How much will you work this week?
To be honest with you, not very much. We’ll lift and shoot. The guys have some nicks and bruises, so we’re going to try to get them healthy. That’s the beauty of winning on Monday and not having to play for almost two weeks…Rossiter tweaked his ankle two days before the Manhattan game and we didn’t say anything about it…O.D. wasn’t himself the final two games. He desperately wanted to play and I played him, but he just was not himself. He will be by tournament time.
What’s the highest seed you could make a case for Siena ending up in the brackets?
I have no idea. I never look at that…I just know we have a good team. I’ve been impresses with the committee’s sense of fairness over the years. I just know there was a time when we got in and just watched and praying we’re not the play-in game. Nobody wants to be in the play in game. It’s unfortunate. They shouldn’t have it. I’ve said a million times that if they have it they should put the two 8th place teams from whatever conference in it. Not teams that win their way in it. That’s my opinion. So I just know we’re not going to be in the play-in game.
Comments on Edwin Ubiles’ (360) dunk against Fairfield?
Timmy Welsh has no idea what he’s talking about, and I love Timmy Welsh. He kept saying how he was upset about it. I wanted him to do it. And by the way it didn’t matter what I wanted, he was doing it anyway….It’s was either going to be a windmill, a 360, or a reverse. One of those three….Either way it was going to be a high percentage shot…It was good for him, it was good for our press, it was good for the crowd. He’s always been able to do stuff like that to get everybody fired up. I think more than anything it really gets him energized. He was phenomenal.
How much fun is this week for you guys with no real game to prepare for?
It’s a lot to be able to relax, re-energize, and really enjoy winning the championship…Practice will be light…The buzz on campus is at its best after winning a championship, so we’re really enjoying it. Especially the younger guys, like the freshmen and the sophomores who’ve done this a second time, they’re enjoying this too. We’re all excited for Sunday to see who we’re playing.
Any particular city you hope to be playing in for the tournament?
Definitely don’t want to go too far…Somewhere closer where the fans can get to and come out and support us because those fans definitely play a major part in our success. Especially at home when they get behind us and rally behind us.
Is it worth the risk to do a difficult dunk like Ubiles did?
I think it’s definitely worth the risk. You don’t want to miss it. I think when you’re going up there you have the confidence that you’re going to put it down. It really does a lot for the crowd and it really gets us as a team energized too. (Would he do a 360?) Nah, I’d probably just dunk it really hard.
You had some solid free throw numbers in the tournament. Was that something you concentrated on leading up to the tournament?
Yeah, the last couple of games I was struggling from the free throw line. I wanted to get in the gym, get some more shots up because I know the way I play I’m going to get fouled a lot…They (the coaches) say something to you, but it’s more of yourself involved just trying to get out there and trying to get the free throws in because I know I’m going to get to the line most of the time.
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