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NCAA MEN'S 1ST ROUND: DAYTON

March 15, 2011

DAYTON, OHIO

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Alabama State University student-athletes Jeff Middlebrooks, Tramayne Moorer and Tramaine Butler. Questions.

Q. When you guys were early February looking at the record you had and where you were, could you talk about the process that you guys have gone through from that point to get to where you are now, what happened?
TRAMAINE BUTLER: We were in the gym and worked hard. Tramayne Moorer came back and he helped us a lot on scoring the insides and it opened up a lot for the guards to score.

Q. Jeff, was there a game or a certain point where you guys realized, hey, we can be a good team now and we can still make this a successful season?
JEFF MIDDLEBROOKS: Yeah, it was the second part of our conference play, when we first started off on the second nine of the round, because we played 18 games in the conference, and the second nine we really just came together as a team, started playing individually and as a team and really see that we can really make a run at this thing.

Q. Do you remember a point, maybe a game where you came away from that with some confidence that you guys maybe didn't have as a team before?
JEFF MIDDLEBROOKS: It would have to be the Arkansas Pine Bluff game, because that's when we really came together. We made a deep run in the second half and really came together. Ever since then we went on a little running streak.

Q. Tramayne, when you were able to get back on the court and play, can you just talk about what your mindset was at that point when you're coming back and these guys are really struggling?
TRAMAYNE MOORER: My mindset was to contribute to the team. We know we were lacking scoring inside, we didn't have an inside presence. The time that I was out, we had -- we were like one of the worst teams in the nation, field goal-wise, free throw-wise, and it started like that second nine of our SWAC conference game when we went on the run. We started executing our offense.
Guys started listening to coaches, carrying out their assignment. Guys playing their roles. Just made us a championship team. And from there we are in this predicament we are right now, SWAC champions, and trying to make a run at the NCAA Tournament.

Q. Could you just talk about that last regular season game against Texas Southern, and just like during that run that you put on, like what kind of confidence that gave you and going into the tourney, knowing that you could beat them?
TRAMAINE BUTLER: Since we first played Texas Southern we felt like we could have beat them the first time we played them. It's just that game I think they had a lot of good shots normally they wouldn't do. They had a good game against us. We beat them in conference play. But in the tournament, we already had it in our mindset to beat them.
We knew how they was going to play. We just wanted it more.
JEFF MIDDLEBROOKS: Like Tramaine said, we had a nice little coaching strategy also. They drew up a plan for us going into the second time that we played them, and we ran that to a T and we really used the coaching strategy that we had to get over that hump.
TRAMAYNE MOORER: Texas Southern, that's when we really found ourselves. Like I said, like early -- the first nine I didn't play against Texas Southern. Back watching the film, I noticed that I could have made a big difference in those games, but I wasn't there.
So the second nine I was a part of that Texas Southern. And we beat them by a large amount and got into the SWAC tournament.
I felt real positive about some things. I felt we can beat those guys. They put their shoes on just like us. Their coach was very arrogant, talking about what he was going to do. They bought new uniforms, bought a new suit for the NCAA Tournament. I'm going to tell how it is right now. He said it in the newspaper in Dallas that that's what they was doing, they're running through the SWAC. And I told the press conference at the SWAC tournament, it's done; Alabama State's SWAC champs.

Q. Tramayne, people who haven't seen you play might look at your record and maybe not think so highly of you. Is this a case where the record really doesn't indicate what kind of a team you guys are right now?
TRAMAYNE MOORER: No, the record doesn't mean anything right now. In postseason we played those big conference games to see how we were going to match up to get better for the regular season. But when the SWAC came along, you know, we as a team -- a lot of people doubted us. They didn't think we were going to make it this far.
But we've been getting the six-year eligibility back, I felt like it was a dream come true, like it just felt right at the moment for these guys and I was there for these guys to help them win that championship. So I couldn't do it by myself, I did it with them, part of them. So just glad to be part of those guys and showing how much we really care.
And the younger guys, I know they're enjoying it. First SWAC championship, some of them the first championship they had in their life.

Q. Your school basically ran the conference about ten years ago and it's really strong. How do you guys feel like you fit into the history and the ongoing -- just the history of Alabama State basketball?
TRAMAINE BUTLER: Can you repeat that?

