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NCAA MEN'S 1ST ROUND: DAYTON

March 14, 2011

DAYTON, OHIO

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by UAB student-athletes Jamarr Sanders and Aaron Johnson. Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Aaron, we've been hearing on the radio, on TV, seeing it online, that maybe you guys don't belong here. And what do you think of that?
AARON JOHNSON: I'd rather not comment on ignorance. That's the only thing I believe. And I'd rather not comment on that at all.

Q. How about you, Jamarr?
JAMARR SANDERS: I think it's just those guys doing their job. I mean, they get paid to comment on their opinions on basketball. So I just take it as they're doing their job. And they just -- I mean, they believe other teams should be in, that's what they believe, that's their opinion, but the committee selected us to be in. So that's all we care about.

Q. A lot has been said about the other teams, about the quick turnaround and getting here quick, and finding out. But for you guys, with the way you played nonconference a couple of times, five games in nine days, and also with not having as much practice because of the APR stuff, is that an advantage do you think for you guys to kind of be used to these quick turnaround games?
JAMARR SANDERS: I don't necessarily know if it's an advantage, but it is something that this team is used to, because that's what we'll be doing the whole season. We've been preparing to play teams on short notice, on one-day preparation.
So it's something that this team is used to. So it should work in our advantage. But I don't think it's a huge advantage or anything like that.
AARON JOHNSON: I think it gets all the excitement, having all that anxiousness to play out the window, because we found out on Sunday, now we have to play tomorrow, on Tuesday.
So I think that it gets us more focused and it gives us less practice time, but it also gives us less time to have mental letdowns and things like that.
During a long week of waiting to play a game you could have a lot of mental letdowns and a lot of distractions that go on. And I feel like we wasn't able to get all those distractions and those letdowns, and we've been playing like this, like Jamarr said, the whole year.
It's definitely something that prepares us a lot easier for these type of games.

Q. Aaron, do you feel like you have to justify your selection with the way you guys play tomorrow night? Or do you feel like your play throughout the season justified your selection?
AARON JOHNSON: No, we're just coming out to win games. That's all we're trying to do. We're not worried about what people say about us. We're not trying to justify that. We're supposed to be here because the committee selected us to be here.
So what other people got to say about us, they can just keep talking because we're going to play basketball.

Q. Given everything that everyone said yesterday, was there a feeling amongst you guys that it kind of spoiled your moment, regardless of whether people felt you should have been in or not?
JAMARR SANDERS: It didn't spoil my moment at all. I mean, when I saw our name pop up on the Selection show, I mean, I was happy that we got in, that we got a second chance to prove ourselves and just to play basketball, to do what we love to do.
So I don't think that it was any kind of surprise or anything like that.
AARON JOHNSON: It didn't spoil my moment at all. I mean, I danced the whole time I was in my room when I was watching Jay Bilas and all the rest of them talk down about us, because their facial expression, they seemed like they wanted to cry.
Like one of the coaches in the NBA said, there ain't no crying in basketball. So it definitely didn't spoil my celebration at all.

Q. Did it bother you at all that you had to come to the First Four as opposed to just making the 64-team field?
JAMARR SANDERS: I mean, it's hard to say. It didn't really bother us, I don't think. Because it really doesn't matter. We just want to play basketball at the top level, play against the top competition.
For us just to be in this event, we're happy just to get in this event. And we have to play in the play-in game, that's fine. We're just taking and roll with it.
AARON JOHNSON: For me it definitely didn't bother me. When I saw my name selected, that was the thing for me. I mean, they could have put us in the 16-seed game to play, and I still would have been happy. I'm just happy to be here. This has been four long years for me in this program, and I would say three of the years we had this same position and we didn't make it.
So in my senior year, to be able to get in the tournament, no matter if it's a play-in game or 12 seed is still a great seed, and it's still one of them seeds that a lot of people look at to upset a lot of teams. So we're definitely happy to be here.

