March 11, 2007
Press Conference Quotes
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Memorial Gym
Vanderbilt Head Coach Kevin Stallings
“It is an exciting time of the year. This is one of the most exciting days of the college basketball season when you know your name is going to be called and the anticipation of it and seeing what happens and where you end up and who you play and that sort of thing.”
“We obviously feel honored to be invited and I am particularly pleased for our team that they have been rewarded for their hard work and what I think has been a stellar performance thus far this season. The great thing about the NCAA Tournament is the nature of upsets and the parity of teams and any team being able to beat another on any give day. For my money, it is the most exciting event going in terms of tournaments and sporting events and we really feel privileged to be a part of it and look very forward to the challenges that this week will bring.”
On Vanderbilt’s first round opponent George Washington…
“I don’t know a lot. I saw just a couple minutes of their game casually watching against Rhode Island the other night. I know Carl Hobbs is a very well respected coach and I have a very high regard for him and what he has done with that program. The experts said this was going to be a rebuilding year for them yet they are 23-8 and they have won eight in a row. There are only a handful of teams in the tournament that have won eight in a row right now so we’re obviously catching a team that is extremely hot.”
“They are extremely athletic – I could tell that from just the couple of minutes that I saw them on television. I think they like press and trap and create turnovers and use their athleticism and their speed and quickness to do that.”
“Anybody coming out of the Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament would be a very worth champion. Their team was 27-3 a year ago so they obviously know how to win.”
On receiving a No. 6 seed…
“I think it is a great reflection on our team’s performance over the course of this season and it is something that we are proud of and that we don’t take for granted. But regardless of what seed you get it doesn’t guarantee you any sort of success. I certainly think that it is recognition of our team’s performance throughout the course of this season and I think it is something that our team can be proud of. But it sort of ends there. Now we have to play a team that is obviously an outstanding team and somebody that is very capable. Seeding won’t matter once the refs throw the ball up in the air on Thursday.”
Junior guard Shan Foster
“Anytime you have the opportunity to play in the postseason it is definitely an honor. It is something that we definitely look forward to. It is a chance to start over. It is zero-zero. We just feel great about the opportunity to get out there and play with each other again.”
Senior forward Derrick Byars
“Everything up until this point has been preliminary. This is what we have worked for all season long. It was a tough outing out there in Atlanta, but that is behind us now and we still have a chance to do some special things throughout the rest of the postseason.”
On seeing Vanderbilt’s name announced Sunday…
I can’t even describe the excitement. I was just so happy for my coaching staff, my teammates, and everybody surrounding the program. It is a feeling that you can’t describe. But this is not where it ends. Our name got called and we still have some business left to finish.”
Senior guard Dan Cage
“The thing that makes this part of the season fun is that you don’t know who you are going to play. You sit there on selection Sunday and you hold hands and you kind of hope for the best.”
