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MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 5, 2015Devonte BrownGreg LansingKhristian SmithST. LOUIS, MISSOURI MODERATOR: 3:00 session features the Sycamores from Indiana State. They're the 3 seed. Will play Loyola, the 6 seed, in the 8:30 game Friday night. Khristian Smith, Devonte Brown represent the student‑athletes. Coach Greg Lansing will start off with a statement about his team. COACH LANSING: Just excited to get going. Got a really good group of guys that were limping out of the gates a little bit to start the year. Coming back after Christmas, starting with these two guys right here, we just started being a little bit better in practice every day. Made it more of a focus to compete harder, got off to a good start in the league. Didn't get to contend for a championship, but when you have two nationally ranked teams fighting each other out, we figured hang in there and compete as long and hard as we could and get better on a daily basis so coming in here we'd have a chance. We're very excited about the opportunity. We know we're facing a very good team and well coached team in Loyola, but we're anxious to get going. Q. Greg, the nature of this game is a bit different than your other two with Milton, Doyle playing. What does that affect in terms of your preparation, and what influence does it have on the game? COACH LANSING: A lot. It does, there's no question. These two will probably be guarding him a majority of the time. A premier player in the league, a very talented player, and it's a whole different deal guarding him. He'll get a lot of our attention. As well, Turk and Earl, who have hurt us in the past in the games we played them. We know they've got‑‑ they like to get the ball inside, good around the basket. But putting one of the better players in the league back on that team, we'll be ready for it. Q. There was an element during the season of will he or won't he, when it came to Milton. How much scouting have you already done on him? Going back to what he did last year. Did you kind of have to prepare for him anyway in the couple games you played him this season? COACH LANSING: I think the first one we did a little bit. We weren't quite sure until we saw him in warmup sitting out there. We knew pretty well he wasn't going to play in the second one. I had talked to Porter off and on throughout the year, and I knew he had something, even coming into the year, with his shoulder. We prepped for him once. These guys know him very well. We watched‑‑ I know I did and the staff did‑‑ Terry went to scout last year's game with them and in the tournament. So even though he's been out all year, we're very familiar with him. Q. For both Devonte and Khristian, you guys have experienced winning here. How much do you think that helps you here? DEVONTE BROWN: It helps a lot. But none of us have won it. So we're kind of following Kitchell's lead this year. KHRISTIAN SMITH: I think last year was huge for us, just knowing how tough it is to get to Sunday and hopefully win it. No matter what team it is. We know we had a team in southern that really pushed us to the last minute of the game. It doesn't matter what seed you come in with. Everybody is 0‑0. Everybody wants that trophy on Sunday to play on CBS. That experience we had was unbelievable. So we try to convey that to the younger guys that we have that haven't been here yet. It doesn't matter. Everything is a clean slate now. We just try to take it a game at a time. Q. Greg, what special challenges does Loyola present? They're kind of different from the teams in the league with their size and quickness and things? What do you see in them. A team that makes them difficult. COACH LANSING: Even though they're undersized, we do like to throw it in there. Thomas on the basket, we like to give him a lot of attention. He's playing well. I think it was the player of the week last week. Comprised together, all of them, they're a challenge. There's no question. We think Turk's one of the better shooters in the league. Thomas‑‑ Earl had 19 or something on us in the second game, just got to the basket on their ball screen continuity offense. He's changing things up with his defenses a little bit. Porter's done a great job. We have to be ready for everything, there's no question. This is a team that they got their best player back. They're excited about being here and being a 6 seed. They think they can contend with anybody, and they can, when they're playing well. Q. This is for the players. Third time you've seen Loyola or going to play Loyola. Talk about, if you will, your mental preparation, not only for Loyola the third time, but how different it is just because it's Arch Madness. KHRISTIAN SMITH: I would say it's hard to beat a team three times in a year, but I mean, the preparation is going to be the same. I think the excitement level will be a little bit different just because it's tournament time. You walk in this building, and there's a certain feeling you get that you don't get anywhere else. You know you win or you go home. That's the message we're still conveying to people. You know what I mean, we're going to prepare like we prepare for every other game. It doesn't make a difference. We want to win this one like we want to win last Saturday's game too. So it's just tomorrow or nothing. DEVONTE BROWN: I think we're both familiar with each other, so it's going to be more of a defensive type of game. It's going to make it a lot better, but we're going to be ready after the scout meets with us tonight and get ready for them. It's no different‑‑ it's conference, but it's no different than any other game. THE MODERATOR: Anything else for the Sycamores? Thank you. See you tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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