WATCH: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell, Johnny Juzang, Jules Bernard Talk UCLA-UNC

PHILADELPHIA — UCLA men's basketball guard Tyger Campbell, guard Johnny Juzang, guard Jules Bernard and guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. spoke to the media prior to Thursday afternoon's practice at the Wells Fargo Center.

The quartet of Bruins answered questions on a wide variety of topics, from the team dynamic on Super Smash Bros. to Jaquez's health and how the opposing North Carolina team has followed a similar path that UCLA did on its way to the Final Four in 2021. Juzang also talked about what has helped strengthen the Bruins' togetherness while Campbell spoke on coach Mick Cronin's impact on the team.

Q. Jaime, are you practicing today and expect to play tomorrow?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, I mean, I'm day-to-day, you guys will see at practice. Did some light stuff yesterday, but I'm just day-to-day right now.

Q. You guys have been through a lot of NCAA Tournament games together. Is there a favorite part for you as far as something that you've come to look forward to the most, whether -- it could be anything, just going to a meal with these guys or a walk-through or the game itself or the celebration? Is there something that's become special to you?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: I think just after film going to Tyger's room and playing Super Smash Bros. And being around my teammates. That's probably what I look forward to.

Q. Tyger, who's the best on the team at Super Smash Bros.?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, you know, everybody would be a different opinion. Some guys say me, some guys say Russ, some guys say Jaime. I haven't heard anybody say Jules really. Some guys say Cody. But me personally, I'd say I'm the best player. I'm the best all-around Smash player on the team.

Q. Who's your go-to player?

TYGER CAMPBELL: I play with King K. Rool and I use Ganondorf sometimes, but I'll go random to get some wins, so it doesn't matter.

Q. You've talked before about how you want to be a voice for Coach on the court, and obviously being the point guard that translates pretty clearly on offense when you're distributing the ball. But on defense do you take on that role do you think or is that more everyone plays their equal part?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, Coach is a great defensive coach, so we all -- especially in this tournament how we've been playing defense, we all have to come together and play defense and lock in. So it's really not just one person that can do that, it's everybody being on the same page and actually wanting to play defense out there and get stops. That's what I would say.

Q. Johnny, last year getting to the Sweet 16, how is this year different in terms of you guys knowing what to expect, getting to the Final Four last year and really having a lot of these guys back in the mix?

JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, obviously we've got almost the same roster, but I do think it's a different experience. Last year obviously coming in as an 11 seed, I guess the dynamic of the games is a little different. This year we need to be sharp, play our best, handle business, and I would just say the pressures are a little bit different. You're dealing with maybe more pressure, the favorites a lot more games this year.

So just staying sharp and still -- even if you are a higher seed, still being the hunter, playing like the hunter and coming out aggressive and trying to throw the first punch.

Q. I'm wondering if you guys are reminded of yourselves a little bit when you see this Carolina team. It's a talented team that struggled early in the year, figured it out late, is playing really well coming in as a slightly higher seed in the tournament, and what it feels like to be a team like that that's figured things out down the stretch and feels like you're playing your best ball right now.

JULES BERNARD: I would say there are definitely some similar qualities. They have a lot of talent and they play hard. Like you said, they are playing some of their best basketball later on in the year.

But I feel like we've studied them a bit, quite a bit actually since we were supposed to play them early on in the season and we couldn't play them, unfortunately, due to COVID. But they're a lot different team now and we know that, and they have -- I feel like they've really bought into who they are as a team and really keying in on what they need to do to win games, and we've seen that over the past few weeks with them.

They're a great team. They're different from who they were before, and we're just prepared to fight and claw and do whatever it takes to bring out a win.

Q. Jules, to stay on that, you guys were supposed to play them earlier and they are a lot different. What are some of the noticeable differences to you guys in them now from what you studied before? And also, is it kind of cool that you finally do get a chance to play them considering you were supposed to before?

JULES BERNARD: Yeah, I feel like for one, you could just tell that there's more assertiveness on both ends. On the defensive end they play hard, and then on the offensive end I feel like they've kind of found their identity. They have some really great guards. And then obviously they have a shooter in Brady Manek and an offensive force in the post with Bacot. I feel like they understand who they are a little more now as the season -- that comes with time and experience. So as the season has come along, I feel like they've sort of found that identity, and they're playing really well right now.

Yeah, it'll be definitely fun to finally get to play them and play them at their best. We love a challenge, and it's definitely going to be a challenge and a great game. We're looking forward to it.

Q. Johnny, you've talked about the togetherness on this team. What does that feel like to you? Can you kind of unpeel that a little bit? What does that feel like, the togetherness, to be part of that, and what does that feel like to you and what does that mean to this team to have that?

JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, you can feel it. It's just the support for one another. You can feel it, and honestly I think it's just gone to a little bit more -- not that we weren't together before, but to another level when it comes to tournament time. You can feel all the touches, talking about this, talking about that, whatever. Great job on this, great job on this, look for this, look for that. You can feel the cohesion come even tighter.

