KANSAS CITY, MO – The college basketball season can be long, but not so long that coach John Beilein can’t remember how poorly his Wolverines started league play. The Big Ten tournament champions looked like NIT invitees for sure after starting the year 4-6, but since then they’ve gone on a tear to enter the NCAA tournament as the country’s hottest team.
They’ll face Oregon in a battle for a spot in the Elite Eight, and despite the Ducks missing one of their key players in Chris Boucher, coach Beilein isn’t considering them less than full strength at all.
Tom McCarthy caught up with coach Beilein ahead of the game.
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Tournament Pregame Interviews
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton on UCLA’s Final Four run
Prior to Saturday’s Final Four matchup between UCLA and Gonzaga, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton spoke with Westwood One’s Jim Gray. The duo shared their experiences as members of past UCLA teams, discussed the current UCLA team’s… Read More »
Roy Williams Post-Retirement Interview with Jim Gray & P.J. Carlesimo
Following his retirement announcement earlier this week, North Carolina head coach Roy Williams spoke with Westwood One’s Jim Gray and P.J. Carlesimo in this nearly 20-minute conversation. Roy discusses his decision to retire, the future of the college game, his plans for retired life and much more. Every game of… Read More »
Interview: Villanova Head Coach Jay Wright On Facing A Michigan Defense
SAN ANTONIO, TX – Villanova’s Jay Wright might have started out the tournament feeling cursed, especially as #1 seeds fell left and right. But after handling fellow #1-seed Kansas in the semi-finals, he can be confident his team is as tested as anyone ever could be ahead of their championship… Read More »
Interview: Michigan Head Coach John Beilein On Facing Villanova
SAN ANTONIO, TX – Michigan Wolverines’ head coach John Beilein came oh so close to seeing his team head home early before a buzzer-beating three from Jordan Poole got Michigan past Houston in the second round. But after that, they’ve shot well as a team and earned a spot in… Read More »
Interview: UCONN head coach Geno Auriemma ahead of Notre Dame matchup
COLUMBUS, OH – Top-seeded Connecticut will look to exorcise last year’s Women’s Final Four demons, where the Huskies lost to Mississippi State. They might get a shot at revenge with the Bulldogs in the title game, but first, they will have to defeat fellow top-seed Notre Dame on Friday. Debbie… Read More »
Interview: Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw ahead of UCONN battle
COLUMBUS, OH – Top-seeded Notre Dame returns to its eighth Women’s Final Four looking to claim the program’s second national championship and first since 2001. To do so, though, the Fighting Irish will first have to find a way to defeat juggernaut UCONN–the very team that beat them in back-to-back… Read More »
Interview: Mississippi State head coach Vic Shaefer ahead of Louisville matchup
COLUMBUS, OH – Top-seeded Mississippi State returns to the Women’s Final Four for the second year in a row. The Bulldogs fell to fellow SEC rivals South Carolina in last year’s title game after a momentous upset of Connecticut in the semifinals. The Bulldogs will be looking to take the… Read More »
