NCAA Men's Regional Semifinals and Finals: Washington D.C. Saturday, March 30, 2019 Washington D.C. Tom Izzo physicality isn't new to us, really. Q. Matt or Cassius, you guys have been on a role Nick Ward going back into the Big Ten. Can you put a finger on what's gone so right to allow you guys to kind Matt McQuaid of just keep piling up win after win like this? CASSIUS WINSTON: I would think our defense. That's Cassius Winston been the most consistent thing for us, just holding Michigan State Spartans teams to low percentages, cleaning up on the rebounds and things like that. Just playing Michigan State basketball for this little stretch. We've been THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Michigan State rebounding, running, defending, and that's what we do head coach Tom Izzo and student-athletes Cassius best. Winston, Matt McQuaid and Nick Ward. Coach, an opening statement? Q. Cassius, what have you seen on tape so far of Tre Jones? What's your plan of attack for COACH IZZO: We're excited. It doesn't get any better than this. I think this has been a year when players tomorrow? teach you more than you teach them, as resilient as CASSIUS WINSTON: He's a really, really good player they have been and kind of what they've gone through. for that team. He does almost all the little things. But as we've talked about it as a staff and we've talked They've got lots of talented players, a lot of dudes that with our players, everything we've gotten this year, from got a lot of credit and things like that. But he holds our Big Ten Championship to the Big Ten Tournament, them together. He makes big plays for them. He's a to this Elite Eight appearance, has been earned and really good defender. He's a key, key part of that team. not given. And that makes it special. And the guys that earned it are the guys to the right of me, and Q. What have you seen from Zion, and how much they've taken me along for the ride. are you looking forward to the challenge of facing basically the guy everyone's talked about all So we're excited to be here. We know that Duke is the season? number one overall seed. And they've earned all their NICK WARD: He's extremely athletic. He rebounds the stuff, too, with the way that program has been, Coach K ball at a high level. He's a great player overall. Me, X and the players. So hopefully it will be as good as a and Kenny, all the bigs really, are very excited to take game as the billing. on this challenge tomorrow, and we'll do our best to contain him. Q. Cassius and Matt, as captains of this team, a lot of talk about Zion, but your guys' team is extremely Q. Nick, first of all, just the hand and what's your physical too. I just asked Zion about matching up. status and how is it feeling for tomorrow? Do you think your physicality is under the radar, NICK WARD: My hand's doing good. It was bruised. not getting the attention maybe nationally that I'll be fine. It's a day-by-day type thing. But I'll be fine. people in the Big Ten are aware of? MATT MCQUAID: I mean, yeah, we do a lot of little Q. For any of you, the whole year, nationally, things. And Coach always says attention to detail. Duke's been the story, Zion's been the story. But And we just try to go out there and execute as best as with them having two close calls in the past week, we can on our cutouts and just on the defensive end in is there any of that that kind of leads you to guys everything we do. It's just all detail. be, like, it's just a team? You know what I mean? Does that change anything? CASSIUS WINSTON: We do a good job of hitting CASSIUS WINSTON: I think that was our mindset bodies, being physical down there, boxing out. We going into the game anyway. They're a really good play physical, we play in a really physical league. So team. They earned their position. They earned to be Rev #1 by #188 at 2019-03-30 20:25:00 GMT page 1 of 7 in the situation that they're in. I feel like we're a really that's been our mindset the whole way. Now that we're good team also and we earned to be in this situation, in this situation, we're not afraid of it. We embrace too. challenges. We embrace opportunities. So we've both got good coaches. We've both got good They're the highest No. 1 seed. So it's going to be a programs. It comes down to executing and which team huge game, a huge opportunity. And we're looking to plays the hardest. take advantage of it. MATT MCQUAID: Both respectable teams. Both MATT MCQUAID: Like Cassius said, just having that earned what they had, like Cassius said. We're just one-game mentality and winning the weekend. We excited to have the opportunity to play in the Elite knew big picture we probably would have to see them. Eight. But we were just taking it one game at a time. And now we have the opportunity to play them. Q. When you landed yesterday, what was the first thought that went through your head on that hand? Q. From all three of you, how would you describe And second of all, when you woke up this morning Coach Izzo's impact on your lives both as men and how was it, and is there anything that's going to as players. keep you off the court tomorrow? NICK WARD: Well, Coach Izzo just wants the best for NICK WARD: Nothing is going to keep me off the court you. He pushes you to your limit each and every day, tomorrow. And my first thought when I landed on the which is only going to help you on and off the court, to hand was just make sure everything's all right. My see your full potential. trainers, Nick and doc took me back and made sure everything was cool and everything looks good. And he's never satisfied which is good because he doesn't accept mediocrity. And he really inspires me. So basically this morning it was sore. It was sore. But I expected that. It's more a day-by-day type feel. MATT MCQUAID: Coach is one of the most passionate people I've ever met. Always coming ready to work. Q. Cassius, Coach Izzo has talked about how you And I know you guys only saw him that one clip of him rise above the pressure and then it never really that got on Henny holding him accountable. What you gets to you. Interested to know where that might don't see is laughing with us at practice, laughing with have started for you and your playing career, us off the court, joking with us off the court. maybe if it was in your youth or just where that gene comes from to rise above that? And when someone is going through something, him CASSIUS WINSTON: As -- I would say, just been a being the first one to call, and helping us get through long time. I remember when I was little I used to cry a tough times. He's always the first one at our door. He lot. I used to let my emotions get the best of me in a lot always says call us whenever he wants. He's a big of situations. Like I said, it didn't help me any, you part of everyone on this team's lives. know what I'm saying? It would just take me away from my game. And nothing ever good came from it. CASSIUS WINSTON: Definitely just a huge part of the person and the player I am today just constantly I've been through a lot of mistakes, been through a lot pushing you, constantly wanting you to get better, of situations, just keep learning, getting better to the constantly believing in you more than maybe you point where I feel like there's not much that you can believe in yourself. And that's just huge. throw at me that I haven't seen, not a lot of situations I haven't been in. I'm going to figure out a way to get out A lot of things thrown at you, a lot of things you learn of it. on the fly, he's with you every step of the way just pushing you. Q. Cassius and Matt, when the bracket came out everyone kind of pointed at this was the dream Q. Can you take me through your initial play matchup, Michigan State versus Duke. Obviously against Duke in 2016, and from then how you guys their freshmen against your experience and savvy. have grown as players to at this point in time? Was this something that you were looking forward CASSIUS WINSTON: My freshman year? to or hoping to see, to get the challenge against the team that everyone's pegged as the favorite Q.