VIDEO/Transcript: Virginia Previews NCAAT First Four Game vs. Colorado State
Ahead of the NCAA Tournament First Four play-in game between Virginia and Colorado State, which will be played on Tuesday at 9:10pm in Dayton and will determine who advances as the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region to take on No. 7 seed Texas in Charlotte on Thursday, UVA head coach Tony Bennett and sophomore forward Ryan Dunn, sophomore guard Isaac McKneely, and senior guard Reece Beekman addressed the media in a press conference on Monday night.
Watch the video below to hear what Dunn, McKneely, Beekman and Bennett had to say and scroll down to read a full transcript of everything that was said during the press conference.
Read a full preview of the game here: Virginia vs. Colorado State Game Preview | NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Virginia Players Press Conference
REECE BEEKMAN: Great excitement. This one was a little nerve-racking with the Selection Show not knowing our fate fully. So just to be able to get in and have another moment coming off last year it means a lot to me.
ISAAC MCKNEELY: Going into the Selection Show, this year's a little different. We were on the bubble. We weren't sure if we were going to be here. Watching the Selection Show, like he said, was nerve-racking. But to see our name come up it was a blessing. I know we're all excited to be here and excited to make a run. And we'll do our best to do that.
RYAN DUNN: These two touched on it a little. We were a little nerve-racking a little bit going into the show. Seeing our names was very exciting for us. And we're grateful to be here to get the opportunity again.
Q. Curious if you could tell me what you've seen from Colorado State, and your sense of what they do well and what will be important tomorrow night?
REECE BEEKMAN: We watched a little bit of their film so far. I know they have a more experienced and older team. Great guard, guard play from them and just a lot of moving actions with them. We've got to use these prep days to kind of scout good for them and kind of have our best chance.
ISAAC MCKNEELY: They've got good guard play, old, experienced team. They're in a really good conference, the Mountain West has been a good conference this year. It's not a light test at all.
It tests our vision and our defense because they have a high-powered offense. I'm excited for the challenge. They're a really good team. We'll see how we stack up against them tomorrow.
RYAN DUNN: Same thing. We watch film. We've seen how good they are with their guards, with their actions and their cutting and their DHOs and stuff. We've going to be to on high alert. We're excited to play against them. They're a good team. We'll just come out be ready.
Q. You guys are rated as one of the best defenses in the country. What got you guys to buy into that defense-first mindset?
RYAN DUNN: I'll say Coach T.B. was probably the biggest thing. He drilled it into us in the summer a lot. Just doubling down on defense, being in the gaps, playing our roles defensively and having that defensive mentality is big for us and help us win games, which for us, allows our defense to get stops. That's a big reason why we doubled down on our defense. We rely on it a lot.
ISAAC MCKNEELY: I feel like first thing, if you don't play defense you don't play here we have to do it when. But like Ryan said, our offense, sometimes we're not hitting shots, our defense can keep us in the game. That's like our calling card, it's our defense. It's going to take a good defensive effort tomorrow against this Colorado State team. But we drill defense a lot. Coach is always on us about it, that's why we have such a good defense.
REECE BEEKMAN: I've been here -- this is my last year here, fourth year, and Coach Bennett has preached defense since day one.
Offenses changes, different schemes with that, but our defense, intensity, has always been there from day one. I think that the energy he brings to, like, our practices, it feeds on us. I think everybody gets locked in and dialed in defensively. When you do that, it makes defense more fun. I know everybody wants to play defense, but when you play like us, I feel like it's energizing.
Q. It was an interesting season apparently for Virginia. You had some really good wins, some good stretches. And there were some really tough days looking at the scores. What was the difference from day to day, from game to game with you guys?
REECE BEEKMAN: Some nights were not our nights. I feel like we just kind of let the game get away from us. We never really had to fight back in those games. We kind of just let it go.
I feel like down the stretch we try to battle and get away from those. I know the ACC Tournament games were all close, possession games. I feel like we battled throughout those games.
There were definitely moments we could have lost it, kind of just lost our composure, but I feel like we've grown in that area and that's going to help us in the tournament.
ISAAC MCKNEELY: I feel like a lot of those were in the early season. We took a lot of tough losses early in the season that we probably shouldn't have. And I feel like a lot of those were because we weren't playing a full 40 minutes.
We'd come out strong in the first half and then we let it get away from us in the second half and just the lead kept going.
But I think we matured as the season went on. We've cut down on those. Our offense is a lot better now. Our defense is a lot better. I think we're starting to play a full 40 minutes down the stretch at the end of the season. I think that's the biggest difference.
RYAN DUNN: I think earlier in the season was our biggest struggle because of our inexperience getting to know each other and know our strengths and weaknesses. And kind of what Mac says, sometimes we'll come out and play strong for another 20 minutes and then somehow we'll slip or we won't come out our best and get punched in the mouth early.
But I think once the midway-of-the-season point we got together and we kept pushing, kept going forward. I think that was kind of our string of wins we needed.
And at the end we had a little slack but I think we tightened it up a little bit. I think just for us just keep that 40-minute mentality, just keep playing 40 minutes as much as we go.
Q. As great as a coach as Tony Bennett is, him being at Virginia for so many years, what has he done that stood out to you guys that made you guys want to play for a great coach like him?
RYAN DUNN: I think on my visit was probably the biggest thing I've seen. Off the court he's just a great person to be around. He's honest. He's going to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.
That's what I was looking for in a coach -- someone to tell me when I'm doing well, someone to critique me when I needed help. That he was one of the big reasons.
Then in practice he brings the same intensity, probably more to practices than the games, which is crazy to me.
But he's just a great coach to be around. He tries to bring out the best in you whenever we need it. He tries to encourage you but also lets you know what you need to know. That's why I like playing for him.
ISAAC MCKNEELY: He tells you what you need to hear not what you want to hear. A lot of coaches in the recruiting process will tell you you're going to come in and be the man. I feel T.B. didn't promise me anything. He told me if you're good enough you're going to play but I can't promise you anything. I respected that about him.
Just his honesty and how genuine he was was the thing brought me to him. And his passion for the game, how he pushes us in practice is a big deal. That's who I want to play for is someone like that for sure.
REECE BEEKMAN: Just his genuine personality outside of the court. I want a coach that I have a relationship with on and off the court because basketball isn't just the whole thing while you're in school. We kind of built that relationship. And I could tell he's got that with a lot of guys. It's good to have that just that balance.
Q. Reece, you obviously decided to come back for your senior year and this was a big part of your goals for this year. What does it mean to you to be here and what would it mean to win some games in this tournament?
REECE BEEKMAN: It would mean a lot. Like you said, this was a reason I came back. Been here two times, been knocked out the first round both times. Just have the opportunity just to lead this team and see how far we can go. I feel like we've got a good chance.
I feel like we're playing some of our best basketball right now. And I'm just excited to see how far we can go.
Q. Curious this process with the First Four. It wasn't that long ago that you found out you were in and who you were playing and you're already there in Dayton. What's this whirlwind been like getting there and getting ready?
ISAAC MCKNEELY: It's a quick turnaround. We went from watching the show on Sunday uncertain if we'd even be in the field to seeing our name come up. And then we ended up practicing that night because we like to get two practices in before a game, because like I said it's quick turnaround. Then we were off to Dayton and here we are.
I'm thankful to be here. I'm thankful that they gave us a chance. I know we're excited to get after it tomorrow.
RYAN DUNN: Like Isaac said, it was a crazy couple 48 hours for us. We were sitting on our couches just trying to see if we were playing. Next thing you know we're here in front of you guys.
But we're all grateful to be here. We're playing basketball. It's what we do, what we love to do. I'm grateful to be in this position just to be playing in March Madness again.
Q. Reece, what was the level of confidence among the team going into the Selection Show? Because there were a lot of emotions in the video that got posted. MC and other guys kind of going crazy.
REECE BEEKMAN: It was a lot of uncertainty coming in. I was seeing online a little bit most of the brackets had us out, like, the first four out, right on the cut line.
Coming in I didn't know what to expect. I know those brackets are kind of the final and stuff changes. But the emotions were high. All day I was kind of nervous trying to not think about it too much. But that was really what was on my mind most of the day.
Getting our name called was a great experience, probably one of the best experiences at UVA so far. It was just a great honor to be here and I hope we make the most of it.
Q. Isaac, do you have a favorite March Madness moment?
ISAAC MCKNEELY: I've only been in one March Madness and it didn't go too well.
Q. Even as a fan, growing up.
ISAAC MCKNEELY: I'm going to go with my teammate, Jake Groves. When he was at Eastern Washington, he and his brother both had, like, 30 against Kansas. I loved watching that. Shout-out, Jake Groves.
Q. Same question, Ryan?
RYAN DUNN: I think for me, I was kind of a UNC fan growing up. Don't tell nobody. So I would say when Marcus Paige (indiscernible) -- Marcus Paige hitting that shot to tie up the game for them was a big deal for me. I was young. I was cheering up and down.
And then Kris Jenkins hit that shot and I kind of cried a little bit. But that was probably my favorite memory. And when they won the next year, it was a good memory for me. That was probably my favorite one, too.
REECE BEEKMAN: I'll probably say the UVA run that was right -- I was getting recruited a little bit by them at that time. And just to see them with Ty and Kyle and Dre and all them, that was a special run. Just put it in perspective I could be there at one point. And that was a special run for them after coming off the loss they had the year before.
Q. Isaac, with how the ACC Tournament ended for you guys, with the NC State game, what are your thoughts about we get another chance to go play and we get to be in this tournament when you knew you were on the edge of it?
ISAAC MCKNEELY: I thought we had chances to put that game away, especially when I stepped to the line, but it's good to have another chance to play because I would have hung my head on that forever if we wouldn't have got in.
So just having the chance to play with the Selection Show, the uncertainty if we were going to be in or not, seeing our name, getting this chance, I think we're just going to make the most of the opportunity. I know we're all really thankful to be here, for sure.
Q. Same thing, we almost didn't get to do this. Is there a gratefulness? How do you feel about that?
REECE BEEKMAN: I definitely say relief. After that loss has been with us, that was two days after -- yeah, two days after, still was on my mind. Then going to the Selection Show, if that was like our last ACC game that was just a tough way to go out.
It was just relief getting into the tournament. Kind of that pressure that last game kind of goes away knowing we have another opportunity to have a better outcome.
RYAN DUNN: I'll say the same thing. That loss kind of hurt us a lot. We were kind of just figuring out, we were on the edge a lot, and we didn't know what was going to happen for us. We kind of needed that win. And it was kind of a crazy loss for us to have.
But being back here, with the opportunity, we're just, again, grateful and we don't know what could happen. Anything could happen for us, for anybody. We heard there were a lot of a lot of brackets, like, 63 brackets out and only one of us had us in.
And we were kind of (indiscernible) -- we probably might, might not. Don't know. Hearing our name called and being back on the stage and being back in this arena and this platform it's just great to be back here.
Q. Isaac, this might fall more on the coaches than the players, but what is the challenge of getting ready for a game of this magnitude in such a quick time against a team that you're not familiar?
ISAAC MCKNEELY: Like I said, after we found out we got in the tournament, we practiced that night, two pretty intense practices because they're a good offensive team. And we pride ourselves on our defense.
We were going to over actions, stuff, practicing, guarding it. Really intense practices.
And like you said we don't know a whole lot about Colorado State. We've been watching a lot of film, getting info on them, trying to do whatever we can. And the coaches put us in the best position to win.
I think where we're at right now we're in a good spot. We know they're a really good team. We have to come out and play. But I'm excited and I think we have a good chance.
Q. If you guys could just share Jordan Minor, obviously coming to Virginia getting to the tournament was a big part of his goal. What's your experience been with Jordan and how happy are you guys for him that he gets that opportunity?
ISAAC MCKNEELY: Jordan, really good player, of course. Early in the season he probably didn't get the minutes he wanted to, but he's put his head down. He's kept working. Ever since he stepped in the lineup, he's really helped us a lot.
He's came in in big games. There's a lot of really good centers in the ACC. He's held up with them pretty well. I respect Jordan. He's my roommate on the road. I've gotten close to him season. I'm glad he's part of the journey with us. He's one heck of a guy and I'm happy for him.
RYAN DUNN: Jordan put his head down and worked all year. And I'm very grateful to have him here. And he's put the work in. He's shown he's one of the best bigs in the ACC.
Not only Jordan but also Jake and Reece, having our seniors come back and being able to be here is big for all three. Jake wanted to come here to be back in the March Madness, which was good for him. And Reece came back for his last year to be here.
So I'm just happy for all three of them to be back here. I'm happy for us to help them be in this position that they're in.
REECE BEEKMAN: I just have a lot of respect for him. He came to this program. This isn't one of the easiest programs to -- it takes time to fit into the system and fully understand it.
His time, it took him a while to get under control, but when he came in, he made an instant impact, and I was very grateful for that.
I'm just very proud of him. He never gave up. He easily could have shut down when he wasn't getting the time he probably wanted. But when he stepped up, he did a lot for us, and he's shown that his growth over the season is a major help for us.
Tony Bennett Press Conference
Q. Coach, your thoughts on the season and being back here in the NCAA Tournament.
TONY BENNETT: Really an up and down season, probably one of the more inexperienced teams that I've coached. This is my 15th year at Virginia, and with just the way college basketball is, we didn't have a lot of experience returning. And I probably shouldn't be talking about that knowing who we're playing because they're one of the most experienced teams.
But we had Reece Beekman. And I think you're going to see two of the best point guards go head to head tomorrow. I think Isaiah is special from what I'm seeing. And I know Reece is, and he is too.
But Reece was our guy who came back and the two guys up on the podium before me, Ryan played about 10 minutes a game and Isaac McKneely played about 20 minutes. The rest no one played. So it was all new. I didn't know what to expect.
We had a few games where we got blown out. And we had some late. But we always kind of bounced back, and their spirit was good and we kept fighting and found a way to finish third in the ACC -- and fought. And I think we improved as the season went on.
So to be able to position ourselves, and after a heartbreaking loss against NC State where I thought we played quality basketball, we didn't know if that was going to be -- at times the way this is this year, you think, I think that's enough, I think we're in. Then, well, everybody's on the bubble.
But we certainly sweated it out. So grateful for the opportunity, and I heard the last questions for Reece, for Jake and for Jordan, those guys. I've been fortunate to experience so many good things, and I'm grateful for that. But to see it for the young men who I know what they're about.
And that was a powerful moment when our name came up. It was real emotional, and it was exciting to celebrate with them because a lot of the brackets, I don't look into that, but one of our SID said or actually it was someone said, well, you're not on many of those brackets. So I don't know what your chances are. So I'm thankful to be here.
Q. You have experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows in this event. How does all that experience, has that developed the way you look at this thing, how you approach it? And is it a value at this time when you're trying to get a team ready and you can share whatever with them?
TONY BENNETT: I certainly have. And it's just one of those deals where you prepare as well as you can. You know -- I think even more this year, last year, the quality of teams, because of the transfer rule and even the extra year, you can kind of fix your team quick. I think the quality of the game is as good as it's been.
And so you prepare your team well. You know that you're going to have to execute. You're going to have to do things. The conference tournament kind of prepares you for that.
But you're thankful for the opportunity, excited, but you rely on your experiences. I just said in my opening statement, we only have one player that had played at Duke when we went there and only a couple of our guys had played in an ACC Tournament.
You never know, sometimes inexperience can be positive. You step into it. But you embrace the challenge and you just, possession by possession, play it out and know that nothing's guaranteed in this tournament. So much as we've talked about it being healthy, match-ups, how you're playing, and obviously opponents.
So, like I said, I have experienced both highs, and I mean both sides of it. It keeps you humble, for sure.
Q. With so little time to prepare for this game, what do you prioritize in these practices?
TONY BENNETT: Well, I think, you have to be true to who you are. And when we saw our name come up and it was Colorado State, and obviously knowing the job Niko has done -- I know Niko personally, and I think he's one of the better coaches. I don't know his age exactly. I was going to say better young coaches out there. But he's done great and the way his team plays.
So you know you're going to have to be as good as you can defensively to make them earn. You look at their point guard and their experience, but you pick three or four things and say, fellas, this is who we are. Let's be as good as we can and hopefully it's our best against their stuff. And, again, you're going to have to play a complete game. We understand that.
As I said, the tournament is why I think it was so hard probably for the selection committee, the tournament has improved with the teams and the age and the transfers and all that have added so much to the quality of the game from start to finish. So many upsets in conference tournaments, and I think that's a reflection of that.
You can't overcomplicate it. You don't have time to. You just have to be ready as you can. And when that ball's tipped, try to enjoy it but get after it.
Q. You played for your father in college for four years, and he was your head coach. So were you able to see anything from him as a head coach that you maybe could have applied to yourself as a head coach since you've been a head coach for 18 years now?
TONY BENNETT: I played at the Nutter Center at Wright State. I was at Wisconsin-Green Bay and played for him, played against Vitaly Potapenko. I don't know if people remember him. We were just talking about Bill Edwards, great players. Great league, and it's changed.
But playing for my father was one of the most enjoyable things and sometimes one of the most excruciating things all in one -- talking about the agony and the ecstasy of it. But he taught me so much.
I've learned from him, and I've said this often before, probably the greatest lesson I learned, that was a very fierce competitor and he demanded execution. But he would push you hard, but whenever he stepped across the line, he would apologize the next day or he would say, forgive me, I lost my temper.
