INDIANAPOLIS – This is the Final Four. Every team in the country dreams of making it to this point. Heck, the slogan of the event is “The Road Ends Here.” Certainly, this is no time for fun and games.Oh, on the contrary.”New experience, we want to take it in, have fun,” Duke senior guard Quinn Cook said. “At the end of the day, we’re here to win games. Not change, just continue doing the great habits we’ve done all year, just have fun.”That three-letter word was used or talked about frequently Thursday when one student-athlete from each Final Four team came to the stage in the interview room to meet with the media. Other words, or variations of them, that were talked about frequently included, camaraderie, excitement, togetherness and adversity.Wait, adversity?While adversity may seem like an antonym to the aforementioned words on the surface, it actually has served as a precursor to allow the other words to prosper and grow.”I think adversity is what has gotten our team to this point,” Michigan State guard Travis Trice said. “Midway through the year, we were on the bubble. People questioned whether we were going to get into the tournament. Because of that, we’ve banded together.”And now the Spartans (27-11), as well as the Badgers (35-3), Blue Devils (33-4) and Wildcats (38-0), are hardly separable from their teammates. During Kentucky’s photo and video shoots with Turner Sports on Thursday afternoon, the team took numerous pictures with a Twitter Mirror showing just how stressed out they were from the whole experience.
Squad having fun at the #FinalFour with @safaridakari44, @alexthegreat22, @devinbook, @superkingme, @tulis3 #BBN pic.twitter.com/H9vUtlOuWc
— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) April 2, 2015
Lots of lights at the #FinalFour, but we’re staying focused #BBN with @thewilliecs15, @katis32 pic.twitter.com/1REhpZGOqg
— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) April 2, 2015
On a green screen at the #FinalFour. #BBN what will you see behind us Saturday? with @treymambalyles, @superkingme pic.twitter.com/gKkEqM67E1
— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) April 2, 2015
Even the four head coaches looked to be having a good time Thursday. Wisconsin head man Bo Ryan and Kentucky coach John Calipari, who have been friends for years, joked back and forth from the very beginning of their press conference when Coach Cal got on the stage and said, “C’mon, Bo” who was following him, to a question about Ryan’s team’s personality.”Believe it or not, I know how I’m perceived by some people,” Ryan said. “I’m actually a pretty funny guy.””No, you’re not,” Calipari interrupted with a smile, “you’re mean.”Perhaps that loose attitude, both by coaches and players, is the best way to combat all of the pressure that surround being on the biggest stage of the game.Wisconsin senior forward Frank Kaminsky said he and his teammates played the suddenly resurgent Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros. in the team’s hospitality room at its hotel Wednesday night. They also got their hair cut and simply hung out. When it’s time to get focused, though, they know what to do.”It’s great being around so many characters on our team,” Kaminsky said. “It just makes this experience that much more memorable being around so many fun guys.”When we got on the court today for practice, all seriousness. We know how to flip it when we need to.”Kaminsky and the Badgers aren’t the only ones playing games though.”We’re constantly together,” Trice said. “Like Frank said, the hospitality room, we were there till 12:00, 1:00 (a.m.) last night. You really got to fight us to get away from each other. I think that’s a good thing and helps us in close games.”And each team has had close games. Kentucky rallied late against Notre Dame to hit two free throws with six seconds remaining to win 68-66. Wisconsin has won each of its last three games by seven points each. Duke fought through a shooting slump against Utah to win by six. Michigan State, the tournament’s lone non-No. 1 seed remaining, defeated Louisville in overtime in the Elite Eight.On Saturday, while the video games may take a back seat, the players seemed quite certain the fun would not.”I’m like a kid in a candy store here,” Cook said.”We’re going to take it all in,” Trice said.”It’s going to be fun,” Kaminsky said. “I can’t wait.””I’m super excited to play,” Cauley-Stein said. “It’s a dream. When you’re young and you’re playing in your driveway, you’re playing one-on-one against yourself, this is the moment that you’re playing against.”
