March 16, 2006

Davidson Head Coach Bob McKillop

Does playing in the tournament in 2002 make it easier or harder to prepare?
"The coaching staff has the experience. I believe that's of vital importance that the coaching staff has had that experience. Participating in the NIT last year was really a wonderful experience for us, but it also gave our guys about post-season play, preparation, travel, attention, media coverage. So we did get some of that experience last year."

On the rumor (denied by players) that the team got tattoos on Saturday
"If they did, it's a part that's rather private, because I've not seen it in the locker room. I do have a very close connection with one of the players on the team, and I think his mother would be rather upset."

What most concerns you about Ohio State?
"They are extremely well-coached and will be very well-prepared. They are not looking at this as a 15 (seed) versus a two (seed). I think the emotional mindset is something that really jumps out at me. Additionally, who do you stop? Terrence Dials, inside, is Player of the Year in the conference, so their inside game is rather impressive. And you can't slough off of anyone because they shoot the three-ball so well, and they do it at every position one through four plus they bring two or three guys off the bench that can do it. The lethal nature of their three point shooting, the inside game they have with Dials, and their length and athleticism defensively. Those are the things that really jump out at me as well as the preparation that Thad has done and will do to get them ready."

On the disappointment of missing the NCAA last year but being able to go three rounds deep in the NIT
"The plus was the resiliency of our players. If you watched any of those first round NIT games, you see that some teams are so disappointed about not being selected (for the NCAA tournament) that they basically showed up and did not compete. Our guys had a sense of resiliency last year, which they truly went out and competed against some tough competition and in some difficult venues. In fact, I thought our Southwest Missouri [now Missouri State] win was one of our best wins of the year, and I thought our first 17 minutes against Maryland was the best 17 minutes of the year. So we were able to play our best basketball beyond our disappointment, and I think that shows a great sense of maturity, resiliency and toughness on the part of our team."

Does defense in the Big Ten stand out over other conferences?
"The defense is a product of the strength and the toughness of the typical Big Ten team. That has jumped out at me whether we were in competition against Michigan in 1998 or Ohio State in 2002 or just watching film as frequently as we do. There's a genuine sense of toughness that permeates every team in the conference. Combine that toughness with the strength and the athleticism, and you can understand why the Big Ten has garnered the respect it has throughout the country."

Does coaching your son always go smoothly?
"It has been one of the great joys of my life to have that experience. And it has made me a better coach because it allows me to understand that every player on my team is somebody's son and when you treat your players like somebody's son, you treat them with the kind of dignity they deserve. It has accentuated that aspect of coaching that I think is sometimes missed in our world today."

Does your wife always agree with what you do?
"It is more my in-laws. I've got some brothers-in-laws who are next to John Wooden and Al McGuire in terms of being legends of the game in coaching. They voice their opinions on a number of occasions."

Was it an adjustment in the beginning when your son first came?
"We sat down before he came to Davidson in the locker room. I wanted to make it as realistic as possible. I sat him in a locker and I said, `I've just got done giving a post-game summary and I've said some things to guys setting in the locker setting next to you and that's your teammate. And I'm going to walk out that door and what is your teammate going to say about your father that is also your coach. You need to understand that. You need to understand that every time you step foot on the court, you are going to hear `daddy's boy'."

Tough schedule with 3 road games (Duke, UNC, Syracuse)
"I don't schedule to prepare for the tournament. I schedule that way to give our players the greatest opportunity as a Division I team. They have given us great exposure and experiences. Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse were great experiences for us. Certainly we can remember some of the lessons of those games."

On the preparation of Ohio State
"I know Thad Matta, and I know he is not preparing his team to play against a 15 seed. He is preparing his team as if it's Illinois or Indiana, or Iowa. His emotional preparation will be clearly at a high level.

Do you go into it thinking you are playing at Ohio State because of the proximity?
"Absolutely not. There will be significantly large number of Ohio State fans, but it is not their campus. They have not shot on these rims. The comfort level for them will not be on the court. Outside the boundaries may be comfortable, where they didn't have a long ride here and will have some familiar faces."

On the seven seniors
"They are smelling the roses. That's the message I've been giving them knowing it is their last go around. They have really relished this moment. They are really cherishing their remaining time together as a team. It is pretty special for a coach to see that."

How important was it for these seniors to get this experience?
"It was extremely important for me, selfishly, for them. It didn't occupy my mind much during the season. I felt if we played up to our potential and progressed as the season progressed that we would realize our goal. It is very special that it happened for this group. Not many coaches get seven seniors and not many coaches get the caliber of seven seniors, and I don't just mean basketball talent wise. I mean character, work-ethic, and chemistry-wise. This is a pretty special group of young men."

Davidson guard Matt McKillop

On what it's like playing for his dad
"It has been a great four years. It's had its ups and downs as far as the father-son relationship goes, as far as on and off the court. He's done a very good job of keeping it basketball on the court and outside the gym being my father. It's just been a great experience we've had in the last two weeks and to be able to share with the family."

How does playing in tough non-conference games help you prepare for this game with Ohio State?
"I think it really helps, we've been in a lot of tough atmospheres, such as Syracuse, UNC, and Duke on the road, and we know tomorrow' s game is going to be a similar crowd. The crowd's going to be against us, and we're going to know how to handle ourselves as far as that goes, and the fact that we have played against teams as challenging as Ohio State throughout the year. We know what we are up against, and we know what it's going to be like on the floor against a team like that."

Davidson guard Kenny Grant

Talk a little bit about Ohio State
"Coming in here, we really just want to play our game and play; and no matter who we play in the NCAA Tournament we just want to go out and play Davidson basketball. So we are just excited to be a part of this, and we are playing extremely well right now."

On the fact that last time these two teams were in NCAA tournament, they met up
"We weren't on the team obviously back then, but Eric Blancett was, and we talked to him about it, and we want to go out there tomorrow and play our best."

Davidson forward Ian Johnson

Last year's disappointment on not making it into the NCAA tournament "Last year when we were on our way to being 16-0, there was a lot of focus on being 16-0; and I think some of that took away from preparing for the tournament. Once we lost a couple of games this year, there was no chance of us going 16-0, so we put a lot of our focus on getting ready for the tournament, and doing that allowed us, I think, to win the conference tournament. That gave us a better shot at winning the tournament than we had last year."

Talk a little bit about Ohio State
"Even though Ohio State has been struggling we still know they're a great team. Terrence Dials is a tremendous post player. They have some great guards. Matt Sylvester is a great shooter, and we're excited to play against a great team like that."

Davidson guard Brendan Winters

I heard a rumor that you guys got a tattoo Saturday; is this true? Or did someone make that up?
"No, that's false. They're just making that up."

Last year's disappointment on not making it into the NCAA tournament
"I think it just adds a little extra fire, because we felt last year we should have been in the NCAA tournament but we didn't perform in our conference tournament and we ended up losing. But as Ian said it gives us that added experience of playing in a post-season and knowing how to handle all of the factors that come along with that."

Are you basically considering this game tomorrow as playing at Ohio State with the crowd that you will have tomorrow?
"I agree with that. We have a couple of guys on our team from Cincinnati, and they told us that Ohio State is basically like the North Carolina or Duke when you're in North Carolina, so we are kind of around that everyday, and we understand that 90 percent of the crowd tomorrow is going be cheering for Ohio State. So we are okay with that though I think."

Did you pick up anything from your dad, has he helped you a lot, or were you a shooter naturally or did that evolve over time?
"I wouldn't say I was a natural shooter, but my dad did teach me pretty much everything that I've learned up until I got to college and Coach McKillop has helped a lot, So I would have to say that my dad and Coach McKillop have probably been the two most influential basketball coaches in my life."