March 8, 2006

NO. 7 SEED OKLAHOMA STATE

Head Coach Designate Sean Sutton
Opening statement:
"We are excited about playing tomorrow and I think our guys feel good about ourselves, especially how we have played down the stretch."

On what gave the team more confidence:
"I think the Texas game gave us a lot of confidence and reaffirmed the players that when we play at a high level we play like we are capable and that we can play with most teams in the country."

On keeping the program up to Eddie Sutton's standards:
"Just try to keep the same things that he did. Keep the same routine, whether it is watching film or practicing and trying to keep everything consistent with the way it has always been. "

Freshman Guard Byron Eaton
On Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock:
"We didn't do a good job getting after them as well as we did with the other guards. We know that they are good guards and so they don't like to shoot a lot of jumpers. So tomorrow night we will try to make them shoot a lot of jumpers. We just want to go out there and have fun."

On going through this season with being emotionally attached to Coach Eddie Sutton:
"Adversity, I think every individual on our team goes through adversity at one point and it just makes you stronger and show signs of toughness mentally, and if you can overcome that then you can overcome anything. Coach is in our prayers and he wants us to do well and we want to do well, and just going out and playing ball and not worrying about off the court things."

On playing in the American Airlines Center:
"It is definitely a more wide-open place so you have to adjust your eyes a little bit. We played in the Pepsi Center, so that helps us a little bit."

Sophomore Guard JamesOn Curry
On Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock:
"They handled the ball extremely well, set their teammates up well and penetrated to the basket."

Sophomore Guard JamesOn Curry
On reaction that Eddie Sutton might be coming back to coach next year: "I haven't heard anything about it, but who wouldn't want to be coached by a legend."

Junior Forward Mario Boggan
On playing teams the second time around:
" I feel like when we play teams the second time we have a feel for them already and we know what to expect so we just use that and go out there and play hard and attack them."