Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Tampa subregional
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 18, 2003
Florida
Dylan Tomlinson, the Gainesville Sun:
"The SEC tournament could not have gone much worse for the Florida basketball team, but Selection Sunday couldn't have gone much better. ... For the Gators to lose in the first round, it would take one of the biggest first-round upsets in NCAA history. Sam Houston State won the regular season and tournament titles in the Southland Conference, but hasn't beaten a major-conference team this season. The only big schools the Bearkats have played this season are Arkansas and Texas Christian, and they lost both by double digits."
Coach Billy Donovan:
"I don't think our guys take anyone lightly. I think that we've lined up and played hard every single game. The only game we were really dominated in this year from start to finish was the game up in Lexington. Outside that, every game we've played in this year we've had an opportunity to win, and that's what you want to do. I think our guys have done a great job this year coming down the stretch of games, making some plays, making free throws, finding a way to win some games."
Freshman guard Anthony Roberson:
"I'm excited to be in my first NCAA Tournament. I'll love to go be in Tampa with a lot of home fans. I'll just love to play whenever they schedule the game. I don't care what time it is. Just whenever they say play, I want to play."
Sam Houston State
Junior guard Jason Stephenson:
"There is a lot of stuff going on right now, and I think part of it is we just haven't realized what we just accomplished and it hasn't sunk in yet. I think the closer it gets the more we realize that we are here. We have also had two days off, and we are usually a little rusty any time we have two days off."
Coach Bob Marlin:
"We had our normal routine today, working on us. We talked about some keys to winning and worked on some drills that will help us."