Q. Is there a feeling in that locker room of playing with a chip on your shoulder tomorrow night?
JAMARR SANDERS: Definitely. But, to me, I think we had a chip on our shoulder the whole season because we came into the season with a position that no one picked us to even come in the top 5 of our conference, and we won our conference outright.
So I think we had the chip on our shoulder the whole season, and we're going to continue to carry that chip on our shoulder and just come out and play hard, execute our game plan that the coaches put together.
AARON JOHNSON: For me, I've had a chip on my shoulder ever since I started playing basketball at six years old, so that chip will never go away.

Q. Can you both talk about how hectic the last 24 hours have been? 24 hours ago you were sitting there, watching the show; now you're sitting here. Has it been pretty hectic to get here right now?
JAMARR SANDERS: It has been. We were watching the Selection show. We wasn't sure when our name would pop up or if it would pop up at all. And when it popped up, we were just happy to just to be able to play again, to play in the NCAA Tournament.
And we've had a good practice this morning. Guys was out there working hard, and we had to come right on a flight to come to Ohio. It's been a real quick turnaround.
AARON JOHNSON: It's been a little hectic, but not much so far. I mean, this is the first interview that I've done for this thing. So, I mean, it's been kind of regular to me, with all the things that go on with the different tournaments. So I didn't feel like the hecticness has started yet.

Q. Last year in the NIT, you played NC State and North Carolina. And obviously different teams, different years, but you get another ACC team tomorrow. Does that give you a sense you can play with anybody in that league?
JAMARR SANDERS: I mean, we already knew we could play with anybody in the country, I think, because we have talent on this team. Guys know their role. We come out and play hard. We have one of the best coaching staffs in the country, I think, with how hard they work and how they game plan and scout the other team. So I think we can compete with anyone.
AARON JOHNSON: I don't really know how to answer that question, but I feel like we don't have to be the best team in the country or we don't have to be one of the top 5 teams in the country. We just have to be better than that team on that day. We just have to play our best basketball day by day. If we go by that, then we'll be fine.

Q. What is it about Clemson that -- first of all, have you seen video of Clemson yet?
JAMARR SANDERS: No.

Q. Do you know anything about them, seen highlights or anything on TV?
JAMARR SANDERS: I've seen them play Duke at Duke. But I wasn't really paying attention to the game; I was just watching it because I'm a fan of basketball so I watch basketball.
But I know absolutely nothing about Clemson.

Q. You guys said you've waited three years to get here. Have you thought about what tomorrow will be like to finally -- whether it's the play-in game or regular 64-team game, have you thought about what playing in the tournament's going to be like?
JAMARR SANDERS: For me, I haven't really thought about it. I'm just going to take it as -- I know the intensity picks up in the postseason, but I'm just going to take it as just a regular game for me. I'm going to come in with the same mindset, with the same preparation. I know my teammates are going to come out and play the same way and just fight their hearts out.
AARON JOHNSON: I've had plenty of people in this situation that talked to me throughout these last couple of days and let me know that everything is a lot different, just based on because of the atmosphere and the way things are set up.
And they basically tell me just treat it like it's another day at the gym. You're just doing the same thing you've been doing the whole season. Don't try to change anything.
And just for me I felt that was enough encouragement, enough words for me, to come out and play to be the person I am on the court, and that's aggressive and in attack mode at all times.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you. UAB head coach Mike Davis. Coach, an opening statement.
COACH DAVIS: We're excited to be here. It's a fun time for our basketball team. We worked hard this year to get to this point. Our goal was to win the Conference USA outright, and we did that. And we feel like winning the conference was a major goal.
We feel like our conference is really, really good. We had eight teams in the top 100. Only two other conferences in the country had more. They have nine, and that's the Big East and the Big Ten.
And so our guys are excited. They're anxious about playing, and so am I.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Whoever wins your game tomorrow has a really short turnaround for the next game. How challenging is that going to be?
COACH DAVIS: Well, we're used to it. We take two days off a week. We take Sundays off, every Sunday. We never practice on Sundays, never. And we take Thursdays off. We play Wednesday and Saturdays in our league. Our Wednesday game, we have Monday and Tuesday to prepare. And on our Saturday game, we have Friday. So it's just a one-day deal and hopefully it can help us.
We had no idea we would be one day in between, but we're used to having one day for our Saturday games.

