THE MODERATOR: We have the Texas Tech Red Raiders student-athletes. Kevin Overton and Christian Anderson are with us. Questions, please.
Q. Christian, first NCAA Tournament game last night. You struggled early, but then hit some big shots, had a big drive there. Do you feel like it was a case of nerves with missing some of those shots and some of those struggles early on, or something that they did? Just what was your thoughts about that?
CHRISTIAN ANDERSON: I just think yesterday shots weren't falling. Sometimes it's like that. It's not going to be every game, but yesterday shots weren't falling, so I had to find other ways to score. I think defensively and then later in the game getting that and-one kind of helped.
I would say it was a rough start, but couldn't let that affect the defensive end and how we played. I think it's just one of those nights.
Q. Kevin, obviously you're playing your old team, but it's a whole new look. Kind of just walk me through how you feel about going up against Drake.
KEVIN OVERTON: I think it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Just the way that it lined up for us to play again. New team. Got recruited by them. So yeah, personal, but it's going to be fun for sure, yeah.
Q. Just looking at your season this year, how do you feel like you have adjusted and kind of found your spot going from being a starter to a contributor off the bench?
KEVIN OVERTON: I would say it's been a constant battle. I think especially, like you said, going from a starter to playing the role I play now, but I think it's just finding other ways to win, putting myself in situations where I can still impact the team, whether that's offensively or defensively. It changes every game.
Q. Question for both guys. I got to see both your moms at the send-off, and they both told me how they love you with the Red Raiders, they love this team. Can you just talk about the closeness of this team and what that means to both of you guys?
CHRISTIAN ANDERSON: Yeah, I think a big part of why I came to Texas Tech is because of the close-knit environment and the family environment that surrounds the whole community. Everybody on the team, the coaches and their families and my family, they live in Texas. So them just being able to be a part of it and just everything that just makes it so much better when you win when everybody is there to support you, so yeah.
KEVIN OVERTON: I would say we have a different type of togetherness with this team. I think that's why we made it this far. When our families are all connected and everybody else is connected outside of us, the players, I think it just helps the team overall. So it's been good for us.
Q. Gentlemen, how does it feel when Kerwin steps up having a game like he did last night and how does that motivate you for your turn when it comes?
KEVIN OVERTON: I would say I don't really look at it like that. I'm happy for everybody that has a great game or whatever the case may be for each individual game and situation, but I mean, when he has a game like that, I think it's nice to see. It's fun to see because you know how hard he works behind the scenes. So just happy for him and ready for the next one.
CHRISTIAN ANDERSON: Yeah, kind of like what K.O. said. Kerwin works so hard. He's always constantly in the gym. It doesn't surprise any one of us on the team when he has a game like that because we have all seen it multiple times in practice and during his workouts.
Yeah, I mean, it just goes to show how deep our roster is and how anybody on the team can have a special night at any given moment.
Q. Christian, obviously this is your first year playing collegiately. What are some of the biggest differences you've seen from the beginning of the season throughout the course of the season, as well as into now in the March Madness Tournament?
CHRISTIAN ANDERSON: I would definitely say the amount of preparation that goes into every game. Yeah, during our preparation we focus so much on matchups and how we should play, which is kind of different from high school definitely.
So I would just say the amount of preparation that goes into each matchup and each game is definitely different, but it definitely keeps us prepared, and it makes it so much easier going into the games and feeling confident that we can win, so yeah.
Q. What do you guys know about Bennett Stirtz, and how impressive is he just to watch on film?
KEVIN OVERTON: Extremely impressive, especially from a ball screen standpoint. I got a chance to really look at him whenever I was still considering going back to Drake, so just seeing the way that he can manipulate the offense and control the game, I think it is very unique, which is why he is who he is. Just got to guard him. Got to play against him and just play hard.
CHRISTIAN ANDERSON: Yeah, during film and during the preseason we got to play against him, and he is definitely somebody that we've got to really focus on and know what we've got to do defensively to make it the hardest possible on him.
So he's definitely a guy that can really heat it up and look for his teammates. So, yeah, we just got to really focus on him tomorrow night.
Q. A great defensive team like Drake, what do you guys feel like you need to improve on when shots are not falling from beyond the arc like they were at times last night?
CHRISTIAN ANDERSON: I think just from when shots aren't falling, we can't let it -- because we know how good offensively we are as a team. When shots aren't falling, we can't let it affect the defensive side of the ball. That's really the main thing.
If we do what we're supposed to defensively, then it's not so much about the offensive part, but yeah, if shots aren't falling, we have to really focus on finding other ways to score also.
KEVIN OVERTON: Shots not falling, you are talking about defense. We have to find a way to turn defense to offense, especially down the stretch, like that last two medias I think when shots don't fall, we have to find ways to string stops together. Not just one or two, but actually get stops and be able to run in transition.
Q. Christian, you spent time at FIBA representing Germany, and you went on to win that tournament. How can you relate that experience and now bring it to March?
CHRISTIAN ANDERSON: I would say it's definitely very similar feels to it because when you represent a country and you represent from my standpoint Germany, it's so much bigger than yourself and you're representing a country and a brand, which is kind of similar to March Madness. You've got play for something bigger than yourself because you're playing for all the fans. You know, you're being seen by basically all the basketball fans. That's definitely something that goes into it.
So I would say it's very similar when playing in March Madness for a national team.
Q. You guys got to play a scrimmage with Drake back in October. Is there anything you can take from that, or just getting to see them, Coach McCollum said he told you guys after that you're a Final Four team. Do you remember anything about the scrimmage? Can you just take anything from that, just getting to see those guys?
KEVIN OVERTON: Yeah, especially just from where they are offensively, I think we took a lot from that. I think they were in a similar spot. They still played together. They still understood where everybody need to be. Playmaking, the same spacing and the way that Bennett Stirtz manipulated the ball screen. Just going back and watching that, we were a completely different team back then, but just watching how they were offensively and how we can just use that to really just scout stop. That's really what it is. Scout stop.
CHRISTIAN ANDERSON: Yeah, I mean, we know how good they are. It was my first time playing ever in like a college game in the scrimmage, so it was my first. I definitely remember it. I would just say we know how good they are. We know that this is a game that, like I said earlier, we really need to focus on matchups.
But, yeah, if we do what we need to, we're going to be fine.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports