THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. We are now ready to start the student-athlete press conference for Oklahoma.
Are there any questions for the student-athletes?
Q. Jalon, Porter was talking to us Sunday, and he mentioned going through the NBA Draft workouts in Miami, the conversation you guys had. What do you recall about that, and what has this year taught you in terms of being a leader?
JALON MOORE: Just thinking back to that time when he came out to Miami and came out to see me, watch me workout and us having a conversation of just what the next year is going to look like and just saying we have to win and what we are needing to do to win and what we need to do to also get guys here that have been to the tournament and get to where we want to go also.
Just thinking back to now, thinking back to this whole season about how this team has grown through all those mean times and adversity that we've been through, it's been amazing just to see how this team, how we've panned out to end the season and to get to this moment.
So it's been amazing to go throughout this journey and to be here.
Q. For Jalon and Jeremiah both, if you could answer this please. You guys finally get into the NCAA Tournament, you get back here, and you're facing the two-time defending national champion. What are your thoughts on Connecticut and how the bracket kind of shook out there?
JEREMIAH FEARS: I think it's a great chance for us to show the world what we're capable of and just coming together on the big stage. Nothing would be more important than getting a win.
THE MODERATOR: Jalon, do you have anything to add?
JALON MOORE: Piggy-backing off that, nothing is more important than getting the win. They're a great team, and we're ready to go in there and compete and get the W.
Q. For both of you guys, there's so much talk in the -- just around the SEC this year about how physical the games were, how physical the league was. How did you experience that, and how much are you looking forward to seeing how that -- how the style of play against different conference?
THE MODERATOR: Jalon, could you start.
JALON MOORE: As you know, the SEC was the best league in the country coming into this year. Every night, every game we have this year in the SEC, scheduled in the SEC season was a physical game.
I think that's gotten us ready to prepare us for any league because we know every night we were playing Quad 1 opponents every night, and just having to deal with that and be able to experience that, it made us a better team.
JEREMIAH FEARS: I would agree. To piggy-back off of what he said, obviously it's the best league, and we were able to play against a lot of great opponents. Such as Florida, Auburn, teams like that, just playing against them every night has helped prepare us to be ready for the big game tomorrow.
Q. Jeremiah, we've sort of been through this before with you, but as you look back now, what was maybe the toughest adjustment of league play, and was there a turning point for you where you knew you had officially turned that corner?
JEREMIAH FEARS: Yes, just the overall league was very physical, it was very tough. Every game was a great game. My teammates, I give a lot of credit to my teammates. There was a couple ups and downs in the road, but they just did a great job of just staying together. Whether we were winning or losing, we stayed together throughout the whole process and throughout the whole season. That's helped get us here today.
So I just want to give a lot of credit to them, and the coaches did a great job as well just keeping us motivated. Whether it was a tough loss or it was a great win, they did a great job of helping us bounce back and watch film and not skip on our process.
Q. Jalon, when you look at tape or film of UConn, do you see any similarities with teams on your schedule, either nonleague or SEC?
JALON MOORE: Yes for sure. UConn, they have a high powered offense. In the SEC, there's a lot of teams that have a high powered offense, like the Tennessees, Georgias, Kentuckys. So just being able to experience teams like that, also in the nonconference schedule, us going up against Arizonas and Michigans.
I think that's prepared us to win the game tomorrow.
Q. You've come up in basketball through the years. From your perspective, what are you looking forward to the most tomorrow pregame, during the game, halftime? Looking up at the fans, the bands, the music, competing, or just the competition obviously, but besides that, what are you looking forward to the most just based on what you've seen through the years?
JEREMIAH FEARS: Really just the experience. It's my first time, so I really just want to enjoy the experience. Go out there, leave it all on the court with my brothers and win and advance. That's probably the biggest thing I'm looking forward to in this journey.
JALON MOORE: I agree. To piggy-back off that, the experience, we watched this growing up, and to be able to be here is a blessing, blessing from God. I'm also ready to go out there and experience it with my brothers and fight, fight, win and advance. That's what we're here to do.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports