March 13, 2000

Sophomore Guard Keyon Dooling

On North Carolina: "They have a great tradition. They have produced some of the best players. I think their whole starting five were McDonald's all-Americans. They have the big-time names, but this year has been a down year for them."

On a "big name" school adding excitement to the game: "I don't think (playing a big-name school) adds a lot. We've played big-name schools in our conference, even out of the conference this season. It's not what's on the front of the jersey that matters, it's who is in the jersey. That is how we're going to look at it."

On North Carolina's guards: "I grew up watching Ed Cota. He's been around a long time. I know he's a special point guard and I am going to have my hands full with him."

On the end of the season: "We've been in ballgames, but we haven't won any of them yet really. Hopefully we can start now. What a perfect time to start winning. We don't care about advantages or disadvantages. We know what we have and we've been doing it together all year. We are just going to go out there and continue to do this together."

On his role on the team: "I'm not a selfish player. If coach puts the ball in my hands, I am responsible for all five guys on the court. I think I do a pretty good job of recognizing who's hot and getting them the ball. When I have the opportunity to do something, I think I do a pretty good job of finishing. (The leadership opportunities on the court) have elevated my game. I think my teammates look for that in me and I look for that in myself now. Coach looks for me to be a leader. I've got a year under my belt now. There is no time to go back. I just have to try to continue to get better."

Junior Guard Brian Grawer

On North Carolina: "Carolina is a ball club. Not only in tradition, but this year. Ed Cota leads their team, one of the best point guards in the nation. Haywood down low is a force to be reckoned with. We've got our work cut out for us, but it is going to be one of the best match-ups of the first round. It's exciting to play against Carolina blue. Everybody knows who North Carolina is and knows what they represent."

On North Carolina center Brendan Haywood: "We've been out-manned with our height all year. Haywood is a player who makes shots. I'm sure we'll come up with some way to combat that. They're bigger than us like every other team has been this year. Its nothing new for us. We've focused every game on just going out there and playing Missouri's game. We've focused more on ourselves than our opponents, and that's what we'll do with this game too."

On North Carolina guards Ed Cota and Joseph Forte: "They're one of the best back court combos in the country, but we feel our back court is very strong. That is the strength of our team. Playing in the NCAA Tournament, you're not going to face any team with weak links anywhere. Every team you face is going to have explosive players at every position. This match-up is going to be great for us, hopefully we'll come out the victor."

On getting the ninth seed: "I was nervous. I called my dad before the show and he was making his bracket out. He said, 'I've got four spots open for nine teams and you're one of the nine." So I was really worried and it turned out we were a lock all around with a nine seed. It's crazy how it all works out, but I am happy with a nine seed."

On the satisfaction of getting into the tournament: "Every year is satisfying. Every year has its own special little ways. Last year was my first year, this year is our first year under Coach Q. I was a little more nervous this year than I was last year."

Freshman Forward Kareem Rush

On North Carolina Guard Joseph Forte: "He's not the focal point. I'm not going to look on this as a freshman-on-freshman match-up. I'm just looking at this as two players going out there and playing hard for their teams. So far we are doing a great job. I know they are going to try and do some things against us, and I am going to go out there and do the same. It's going to be a great match-up. Hopefully we can go out there and get a win."

On North Carolina's athleticism: "We are two similar-type teams. They have a big man in Haywood that can do some things down low, so that will be a pretty tough match-up for us. They have great players on the perimeter, but I think we match up well, other than with Haywood. If we get going and shooting well, I think it could be a really good game and we could win."

On going from high school to playing the winningest team in college basketball in a year: "Josh (Kroenke) and I were talking about that yesterday. We were just in high school and now we are playing against North Carolina. It's just a thrill, you know, a boyhood dream to play college basketball. So far it has lived up to a lot of my expectations. My freshman year has been great. I'm real excited about playing in the NCAA Tournament. And we get to play against North Carolina, one of Coach's long-time nemesis."

On doubt about whether or not Missouri was in the tournament: "Personally, I thought we were in. I thought our season spoke for itself. We had some tough losses, but everyone we lost to is in the tournament so I thought we were definitely in there. A couple guys were nervous. When the first bracket came out, we weren't in there so we were sweating a little bit, but when our name finally popped up there everybody was happy."

Sophomore Guard Clarence Gilbert

On North Carolina center Brendan Haywood: "I think playing the big guys we did in here like Chris Mihm, (Marcus) Fizer and (Eduardo) Najera prepared us for Haywood. I think we are in good shape.

On new NCAA Tournament tradition: "Every year I am here I'm planning on going there. I won't have it any other way. I mean yesterday when everybody was all nervous, I kinda laid on Quin's shoulder and said, 'Hey, we're locked in this thing. You see the things we do out there. You think those people saw the Oklahoma game and they're not going to put us in.' I told him we were a lock and that we are starting something new here. We're planning on going there (to the tournament) every year. It lets recruits and players coming in know that Missouri is going to go to the tournament every year. We are going to win games."

On waiting to hear the announcement: "Everybody's been asking me (about how calm I was), even my mom. We were sitting downstairs in Coach's basement and they told us we had to come up. I was just being myself. I was happy but everybody was all scared in the house, once they saw that Arkansas and St. Louis won. I told them about St. Louis winning, that helps us. They beat us, but that helps us because they are in. I told them we were a lock in this thing. We didn't have anything to worry about. When our name came across the screen everybody jumped up. I just sat there like, 'I told you so. We're playing North Carolina. Now let's go get ready.'"

On the tough schedule and conference paying off: "I think this is what we've all been waiting for for awhile. North Carolina is a big name school, but they haven't lived up to it this year. People realize we are a pretty good team, but I think after we play North Carolina, they will know we are a really good team.

On playing with Keyon Dooling: It's special. It's like a dream-come true. I couldn't ask for anything better. We've been doing this since we were little kids. To be doing it now in the NCAA Tournament, there's no question. I couldn't have summed it up any better."

Senior Forward Jeff Hafer

On the tough schedule paying off: "If you look at a schedule of games that gives you an NCAA type atmosphere, I don't think anyone has as good of one as us. We're prepared for this. Now we just have to realize it is a one-game season. We have to be ready to lay it all on the line again."

On not winning those big games: I don't think (losing will work against us.) I think if you are in enough of those games, you know what it takes and you know its right there. Sometimes it's not meant to happen. Those instances have been those games where we have the chance to win it and the ball partially goes in the hole and comes out. If it spins one way, it's a different story. We've always put ourselves in the position where we've had the chance to win. Now it's a matter of maybe a shot falling or making a different play."

On matching up against another big guy: "The whole season in the Big 12 has been teams with a good perimeter and bigger guys inside. We've had to find a way to guard them, but they've also had to find a way to match-up against us. Nothing could have prepared us better than the Big 12 for this situation in the tournament. We're going up against a team that is bigger and stronger than us inside, but that is nothing different than what we've been up against all year."

On being in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row: "It feels great. It's been a goal since the beginning of the year. If we worked hard and kept improving, we would put ourselves in a position to keep playing in the post-season. We've done that now and it's the second year. Hopefully we've started a trend here. Once people get a taste of that, it's hard for people to forget what it is like. I remember what it was like last year and that was motivation for me this year. I really wanted to get back, and now, to have that opportunity, is wonderful."