FIVE MINUTES WITH COACH ED FRITZ
On what made this season special: "I think when we went up to Minnesota and beat De La Salle, that gave our guys some confidence. They were really good. We didn't really expect to go up there and end up winning, so that was a big thing for our season. It gave the guys confidence we could come back down here and play with anybody."
On what BV Northwest does well: "We pass the ball very well, we do a good job of putting pressure on the ball defensively and I think we can shoot the ball pretty effectively."
On what fans can expect from Iowa State signee Clayton Custer: "He's very fast with the ball. He can pull up very quickly and shoot. He's a great passer. He's got a lot of energy and there is just a great presence about him. He's great with his teammates."
On what BV Northwest must do to win: "We have to rebound the ball because we're a little short. We do a good job of boxing out and getting to the glass, but we don't have a lot of height."
On what makes BV Northwest unique: “We do a good job defensively. We usually end up pressing the whole game. I think we wear some teams out doing that and we just do a good job of covering for each other. We’ve been able to get by so far, at least.”
On if BV Northwest considers itself the favorite: “I don’t do all that stuff. I think other people maybe believe that because of our record and our ranking. But we try to take it one game at a time and prepare for it one game at a time. All we’re focused on right now is winning on Wednesday and that’s it. We’re not concerned about winning a state championship right now.”
FIVE MINUTES WITH COACH GARY SQUIRES
On when a special season was apparent: “It started back in December when we were picked to win the City League. You have a big target on your back when that happens. I thought we did such a great job night-in and night-out. Our goal as a team was to win the City League, then sub-state and qualify for state and here we are. We want to get out of the first round and make sure we can get two more games."
On the advantage of playing in Wichita: "We're going to have a lot of fans not associated with North. When we played Andover at Koch Arena earlier in the year, we had a big crowd come out and watch Conner (Frankamp) play. We're used to that. The kids can sleep in their own beds and focus just on what we need to do this week."
On pressure of Frankamp winning a state title: "I think he's had a lot of pressure on him all four years. He had pressure on him to break the scoring record and when he finally did, I think you saw a lot of that relief wash over him. He knows he has to score in double-figures for us to win and do a lot of things. He feels like he has to put the team on his back to get to the state title."
On what advantage Frankamp gives North: "We have a shot against anybody. He's obviously won some games for us over the years and I think, absolutely, we have a chance against any team we go up against.
On North's X-Factor: "If we're going to make it to the finals then our big kids have to perform well. We know what we're going to get out of Conner and our guard play has been really consistent for us. But our bigs have got to step up and get it done defensively and rebounding. We're not going to last very long at all if we don't defend and rebound."
FIVE MINUTES WITH COACH SHAWN HAIR
On what has made this a special season: “Senior leadership has been a big deal for us. We're a very mature team. We've got nine seniors and that's the most I've ever had on a team in 25 years of coaching. They have such a great team chemistry. They don't care who scores the points or who plays. They're all in for each other. And the emergence of sophomore Lucas Jones has really been big for us."
On the impact of Jones' emergence: “He's a 6-foot-6 sophomore and he's taken a lot of pressure off of our best player, Zach Schneider. Zach and Vance Wentz are guys that have been through the wars. They've played all four years for me and started as freshmen. I think Lucas has brought a new dynamic to the team as a scorer and rebounder."
On what makes SM East effective: “We have a very good inside-out combination. We like to get the ball inside to Zach and Lucas and we're really good down there, so that opens up the outside game for guys like Vance and Connor Knabe."
On what SM East must do to win the title: “Our seniors have got to step it up. This is their last chance to win, so it's got to be on them. They've got to take ownership this week. For most of these kids, this is their last basketball experience and I think they're not ready to let it end."
FIVE MINUTES WITH COACH BRETT FLORY
On breaking Derby's nearly 2-decade drought at state: “This group was well aware of the history all year long. To finally to make it, we know how many good teams there have been through the year at Derby, this group is very proud to be able to be those first ones to break through. We tried to connect with some of those alumni that played for coach Lolar and coach Herrs and they have scrimmaged against these guys. I think they're all rooting for them. We're still trying to be hungry."
