Presser: Scott Drew & Players Preview Duke in NCAA Second Round

Jeremy Roach and Langston Love joined their head coach in taking questions on Saturday ahead of their NCAA Tournament second-round matchup with the Duke Blue Devils.

Transcript provided by the NCAA and ASAP Sports:

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. We are now ready to start the Baylor student-athlete press conference. 

At this time, we'll open the floor up for questions. 

Q. Langston, you guys had a lot of active hands yesterday, diving on the court for loose balls. How much more of that are you going to need tomorrow against Duke? 

LANGSTON LOVE: It's just going to be an all-out effort every play. You can't take no plays off in March or that could cost you the game. 

We're just going to go out there and give our best effort on every play and just do whatever it takes. 

Q. Jeremy, just if you could run us through your emotions of facing Duke and how you think it's going to be lining up against guys that were your teammates like Tyrese and Caleb? 

JEREMY ROACH: It's going to be cool. Definitely excited for the matchup, not trying to overlook it or make anything bigger than what it is. It's another basketball game. 

I mean, it's March Madness, but at the same time, it's still another basketball game. I don't want to get into I used to go to Duke or anything like that. Just focus on what Baylor has to do -- personnel, scout, stuff like that, getting me ready mentally and physically. So not trying to put too much into it. 

Q. Jeremy, obviously you're not trying to put too much into it, but can you talk about Tyrese last two games shooting very well from 3 and deep? Can you talk about his game and what you learned playing against him four years? 

JEREMY ROACH: Coming in, Tyrese, he came to Duke early, and a lot of people like gave him some criticism and stuff like that there in his freshman year. Then last year had a kind of up-and-down season, got hurt. 

He's just always put the work in. He's stayed true, always stayed true and stuff, and this year he's blossoming.  Shooting like 40 from the 3. The last couple games, he's been really setting the tone. 

He's been a great leader for them. He's been through the war, so the right guy to have. Super happy for him and super excited to match up against him tomorrow too. 

Q. Langston and Jeremy, what did you see when you looked back at the Mississippi State win? And what are you looking to carry over or fix going into the Duke game? 

LANGSTON LOVE: I just saw a team that's just very resilient. We had a couple games like that earlier in the season, and we pulled it out in March. So that was great. 

Then going into the Duke game, we just want to bring the same energy. We've got to clean up a couple things, but just that effort that we were fighting with on the boards and just the little plays we were making, we wanted to carry that over. 

THE MODERATOR: Jeremy, do you have anything to add? 

JEREMY ROACH: Kind of the same thing. We're super active. We're on the glass and running out in transition.  We're going to need a lot of that tomorrow, just being active and controlling the glass too. 

Q. Jeremy, you guys watching the selection show, you see your name come up, there's a big cheer. Then you see the bracket and see what could possibly happen in the second round. Could you go through your emotions, your thoughts as you were watching that and come to the realization that this game could actually happen? 

JEREMY ROACH: I didn't really think that we were going to be in the same bracket, but knowing the committee, they like a story and stuff like that. 

No, like I said, not really trying to put too much into it, not trying to really get too emotional about it. It's just like another game. I'm with Baylor, so like I'm just focusing on what we got to do and what we got to do to win this game, and how we've got to play for 40 minutes and just lock in on personnel and stuff like that. 

Q. Jeremy, having been at one school for four years and then coming in one year, totally new environment, totally different program, how have you found just navigating, finding your place in the program, fitting in, role definition, and things like that? 

JEREMY ROACH: I think a big help was Langston. We bonded. We bonded from the first day. He's been my brother the whole time. He just taught me like the ways how to move in Baylor, how Waco is and stuff like that. 

So it was a pretty easy transition. And you've got the rest of the guys. It's been a great group of guys, great coaching staff, and just a great all around staff who's just brought me into their family with open arms. So it's been super, super cool. 

Q. Jeremy, I know you said this is just another game.  Wondering if throughout the course of the year have you just, even as someone who was tied to the program before, were you watching Duke? Is that something you're staying in touch with those guys?  Tyrese said he saw you yesterday. 

JEREMY ROACH: You're asking have I been watching Duke? Yeah, I was watching their games. They're always on TV, so I'm going to check them out. 

I mean, Tyrese, Spencer, Neal, all of them are my brothers over there, C-Fos, all of them are my brothers, so I've always got to tap into them for sure. 

Q. Langston, you all are going to be undersized or have been for a while going forward without Josh. I was wondering how you all are going to continue the rebounding effort that we saw yesterday, and what's been the message from the coaches as far as getting on the glass goes? 

LANGSTON LOVE: We stress it every day. We always say the toughest team wins, so we're just going to go out there and hit and try to be as active as we can and just be 

first to the ball. Going out there, playing against guys that are bigger, you've just got to hit them early and just make sure your presence is felt. 

We try to stress that every day. 

Q. Langston, there are upsets every round of March Madness. Do you guys kind of take like a "why not us" approach to this deal? I mean, trying to knock off Duke. 

LANGSTON LOVE: Yeah, of course. We believe that we can beat anybody. Going through this year, we had a lot of ups and downs, a lot of inconsistencies. So just to have some consistency right now, it's huge for us. 

As I said, we're a team that hasn't even peaked yet, and we haven't played our best ball yet. So why not do it this next round? 

Q. I know, Jeremy, everyone has been asking you a lot about your relationship with Duke. I'm just kind of curious, we sort of almost take the transfer portal for granted now, talk about this sport being a business.  What has the experience of this year meant to you having -- you're a veteran, in your fifth year, playing one year at a new school. Has it been a benefit to your career, benefit to you personally? Has there been drawbacks? What have you thought of it? 

JEREMY ROACH: This year, there's been a lot of good benefits for sure. It's been a learning experience for sure.  Like I said, I've enjoyed every moment of it, trying to stay in the moment as much as I can. It's my last year. I wanted to make the most of it. That's really it right there. 

Q. For either of you, I was just curious, this is going to be essentially a home game for Duke, if not 95 percent Duke fans in the stands. I'm wondering what you all are telling the younger guys on the team about blocking out the noise and how loud and rowdy it's going to be potentially in the stadium tomorrow? 

LANGSTON LOVE: We just want to just practice keeping a level head out there. When they make plays, it's obviously going to be loud, just like playing in any other arena. Especially playing in the Big 12, you're dealing with that on a constant basis. 

So just keeping a level head out there and just making sure that we just stay poised is just the biggest thing. 

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, you're excused. Thank you very much. Good luck tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: We are now ready to start Coach Drew's portion of the press conference. Coach, could you please make an opening statement. 

SCOTT DREW: It's a blessing to see everybody here today, that's first and foremost. It's better than being at home. Blessed to have an opportunity to coach this team against a great Duke team. Got a lot of respect for Coach Scheyer and what he's been able to do taking over for Coach K. 

It will be a great opportunity for us to just see how much we've improved throughout the year. 

Q. We didn't used to see as many times guys playing former programs over the years, but now obviously it's become pretty common. Obviously Jeremy's got a lot of experience, so you're dealing with an older guy. I'm curious, do you have any conversations with him, or how do you generally approach that when these things are becoming more common of seeing former reunions, if you will? 

SCOTT DREW: I know we've been in the same situation.  It's great seeing former players. You just don't like seeing them do real well against your team. 

I know Jeremy got a chance to see all of the Duke players the other day. He's a great guy. I know they all like one another, and he's got a lot of respect for them. 

At the same time, it is a big help. Tomorrow if any of them aren't running the plays right, he'll tell them where to go and what to do. I think that will be beneficial for us because we've learned a lot just on things to expect and playing for because obviously he's got a lot of experience in that system. 

Q. Scott, you had Rob committed, I don't know if you thought he was going to be able to play at this level right away as a freshman, but you do bring in Jeremy.  How difficult has that chemistry been with an older guy who probably expected to start, and then you have to make the lineup change? 

SCOTT DREW: I think Jeremy did start in the beginning of the year. Again, going through two concussions, I don't know how many college kids have gone through that. He's kept a great attitude. 

When we made the decision to bring him off the bench, talked to him, and he said, Coach, whatever's best to help the team, and I think this might help the team. 

He's learned a lot from Coach Scheyer and Coach K, and he's a great teammate, he's a great leader, and he's really helped Rob. Those two can play together. You can always have two point guards on the court. What you can't have is none. 

I think he'll do a good job in making sure everyone's ready to go tomorrow, like he's done for every game. I know this game means a little more to him obviously, but Jeremy is somebody that is capable of having big games. Hopefully he has one tomorrow. 

Q. Scott, you guys are usually the team that's the higher seed at this stage of the game. Do you approach it any differently, being the lower seed?  What gives you hope about your team that maybe you can spring the upset? 

SCOTT DREW: The great thing about social media and media, you guys do a great job of making my job a little easier when it comes to motivation at times. Definitely the situation when a 9 is playing a 1, people don't expect the 9 to beat the 1, otherwise, we'd be the Number 1 seed. 

With that being said, we all know it's a 40-minute game.  Anything can happen in a 40-minute game. March Madness is March Madness for a reason. 

Again, you don't see many weaknesses with Duke. You don't see many losses with their program. You see a lot of success. For us, we have to play a really good game, and we're capable of playing really good games. 

I don't think we're in awe of anybody. Last I saw, our strength of schedule was fourth in the country. We just got done playing Houston, who's a Number 1 seed. At the end of the day, ball gets tipped, team that plays the best that day for 40 minutes wins. 

Q. Duke has the tallest team in the country, pretty much 6'5" and up across the board. What kind of unique challenges does that maybe present? 

SCOTT DREW: I don't know, I was talking to Coach Few yesterday, and he said we're the best 6'7" and under team in the country. But I do know size and length, people will always want that rather than not have that. 

Duke is blessed because they not only have that but they have great skill with that. Normally taller players might not be as quick or as athletic or skillful, but those guys shoot and pass and dribble, and because of that, it makes it tough. 

Coach Scheyer's done a great job of getting them to play great defense. We all know size and length helps defensively, especially when they buy into a team concept. 

Again, no weaknesses with Duke, great team. It's a great opportunity for us. At the same time, Norchad has played against Duke. So he knows that. Jeremy obviously was a 

part of the program. VJ and Coop, I think, spent a whole month or months together on the All-Star circuit, played against each other at Lu High. Rob Wright was Coop's teammate at Montverde. So a lot of familiarity and a lot of respect. 

Q. Coach, it's been 15 years since I believe you all met in the Elite Eight. I was just curious if you thought about that game or the full circle moment with Coach Scheyer was on the court and now is on the sideline. I was just curious how that all wraps around. 

SCOTT DREW: Great question. When we played in New York, full circle moment because Tweety Carter was on the court too, and now he's coaching, and Jon's coaching. Jon played really well in that game as well. 

Obviously I remember that game. There were 43,000 Baylor fans in Houston, and Duke goes on to win the National Championship. So you're like, dang, if we could have won that game, maybe we could have won the National Championship in 2010. 

Again, the good thing is Jon's not going to make any 3s tomorrow. 

Q. To go back to when you added Jeremy and Norchad, both those guys have played in a lot of tournament games. I know that's probably not a coincidence in how you evaluated them. 

SCOTT DREW: Yeah. 

Q. What's your process, and when did you look at what you have and say this is what we need to get through the portal, the type of player we need to have? 

SCOTT DREW: I think you try to get some balance. You don't want all freshmen. You don't necessarily want all upperclassmen. You'd like to have a good mix. 

At the same time, when we won a National Championship, we had two point guards in Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler. Both of them were point guards. So nowadays, if you can have four point guards out there, I think everybody would like that if you can get them all to buy in. 

In the NBA, you've got to play with the ball and without the ball. So we thought Jeremy would be a great complement with Rob and vice versa. We thought Jeremy could really 

help teach some of our younger players, VJ and Rob, some of the things he's learned. 

We're just trying to get a good mix. Again, Jeremy Roach had Final Four experience, freshman coming in. A player is always going to listen more to each other than the coaches. You've got a good locker room and good experienced locker room, good culture as far as team first, it makes our job a lot easier as coaches. 

Q. Scott, you mentioned the game against Duke in New York. Technically that was just last season. 

SCOTT DREW: I know. That wasn't great for us either (laughter). 

Q. A lot's changed on both rosters, but is there anything from that game that you can take and use in game planning? 

SCOTT DREW: Well, I know Yves Missi really had a great game, and he's doing the same thing he did in that game in the NBA, and that's why he was a month ago odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year. Jeremy had a really good game. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, so we got him this time. Hopefully that experience that he has will help tomorrow. 

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you very much and good luck tomorrow.