I think you can feel it in a lot of ways, but it's I think at this level what you need to win. So one of the biggest things is who is the most together because there's going to be trying times. Every team, especially at this point, is great, so it's not whether or if there will be challenges, there will be, and there will be those moments in the game where things aren't going your way for certain. So the team that's really, really together can come out of that. So no, I think it's great.

Q. Jaime, you obviously missed a game earlier in the season with a left ankle injury. I think you left the Stanford game early with a right ankle injury. You made the decision to go to braces. Can you reflect on this journey with your ankles?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, like you said, it's been a journey, a long one. It's something all players have to deal with when you get into this game, especially at this time of year, not everyone is 100 percent. Everyone is battling through something. Yeah, it's been frustrating for sure, but I'd rather have injuries like this, something I can battle back from than something really devastating. Knock on wood that doesn't happen.

But it's just something I have to persevere through, something I have to go through. Everyone has to go through something during the season, and this is what happened to me. We're just fighting through it every day.

Q. After such a tough end to the season last year and the way the Gonzaga game ended, how was the tough off-season and how good do you guys feel as you're in the Sweet 16 this year and having a chance to finish the job you weren't able to finish last year?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, you know, coming off the loss to Gonzaga last year, we went into the summer -- I'm not going to say that we were sad after the loss. We were really proud about what we had done all season, so it was easy to work this summer. Looking forward to getting back to this point now this year.

But to say about this year, it's a new year. It's cool to be compared to last year, that we've made it to the Final Four, but we've got a couple new players, people are playing a little different. Jaime is coming off his stuff. I'd just say we're taking it one game at a time just like last year. It's a one-game tournament. We're not looking to the Elite 8, the Final Four. We're looking at the Sweet 16. We're looking at North Carolina, we play them on Friday. So one step at a time trying to take it slow.

Q. Jaime, talking about your ankles and the injuries and everything. Obviously there's a lot of talk this time of year about focusing on the game, but at this point you don't know if you're going to be playing Friday or not. Is that any more difficult to just lock in and focus 100 percent on the game, or do you do that and then if you find out you're not playing, you're not playing?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah I'm just looking at the game, watching the film, going to practice, doing the same old same old. I'm not really worried about the outcome of tomorrow. I'm just locking in and doing everything as I should, preparation, going to sleep at the right time, doing all the things that I would do if I was 100 percent. So nothing really changes for me.

Q. Jules, there's a bigness to this game, right? UNC-UCLA, you just think of the history of both of these programs. What does it mean to not only be in the Sweet 16 but to play in a game with this bigness to it?

JULES BERNARD: I mean, as competitors and players and growing up, that type of environment is something that we all look forward to. I mean, I'm sure all of us watched March Madness as a kid, and we watched those huge games and buzzer beaters and huge match-ups like you were talking about right now. Just to be a part of it means something, and it's special for us. It's something that we all dreamed about.

But other than that, we're really just excited to have an opportunity to move on and play a great team. We know their history. We know how good they are. We're just super excited to play and get another opportunity to play the game that we love against a great team, against great players, against a great coach that they have over there.

Yes, the history is a lot of fun to talk about and think about, but in terms of the game, we're just super excited to play.

Q. I was just wondering, going off of you guys' most recent game, all of your starters from the second-round game all scored between 28 to 38 points. How do you feel that consistency and team chemistry will help you against UNC?

JOHNNY JUZANG: Yeah, it's great. You get the ball rolling, the offense going, and just a lot of cohesion, right, just good momentum swinging to the game. Look, it's a new game, different opponent, different scouting, so I think it's good for momentum. But otherwise you've got to strap back in, lock back in, and come ready to fight for the next game.

You've still got to stay focused, but yeah, the momentum, I think it helps a little bit.

Q. Tyger, you talked about you want to be the coach's guy out there on the court. How much do you appreciate his approach to the game, and how much has it improved your game?

TYGER CAMPBELL: Well, just seeing how hard of a worker Coach is and how he comes in every day ready to work, it's inspiring to me, especially being the point guard and knowing that I have to lead through him on the court and what he tells me I've got to spread to the other guys.

It's just built our connection just watching how hard he works honestly. That's what it is for me.

Our connection has been built over the past couple years, and it just keeps getting stronger and stronger, so yeah.

Q. Jaime, did you see the sign snafu on the halftime show last week, and you said you like being the underdog and when they misspell your name on national TV, does that feed into that and do you kind of feed off that?

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: Yeah, what were you talking about?

Q. They misspelled your name -- they were doing a "can you pronounce this player's name."

JAIME JAQUEZ JR.: With Chuck, with Charles? Yeah, I saw that. I know last year my sister had sent a video to him about how to pronounce my name, and he had shouted her out, but now I guess he's just got to spell it right. We're almost there.

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