On adversity of losing 3 straight in middle of season: “Not many teams go through an entire season unscathed. Usually at some point you have to go through some adversity to become a true team. It makes you examine yourself and harden up a little bit. Looking back at those three losses now, I think without a doubt it helped us in the long run."
On how Derby has changed this season: “When we lost those three games, we had to learn to play a different way. It wasn't maybe as fast or dynamic as we would have liked and it got some of our guys out of their comfort zones. We had to play more of a half-court style. Hopefully we can fall back on that at this time of the year because we know teams are going to try to put us in those kinds of games. I think we're better in that department now."
On what Derby must do to win: “Everybody here has good players, so it comes down to the little things. One or two possessions. 50/50 balls. Defending. Rebounding. Those are the things that separate teams at this point in time. We have to make all of those tough plays."
On not settling for just an appearance: “We talked about that right after our sub-state final and we told the kids there are two kinds of teams. There are ones that are just happy to be there and the kind that are in it to win it. We want to be that last team and we're going to try to win this sucker."
FIVE MINUTES WITH COACH JACY HOLLOWAY
On what made this season special: “We were able to win some close games and that gave us some confidence. The fact that we really truly don't have that one guy works for us. Nobody can take away just one of our guys and feel confident about stopping the rest. We've had about a new leading scorer in every game this season."
On if a team without a go-to player can win at state: “It allows us the freedom to get other people involved if somebody is having a bad night. There's always somebody else that is ready to step up and take that stop. The group is so cohesive and unselfish, it's a nice thing to have."
On what makes Garden City dangerous on offense: “We probably score our best in an up-and-down game, but during conference play we learned how to really value possessions at the end of games. We really cut down on our turnovers at the end of the season, too. I think we went six, eight, eight in the last three games. That gives us a lot more opportunities than the other team.
On what the concern is this week: “We sometimes get over-extended and give teams a lot of baskets in the paint, but I think that's a concern for everybody."
On what Garden City must do to win: “We're going to have to make people uncomfortable. I don't think we have the size in the low post to have a grind-it-out game. We're going to have to mix things up and be effective in mixing those things up. We're going to have to rely on our defense to create some turnovers and get our offense jumpstarted."
On if Western Kansas basketball is disrespected: “I think so, but it's not totally undeserving. We have to prove it. We haven't really done much at the state level and I think you have to make waves before you earn that respect. We have to prove them otherwise."
FIVE MINUTES WITH COACH JOE JACKSON
On what made this season special: “We felt strongly all season about the talent level in our kids. It's always been there, but early on there was a little resistance and some understanding going on about what the roles had to be on the team. The last six or seven games, the kids have really bought into it and we've moved on. After one loss, we really set down with them and broke down everybody's roles, no bones about it. This is how it's got to be if we're going to win. Guys can buy in or guys can move on. Fortunately, everybody has bought in and we've moved on."
On the balanced scoring attack: “It's helped so much because we've had so many guys score in double-figures this season. Samajae (Jones) has turned into our leading scorer with JJ (Normore) right there, but it seems to be a different guy step up every night. I think that's just a result of guys accepting their roles and a lot better team chemistry and camaraderie."
On what East must do to win: “We're giving up way too many points. We have to buy into getting stops. We can't trade buckets at this point in time. If you're relying on out-scoring teams at this part of the season, then it's going to be a sad story. So we've got to buy into the defensive end of the floor. We're going to have to rebound and defend and that's what it's going to come down to."
On the flexibility of East's roster: “That's been one of the luxuries this season we've had. We can go with a really big lineup or go small if we want to. Some guys have been stepping up this season and that's allowed us to play a lot of different lineups. We've adapted to different styles this season and that's been one of the best attributes about our team is how versatile it is.
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