January 25, 2000
On People Getting Excited About A&M Basketball:
"It is really fun. I've always had visions of what it could be like here, but to see it start to happen is really fun, especially for our kids. They walk around campus now and get associated with something positive."
On Emotional Response After Oklahoma State Game:
"I know it's been a long dry spell for something like that to happen on the basketball court. I felt like showing our fans after the game that we really appreciate them showing support for the team."
On How the Team is Coming Together:
"I've felt all along that some of the pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together, but I knew that there would be some tough times along the way. Just to know when you go to practice that you have a chance to start being a consistent winner is exciting for me."
On Iowa State's Strengths:
"You have a pro in Marcus Fizer is one major strength. Jamaal Tinsley has come in this year and done a great job and been a great compliment to Fizer. Also, they just don't beat themselves, they play so smart, they don't try to do things they're not capable of doing, and all those things together are turning into wins."
On the Atmosphere in Ames:
"It is going to be an awfully tough place to play. We're trying to let our players know how tough it's going to be. In some ways, we're feeling good about ourselves after the Oklahoma State game, and some of the kids don't know what we're about to get ourselves into. Yesterday I had to bring the team back down to earth a little bit and get them to start focusing on Iowa State."
On Being Worried About a Letdown:
"I would want to say yes, but with this group, I never know what to expect. I think they'll be ready to come out and play. Whether we can play well enough to beat Iowa State is another question, but our kids aren't easily intimidated. They believe they are petty good, and sometimes I have to bring them back down to earth."
On Where the Team Needs the Most Improvement:
"Our mechanics are still not what they need to be, and we are still making some mental mistakes. We have to eliminate some of those mental mistakes, and part of that is because we are still a very young team. By the time we get to Kansas City (Big 12 Conference Tournament), I hope that we will have been able to cut down on our mental mistakes."
On Continuing to Start Four Freshmen:
"I think that's what we're going to do for right now. We're still trying to bring Andy Slocum along, and the things that we are doing now have some long term effects. We're not just looking at game to game, but we are looking at the big picture, and we know that we need Andy to be a part of what we're trying to do here. We have put him into to the starting lineup, and hopefully that will give him some confidence, or at least let him know that we have confidence in him."
On the Missouri Game This Weekend:
"I haven't had a chance to look at Missouri much, our focus right now is on Iowa State. Having said that, I do know that Missouri has a really good team and that's going to be another tough place to play, just ask Kansas. After we get through the Iowa State game, we'll start focusing on Missouri."