Q. I'm sure by now you've heard everything that everyone said about you guys being --
COACH DAVIS: No, I did not.

Q. Did that spoil your guys' moment at all?
COACH DAVIS: I didn't hear it. I didn't hear it. I didn't listen to it. The things that was said, that was told to me by other people.
This should be the happiest time in these student-athletes' lives. To get in the big dance is a special event for all student-athletes. That's their dream. That one shining moment is the dream.
And my players listened to it because they felt good about getting in, but it's a part of life. It's a part of life that you have to go through.
And I'm focused on the big picture and trying to get our guys to focus on the big picture. We have nothing to prove, because we're in. And so there's 68 teams. Going to be 34 that lose on the first night. Until you get to the 16, then the eight, then four. Someone is going to lose every night.
I'm just excited for our program, excited for the city of Birmingham to be able to be in the NCAA Tournament. That's why I came to UAB, to get in the tournament. It's been a long road. And we worked hard. We made a commitment to get here, and now we're here.

Q. Is there a little bit of a chip on your guys' shoulder?
COACH DAVIS: If that takes a chip for someone to say something bad about you, then you're in the wrong business. We had a chip on our shoulder back in May. Our three things we talked about was no complaining, no blaming and no excuses, because we felt like those three things could really tear up a team and the company and relationships, and we wanted to focus on the big picture again.
So if what was said -- again, I didn't hear it -- but what was said is motivating our guys, I've done a poor job as a coach because I should have motivated our guys and had a chip on their shoulder back in May and August.
And we did. We won our league outright. So our main focus now is to try to get as far as we can in this tournament.

Q. Mike, obviously there was other reasons that you had to schedule the five games in nine days earlier in the year. But did you have any idea at that time that that could help you down the road at this time as far as quick turnarounds and knowing how to play quickly?
COACH DAVIS: Well, we scheduled our games because, again, it was hard to find teams to play us. And our schedule ended up being -- we was forced to play a lot of games in a short period of time, which really helped us.
And it really kind of molded our basketball team. As you know, we're a pretty good team in the quick turnaround. We're not very good when we have a long layoff. Prove the point where we had a week and a half layoff before we played ECU, we played poorly, and a week layoff where we played Duke and played poorly.
And almost a week after we played ECU at home we came back and played them in the conference tournament. And so we're not a very good team with a long stretch, but we proved to be a pretty good team in quick turnaround.
So tomorrow night's the biggest game of our season, because if we lose we're out. And hopefully the pattern we've had before can get us to a win tomorrow night. But it's going to be a challenging game. Clemson's a very, very good basketball team.