Q. The Hornets were very strong and sort of revolutionized defense in the SWAC about ten years ago. So there's a real rich history of Alabama State basketball. How do you feel like you fit into that history, your team?
TRAMAINE BUTLER: Well, we always played hard. It's just that I felt like we could have won it last year, but it was more individual than a team effort. But this year we felt like we could do more. Scoop came back and played and I was hurting in the beginning of the season and we had a lot of injuries, so at first we didn't have a complete team. So a lot of new guys it was their first time playing college ball. So they really didn't know what they was going up against. So I felt like we're ready now.
JEFF MIDDLEBROOKS: And with history, with history Alabama State we have never won an NCAA Tournament game. So we're definitely trying to right that. We're trying to get us our first victory as Alabama State Hornets there in the NCAA Tournament. I feel like we're trying to make history now.
TRAMAYNE MOORER: I can relate to some of the things he said. We're trying to make history. There's really nothing else to do but just play ball and try to make history for the school, Alabama State University, the family, and I say that if this does happen, we would say that we were part of there a team that made history.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you. We're joined by Alabama State head coach Lewis Jackson. Coach, an opening statement.
COACH JACKSON: Hello to all. Just excited about being here, back in Dayton again. We were here a couple of years ago to play Morehead State.
And, again, Alabama State, we're happy to be here. It's a great place to be in the NCAA Tournament. A lot of teams will go home now, but we're here and excited to be here and ready to come out and play.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You guys pulled off one of the remarkable turnarounds at mid-season. Can you talk about the first part of the season a little bit, how tough that was on you and your players to go through what you guys went through? And was there ever a point where you wondered if you could pull it all together?
COACH JACKSON: Well, it was tough early on, you know, when you lose your top two scorers. Last year we lost our top two scorers. We lost Menji Mundadi, who was a First-Team All-Conference player, and we lost Tramayne Moorer, who was a First Conference All Player as well, and both those guys led in scoring. They were our two leading scorers.
However, Moorer was in the wings. We were working on six years for him. But when you have things like that, everyone wants to come back and think they can be the leading scorer, they want to be the man and things like that.
We looked at the tapes. Our offense was bad. And we've always competed defensively, but our offense was bad. We were losing games either to the free-throw line or bad decisions down the stretch.
It was painful, but we knew we had a good core of guys because they worked so hard in practice, but we weren't carrying out the things we were doing in practice on the court.
After going 3 and 6 in our first nine conference games, we played 18, we went back and reaccessed the tapes and the videos and we found out it was just our offense.
So we started to correct things there. We got Moorer back into the swing of things and things started to pick up. We were averaging about 50 points a game during that first nine, but now it's up, double digits from there.
So offense was bad, but right now it's just to come in, we got our next eight out of that nine, we lost the last one on the road to Grambling by one, which I thought turned out to be a very good loss, if you're going to find some good in a loss, because we ended up playing them in the championship game in the tournament and our guys wanted to show that we could beat them.

Q. When Tramayne came back was it just a case of adding a player or did you change the offense somewhat?
COACH JACKSON: Just the case of adding a player. He brings a lot to the team, his demeanor. The guys feel comfortable when he's there because he's a guy that can give us boards on the defensive end. He can score around the basket. He can shoot the 3.
And he's not even starting. I never start him because we brought him in -- we bring him in as a reserve because he gives us that power off the bench.
And he just does so many things for you. Talks well on defense. He heads well and things like that. So it's just that addition of getting he back in the swing of things that was good for the program.

Q. Was there a point when you guys were making the turnaround, a game or a moment where you looked at it and thought this is starting to come together now, we could be a good team?
COACH JACKSON: Well, absolutely. After we had gotten about three or four consecutive game wins there, as a coaching staff we sat down and said the guys are starting to play like we thought they would early on.
And they continued to do that and move the ball offensively. We were kind of standing around, but after they started to move the ball around, things like that, we said we can get this done.
That was after two other guys. We lost our starting point guard and a couple other guys. And then all the things started to come together as a team, and we said we could do this again. After we had assessed all our losses and the teams we had lost to, we felt like we were one of the top teams in the league.

Q. It just seems like one of the big points of the season was you guys and Texas Southern. During that run, you came back and you beat them during the regular season and then you backed that up in the tourney. Jeff was talking about like a coaching strategy that you used. What did you use to beat Texas Southern, and really both times, and get that confidence to make it here to the NCAA Tournament again?
COACH JACKSON: Well, as we went out to Texas to play, Tramayne Moorer did not go with us. He had the flu. So he missed that Texas trip.
We played TSU on ESPN. And as we assessed that tape, they beat us by 15 to 17 at their place, and we assessed that tape, we just saw that we were making too many mistakes on offense. And defensively we were out of position because we were trying to play them zone. We are primarily a man team. We tried to match up with them in zone because they were so big.
When we got back to Montgomery and played them at home, we said we're going to do what we do, and that's play man. We were going to pick them up full court because they have six, seven point guards, and we were going to get our little guards in there and pick them up full court and just try to work them. They were averaging 37, 38 minutes a game, their big three. And just move the ball around in the zone. Primarily they play a big 2-3 zone and find open spots in their zone and hit those spots, and we were able to do that and build a big lead.
And so that, in turn, gave our guys additional confidence saying we can get this done. And I thought -- and our other approaches into the games ahead, they then went in with a high level of confidence saying we're going to win the rest of these games.

Q. The UTSA guys were talking about how it shows a lot of character for a team to pick itself up off the mat like you guys have. Can you just speak a little bit to that part of your guys, their ability to pull themselves through something like that and to stay together?
COACH JACKSON: Well, yes, it does show character when you have players that continue to say we can get this done, we can get this done.
And I think in addition to that, you know, we play a brutal preseason schedule. And guys, some of those games we went in, we played well for 10 or 15 minutes and guys -- we always knew that we can get this done, and we continued to point out to the guys, free throws, bad offense, and they continued to keep their heads up and come to practice, work hard every day.
Once they got two or three wins under their belt they even worked harder in practice, and they got so competitive, we knew as a coaching staff that these guys, they're about to come together. And they kept working and kept working and kept working, and the wins kept starting to pile up.
And here we are.

Q. You guys were here a couple of years ago. Could you just define the differences and the similarities between the experiences that you had, like when it was the opening-round game and now with the First Four, and just like how -- like how different or similar these two experiences have been for you guys?
COACH JACKSON: They're very similar. The location is the same. One of the changes that has occurred is that last time we was here we played on Tuesday night. So when we got back from the tournament that was in Shreveport, Louisiana -- I'm sorry, was in Birmingham, we got back on Sunday and had to leave out Monday morning at 5:30. This time we come from Texas, and we had to leave out -- we left out on yesterday afternoon. So we had extra time then we don't play until Wednesday.
So tomorrow that gave us an opportunity to prepare more. But the experience is great. We had like three guys that was on that team from '09 and they're kind of sharing their experiences with the guys.
And, again, they're excited about being here and they're ready to get out and try and play up to the potential they played in the last few ball games.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

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