PC: River Baldwin and Madison Hayes Discuss Stanford Matchup

NC State center River Baldwin and guard Madison Hayes met with the media today to discuss the Sweet Sixteen matchup against Stanford.

NOTE: Click the clip above to listen to the press conference.

River, how do you assess your play and your development since leaving Florida State and coming to NC State? Did you anticipate having the year you've had so far?
RIVER BALDWIN: Honestly, I thank Coach Moore just for giving me a new opportunity. I think that I was underestimated coming in to NC State. Just to have the opportunity and his open mind to allowing me to be more than a screen-and-roll post player, to even have confidence in me and rely on me to score back to the basket in the post, and expand my range to 15 feet, has given me confidence. I'm grateful for the opportunity.

With Stanford coming into your conference next year, are you kind of looking at this game as almost a preview of what's to come next year with conference play?
MADISON HAYES: Yeah, you know, when we found out that Stanford is coming into our conference, it's different obviously. A couple of other teams are coming from that West Coast. But we're really excited, expanding the ACC. I feel like it's a good thing for us to see different styles of play, too, as well.

I think getting this early in the Sweet 16 will be good for us.

Madison, River, you're obviously the team's leading rebounders. What is going to be the key to winning that battle against Stanford?
RIVER BALDWIN: I think the key is just the physicality, just making sure that we're locked in every box-out. The post players are going to have their work cut out, so making sure the guards come in and clean that up.

MADISON HAYES: I agree. Just making sure that on the defensive end we're having all five people go, then just making sure on the offensive end we're getting as much boards as possible and easy points.

Madison, talk about your leadership in regards to this team. After last year, what happened, that season, talk about your development and your leadership of this ballclub.
MADISON HAYES: I think coming into this year, especially after last year's devastation of not making it after the first round in Utah, I think we had all of us, seniors and veterans, came together and really know we really want this bad as we want it, and let the freshmen know that we want it, too. We're all on the same page.

I feel like our chemistry has really gotten better. Making sure keeping us all together, it's not just a one-man effort. All of us veterans are pretty much leaders in their own way. I feel like that's how we lead our team, so...

NC State didn't make it this far last year. Madison, what does it mean to get NC State back to a Sweet 16 level and have a chance to play another storied program like Stanford?

MADISON HAYES: It's exciting. Being my sophomore year when I first got here, I was part of Sweet 16, Elite 8 team. Just being able to watch and really learn from the veterans that year, it was astounding to watch. It was extraordinary to see how far we could go.

Really being a part of it really impacting the Sweet 16. I feel like as long as we play like we've been playing, we can really go as far as we want to go.

RIVER BALDWIN: Yeah, I think it's even bigger in my mind. I've made it to the NCAA tournament every year I've been in college, but I've never made it past the first round. When we made it to the round of 32, even this is a new experience for me.

To be such a big part of a team that can accomplish so much, this has been such a great opportunity and a new experience for me. I'm a fifth-year, so it's crazy (smiling).

River, we all saw you and Mimi with the big hug after the Tennessee game. How much does it mean to you in your last run with NC State to extend that run and get the program back to this stage?
RIVER BALDWIN: Yeah, it means a lot just to be a part of a program that has such a great legacy and reputation. To be a part of that is an honor.

In that video, clearly emotional, I feel emotional right now, to have the opportunity to play part of the NCAA tournament in front of your home crowd that's so supportive, shows love day in and day out, every time we're in Reynolds, it's amazing. I got emotional having to leave that place and those people, but I know they're supporting us from afar.

What has stood out about Stanford when looking at the scouting report?
MADISON HAYES: I feel like just with the scouting report that we have to box out and rebound. They got two really great posts, Kiki and Cameron. They're really amazing at the post. I feel like our matchups for our bigs, it will be big for them.

Also I feel like they can match up with them perfectly. I feel like they'll be fine. They just got to do their job. Then us guards have to help as well, get to shooters. No. 33, Jump, she can really shoot the ball. We have to make sure we get to our shooters quickly but also help our posts down low.

RIVER BALDWIN: As she said, very post-heavy scoring, averaging 18 and 19 points a game. The key is to make everybody else score, try to shut down that post play. They're combining for about 40 points a game. If we shut that down, make somebody else score, hopefully it will benefit us.