Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Selection Sunday Quotable
03/11/2007 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
March 11, 2007
Head Coach Chris Lowery
"I think we were excited to have a four, and I think once we found out where we were seeded, it immediately changed our focus to Holy Cross."
"We know that they're good and they're well-coached. Obviously they're in a different region than us, so we don't get to watch them as much as we'd hoped. But we know they're well-coached, and they can make three's and they'll change the defense up."
"We never let our kids get ahead of themselves, and I'm not going to do it now. I'm focusing on Holy Cross. It'd be great (playing Illinois), but right now we've got to focus on playing Holy Cross."
"My first year, we were the favored, and I think we handled that very well. But this year, it's a little bit different. We've been ranked, we've had a higher RPI, we've had a little more national notoriety, and the pressure will be a lot greater knowing that we are a four seed. Hopefully, we can make sure our kids stay competitive and stay focused."
"I didn't think we'd be below a four. If you look at the top seeds, they got rewarded for winning their conference tournament. But I think because we didn't win our conference championship, that got us a four."
"I'd be happy with no limits. We don't want to have any limits."
"Our biggest thing last year was the inability to focus. Our maturity has really shown up this year."
"Having all three of us in (Southern Illinois, Purdue, and Illinois) is great for our family tree."
"Matt (Painter) and I were texting back and forth since they got in, and it's just fun knowing we're (Lowery, Painter, Weber) all in and being able to share that together."
Jamaal Tatum
On the matchup with Holy Cross
"We're definitely not going to underestimate them. Right now, we're focused on one game at a time."
"I think it's a good match-up, because I know they're a mid-major-type team like us. When you put two mid-major teams together like that, you know you're going to have a dog-fight."
On the team's expectations:
"It's a high expectation, but I think we can fill that expectation. I don't think anybody feels pressured by it. We were predicted as a Sweet 16 team, so I think we have a high expectation for our self."
How do you feel about possibly playing Illinois?
" We've got to go out and take care of business. We've just to focus on one game at a time."
On the possibility of playing against Bruce Weber:
"Right now we're just focusing on winning ballgames. If I see him I'll say hi, but I'm definitely not going to go out of my way to find him and say hi. Right now, we're on a mission. This is a business trip for us, and it's nice to see old friends and old coaches, but this is completely a business trip for us."
How important is it to not look ahead to playing Illinois?
"A team like Holy Cross could beat you. We're going to respect them, definitely not underestimate them. We know we're going to take it one game at a time, and if we don't, we won't even get the opportunity to play Illinois or Virginia Tech. So right now, we're concentrating on our opponents ahead of us."
On the team's preparation during the past week:
"Practice has been very physical, as you can see. (referring to the cut on his face from when he got elbowed in practice) We've all be killing each other, and that's the way you forget about having a week off."
"In high school when I was filling out brackets, I would see a #4 and #13 seed, and I would pick the #13, because I knew there had to be an upset somewhere. We know they're coming for us."
Tony Young
"I was happy we didn't have to wait the whole time to see where we were going to play. It came up quick. We're playing a good team. It's time to get ready and focus."
On the week off:
"We've been doing so many little things the wrong way, because we play so hard. Really, it's just about getting back to the basics and getting back to those little things that we do to win games."
"I'd love to play Illinois. I know the team. I know the coach. That would be a fun game for us."
"It's a friendly rival. I'd be more than happy to see those guys (Illinois) there. Shake their hand, go get a steak with them or something."
Bryan Mullins
"It's an exciting time. There's only 65 teams that get to go to this thing, so you've got to feel privileged. All your hard work has paid off."
Being a #4 Seed and ranked with big teams:
"It's a good accomplishment. We're happy. It just shows us how much hard work we've done throughout the season, and how well we've played. We really can't get caught up. We've really just got to focus on Holy Cross and focus on our own team right now."
Do you feel like you belong in the same company as the high-majors?
"We definitely belong with and can play with anyone in the tournament."
How do you feel about the turnout here on Selection Sunday?
"Our fans have been unbelievable this whole year. They packed in here (Copper Dragon) just to support us, so hopefully they'll be in Columbus."
What do you think about the matchup with Holy Cross and maybe even the chance to play Illinois?
"I don't really know too much about Holy Cross yet. We'll watch some video and get to know them a little better, but all we're focused on is Holy Cross. The first game of the tournament is always the toughest."
"We have until Friday, so we've got another day of practice. We've got this whole week to get ready and really get stuff straightened out and focused for Friday."
"It's not new to us. Our whole team is pretty much the same as last year that went there and lost, so we know what we have to do to win."
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