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Tampa subregional
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 18, 2003
Wake Forest
Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler on March Madness providing a welcome distraction from a possible war:
"We need Wake Forest, a No. 2 seed in the East, to show the rest of the country why Josh Howard is so extraordinary."
Coach Skip Prosser:
"The tournament's an unbelievable experience. I've been lucky. Like I tell the kids, it's like three weeks of the Super Bowl. It's great. You don't get used to it, but you can react to it better if you've done it a few times. We have a lot of guys who have not been a part of that and how they react to that will be very interesting."
Sophomore guard Taron Downey on difference from last year:
"It's going to be more relaxed this year. Last year I didn't know what to expect. You hear about the NCAA Tournament and all the hype surrounding it, but now I'll be just more laid-back, like it is another game for me."
East Tennessee State
Junior Zakee Wadood:
"It means a lot for us to make it (to the NCAA Tournament). As a kid, this is something you dream of. I'm living a dream."
Guard Tim Smith, freshman of the year in the Southern Conference and the league tournament MVP:
"Hopefully, we can be the Cinderella team this year."
Kelly Hodge, Johnson City Press:
"East Tennessee State may still be just a small dot, but at least it's back on the basketball map. The university has spent the past week reveling in its impending return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 years. Now that they're there, the Bucs will spend the next few days trying to figure out how to stick around awhile."
Junior forward Jerald Field:
"I didn't have anybody in mind, but Florida would have been a good team to play against. That would have been a great team to play against, since I'm from Gainesville. I just didn't want to play them in Tampa."