Familiar faces await coach Gregg Marshall and the Shockers when Wichita State travels to San Diego for Friday's NCAA Tournament opener. Marshall (the coach) previewed Marshall (the opponent) and showered praise on former assistants-turned-head coaches Chris Jans and Earl Grant (both of whom will be in San Diego with their own NCAA Tournament squads). Read on for the transcript.
 

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HEAD COACH GREGG MARSHALL ON...

...what the bid means to the Marshall University program (his final stop as an assistant coach from 1996-98):
"I think it was 31 years for them [since their last NCAA Tournament], and I was there for two of those years -- 96' and 97'. We had moved up there for Greg White's first year. Billy Donovan and his staff of Donnie Jones, John Pelfrey and Anthony Grant had moved on to Florida. [My son] Kellen was born in Cabble Huntington hospital there on October 2, 1996. The people there are incredible. We got close that first year. We had a lot of good players. That previous staff had left some seniors. Sydney Coles had a 15-foot jump shot at the elbow and -- had he made that in the southern conference finals in Greensboro -- we would've won the tournament and gone to the NCAA tournament for the first time since Rick Huckabby in 1987. He missed it, go into overtime and missed a block out and UT-Chattanooga tipped it in. They had a great player named Johnny Taylor. Mack McCarthy was the coach, and they end up going to the NCAA tournament, and not only go but they win two games and go to the Sweet 16. They beat Georgia and Illinois, as I recall. I don't know what order, but we were so close, and Greg White had played at Marshall so he bled Marshall green through and through. He was so proud to be the coach there, but we got real close, and after that we went into the MAC. I was there for one more year, recruited some really good players there and developed some nice friendships there -- as did Donnie [Jones]. Donnie's from that area. A lot of really nice people from there. I'm glad that they're in. I hate that we have to play them in the first round. It's really incredible, and I know the city is so excited and behind their team."

...Remembering his own NCAA Tournament debut as a head coach:
"It's a euphoric, crazy and exciting feeling -- which is what I'm sure Earl Grant, the head coach at the College of Charleston, and Chris Jans [at New Mexico State], two of my former guys who helped us kick start this program and get it to where we are today. They're both coaching in San Diego in their first NCAA tournament appearance, and it's tremendous. It could not have gone any better. Not just because we got a four seed, but because I get to watch my guys, and I get to coach against a guy that I'm familiar with in Dan D'Antoni. Dan was a head coach at Socastee High School and started the Beach Ball Classic, which back in the day was one of the premier, if not the premier high school tournaments over the holidays in the country. He always had great players there. I recruited both of his players while at Winthrop and at the College of Charleston as an assistant. For me, it's like a mini-reunion, and for Donnie as well. I'm really excited where they sent us and with whom.

...Earl Grant and Chris Jans' success at Charleston and NMSU:
"Earl's just a tremendous coach, and I knew that when I hired him as a young man and recruited him as a player, both out of high school and junior college. He knows the game. He's passionate about the game. He's a tremendous person and great husband, father and healer. At the time when College of Charleston was making their hire, Coach [John] Kresse and I talked about it a few times, and I thought Earl Grant had all of the combinations and ingredients to be a success. But more importantly, he was a healer because they had gone through a tough period. Earl Grant is the type of guy that -- if you don't like Earl Grant ,then something is wrong with you. He's just a wonderful person. You're drawn to his personality, confidence and knowledge. Just the type of person that he is -- we played them this year and he initiated that because he wanted to bring his team to Koch Arena to harden them and prepare them for the tournament run that they just made successfully. It was good to see him then. We had a tough game with them that we eventually won, but I knew his team was really good and at that point they weren't really healthy because Jarrell Brantley, their star forward, was out. He's a tremendous player, and they're capable of making a lot of noise in this tournament -- as is Chris Jans at New Mexico State.  Chris was here for nine years, two stints, and I watched his program over the holidays when they were in Hawaii and they beat a couple of really good teams. You could tell then that wasn't just a team that could get to the dance, it was a team that could advance once they got there. I don't know what time their games are but I'm going to be watching those guys, as well as preparing my team. I'm looking forward to that. It'll be the first time that I've gone to another session other than our session. Usually we're not in the same region, so we couldn't even play them until the Final Four. Just being able to follow them, both of those gentleman, and watch them making their maiden voyages as head coaches into the NCAA tournament is really exciting for me."

...on WSU benefiting from its American conference affiliation and vice versa:
"I hope it was, from their perspective, a win-win. That's the way I have always described it tsince we joined the league. The thing that we've been able to do to help the league is giving them another at-large quality program this season. We brought, by far, the most fans to Orlando, and helped give that building energy in the semifinals against Houston. We're the third team that's going to give them a good seed -- not just an 11 or 10 -- but give them a four and Houston got a six. It helps us because we get an opportunity to play Cincinnati two or three times and Houston two or three times and both of them are capable of making Final Four runs because of their toughness and physicality. They have some stars, like Gary Clark, and Houston's got Rob Gray who can put the ball in the basket. It's going to be exciting to see how far these three teams can go."

...his overall take on the seeding:
"I was pleased with it. I though we were going to be a five or a four. Right on the border of a five and four, teetering towards a five. We had a lot of wins in those first two quadrants, because we had the opportunity to play good teams. Temple, who we beat twice, barely slid out of quadrant one by one spot. They finished 51st in the RPI. Had they been 50th there would've been one more quadrant one win. They got an NIT bid, which they definitely deserved."

...initial thoughts on Marshall University:
"I would say that the teams they remind us the most of that we've played this year are Savannah State and South Dakota State. Both of those teams were really good. South Dakota State is in the tournament and I think Savanah State was beat by North Carolina Central so they did not get to go. Both of those teams played some fast, high octane offense -- spreading the floor, driving it and shooting the three. They were entertaining games, so we'll have to be on our toes."

...on guarding Marshall's John Elmore:
"I would say kind of like Rob Gray. He's probably a little better shooter than Gray but doesn't drive it quite like Gray does. Similar size and that type of player."

...communication throughout the season with Earl Grant and Chris Jans:
"We text..occasional phone call. Coach Grant called me last week after winning the Colonial Athletic Conference title..because they had that week off. This being his first time (to make the NCAA Tournament) he remembered that we had the week off when we were at Winthrop. He wanted to know about days off and how I would practice --versus-- keeping them fresh --versus--keeping them sharp as opposed to the rest. He worked that out, and we talked it through. Give them random days off throughout the week. Now, we're going to the same spot, so he's going to have a little more time there built in. That's what I love about playing the tournament the week before. I just can't imagine what it would have been like...I mean it was tough enough coming back yesterday.. (selection) show, we didn't even practice yesterday because of the travel. We'll practice today, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Earl called me also, which I was very pleased about. He kept the tradition alive-- When we were in South Carolina, the week we had off between tournament finals and NCAA Tournament, I would take the staff down to Charleston to my tailor --319 men-- and we would get every assistant coach a new suit for the tournament. So Earl did that.. He goes 'Coach, I'm doing it..I'm going to keep it alive. I can handle that now.' So I said, that's fantastic. I know his staff will be looking really good. My staff gets their suits at Christmas time now from Johnston's so they'll look good too."

...this team learning from 2013 Final Four team:
"You've got to start playing your best basketball. This time of year, you can play good basketball and still lose. Everybody has that possibility in this tournament, and everyone is a champion or some really good team in their own rite ...or they wouldn't be in the tournament. You need to be playing your best. We haven't done that. We know that that's out there. We've gotten close at times, but it's now time to peak and start playing your best basketball. And that's what it takes. If you do that, you have an opportunity then to make a deep run."

..concerns with travel (going from San Diego to, potentially, Boston the following weekend):
"No. The way I look at it is, when that planes in the air, it's just another hour or so in the air. You break down a little more film, or you do another puzzle or whatever you do. Get a little nap in..the guys sleep like crazy on those planes anyway."

...10:20 a.m. local time tip-off in San Diego:
"We've done that quite a bit it seems. We played at Houston at 11, where else did we play at 11? Cincinnati game here was at 11. That's the one I was thinking about. We've played a lot of early games. I'm not a big fan, but it doesn't matter. You can't have everything that you like.

..playing in San Diego:
"It's a great location. We played out at San Diego State. Last time we were there was 2011 -- the last time we did not make the NCAA Tournament.  We won the NIT, going away, by and average of 15 to 16 points a game. We should have made the NCAA Tournament that year, but we didn't. We lost three non-conference games to teams that no one knew how good they were until after the NCAA Tournament. We lost to a San Diego State team led by Kawhi Leonard that reached the Elite 8 and lost to UConn. We lost to UConn in Maui, and they went on to win the whole thing. We lost right here in a Bracket Buster game by one point to VCU, and they went on to the Final Four. Had people known how good those teams were prior to the NCAA Tournament, we probably would have made the NCAA Tournament that year. We went out to San Diego State...I think at that time, if I'm not mistaken, in [December] 2010...it was the first time San Diego State sold out their building with us coming in. They were really starting to get it going. Coach Steve Fisher was building that empire. I like the building. I like San Diego...I've been out there for vacation many times. Love the city, so we are looking forward to it and being able to watch my guys.
 

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SOPHOMORE POINT GUARD LANDRY SHAMET ON...

..earning a No. 4 seed:
"Well, the format was a little different his year, obviously. I was kind of surprised, I was thinking we would get maybe like a five or a six (seed) just based on the history that we've had where we have been projected be higher then kind of get low-balled or something. I'm happy with it. There's not a region really that is going to be easier or more difficult. I think every region is pretty even. We got a good draw. We have some good teams in our field, and it's just taking it one day at a time."

...Three teams from the American Athletic Conference making the field of 68:
"Our conference is really good and all are deserving of the seeds they got. High seeds and good teams in the tournament. "

...his approach for NCAA Tournament games:
"Just with preparation, it's got to remain the same. No different than it has been the last couple games....all season really. Just be focused, lock in even more if possible. Try to continue to do what I'm doing and continue doing what we're doing as far as the mental aspect goes."

..preparing for the NCAA Tournament:
"I think every year should be the same. Every team you play in this tournament is deserving and a good team. We know Marshall is a good team. We will get into them today as far as film goes and the scouting report. I don't think it's any different, honestly. You have to have good preparation coming in and be focused on one game at a time...can't look ahead. Just work on the task at hand."

..thoughts on Selection Show format:
"I personally wasn't a huge fan of how it was formatted. It was not as dramatic. I didn't like the whole alphabetical order saying who was in right away in the first 10 minutes. Obviously, luckily we weren't really sweating this time. I think I liked it more in the past."

...time table between conference and NCAA Tournament:
"We have six days to prepare, basically. Our last game was on Saturday, we're playing Friday so...it's pretty close to a week if you think of it that way. We're going to be feeling fine, it won't be that much of a difference. It is different, but I think we'll be good."

...playing at 10:20 a.m. local time in San Diego:
"We've kind of done it all. Played at like 8 a.m. out in Maui, played at night on the east coast. We've done it all and I don't think at this point -- with the veteran team we have-- it really affects us much."
 

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SENIOR FORWARD RASHARD KELLY ON..

...former Shocker assistant Chris Jans making the tournament and being in the same city:
"I think it will be pretty cool. Congratulations to Coach Jans in his first year at his program. It's going to be a great time. To make it to March and to make it to this tournament is a blessing at all. We are going to start there and just get to work."

...his approach for his last NCAA Tournament:
"Just focus and prepare for it like I did every other game this year. Don't try to make it too much, but enjoy the moment---embrace the moment---embrace everything going on. If I break it down and take it one play at a time..I think it will help the moment last even longer.... It's a grind...around this time of March it's more mental than physical to prepare for the games. You just have to understand that you are capable of it and you are here for a reason. Just keep pushing...Everything's a grind and the basketball players will play in March."

...time in between conference tournament and NCAA Tournament:
"I think it's a blessing , we've been playing all year long since November hit. We haven't really had a break. The more and more we play, the better we'll get. I think our conference is slept on as far as talent, I think it's a great conference. Just to be able to battle like that night-in and night-out, it's a great preparation for March."

...what makes Wichita State a dangerous team come March:
" The X's and O's..how many plays we have. Just to watch film over us in a couple of days..or even a few hours is going to be hard to scout for. We have 11 players that anyone could be the breakout player of the game at any time. There's not one core guy or one or two players that 'This is what they do, this is all they do'. We have a scheme for everything. We have a great coaching staff that have a great knowledge of the game. We have a counter to any type of weapon you want to throw at us."