Oregon Ducks guard Jermaine Couisnard discusses facing his former team in the 2024 nCAA Tournament.
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00:00 Well, what were your thoughts when you saw that opponent pop up?
00:04 It was a good opportunity for us. I feel like I know a couple of those guys over there.
00:10 A lot of strength coaches and trainers. So, it's going to be a fun game for me.
00:15 Do you feel like it's fitting, after this long, after this many years, that it's almost like a full circle kind of deal for you?
00:22 I feel like, I think everybody, like, not even that I haven't played, I didn't think that we was going to get them.
00:28 But, I kind of assumed somebody had kind of texted me before.
00:31 Kind of was like, big heads up that we'd probably get them. So, that was cool.
00:36 I think teammate wise, just Jacoby and Josh left there, right?
00:40 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:43 What memories did you have of playing with them, particularly?
00:46 That's crazy. I still talk to them to this day. Everyday. They already related me yesterday for winning.
00:53 I know when I didn't check my phone, but I know they probably text me. I ain't going to text you back.
00:58 Because they know how I get, but it's alright though.
01:02 You know, after the excitement of the weekend and the title and all that stuff, how do you kind of now put that in the rear view mirror and refocus?
01:10 Like Coach said, it was a 24 hour celebration for us. So, it was just get it out the way, just enjoy it.
01:16 You know, now we got more to do. More we want to keep playing.
01:20 With whatever was up at the left shoulder, it is.
01:23 Yeah, it's good.
01:24 When it first happened though, did anything go through your mind about last season and the way it happened?
01:28 Oh, right. No, it happened here. The last game, my senior night. The last play of the game.
01:33 I knew, because when I heard it last time, I could barely move it. So, I knew when I had a range of motion, I was going to be good at the play.
01:42 So, that's how it was. Just a pain tolerance. I can handle that now. It's good.
01:46 How has the 2-3 zone helped you guys defensively the last three games?
01:51 It's been great for us, actually. I think it helped us communicate more.
01:56 I know we have bigger wings. Me up top with bigger arms and Jackson just quick enough.
02:02 It probably gave the team a fit, just with Dante in the middle.
02:05 And us pushing up, having them play, having them throw it over the top. It's hard to do with Dante down there.
02:11 Do you feel like it kind of threw the three teams in Vegas for a loop?
02:14 Because you didn't play as much zone as you did in the regular season as you did then. It was almost exclusive zone.
02:19 Then in the last game, yesterday game, we went and just half-courts zone. I feel like that gave.
02:25 We've seen USC give Arizona a face with their zone, just stagnant.
02:30 And them, they wanted to pop the ball everywhere. I feel like it was a good thing for us to slow them down and get them out the room.
02:36 Does that help with the legs for you guys as well?
02:38 Yeah.
02:39 What are your thoughts on this run that Dante has been on the last three or four years?
02:43 It's amazing. I just told him, bro, I tell him I'm like going to him every time, first play.
02:49 I don't care what the play called. Coach called a play for me. I think it's Arizona game.
02:54 Both the games, the championship game and Arizona game, I went straight to him.
02:58 But the last game, I just, because they started to catch on in the two-man game.
03:02 So I was just starting to pick their heads. That's why I tell my teammates to always be ready to shoot.
03:06 Because he's so proud. How he's been playing, people are going to drag attention to him.
03:11 That's probably going to be a lot of work.