Comments from selection party

Vander Blue - On still not knowing who they play....

It's like going out on your first date with your first girlfriend. Your hands are sweaty, you are nervous, you aren't sure what you should do, what to say or how you should act.... then you get there, and you still don't know what to do, what to say or how to act."

Buzz Williams

On the teams....

Both great teams, I have known both coaches for a long time. There are two teams from BYU's conference in our path, so I don't expect any help from the coaches out there, despite having been in that conference for four years. Iona had a better schedule than half the teams in our league, and they have transfers that are both from our league, or were recruited by our league. They also have Mo Mo Jones, so that team has some talent. Very good friends with both coaches.

On the process of scouting...

We were just breaking all of that out. Its harder now, as we only have two days to prepare for the opponent. Each coach takes a team to break down, our first opponent, our potential second opponent and we go from there. We will try to practice our normal routine first, as we can't give them too much information. I don't want to cause them confusion by giving them two different scouting reports. We will practice normal, until we know the next opponent, even though the staff will prepare for both.

Side note: I actually witnessed this - All of the coaches standing there trying to figure out who should scout who, based on relationships, styles, history etc etc. - Pretty wild.

On Junior's performance in New York....

Junior didn't have a bad game, we all had a bad game. The team had a bad game, I had a bad game. We peed down our legs in New York. Junior is the best point guard I have ever coached. Do you realize that if he didn't come back for those last 6 games and would have red-shirted, that he would have challenged Tony Miller for the assists record? I might retire from here when Junior is done because I doubt I'll ever have a point guard as good as he is.




On

"Side note: I actually witnessed this - All of the coaches standing there trying to figure out who should scout who, based on relationships, styles, history etc etc. - Pretty wild." Can we get a little more here?

I don't have much more, I wasn't about to intrude, but it was pretty wild. From my view, Buzz says, why don't you take BYU, you take Iona, you take Murray State, you take Colorado State. Then the coaches offer up why they should have, BYU instead of Iona, Colorado State instead of Murray State etc etc. Then Buzz comes back again - ok, you take etc etc - happened one more time... but I should have BYU.... Then they scattered. Spoke with one of the assistants. We were laughing about it and he said, "I told my wife I would see her tomorrow. She said, you aren't coming home? I said, yeah, I am, but you'll be asleep. And I may have to be gone before you get up. But no matter what time I get home tonight, he'll probably call me at 2:00."

You know I love Buzz....but why does he have to be so over the top with EVERYTHING?

Junior has been a good point guard but Buzz has already coached 2 that were better. DJ and Acker(his senior year) were better then Junior(at least so far).

Come on Buzz.....I know you love everybody but geez............lol

I thought the same thing Markedman. I think, though, Buzz is concerned about Junior's psyche. Need to build it back up.

Buzz has always been high on Junior, and I really think Junior has it in him - on the passing side. Sees absolutely everything. Lacks a shot and isn't the best defender, but when he is on top of his game, the guy can see the court in a way that many can't.

Have to imagine Aki will draw Iona, since he came from Fairfield and I'm sure still has a lot of connections there. Benford probably gets BYU because of the New Mexico connections? Not sure about Murray or Colorado State.

"I might retire from here when Junior is done because I doubt I'll ever have a point guard as good as he is."

Didn't like seeing that line thrown in there. Leave no stone unturned. Crazy things happen in the tourney, but I think with Buzz and his staff, we will be prepared. Speaking of preparation, I better prepare to take a 1/2 day off on Thursday as it looks like we play at 1:45.

Great scoops IWB - it's like you are a fly on the wall with some of the stuff you get, although an enormously large fly on an enormously strong wall.

Its like the Great Wall... the Great Wall of China Buffet.

When it comes to these things, remember, you don't just have Aki & Tony, you have Aki, Tony, Scott Monarch, Bart Lundy, Brad Autry and Coach Orr - That is a hell of a lot of experience and knowledge!