March 9, 2005
The Tigers practiced today from 12-1 and were available to the media for questions follow the workout in front of around 200 fans. Below are quotes from the proceedings ...
2005 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT PRESS CONFERENCE
Wednesday, March 9, 2005
MISSOURI
HEAD COACH Quin Snyder
Opening Statement:
"Obviously, it is great to be back in Kansas City. I think the last time we were here, we weren't a very good team. We've come a long way from that point, largely from the strength of our defense. I think the last couple of weeks our team has really started to understand the kind of purpose we need to play with on the court. We are looking forward to playing. A few years ago, we won a couple of games in Dallas and obviously, we are aware that our postseason opportunities hinge on what we do here, and we are going to try and play as long as we can."
On Jason Horton's playing status:
"Jason is with our team, ready to play tomorrow. We've got standards for our players both in practice and in games. He's not the first guy that has had to learn from some of those things. I think he is excited to be back with the team and it will make him better."
On taking good shots:
"I think, first, a good shot is a shot you can make. There were shots that we took at the beginning of the season that we thought were good shots, but our percentage wasn't very high. When you're not an efficient ball-handling team, there are times when you pass up an open shot early in the possession, but then you might not be able to get a better shot. I think a good shot is a shot that we have a chance to rebound and to defend against, so we don't meet any surprises."
SENIOR GUARD Jason Conley
On getting Jason Horton back:
"He's (Jason Horton) already said everything to us that he's needed to say. We've accepted him back. He's part of us. This is his first year and he's made some mistakes. He's in a situation now where he is coming back off of that (suspension). We are excited to have him back."
On the parity of the teams in the Big 12: "This conference, as everyone knows, is one of the top conferences in the country. There are teams like us that have beaten the top teams in the conference. Now I just consider this the whole season for us. All we can do now is just take it one game at a time."
SOPHOMORE FORWARD Linas Kleiza
On getting Jason Horton back:
"We're definitely glad to have him back. He's young and learning. I've been through some of the stuff that Jason has been through. If we want to make a run, we need everyone we have. We really don't have a lot, we only have 10 guys, so we're excited."
On Nebraska:
"This is whole new season for us, but we just need to focus on Nebraska. We can't look ahead to Oklahoma. We just need to focus in on this game. We've just got one game. Friday's game is not guaranteed, so we've just got to focus and try to win tomorrow."