http://www.rolltide.com/Mens%20Basketball/10110.asp
TUSCALOOSA For the 17th time in school history and the third year in a
row, the University of Alabama mens basketball team will participate in
the NCAA Championships.
The Crimson Tide, 17-12 overall and an eight seed in the NCAA
tournament, will play Southern Illinois, 25-4 and a nine seed, on
Thursday, March 18th in Seattle, Washington, at KeyArena. Game times
have not yet been released. The winner will play the winner between No.
1 seed Stanford and 16 seed Texas-San Antonio in the second round to
determine which team advances to the regional in Phoenix, Arizona.
Im really proud for our players and I think were a team that
certainly played our way into the tournament. I think everybody has, but
our last month of the season Im really proud of what they were able to
accomplish and what they were able to do, said Alabama head coach Mark
Gottfried. Like all the teams in the tournament, you just want an
opportunity to play. Thats kind of where we are, dont really care too
much where it is and who it is, but we just want to play and Im sure
SIU feels the same way as the other 63 teams feel. You just want to get
in there and have a chance, and thats what we have.
The Tide has played Southern Illinois once previously, in November of
1996 at the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska. Alabama won
that second round game 79-58 en route to the Classicss tournament
championship.
Alabama advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2002 and 2003, making this
the first time since 1991 that Alabama has advanced three consecutive
seasons. Alabama made the tournament in 1989, 1990 and 1991, the last
time it went to three in a row. Alabamas selection to the 2004 field
marks the 17th postseason trip for the Tide since its 1975 team was
selected to the West Regional. Alabamas best finish in the tournament
to date has been the Sweet 16 which it has advanced to seven times, in
1976, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990 and 1991.
Gottfried was the starting guard on Alabamas 1985, 1986 and 1987 Sweet
16 teams. In his sixth seasons as Alabamas head coach, he has now
advanced Alabama to postseason play five times, to the NIT tournament in
1999 and 2001 and to the NCAA tournament in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Ticket information will be released on Monday for Alabama fans planning
to follow the Tide to Seattle.
University of Alabama Head Coach Mark Gottfried:
On making the tournament field:
Im really proud for our players and I think were a team that
certainly played our way into the tournament. I think everybody has, but
our last month of the season Im really proud of what they were able to
accomplish and what they were able to do. Like all the teams in the
tournament, you just want an opportunity to play. Thats kind of where
we are, dont really care too much where it is and who it is, but we
just want to play and Im sure SIU feels the same way as the other 63
teams feel. You just want to get in there and have a chance, and thats
what we have.
On whether he was nervous as Alabamas name was not called until last
regional bracket on CBS Selection Show:
A little bit only because of 2001, sitting in there and not going, that
was such a hard thing. But I felt pretty confident that we were in. I
watched and studied this thing the last 24 hours a little bit closer
than I had and I felt like the teams where we may be seeded with, I saw
who was already in and who was left and I felt pretty confident that we
would be in that seven, ten or eight, nine game. I thought thats
probably where we were going to be. I wasnt as nervous about not
getting in maybe this year as I was a few years back.
On any problems playing across the country may create:
I dont think it creates too many. Teams are flying all over the
country whether its a two hour flight or a four hour flight, big deal.
Well travel on Tuesday. We have a practice time on Wednesday that you
cant miss, so you dont want to travel that day in case you have any
problems and miss your times or whatever and miss your times. Those
Thursday games, I think most everybody is getting on a plane or bus and
traveling on Tuesday, and well do the same thing and get out there and
play.
On playing preparation for Southern Illinois:
Weve got a video library up here. We tape games all year long. Im
sure we dont have as many on SIU (as wed have for an SEC team), but
well have some and well be able to prepare. Youve got to remember
that every team in the tournament has earned the right to be there
regardless of what conference they come from. Sometimes we may think a
Michigan State or a Wake Forest is better than a Western Michigan or a
team maybe from not a major conference, and thats not necessarily true
at all. Our players will understand that. Our players here remember a
couple of years ago how good Kent State was. They were awfully good.
People forget that year they beat Alabama, Pittsburgh
