The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, 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 the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with some St. John’s locker room interviews.
FR G Casper Pohto
You were born in Sweden: how big is basketball in your homeland? It is growing, and is now the 2nd-biggest sport behind soccer.
You are out for the year due to hip surgery: how is your recovery going? Good: I am starting to jump/run. I also broke my right thumb last summer, but I am getting my cast off in 2 weeks.
What makes Rick Pitino such a great coach? His attention to detail and how much he cares about his players.
Your team played in this gym before (a 95-83 win over Georgetown last New Year’s Eve): do you think that gives your team any advantage? I feel it gives us an advantage: it is always good to be familiar with the rims/court/environment.
What do you know about Duke? They are tough/big and shoot the ball well. It will be a tough game so we just need to pay attention to the scouting report.
SO G Ian Jackson
You are nicknamed “Captain Jack”: who gave you the nickname and how do you like it? I love it now…but I hated it at 1st! The 1st coach I ever had (in 6th grade) gave it to me.
In the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game you scored 21 PTS for the East in a 2-PT win over the West: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Cooper Flagg/Dylan Harper/Derik Queen/other)? It is hard to pick just 1 because the majority of them are in the NBA! We had a super-deep group of talented guys.
Why did you transfer from UNC last year? I wanted a chance to get better, learn, and grow my game.
What makes Rick Pitino such a great coach? His love for the game. He is very detailed and never lets us fail.
What do you know about Duke, and as a former Tar Heel how special would it be to beat them? It would be special to make the Elite 8 no matter who we beat…although I lost to them 3 times last year. They have a great coach/players, understand what they have to do, and defend at a high level.
Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!
