The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
NCAA Selection Quotes
3/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 13, 2005
UAB HEAD COACH Mike Anderson
On getting in the tournament
"Right now, we are excited about playing in the NCAA Tournament. Anytime you are selected as one of the top 65 teams to participate in this particular tournament you are happy. Coming off our Sweet 16 run last year, this year is another moment of excitement. We are playing against a very talented LSU team so we are going to have our work cut out for us."
On his team and their reward of a tournament bid
"I am happy for our team. They paid a tremendous price this season and people can just not imagine the things I put them through - and more so this year than I did last year. All of our opponents thought that they were playing last year's team so therefore you saw a lot of heart-thumping games that went down to the wire. For a while there we lost some and then we started winning some, but I thought we were playing some of our best basketball right there at the end. I am happy for the seniors, for our basketball team, and the university. It gives us a chance again to hopefully shine in the spotlight."
UAB PLAYER QUOTES
Senior Guard Ronell Taylor
On getting into the tournament
"It is a great feeling. Getting to go to the tournament two years in a row is not something that a lot of people can say they have done. Fortunately we are able to do that."
On LSU
"We know a lot about them. We played them last year and they have some of the same guys back this season. They have the SEC Player of the Year (Brandon Bass) and another big guy (Glen Davis) called 'Baby Shaq.' We have big guys too, so we just want to go out there and play for a win."
Junior Squeaky Johnson
On playing in Boise, Idaho
"I do not know too much about Boise, Idaho, but I am familiar with that area after having been at Salt Lake Community College. The weather is a little cold but we are just going to go out there and focus on playing basketball and facing LSU. "
On whether or not this proves that UAB is one of the elite programs in Conference USA "We just go out and work hard and we have to keep working to get respect for ourselves and the conference. We just need to keep building and hopefully take it to another level and keep working hard."
Senior Guard Donell Taylor
On LSU
"They have some people on the inside so we just have to buckle down and help out our big guys on the boards."
On having made the Sweet 16 last season and how that helps for this season
"I think it will pull us through because we know what it takes to get there and when we get there we know what to do. There is a lot of preparation and we need to stay focused. We cannot get ahead of ourselves; we need to just take it one day at a time."
Junior forward Demario Eddins
On getting in the tournament
"When they said our name it was the best feeling. After playing in the tournament last year and getting to go again is just a good feeling. LSU is a good team so we are just going to go out there and play them hard."
On possibly getting to play in his hometown of Chicago should UAB make it to the Sweet 16
"Oh, I hope we keep winning so I could possibly get to play in my hometown of Chicago. I would try to put on a show if we got that chance, but it really does not matter where we play - just that we're in and we're playing."
