The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Las Vegas with a few player interviews from the UConn locker room.
JR G Hassan Diarra
The UConn women’s team plays Ohio State in the Sweet 16 tomorrow: how close are your team and their team? We are pretty close so wish them good luck. I actually went to their game vs. Baylor at Gampel Pavilion last Monday.
Their coach (Geno Auriemma) has made 22 Final 4s: can you even comprehend such a #? It is unbelievably ridiculous! It shows how great he is, the great players he had on his roster, and is a credit to both him and his staff.
You began your college career at Texas A&M: is this weekend exactly why you transferred to UConn? Absolutely! This is what I envisioned, being a part of March Madness.
You are 1 of 3 teams in the Big East who are still alive (along with Creighton/Xavier): how great is your conference? It is big-time basketball due to big-time teams/players/coaches, which is why I wanted to be here.
In the 2022 NIT title game you scored 12 PTS/5-7 FG in a 1-PT loss to Xavier: what makes the difference when you are playing for a championship? Camaraderie, togetherness, passion, and game-planning. You just have to be yourself.
SR G Joey Calcaterra
You began your college career at San Diego: is this weekend exactly why you transferred to UConn? This is what I came here for. I expected to have success like this and to play on a stage like this to showcase my skills.
You are 0-7 in your career vs. Gonzaga with each of the 7 losses by 12+ PTS: what makes the Bulldogs so great? They are a fast-paced group with 5 weapons on the floor at all times, so we will need to bring our A-game.
Your nickname is “Joey California”: who gave it to you, and how do you like it? Coach Hurley gave me the nickname and I have embraced it. There have not been too many kids from California to end up at UConn.
Your team’s 3-PT shooting during the NCAA tourney has been amazing (9-20 vs. Arkansas, 10-22 vs. St. Mary’s, and 11-25 vs. Iona): do you think you can keep it going tomorrow? We cannot control whether our shots will fall so we will see how the game goes, but we have a great group of shooters.
Taylor Swift is performing in Vegas this weekend: which of your teammates is most likely to attend? Tristen Newton: he is a soft guy who likes to pretend that he is a tough guy!
JR G Andre Jackson Jr.
You are a co-captain along with Adama Sanogo: how crucial has your leadership been this month? It has been very important, but everyone has grown this year to be leaders: we are just the ones who set the tone.
The Zags had a 50-26 REB advantage vs. UCLA: how do you anticipate the battle on the boards tomorrow when they have to face 6’9” Adama Sanogo/7’2” Donovan Clingan down low? Rebounding often determines who will win the game so we need to box out and crash the glass.
Your team’s 3-PT shooting during the NCAA tourney has been amazing (9-20 vs. Arkansas, 10-22 vs. St. Mary’s, and 11-25 vs. Iona): do you think you can keep it going tomorrow? We will just go with whatever presents itself and get it to all of our dangerous shooters.
You and Gonzaga have 2 of the most efficient offenses in the nation this year: do you anticipate a high-scoring game? I do, so we will just try to limit their scoring, and if it is a low-scoring game that will play to our strengths.
There were some reports in the news that you had to switch hotels due to the substandard shape of your rooms and had some items stolen out of your team bus during practice: have you channeled your off-court nightmares into your on-court success? We are just locked in.
*I also got to ask Coach Hurley how close the men’s and women’s teams are and whether he can even comprehend Geno’s 22 Final 4s. He said he cannot fathom that # and that at some point you just have to stop counting. He confirmed that the coaches/players are really close and supportive because they are each other’s biggest fans. He thinks it is really cool that his team is holding up its end this month:
