Asked of former Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson, in St. Louis to support a friend and former player, Mike Anderson, who is head coach of the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
“You know, I don’t know. I really don’t know. I didn’t do any scouting. … I hear that the Simmons kid (Wayne Simien) is good. And they’ve got a great point guard. And all I can say is I’m looking forward to seeing them play.
“I just don’t know much about them. I know that Roy (Williams) — Roy and I are very close friends. And I know that Roy does a great job in recruiting, and there should’ve been some really good players left to coach. And I knew that. And I know Bill (Self)’s a very good coach.
“You put all that together, and I hope it makes for a very good game.”
Asked of J.R. Giddens, KU freshman point guard whose three-point prowess could be a vital part of KU’s tournament run.
“Kemper was my breakout game (77-67 win against Oregon on Dec. 13). I had 18 points, and I shot very well from the three-point line in that game. I got a lot of confidence. And I haven’t lost in Kemper yet — we haven’t lost — and that’s good. It’s just a place of confidence — a safe place, like your bed, with no one, and you’ve got a nice cup of hot cocoa and a pillow. That’s your place, you know? So, hopefully, no harm will come to me.”
Asked of KU reserve guard Jeff Hawkins, leading up to tonight’s NCAA championship game at the Superdome in New Orleans:
“Steak, potatoes, vegetables, biscuits and a nice glass of orange juice. We’ll probably stick with steaks, potatoes and vegetables — it’s a little steak, like the shape of a cow hoof.”
Asked of Stephen Vinson, KU walk-on forward and graduate of Lawrence High School, who played the final 5 minutes in Kansas University’s 94-61 win against Marquette in Saturday’s NCAA semifinals at the Superdome in New Orleans:
“It’s a dream come true, because playing in Lawrence, you never imagine that it’s actually ever going to happen — first to put on the Kansas uniform, but then to be on stage in that situation. It’s just unbelievable.
“You don’t realize that there’s 65,000 people there until you actually get on the court and see there are so many people behind you the whole time — there’s 30,000 people behind you. It’s pretty amazing.
“It’s indescribable, as far as what you’re feeling, but it is safe to say that it’s the best time I’ve ever had playing basketball.
“I didn’t turn in an all-star performance. I missed my first three-pointer. I had a rebound and an assist, so that’s my claim to fame. I got in the game , I went 0-for-2, I fouled a guy on a three-pointer, but I had an assist and I had a rebound, so I’ll take that.
“If I would have taken two bad shots, and air-balled them both and had coach mad at me, it wouldn’t have been as much fun. But the two shots I took, they were good shots. They both felt good. …
“I hope I get to play again Monday.”
Asked of Brett Olson, who joined the Kansas University team this year as a walk on:
Last year I worked at KUstore.com. I sold all the memorabilia for the basketball team. It was nuts for the Final Four. We’d be packing up T-shirts and sending them out until 2 in the morning. I got lots of hours in, though. I just talked to those guys (a few days ago), and that’s what they’re doing. It’s kind of nice to be on this end now.
Hopefully the only thing that will be different is we’ll win.
What is your favorite vending machine snack?
Asked of Keith Langford, Kansas University forward, before Arizona played Notre Dame and Kansas played Duke in the NCAA West Regional semifinals:
“Snickers. In high school, I was always getting Snickers bars. The selection was D-1. That was back when I wanted to play Division One basketball, so I always selected D-1.
“Now I mix it up — I take chocolate or whatever’s there.”
What’s your favorite ride at Disneyland?
Asked of Stephen Vinson, KU freshman guard from Lawrence, who is in Anaheim, Calif., this week for the NCAA Tournament:
“I think it’s called the House of Terror. They take you all the way out, it’s really high and dark or whatever. Then they drop you down — like 15 stories, I don’t know. You think the ride’s over, but then about a second later you drop again — you screeeeeeam, and then you’re like, ‘Ahhhh, it’s over.’ It’s wild.”
Asked of Nick Collison, KU forward, during the subregional at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City:
“I think it’s the obvious: You lose, you’re done. And the senior year, your career, is over. But it’s not scary.
“Every kid’s facing the same thing. I think you find out that there’s not a lot in basketball that’s too scary, compared to everything else that’s going on.”
Asked of Clark Kellogg, CBS Sports basketball analyst and former Ohio State University basketball player:
What is your favorite mascot? Do you think it stands a chance against a Jayhawk?
“Brutus (Buckeye), at Ohio State. I like the size of his head. The Jayhawk has a beak doesn’t it? I think Brutus can hold his own against any mascot, even a Jayhawk.”
Asked of Clark Kellogg, CBS Sports basketball analyst and former Ohio State University basketball player:
What is your favorite mascot? Do you think it stands a chance against a Jayhawk?
“Brutus (Buckeye), at Ohio State. I like the size of his head. The Jayhawk has a beak doesn’t it? I think Brutus can hold his own against any mascot, even a Jayhawk.”
Asked of Clark Kellogg, CBS Sports basketball analyst and former Ohio State University basketball player:
What is your favorite mascot? Do you think it stands a chance against a Jayhawk?
“Brutus (Buckeye), at Ohio State. I like the size of his head. The Jayhawk has a beak doesn’t it? I think Brutus can hold his own against any mascot, even a Jayhawk.”
Asked of Clark Kellogg, CBS Sports basketball analyst and former Ohio State University basketball player:
What is your favorite mascot? Do you think it stands a chance against a Jayhawk?
“Brutus (Buckeye), at Ohio State. I like the size of his head. The Jayhawk has a beak doesn’t it? I think Brutus can hold his own against any mascot, even a Jayhawk.”
