NCAA First Round Press Conference Transcript

March 20, 2003

THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
MARCH 20, 2003 at Boston's FleetCenter
INDIANA UNIVERSITY COACH'S QUOTES

HEAD COACH Mike Davis
General Comments:
"We're excited about being here in the tournament. We went through a stretch with a lot of road games but I think right now we're playing really good basketball. In the Big Ten Tournament, we ran into a really good Illinois basketball team. I think our guys came ready to play."

On playing Alabama:
"I was 18 years old my freshman year at Alabama. If you would have told me that when I'm 42 years old I'd be coaching Indiana in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Alabama, I would have said, `No way.' When our name flashed on the board as the number seven seed, I was really thankful for that. I thought we might be an eight, nine, or ten seed."

"When Alabama flashed up there, I couldn't believe it. Out of 65 teams in this tournament, now 64, they gave me Alabama where I played and coached. It's not that I don't want to win, because I want to win this game in the worst way. But, you always pull for your school. I know all of the players there and the coaching staff. I know who everyone's pulling for there because nobody has been calling me up. Last year everyone was calling me up and saying, `Good luck coach.' I have not had one phone call this year."

On reminiscing to playing days:
"I have a four-year old son. I was looking through the media guide because you always look through and read about who you're going to play. They had an old picture of me playing. I asked (my son), `who's that?' and he had no idea. That's how bad I looked back in the day. Just looking at it, I got a flashback. I haven't been able to sleep for several nights. I was happy we were in but when they said Alabama, it's been tough for me to sleep. But I want to win. I want to go home this summer and I want people to say `Great job against Alabama.' I'm from a small town and I'm just surprised nobody from my town has called and said, `good luck.' I keep saying it because I'm really hurt."

SENIOR GUARD TOM COVERDALE
General Comments:
"We're happy to be here."

What the team will have to do to bring up its defensive play in the tournament
"Just play the type of defense we played in the last week. In the Big Ten tournament I thought we played the best we played defensively all year. We feel we are playing our best basketball defensively right now and we have to keep doing that in the tournament to be able to win."

The constant talk of last year's NCAA run
"I don't think we ever get tired of hearing about it."

Coach coaching against his old team
"I think he looks forward to it. It's a great opportunity, I think that it will be a lot of fun for him. Obviously it will be a lot better for him if we win, but I think he's not really looking at it as anything bad, as just another team we have to play."

FRESHMAN GUARD BRACEY WRIGHT
General Comments:
"This is a great opportunity for us. We are ready to go. It's going to be fun for our team."

On expectations:
"I hoped to have a good year. But, I didn't expect it to get off to such a quick start by the way I played and by the way the team played. It has been a blessing. Everything has been going good."

On his back:
"My back is close to normal again. I'm not in much pain right now anymore. I'm close to being my old self again.

On Alabama:
"They are very tall, athletic, and quick. I think we have the advantage because we have a good inside game, and we are able to spread the floor. If we execute on offense and play tough defense, I think we'll be ok."

Indiana University Athletics

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