MBBALL: Quotes and notes from Tampa
Junior guard Jerime Anderson and the No. 7-seeded Bruins will face No. 2-seeded Florida on Saturday in the third round of the NCAA Tournament in Tampa, Fl.
By Matt Stevens
March 18, 2011 10:41 p.m.
TAMPA, Fla. — The UCLA men’s basketball team will face off against the SEC regular season champion Florida Gators Saturday at 11:45 PST. Here are some extra tidbits from Friday’s press conference and locker room visit.
Sophomore forward Reeves Nelson
“I thought we did good on defense (against Michigan State), they just started hitting some really good shots.”
“(Florida is) a real good team. They’re the No. 2 team for a reason.”
“I know a bunch of the guys that played on those (2006 and 2007) UCLA teams, so I think everybody here is going to try to get the win. Maybe it will be a little consolation for the guys who were actually on those teams.”
“Josh (Smith) is going to attract a lot of attention especially coming off a good game yesterday. If they double him, it’s going to leave someone else open. … We’re going to have to help him out by making shots.”
Junior guard Jerime Anderson
“It’s been all business against Florida.”
“Man, it wasn’t like people were missing (free throws) really bad (against Michigan State). They would bounce in an out, and we focused on that today.”
“Right now we’re (UCLA and Florida) too totally different teams. It will be a new game, a new team. Hopefully it will be a new outcome.”
Junior guard Lazaric Jones
“(Florida) shoot(s) really well, so we have to try to discourage them from getting the ball and make them shoot over us.”
“We have to try to help Josh (Smith) out. … We need to knock down shots for him. He’s going to find us when we’re open, so we have to make them pay for it.”
“My body is hell, but losing a game is going to hurt worse.”
Sophomore forward Tyler Honeycutt
“You know, (Florida is) small, explosive, they can shoot, they’re strong. They’re good at coming off ball screens and getting to the rack and finding their teammates.”
Coach Ben Howland
“Well, those were both disappointing losses (to Florida in 2006 and 2007) and we were beaten by very good teams both years. You know, the championship game in ’06, we really thought we had a good shot.”
“The fact that we’re playing Florida here in Florida makes it doubly difficult because it’s like we’re playing a road game. It’s like we’re in a PAC-10 road game here on the road.”
