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 UConn breakout room interviews.
JR G Silas Demary Jr.
Your father Silas Sr. was the 2005 Arena Football League DPOY: who is the best athlete in the family? Probably him…but my mother would take issue with that because she was a good basketball player back in the day.
What makes Dan Hurley such a great coach? I knew that he would push me every day, and he has helped me grow both on/off the court.
His brother Bobby won back-to-back titles as a player at Duke: who do you think he will be cheering for on Sunday? I think that he will be cheering for us: family 1st!
How do you feel about facing Duke on Sunday? It is exciting to be facing a team from my home state of North Carolina. It is a dream come true: they recruited me out of the transfer portal, but I fell in love with UConn during my visit here. I was a little banged up during the Michigan State game, but I will put my best foot forward whether I am on the court or on the bench. Duke G Caleb Foster and I were part of the same AAU program, so I knew that he was going to play vs. St. John’s.
JR G Solo Ball
What makes Dan Hurley such a great coach? He gets 100% of the credit for preparing us for this moment.
You were born/raised in Leesburg, VA: how many family/friends will you have at the arena on Sunday? I will have a good little clan there: I had to get about 10-12 tickets. It would be very special to win it here tomorrow.
Your assistant coach Luke Murray was hired as the new head coach at BC: what sort of relationship do you 2 have? I wish that I could put it into words. He recruited me out of high school and is a big part of the best coaching staff that I have ever played for. He has an amazing family that has treated me like 1 of their own. He has had a tremendous impact on my life and will do great things at BC.
Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!