Q. Mike, you mentioned earlier, isn't it a misconception that you prove you belong in the tournament by the way you play in the tournament since there are upsets every year? 12 beats a 5 and sometimes a 15 beats a 2. Don't you prove that you belong in the tournament by the way you played throughout the season?
COACH DAVIS: We proved, first of all, that when the NCAA come in and they asked you to schedule a certain way, you schedule that way. We easily could have taken the easier route, losing four guys. We lost four seniors last year. We lost 60 percent of our scoring, 60 percent of our rebounding.
A lot of teams will load up on home games. We won nine -- I mean ten road games this year. And our nonconference schedule to go play four-BCS schools on the road, with losing four seniors, is a challenge.
But we won ten top 100 games, ten. And we won nine road games. We went 6 and 2 on the road in our conference. Went 6 and 2 at home. We were the outright winners of Conference USA.
And me personally, no disrespect to anyone, by no means, but I never would have dreamed that the Conference USA outright winners would never be invited to the NCAA Tournament. Just me personally.
Other experts may have other opinions about that, but I think our conference is pretty good when you have eight teams, eight out of 12 teams in the top 100, and only two other conferences can say that, and they have nine.
And the facts are there. The facts are there. But we played well. We played really good basketball this year. We have really good teams in our league. Southern Mississippi is a very good basketball team. Marshall is a very, very good basketball team.
Tulsa finished second in our league. And Memphis is a young, talented basketball team who have gone on the road and beaten some teams.
So Tim Floyd is at UTEP, senior basketball team that is very, very good, and I feel that our conference is a good conference.
The only bad loss we had was a loss at Arizona State -- which I don't think was a bad loss, it's a BCS school -- on the road in November.
And we proved that we needed to be in it in this league whether we win tomorrow night or lose tomorrow night. To me is it doesn't mean anything because I'm really proud of my student-athletes, proud of my basketball team for making the commitment.

Q. Is there anything from your experience in the tournament that you can impart to your players to kind of help them, give them an idea what to expect?
COACH DAVIS: Well, talent is overrated. The team I took to the national championship game, we didn't have -- we had one NBA guy on that team. We had one guy off that team that went to NBA camp. We had Tom Coverdale, Hornsby, Fife and Odle, and all those guys who -- I think my three guards never dunked in their whole college career.
And as I tell my team now that a lot of coaches try to spin they don't have enough talent, but if your team plays together, the thing that takes to win basketball games has nothing to do with talent. Blocking out, loose balls, setting the screen, shot fake and concession shots the right way, getting, sprint back hard in transition, has nothing to do with talent.
I'm telling my guys, I've told it to them the whole year, we can win basketball games and have less talent. Our success this year has put three guys on the All-Conference team. We have two First-Team All-Conference players, one in Aaron Johnson and one in Jamarr Sanders, where I feel both guys are talented basketball players, and we have Cameron Moore who broke his hand late in the season but averaged 15 and 10 in conference play until he broke his hand.
So we have some really good basketball players who have developed. I always say this, kind of funny we are the team that nobody wanted, from the coaches to the players. We have guys on our basketball team that had scholarships taken away from them. We have guys on our basketball team who no one wanted to give a scholarship to.
But it's all about developing players and it's all about the players trusting in the coach and trusting in the system, and our guys have done that, have done that, and they love being a part of UAB basketball.

Q. This is your fifth NCAA Tournament as a coach. What experience can you provide to your players and give them an idea of what they're going to expect tomorrow night?
COACH DAVIS: I haven't really talked to them about it, to be honest with you, because I don't want to put added pressure on them. They've heard enough of that over the last couple of days. I try to get them to focus on getting better, being the best basketball player they can be.
We talked about getting better the whole season. Not winning or losing, but getting better. But this is a great, great time. My most memorable experience was being the last two teams playing. I mean, that's the goal. If you can be the last two teams playing in college basketball, everybody in the country is watching your game.
And there's no special thing that can happen to a coach and a basketball team. This year we experienced winning the -- outright Conference USA championship, and our fans was unbelievable.
It was a special night in Bartow Arena. Wanted our division for a long time, and they stayed out after the game and celebrated with us, our AD, our president. Just everybody was there hugging each other, and that was a special moment.
And I think that really affected us in conference play, because you wanted to live that moment for a long time. And we had to get back to work. And I did a poor job of getting us ready to play on Thursday because I have experienced that before of winning the conference.
But our guys haven't. And this is a new experience for our team. Aaron Johnson being four years, this is his first NCAA event that he's played in and just getting off the bus, walking in here, being in this room, talking to you guys, it's a great experience.
Our guys are excited about being here, and hopefully we can get over the jitters tonight and not bring them to the game tomorrow. But if we do, as a coach, I expect that. But I expect us to play hard and play well.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

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