Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Men's Basketball Practices at the Carrier Dome Thursday
03/21/2002 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
March 21, 2002
Syracuse, N.Y. - #11-seed Southern Illinois (28-7) practiced at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. Thursday in preparation for Friday night's game vs. #2-seed UConn. Afterward, Saluki players and coaches met with the media.
Head Coach Bruce Weber: We're excited to be here. It's probably a surprise to most people, but not to us. We had a nice run last week in Chicago - We kept our composure and showed our heart. (Getting here) is not something that just happened, though. We've played tough competition all year.
UConn presents a tough challenge. It's been a hectic week with all the national attention. But, now we have to be focused and compete. No one expects us to win, but we don't want to just be satisfied to be here. I know we played great against Texas Tech and Georgia. We've told our players, "You have to believe and expect to win." If we play at a magic level, we'll do well. It's been fun and exciting. I don't want it to end yet, and hopefully, our players don't either.
(In setting the goal of the Sweet 16 before the season started), I wanted them to be driven and to have high goals. We've been successful because our players have bought into the game plan and have played hard.
I was exhausted Tuesday night after we had a pep rally with 5,000 people. That night, I called each guy and said, "Get your bags packed, go to class, we're going to have a great practice before we leave." We have to come back to earth and be levelheaded. If I'm levelheaded, they will be, too.
Kent Williams: (Being labeled Cinderella) doesn't really matter to us. As long as you make it here, that's what's important. We're not surprised that we made it this far. (The media exposure) has been exciting and fun. This is what we've wanted all year. We're just enjoying it and living it up. People have been excited about basketball and that's great for our community.
Jermaine Dearman: At the end of last year, we were only 16-14 and Coach presented us with a challenge. We had three goals - the conference championship, the NCAA Tournament and the Sweet 16. I thought it was a little farfetched at first. But, as the year went along, those goals became more realistic. Now, we've just got to play harder, because it's not over yet.
We're just a small school in Carbondale, Ill., but we're getting a lot of support. It's great having so much fan support. Coach said our ticket sales were up 2,500 over (the average attendance for) last year. People are calling up all the time and congratulating us. On Monday, the teacher talked about the Salukis making the Sweet 16 and then cancelled the rest of class.
Rolan Roberts: You look up at the banners and you've got UConn, Kentucky, Maryland and Southern Illniois. People are thinking, "What are they doing here?"
(The media exposure) has been great for our program. Hopefully, it will help Coach get the attention of some recruits and will help build up the program and the conference.
After sitting out a year, I was ready to play and I was ready to win games. I didn't know anything about Southern Illinois before I came. When I first got here, it was extremely different.
