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NCAA MEN'S 1ST ROUND: DAYTON


March 12, 2012


Kevin Burwell

Cor-J Cox

Paul Crosby

Amos Studivant

Sean Woods


DAYTON, OHIO

THE MODERATOR:  I'd like to introduce our student‑athletes, Paul Crosby, Kevin Burwell, Amos Studivant, and Cor‑J Cox.
Questions for the student‑athletes.

Q.  Could you just talk about the trip up here to Dayton, what the experience has been like so far, do any of you have any connections to Dayton, Ohio, anything like that?
PAUL CROSBY:  It's been exciting.  It's been fun.  The last 24hours has been crazy.  Been traveling a lot.
But we can't wait.  We can't wait for to play Western Kentucky.  That's been our goal to get to this point.  And it's been fun so far.
KEVIN BURWELL:  I agree with him, too.  It's just been a blessing to have this trip.  A lot of teams don't get to come here.
So we're really looking forward tohaving a great game against them.  And just here to have fun.  It's our last go‑around.  So we're just here to enjoy the ride.

Q.  Can you guys just talk about the atmosphere of the First Four and how like you guys are on the big stage now, and how does that play into how your mindset for tomorrow?
KEVIN BURWELL:  Well, I think we've been traveling a lot in our nonconference schedule.  So to us, the seniors, it's really not too much.  We still are trying to remain humble.  We're taking this game just like another one.  We're going to come out there and try and handle business.

Q.  Can you guys take turns talking about that brutal early season schedule?  How tough was it to go through that without getting discouraged?  I know you guys do it every year, but you guys are playing the best teams in the country and taking your lumps.  How tough is it to go through something like that?
AMOS STUDIVANT:  Well, it's pretty tough going into those environments, pretty much hostile environments where you're up against the big dogs, so‑called, you're the underdogs.
But we always know the goal.  The goal is to go in, get better, get the experience and come out and be ready for our conference.
And it paid off.  We kept our heads up and we stayed strong through the whole journey.
COR‑J COX:  Like he said, just going into hostile environments and just playing your hardest, getting better, getting ready for the conference.  That's something that's an honor.  We stay humble and get out of there unscathed.

Q.  What are your thoughts about playing in front of President Obama and British Prime Minister Cameron tomorrow?
KEVIN BURWELL:  A lot of our guys are excited, a lot of our coaches are excited for it, too, so it's going to be an honor.  It's the President.  Everybody wants to see the President.  It's going to be an honor.  We're going to go have fun, enjoying the game with him.
COR‑J COX:  Make sure he have fun watching.
KEVIN BURWELL:  That, too.

Q.  Does Coach ever talk to you about his last time at the NCAA Tournament?
KEVIN BURWELL:  He just‑‑ he says‑‑ like he talked about the experience and all that.  But he told us we just handle our business, we're going to experience the same thing he experienced.  I mean, he never really talked about it.
He's always about us and handling business on the court.  He doesn't talk about his past like that, unless he's joking or something.
PAUL CROSBY:  Take it one game at a time.  That's what he talks about.

Q.  Have you seen video of his shot?
PAUL CROSBY:  Oh, yeah, yeah.
KEVIN BURWELL:  Several times.
PAUL CROSBY:  All the time.
THE MODERATOR:  Thank you.
I'd like to welcome head coach of Mississippi Valley State, Sean Woods.

Q.  Can you give us a quick scouting report about Western Kentucky?
COACH WOODS:  I'll tell you what, they're a hard‑nosed team and they're playing a little high right now with a lot of confidence.  We've got to match their intensity, especially inside on the boards and keep them from getting drives to the rim and also keep us from getting in foul trouble.
So we've got to contain the basketball under control, match their intensity as far as attacking the glass, and then we've got to impose our will on them from our defensive pressure also.
So we've got some similarities, but we just gotta contain those few little things that they present.

Q.  Can you talk a little bit about the early season schedule you guys go through?  I know the players understand it's for a greater good toward the end.  Is it tough to keep them up after the losses keep mounting?
COACH WOODS:  I'll tell you what, use it for recruiting, but losing is losing, I don't care if you play North Carolina or if you're playing Saint Mary's of the poor.  You can get used to losing.  Losing can become a habit.
I was blessed this year and I wanted to do some things different, because I knew we had to play the same tough schedule.  I didn't beat my guys up this year as far as with losses because I'm real big on going back and watching tape and seeing something that could have‑‑ that could be a game‑changer, and I'd go back in and be like why didn't you do this or that.
What we wanted to do this year was really stay positive.  Keep our eye on the prize as far as winning our league, winning our conference, and having an opportunity to be here.
So what we did was we wanted to take something from each team that we played that makes them successful, whether how they walk, how they talk, how they practice, how they prepare, nuances, and put it into our arsenal, because we knew that we should be or could have been one of the most talented teams in our league.

Q.  I know you don't want to look ahead, but the possibility exists where you could play against your former team if you guys are to get past this game.  Is that something you've thought about?
COACH WOODS:  You think about it.  But right now I'm worried about Western Kentucky.  That's been our motto all year, and that's why we've been able to win 17 straight.
Our league is just staying focused on the task at hand and the game in front of us, and right now it's Western Kentucky.

Q.  What have you told your players just about your own NCAA Tournament experience and what they should expect in an atmosphere like this?
COACH WOODS:  Well, I told them to embrace everything.  But the main thing is when we get out in between those lines.  All this is preliminary stuff right now.  Enjoy it.  Because we come from a small school and we don't get a lot of coverage, so enjoy this situation, but remember the task at hand, and that's to beat Western Kentucky.

Q.  Also playing in front of two major dignitaries, the President of the United States and the British Prime Minister, what are the thoughts about that and the fact that you were picked for this game?
COACH WOODS:  Now, that's an experience, okay, now we can embrace that.  How many times do you get the President to come watch you play?  So that's a good thing.
But even then Western Kentucky is still trying to beat your butt.  So let the President enjoy how hard you play and how good you play together so he can have something good to say about you.
THE MODERATOR:  Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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