NCAA Men's 1st and 2nd Rounds: Jacksonville Wednesday, March 20, 2019 Jacksonville, Florida Tony Benford Tremont Waters Q. Miye Oni, obviously a scorer, the leader of this team. What have you seen from him on film and Skylar Mays what makes him so difficult to guard? LSU Tigers SKYLAR MAYS: He's a great player. He's been an integral part of a team that's made it to the NCAA Q. Tre, how far did you grow up from Yale in New Tournament, so you can tell the talent that he brings, Haven? And did you ever as a kid maybe think and he's unbelievable in transition. So we're going to about playing there? try to keep him out of that, and again, just try to make TREMONT WATERS: Yeah, I grew up about -- like if I shots hard for him. had a strong enough arm, I could probably throw a rock to Yale's basketball facilities. Q. What have you guys learned from the SEC Tournament? Obviously that loss against Florida. Growing up playing basketball, I didn't necessarily think What have you guys done over the last week to try about playing them in the tournament, but it's a great and pre-prepare and refocus, especially know that feeling to be able to make it this far and be able to play Will Wade is not going to be here? against someone who's from back home. TREMONT WATERS: All season we've been saying, we are a family, we are going to grow together. Keep Q. I've heard you played some pickup games pushing through everything, all that adversity that's against some of those guys when you were in high been thrown at us. But nothing has changed since the school. Do you remember any of them? Florida game. It was a game that we lost. We didn't TREMONT WATERS: I used to play on the same AAU execute down the stretch, and we know that we have to team as Azar Swain and Jordan Bruner. He was a guy come together as a family even more now because we that was on his way there like to start his school don't have our head coach. process, but he had sat out one year, so we had put up a couple shots together. Nothing crazy, but yeah. Coach Benford is our new head coach and everyone respects that. We totally loved the change of Coach Q. This team, their starting five has four players Benford being there, Coach GH, Coach Armstrong. that average double-digit scoring. They're a high- But like we say, we've just got to come together, just be flying scoring offense as you guys are. How do one and not let anything break us apart. you guys plan to keep up, or is the mindset kind of the same, you're going to try to stay the same and Q. Not having your head coach, has it bonded you score, as well? guys as a closer unit? What has it done to bring SKYLAR MAYS: Yeah, it's going to be a big challenge you guys closer as a basketball team? for us. You know, when you see that balance on the SKYLAR MAYS: Yeah, you know, the ideal family is scoring end, that means they really pass the ball well, when one person is down, the other person has to pick so everybody is a weapon. We're just going to try to them up. The huge part of our team and Coach Wade, stick to our defensive principles and try to make shots with him being out, we knew that we'd have to come hard for them. together even more, and we probably didn't show it as much in the Florida game, but looking at that film and TREMONT WATERS: Yeah, obviously like when you learning from that loss, we understand that's going to come into this type of environment, you've got to play be a big part of us being able to move further down in against guys who either push the ball, slow it down. this tournament and getting past Yale. It's just a bunch of type of different offensive schemes and defensive schemes. We can't shy away from what Q. Now that y'all have worked with Coach Tony and we've been doing as a program, we've just got to Heiar and Armstrong as that collective co-coaches continue to do what our jobs are and just keep doing unit for a couple of weeks now, how are you getting what we do. used to that in terms of only having it for one day for the first game? Rev #2 by #557 at 2019-03-20 16:27:00 GMT page 1 of 4 TREMONT WATERS: Well, they were a part of our SKYLAR MAYS: Yeah, he brings up how back in the coaching staff before, they were just an extension of day he got drafted by the Celtics, I believe, and said he Coach Wade, but now that Coach Benford is our actual was kicking butt back in the '80s. But he doesn't dwell head coach now, everyone is looking towards him, and on it too much. It was a long time ago. he's putting a lot of -- not pressure, but he's putting a lot of trust into the players now and just holding each Q. I don't know if you got asked this earlier, but other accountable more because when Coach Wade being from New Haven, what do you know about was the coach, he had more say so. But now that we Yale? Did you get recruited by Yale? Did you know we don't have him, everyone has been coming consider them? Some of the guys said you might together. We've been in the gym shooting a lot more. play pick-up games. Like we've been doing a lot of things together without TREMONT WATERS: Yeah, like I said before, if I had a the coaching staff pretty much forcing us to do it, like strong enough arm, I could probably throw a rock to throughout practice and stuff. Yale's basketball facilities. That's where I started playing basketball. My dad got a membership to Payne I would just say that they're giving us a lot more Whitney gym, and it was like the local -- not local but freedom to see what we're going to do, and I would say the facility where everyone could go in, if you had a we've stepped up to the challenge. We know that membership. So that's where I started. Actually one of games aren't going to be easy. We've just got to go my basketball videos, like my training videos is actually out, fight together and be brothers. in their gym, and that's when I wasn't being recruited by them, so it wasn't a violation or anything. Q. Kind of following that up, with all the off-the- court stuff, how much do you guys think about that Yeah, I just grew up playing there. Now that Azar other than when you're in press conference here? Swain goes there, I actually grew up playing basketball During the day between practices, between games, with him for the CT Elite Basketball Club, and just is it on your mind, and does it anger you what knowing that I'm from New Haven and that this team is people say about the program and about your from New Haven, it's an honor to be able to play them coach? in the first game of the March Madness NCAA SKYLAR MAYS: I think there's been a lot of outside Tournament. stuff throughout the year and we've done a great job of keeping that stuff outside. You know, once we step on THE MODERATOR: Coach, a few thoughts on the last the court, and I think our record shows that. We weeks and how it's gone for your basketball team. should be able to continue to do that, and me and Tremont as leaders, we trust all these guys, and we've TONY BENFORD: Yeah, first of all, our guys have developed a great bond over the year, and we expect been great. They've been working extremely hard. that bond to keep us together on the court. We've had some great practices the last few days, really focused, especially after the SEC Tournament. Q. Obviously this is a different team than Florida, After the loss to Florida, we gave the guys a couple of Florida more of a slow-it-down type of offense, and days off. Came back, had two really, really, I think, this one more of a high-speed offense. Coach spirited practices. The guys are focused, looking Benford talked about how paint touches would be forward to the opportunity to play here in the NCAA more important in this game. Without giving away Tournament against a very quality Yale team, and we'll the game plan, what do you think is an important to be prepared to play tomorrow. do in a game like this where it could be a shootout down the stretch? Q. Naz Reid is a local guy for us. What's his TREMONT WATERS: I would say we have to get back development been like on and off the court? in transition because Oni, he's a beast in transition.