? Projecting forward maybe a little bit, MATISSE THYBULLE: Whenever my teams would where do you see maybe that culture and the press, they would throw me in the middle of the zone growth continuing to go? and I would pick off as many passes as possible. MATISSE THYBULLE: It's been good. We were joking about walking in here, about how he's a player's coach. Q. You really were Deion? I think that's a huge thing. I think going forward his COACH HOPKINS: Never played football. ability to build relationships with his guys -- we've only been with him for two years. But the guys to start off Q. What is the goofiest thing Hop as done hop, with him to see how their relationships grow, going into whether practice, on the bus or team meal, their third and fourth years. And just to be able to use whatever? that as a recruiting point going forward because we all JAYLEN NOWELL: That's a good question. There's so know we love him. And it's becoming more and more many highlights with this man. known throughout the country he's a great guy and a better coach. And the family he's created at U-Dub THE MODERATOR: Feel free to protect your playing has been great and we can't wait to see where it goes time at this point. (Laughter). from here. JAYLEN NOWELL: I don't know. That's a tough Q. He's got a ton of NCAA Tournament experience. question. I could think of plenty. What has that messaging been like from him? And you mentioned him being a player's coach. From MATISSE THYBULLE: He has -- sometimes he'll go on the experience perspective, like, how has he his little tangents, rants, and he'll start reenacting what messaged to you guys in Columbus? us players did on the court and just kind of making fun MATISSE THYBULLE: I think it's exciting to have a of us. One time he was frustrated at one of our guys coach -- and I think more importantly our coaching staff because he grabbed on the rim and got an offensive has a lot of experience in the tournament and has had interference. a lot of success. And being with people who have been here and done that at the highest level, it's pretty And he was re-enacting that play in our film room. And special, because none of us players have been able to like he jumped up and punched one of the little ceiling play at this level. panels and like shifted it so there was like a hole, and it didn't get fixed for weeks. That was pretty funny. And to have that comforting force in our coach and our coaching staff, knowing that they know what it's like, JAYLEN NOWELL: I've got one. We have this little bat what to expect is pretty reassuring and, like I said, that symbolizes our "Tougher Together" saying. So like comforting to have. sometimes he'll get kind of angry and he'll kind of pull it out, kind of point at us, like tell us everything we're Q. Matisse, Utah State's coach compared you to doing wrong. Deion Sanders and how you cover the court. I'm wondering what is it about this defense that's And one day he kind of pointed at us and held it up like allowed certain things in your game or just natural this, so everybody's kind of thinking, oh, he's about to things you have to blossom the way it has? hit somebody.