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Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball Reaction to NCAA Tournament Bracket Announcement
3/15/2004
Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball Reaction to NCAA Tournament Bracket Announcement
Head coach Kevin Stallings
Opening comments:
“I am really happy for our team and happy for these four guys sitting beside me. When I saw the kids’ faces light up it was one of the greatest moments I have seen in all my years of college athletics. The reaction was unbelievable.”
“There were lots of tears of joy. It was in a pretty confined area, and it was one of the most spontaneous, instantaneous outbursts of joy that I have ever seen. I wish that I would have had someone taping it from upstairs because it would have been one of those things you never erase.”
“We are obviously happy to be in the tournament because its been a long road to get here. And as I’ve said all season long, this rewards these players’ effort. They deserve to be in the tournament. Looking at where things were a year ago and where they are right now, it speaks to their character and work ethic.”
“We are very happy with a No. 6 seed. I felt like after yesterday’s game that was the best we could do. My children are very happy we are going to Orlando and I am too because then they will be out of the hotel room and we can get some work done. We are a very excited basketball team right now. I am happy for our coaching staff and for our players.”
On any anxiety over being the last game shown:
“I think there was some trepidation, especially based on what happened a few years ago. I was watching the numbers and felt pretty good. When it got down to the final screen, there was a six and a three left and I knew we would be the six. I certainly had some flashbacks. I remember vividly that feeling that overtook me just before it came on, that ‘Uh, oh, we’re not going to get in.’ Contrasted feelings? The lowest I’ve ever been professionally, to maybe the happiest. And my happiness wasn’t for me. My happiness was for what I was able to look at and see. It was pretty neat.”
On being the No. 6 seed:
“As I told the team earlier, I have been the other team in a 6/11 game. And at game time they (the No. 6 team) thought they were going to blow the other team out. At the first media timeout we were ahead 16-4. We ended up losing but we played with them. When you are a Western Michigan or an Illinois State, you always feel like you have a chance.”
On Western Michigan:
“We don’t know a lot about them. We have some coaching buddies who are in their league and some others who are on their non-league schedule. We have a lot of respect for them. I came from a situation like that. There aren’t any bad teams in this tournament. You don’t get in unless you are a good team. I have already seen a couple of analysts say that they liked Western Michigan. They didn’t hardly have time to speak and were picking them. By the time Friday rolls around we will probably be a severe underdog.”
On the number of teams from the SEC and their seedings:
“Billy (Donovan) asked me yesterday after the game how many teams from our league would get in and I said six. As far as seeding is concerned, my only surprise was I didn’t think South Carolina would drop to a 10. The rest of them were probably right on. I thought we could be anywhere from six to 10. I was concerned about yesterday’s defeat and wondering if the committee might pay more attention to the final score, even though the game was closer than the score. I think Mississippi State would have had to go on through the tournament to get a one seed.”
On people saying Saint Joseph’s didn’t deserve a No. 1 seed:
“I know Phil Martelli and I really like Phil so I am glad he got the No. 1 seed. Going through the season undefeated is incredible and I thought Phil’s comments were exactly right when he said that the committee should examine the entire body of work and not just what happened in the last 10 games. Who is to say that a loss in the tournament is more important than somebody else who loses a game 10 games ago. I think to get a No. 1 seed, you have to do something and they did something. Kentucky obviously did something. Duke, Stanford — those people deserve their seeds and their regular seasons mandated they receive them. I just don’t like the notion that when a loss occurs affects you more than other things.”
Matt Freije, forward
“It was just kind of fitting that our game would be the last one to pop up on the screen. I think it made it even more exciting because the anticipation for it to pop up just rose and rose and rose the longer it got. It was amazing when it did.”
“I’ve waited four years for this opportunity. I’m not going in thinking we’re better or we should win. I just want to treat it as the next game of our season.”
Scott Hundley, guard
“It definitely had us hanging on to the last moment. But when it popped up, I’m running around trying to find someone to hug. I see Russell (Lakey) and he’s already started crying. Here comes Matt (Freije), the papa bear, hugging us. Everybody just got together and started jumping around.”
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