I remember that always struck me because he would push you hard. I think that was a great lesson to learn because as coaches you don't have all the answers. We make mistakes. We screw up. And sometimes the heat-of-battle things happen. But if you can tell the young men, sorry, forgive me, we need you.
That's what I learned from him, among a bunch of other stuff basketball-wise and how -- I've never seen a coach, really, there's only a couple, and of course I'm biased -- that could get more out of a team, that could find a way just to get teams to be competitive, I still marvel at that.
But that first thing I said is stuff that's lasting. I think that's the good stuff.
But thankful to play for him. And I coached with him. Probably coaching with him was a little easier than playing for him, but it was all good.
Q. As a coach, is there sometimes a helpless feeling when the free throws aren't dropping? And when a team is struggling from the line, do you talk about it, not talk about it, just go out and shoot more, or what?
TONY BENNETT: We've had a lot of opportunities this year and been in those spots and we've won almost all of our close games, and we've tried a lot of different things. You do the old drill, you put a guy at the free-throw line, the team's underneath. And if they miss you've got to down and back or different things. We've got competitions.
But I think at this stage less is more. You don't have time. You get your reps, you shoot them. And in these tight games free throws really matter.
So I always have confidence in our guys, but that has been a struggle most of the year. And I'm always, like I said, hopeful. But probably less is more at this stage. You encourage them. Say, hey, get the next one if you miss one and try to get the right people at the line.
But I think we were last in the league in free-throw shooting, and it wasn't for a lack of no one's trying to miss free throws; there has to be a rhythm and confidence. You've got to get there. No one's trying to miss them. You just.
Kind of get on to the next thing.
Q. Segues into my question about Isaac having missed the NC State, the end of the game, the ups and downs of everything. How happy are you for -- I know you're happy for your team to get this chance after that loss -- but how much also for Isaac feeling like I'm the guy that maybe let us down?
TONY BENNETT: No, he didn't. He played terrific. And Reece played terrific. And so for those guys -- look, I believe I made a mistake at the end of the game that we had two fouls.
We had decided to not foul -- we fouled a 3-point shooter before and then we talked as a team and said let's win it with our defense. We got a stop with 5 seconds left. Didn't foul. We were up three. Got the rebound. And Isaac went to the line. And I was going to call timeout but I didn't want to ice him, but should have -- if I could do that over, should have had the guys at the line and thinking about it now, maybe fouled on that spot because we had some to give.
Look, all that stuff happens. There's things in games -- basketball is a game of mistakes. It's the team that can knock down those mistakes. When I was talking about knocking down bad habits defensively or offensively -- not being perfect; there's going to be mistakes made. But you knock them down.
But the way he played in that game, the way Reece -- we wouldn't have even been in that game, in that spot, if those guys hadn't produced the way they did. Those are the guys we wanted at the line, for sure. And I think we missed, I don't know, made one out of five in the last 60 or 70 seconds which could have salted it way, but they played well to get to that spot.
I'm very grateful that they got this opportunity. That's why I think it was so emotional in the Selection Show when we were there because it's just you could feel that and there was a lot there.
Q. Obviously a lot of debate like every year as far as which teams on the bubble are going to make it, which teams won't. As a last 4 team in, is there maybe a sense of, okay, we want to prove that we deserve to be in here?
TONY BENNETT: You want to play well. You always start by being thankful. And we always are so thankful and grateful for the opportunity. But then you just want to play well. If you're trying to prove to everyone who says you're not good or you don't belong, that's a tiresome battle. You've got to look at your group and say let's play to our fullest abilities, let's go after this and get after it.
Who doesn't want to come into this NCAA Tournament and advance? So that part is there. But I think the excitement of getting in and then again knowing you're going to have to play well and you're going to have to execute on both ends to advance is where the focus is, and you think of it that way. That's at least our approach.
Q. So you talked about being on the bubble this year, which is a different position than your program is usually in. Could you talk a little bit about how the approach this year has been different as a bubble team than in years past when you're more of a --
TONY BENNETT: I think the last number of games, handful of games, six or seven games, every game was meaningful. And we knew that. And that is if you just sit there and fixate on that, that's tough. But you know you're playing in meaningful games, so you just lock into the execution, you lock into what you can do.
We kept talking about whether it's four minutes at a time or giving our best but holding a little bit loosely. I think then the guys started playing. You have a couple of big wins. We went to Duke and got crushed there and had to get back up again and go to BC, or play in the conference tournament.
