Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell-Arkansas Press Conference Quotes
3/16/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 16, 2006
DALLAS, Texas -- It was a day filled with activity for the Bison men's basketball team on Thursday in preparation for Friday afternoon's NCAA Tournament game against Arkansas. The Bucknell contingent began the day with a pre-tournament press conference at the lavish American Airlines Center, followed by a light 40-minute practice that was open to the public.
Later, the Bison bused to nearby Addison, where they went through a private, more intense practice at the Greenhill School. Greenhill's head coach is former Bucknell hoops standout Jaye Andrews '85, a 1,500-point scorer and co-captain of the 1984-85 team.
After practice coach Pat Flannery was whisked to a local television studio for a live spot on ESPN News' "4 Quarters" show. Following a team dinner at a local steakhouse, the Bison were guests of honor at a Bucknell reception at the Westin City Center hotel. President Brian Mitchell offered remarks to the large gathering, while Flannery and co-captains Charles Lee and Kevin Bettencourt also addressed the crowd. The Bison pep band and cheerleaders performed as well.
Friday's game tips off at 12:30 p.m. Eastern and will air on CBS in many, but not all markets. Every NCAA Tournament game can be seen for free on NCAA March Madness on Demand. Click HERE to register.
Below are some quotes from Thursday's Bucknell and Arkansas press conferences.
- Bucknell Press Conference Quotes -
Head Coach Pat Flannery on his thoughts coming into the NCAA Tournament in Dallas...
The great thing for our kids was to win our league championship and to get this opportunity again. I think that is what our kids try to express. This is an opportunity. We are very happy to be here but we are also here for a reason. It is obvious that we must have played some good ball to get here. We have a group of kids who are confident. We are certainly playing a great team.
 Bucknell center Chris NcNaughton shoots a basket during first round practice of the NCAA tournament in Dallas, Thursday, March 16 2006. Bucknell will play Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Dallas on Friday.(AP Photo/ Donna McWilliam)  |
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Flannery on how the success of his program has come about...
The biggest thing for me has been enjoying my kids and enjoying the game. More than anything, it has been trusting and having confidence in our kids. It has been a lot of fun this year. Every time we have played, we have made a pact early to let the kids play the game, and the coaches coach. That is really what we did all year long. We have changed up some routines to enjoy it a little bit more. We worked with a sports psychologist to try to get to the point that the game doesn't drive you nuts. I really have enjoyed the year; not just the wins and losses, but the competition and the practices and all of those kinds of things. It is a learning process that we all go through.
Flannery on the challenge of playing in an 8-seed vs. 9-seed game...
It is a different role in the sense that we have been here and we have played, but the challenge is still the same. To figure out a way to compete with their athletes and with their ability and play, it is the same. The overall concept of being here is familiar. We have enough kids who have been here before; at least we have a year of experience to know what it is all about. We were all out there gawking at the arena; it is so beautiful. So all of those kinds of things are familiar but it so fresh and fun and we need to stay that way. We really appreciated the respect of the seeding. There was some good scheduling and things with respect to our league.
Flannery on the keys to beating Arkansas...
I think we have to take care of the ball in order to get some shots against them. They are obviously great athletes, great players. They get the ball up and down very quickly. We are going to have to find a way to work with that so we can get back and give ourselves a chance to defend. The last thing is that intangible of reacting to the basketball. We are going to have to be the first ones on the floor trying to negate some of their quickness, and be able to play good position with all five of our guys. If we let down in an area and we turn it into them being able to play us one-on-one, then we will have a whole lot of problems.
Senior Guard/Forward Charles Lee on being back in the NCAA Tournament again this year...
We are very excited to be here. It is a great opportunity to come out here and showcase our talent. It feels so good to be back here for a second year. It really helps our confidence to back in this tournament.
Senior Guard Kevin Bettencourt on returning to the NCAA Tournament for a second year...
We were here last year but this is like a brand new experience. We are just as excited as we were last year, and we are not taking it for granted, obviously. We have put in a lot of hard work and faced a lot of challenges. We are definitely happy to be back.
Junior Center Chris McNaughton on Bucknell's NCAA Tournament bid...
Coming back to the tournament in a 9-seed feels very good. It shows the respect that we have gotten over the last year. Our goal was to come back here this year and we reached that goal.
Bettencourt on his reaction when he saw the learned of the Bucknell/Arkansas match-up...
My first reaction was just that I was so excited to be [seeded] that high. We were not expecting to be so high. Then I remembered that my brother played Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament back in 1993. I know all of the history of the Arkansas program, so I was really excited about that match-up.
Lee on playing Arkansas in the first round...
I was extremely surprised. I try to stay away from the whole "bracketology" thing, but there are a couple of guys on our team that we call the "dot-com" boys. They always keep us updated on who we might be playing and everything. Arkansas never really came out as a possibility, so I was really surprised. This is a great opportunity to play a really good team so we are all looking forward to it.
- Arkansas Press Conference Quotes -
Head Coach Stan Heath on getting back to the NCAA tournament...
It's a great feeling to be back in the NCAA tournament. That's what we play for. That's what we work for. To have this experience is something I really appreciate. For us, it's been a process. We're trying to re-create and restore the tradition of Arkansas basketball. I know the eighties and the nineties were phenomenal years for Arkansas Razorback basketball, and that's what we want to get back to. We definitely don't just want to be here for one particular game.
Heath on underestimating Bucknell...
Since Sunday, if my players have left any of the practices or any of the meetings, and the communication hasn't been about we've got to play and how we can't take anybody for granted and how we can't look down on a team that doesn't have a major name, then I don't know what those guys have been doing or listening to, because it's been pounded into their heads that this is a good team.
Heath on the matchup in the paint...
He [Bucknell junior center Chris McNaughton] is a handful. Chris has played very well in most of their big games. I feel in some ways that I've got one of the best defensive centers in the country on my team in Steven Hill. I'm hopeful that maybe he doesn't get in any kind of foul trouble. I know Chris is going to be a handful to stop, but he's going to face a kid that relishes defense, relishes shot blocking, relishes shutting somebody down. And if he does well, it's going to be because he earned it.
Junior Guard Ronnie Brewer on being underestimated...
I think it gives our team extra motivation, because the first thing they said when they put pairs together is they picked Bucknell, without even giving us a chance. So we're going into the game with nothing to lose.
Brewer on the early game time...
That's how you like it. Most basketball players don't like sitting around, waiting all day, because you kind of get anxious about things. You start thinking about the game too much. You just want to get out there and play. It allows you to get right to it.
Senior Guard Jonathon Modica on facing Bucknell...
I think that the reason people may think that Bucknell's going to win this game is for one they are a solid, pretty good team. But at the same time, the University of Arkansas, we really just haven't been on the national scene in a long time, and also, this is our first time in the tournament in a long time. We haven't played on national television a lot, so people haven't really gotten a chance to see us. We respect the team, but I think me and my teammates are very motivated to play against them. We're also not going to take them lightly. We plan on getting a win. We're not satisfied just by getting here.
Modica on winning...
We've made some people's whole year. It just feels great, because for the first time at the University of Arkansas, I'm giving back and I'm making people happy. Making it to the tournament was great, but I think if we could win, that would make people feel even more awesome. And I also think if we can just get past this first game, there's no telling what we can do because we're a team that's capable of doing a whole lot. Usually when we get over humps, we're over it. We keep on trucking. Hopefully that's what happens.
