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NCAA MEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS REGIONALS: PHILADELPHIAMarch 18, 2009Anthony GrantEric MaynorLarry SandersPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA THE MODERATOR: We're joined by VCU student-athletes. We'll open it up for questions. Q. UCLA, what do you know about them, their tradition? What is the challenge there? ERIC MAYNOR: You know, when you think about UCLA and the NCAA tournament, you just know they've had their history. You know, national titles, Final Four runs. You know, we know the last three years they've been in the Final Four. So we know a little bit about them. Everybody know about UCLA when it come to NCAA basketball. Q. Eric, you're getting so much love from CBS, ESPN. There's no sneaking up this year. Are you enjoying that? Would you prefer to maybe sneak up? ERIC MAYNOR: No, it's not about sneaking up this time of the year, I don't think. Coach Grant, he does a great job of keeping us focused right there. You know, the only thing we think about is UCLA. We're not going to think about everybody predictions. He tells us we have a four-game tournament really. We're worried about UCLA and then trying to advance from there with the winner between Villanova and whoever they playing. Q. Larry, Obama did pick you to win. Does that mean anything to you? LARRY SANDERS: I saw he picked. That was pretty neat to watch. It's fun when you're in the mix. But I think our focus is, you know, on UCLA right now, those 40 minutes between those lines. You can't get wrapped up in it. But it's nice to enjoy it. Q. Eric, that belt buckle, where is it physically right now and what's going through your head when it was presented to you? ERIC MAYNOR: Actually, I don't know where it is right now. It's probably in the hotel. But, you know, it was just something that Coach Grant thought we deserved, you know. We had won our regular-season title. We put it on from there. We kept it with us towards the conference tournament. Then when we end up winning that, we brung it out again. I just think that was something good for me and my teammates, just knowing that we had accomplished the two goals that we wanted to accomplish. Q. Eric, after you hit the shot against Duke, do you remember that? ERIC MAYNOR: Yeah, we was just talking about it (smiling). Q. Who is 'we'? ERIC MAYNOR: Right here (indicating Sanders). Q. How many months after were people coming up to you and talking about it? How much did it hurt not being in last year's tournament? ERIC MAYNOR: That tournament was two years ago? So I still got people talking about that now. You know, just missing the NCAA tournament last year, that hurt a lot. I try to tell these guys, like, when you get to one, don't think all of a sudden you've arrived and you're going to be in the next one because it's hard work. I think we show that we can work hard, and that's why we back in it this year. Q. I know you have a lot to do during the year, your own games to focus on. Did you watch any of UCLA during the year? Were you following the PAC-10 at all? LARRY SANDERS: I didn't get to watch 'em. Not at all, I don't think. Maybe some highlights. But I don't think I got to watch 'em. Q. Now that you've had a couple of days to review film and get familiar with the team, what are the biggest threats and challenges they present for you tomorrow? LARRY SANDERS: One thing, they're a tough defensive team, you know. They really hang their hat on that. Also they're pretty good in transition also. So I think, you know, taking care of the ball is going to be a big focus for us coming into the game. Just, you know, doing what we do, trying to impose our will on the defensive end. I think we'll be all right. ERIC MAYNOR: I've watched UCLA on TV a lot because they be on ESPN a lot, you know. But just coming into this game, like Larry just said, you know, the way they want to play defensively, they want to dictate the game. But we just got to go out and, like he said, impose our will and play our style of basketball. Q. Growing up, when you heard 'UCLA' what did it mean to you? ERIC MAYNOR: I don't know about like growing up really. Where I'm from, with the ACC, so only thing I was thinking about was North Carolina. Didn't really think too much of UCLA. As I got older, I understood, you know, what they was all about. Just some words that you hear is 'national championship, ' so... LARRY SANDERS: I didn't really watch basketball growing up. I wouldn't know (laughter). I didn't really watch basketball, so... THE MODERATOR: Thank you, guys. We're joined by VCU head coach Anthony Grant. Coach, we'll ask you to make an opening statement and then we'll open it up. COACH GRANT: Well, it's an honor for us to be here. Obviously anytime you have a chance to participate in the NCAA tournament, it's what all of our guys dream about, it's what they came to VCU to do, to try to play for championships. We're excited about the opportunity. Obviously we've got a monumental task in front of us when you talk about a team the caliber of UCLA, the success that they've had in the past, and obviously more importantly the success that this current team has enjoyed over the course of the year. Extremely well-coached. Very talented players. So we're looking forward to the challenge with the game tomorrow. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Grant. Q. Looking at tape of UCLA, what are going to be your challenges here facing this team? COACH GRANT: Well, it starts with their senior leadership, with Collison, Shipp and Aboya, you have three guys that have played in three Final Fours, that understand what it takes to win in the post-season. Obviously very well-coached, extremely talented. When you look at them, any of Coach Howland's teams have always been known for the way they defend. I think this team is no different. The way they can force turnovers, the way they allow their defense to create offense for them will be a challenge for us. Then obviously extremely explosive, currently leading the nation in field goal percentage, among the top 10 in the country in three-point field goal percentage. When you look at those numbers, one thing that we try to hang our hat on is our ability to defend. So we're gonna be challenged in those areas. Then offensively we've got to do a good job of taking care of the basketball and make sure we get good shots as well. Several things I think when you're dealing with a team with the caliber of UCLA that you've got to worry about. Q. Can you talk a little bit about the matchup of these two point guards in this game. COACH GRANT: Well, you know, Collison obviously I think when you look at what it all comes down to the impact you have on your team and their ability to win. He's taken this team to three straight Final Fours. I think that speaks volumes for what he's all about. At the end of the day, what everybody is going to remember, is who won. So it comes down to our team versus his team. I think if you ask he or Eric Maynor, they would tell you the most important thing is putting their team in a position to win. So I think ultimately it comes back to the team concept, not an individual matchup. Q. What Eric did against Duke, that shot a couple years ago, some players that would be kind of the highlight, but there's been so much more with him. What does that say about him, that he's gone so much further than that, raised his game even to another level? COACH GRANT: I think it speaks in terms of his competitiveness, the type of basketball player he is, the type of character he has. You know, Eric is a young man that has a great mom and dad. They've instilled in him a great work ethic, tremendous character. I think if you just talk about Eric the basketball player, you're missing, you know, a large part of who he really is. I think you look at the way -- anybody that has any extended conversation with him, has gotten to know him at all, will walk away, I think he's a guy that his personality makes you want to be around him in more ways than one. And I think it's something, if you listen to our guys talk, they talk about how much fun they have playing with him, you know, how much fun it is being led by him. He's a great teammate, just a great person. So I think his personality is not one that rests on his laurels or anything that's in the past. You know, for our team, we have 11 players that will dress tomorrow. Two guys were a part of that team. So, you know, right now these guys have had a lot of accomplishments and I think they need to be recognized for the success they've had this year on their own. This team has nothing to do with what happened two years ago. We're facing a team in UCLA that presents several challenges that we've got to face. We're not going to live in the past. We're not going to worry about the future. We're going to worry about what we can control, and that's today. Today our task is trying to get prepared for UCLA. Q. You have become the trendy pick for the first-round upset. Is that something that you have addressed with your players, something you can use, or something you'd rather ignore? COACH GRANT: You know, that has no bearing on us as a team. We've been picked to finish first, last, be in it, not in it. It really has no bearing, you know. We talk about, again, controlling the things that we can control. We understand how difficult a matchup we have. We understand how talented and well-coached a team UCLA is. We're going to have to play our best to have a chance to win. At the end of the day, that's what our focus is going to be. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach. COACH GRANT: Thanks, guys. End of FastScripts |
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