So that situation and all those teams that are on the bubble understand that. That's a little different experience than, okay, we can drop one or go into the conference, maybe our seed drops.
I think it's important -- I always told our guys, it's good to be playing meaningful games this time of year. The alternative -- if it's not meaningful unless you're there, is not as good.
With our team and being -- I don't want to say this was a rebuilding year, but it was just a different year for us with the inexperience and Reece being the only guy that has played a significant amount, and then Isaac and Ryan. But it was a year that we didn't know quite what to expect, so we just kept head down, kept talking about it and put the blinders on, Kentucky Derby, the horses, they get blinders on, head down, run the race in front of you, don't look left or right. That's been kind of the approach for us always but especially being a team that was on the bubble.
Q. With the different experiences you've had playing at a smaller school, the different places you've coached, there's been things floating around about potential changes to the tournament, whether it's auto bids, expansion, whatever have you, wondering if you have any thoughts on those types of things?
TONY BENNETT: Obviously I played at Green Bay. We talked about that. Coached at Wisconsin with my father and Coach Ryan. And was an assistant with Coach Carr, doing a great job at Wisconsin. At Washington State where we were trying to build the program, and got left out -- if the numbers -- if the selection committee was the way it is now at Green Bay my senior year, lock, we were in.
I'll never forget, we had probably a couple hundred people, newspaper, celebrated, sat there, watched the brackets come out, boom, when we weren't in, I know that feeling.
As far as the tournament, the number it's at now, I think it's a good number. I don't think it should go a lot bigger, but if there's room to expand it and it makes sense timing-wise and maybe some of these teams that are on the bubble, whatever line you move it to, there's always going to be a bubble, right, and we'll find that out with the College Football Playoffs.
But I just think there's something special about the size it's at, maybe there's room for more, and I'm glad they expanded it to this site -- how long has it been since they've done that? 10 years. Good decision. Great decision.
But if it makes sense, certainly you do it. But you don't want to hurt the integrity of this thing and the quality of it.
Q. Maybe no one understands what Matt Painter's last 12 months have been like better than you do. Not that you've had a lot of free time. But have you, out of curiosity, just kind of kept an eye on them, see how they came back from that, how they're doing it, how they're going to do it this month as far as how they handled the whole thing?
TONY BENNETT: First of all, you talk about an unbelievable coach and man. He's special that way. I know Matt. I wouldn't say we're close friends, but respect him so much, and the way we got to the Final Four and Purdue and Elite Eight was one of the endings that goes down in the record books, I think, for how we won that game.
And as excited as I was, I felt for him at that time. But then seeing that happen, I didn't want to see that. I remember a couple of my coaches said, they texted me, they said I think we're going to have company.
And I wasn't watching that game at the time. I wasn't. I turned the game on and I felt some of those feelings and I was, like, no, I was hoping it wouldn't happen.
But it did. And, look, there's been a lot of that. The parity of the league is good. I did send Matt a text and we talked a time or two and saw him. But he's strong. And again how you deal with that will determine what happens. They've had a great year. Doesn't guarantee anything.
They have a good enough team, certainly, to win it all. You can see that. But I'm sure there's some things that he's had to deal with that no one else has. We have in our own ways.
And it is humbling, but it produces some things that wouldn't be produced without that experience because it becomes more about you and your young men, you and your family and those that you entrust yourself to, and it tightens the circle and makes it pretty strong. And I would imagine that that is a rock solid group. And I wish Matt and that group nothing but the best.
Q. I'm curious what you see from Niko's offense that makes it so challenging.
TONY BENNETT: A lot. I had to do the Westwood radio, and Coach Boeheim was going to be the radio guy. I said, Jesus, this is one of those years where maybe I wish I had Coach Boeheim's zone, wouldn't have to handle all those cuts. They move, they cut. As I said, their point guard, he's one of the best passers I've seen, him and Reece, two special point guards.
But his composure, the way they use him, whether it's ball screens or dribble handoffs and little actions, and then they're cutting the other guys and their physicality, their spacing, their cutting, they score in different ways, it's impressive.
Again, I've known Niko -- and my father and him are actually very close -- and always have certainly been impressed with what he's done.
And watching it now in the last two days closely, you can see why they've been so successful for the past couple of years in a very difficult league.
Puts a premium on your ability to first get back and you can't stop everything but you have to make them earn and you better be continuous and have great vision, but you've got to be able to guard your guy and get them off the glass, all those kinds of things.
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