On Jordan Burroughs:
“I'm excited. I hope I do see him again, whether it be quarters, semis, finals, whatever it is. I've been in the match both times I wrestled him, last time in particular. As coach said, There's not a lot to do to prepare besides look for tendencies and stuff. You know he's probably going to shoot in the last 30 seconds of each period and if he doesn't score there he's not going to score. So that's my mindset going into it. He's the guy who probably should be ranked No. 1 in my bracket. I'm excited to wrestle him again.”
On a different style of wrestling for a national tournament opposed to dual meets:
“We're the University of Missouri. Obviously we're always looking for bonus points in every match because that's the way we wrestle, that's what Coach Smith has instilled in us. At that national tournament, there are 32 or 33 man brackets and only maybe 10 or 15 think they can be All-Americans, or think they might actually win the National title. There are a lot of guys out there who are content with wrestling in the national tournament and being in front of the big crowd. There are guys who give up out there. As soon as we put our singlet on people are afraid to wrestle us because we do bring it for seven hard minutes no matter what. There are a lot of guys who haven't wrestled us before, who we believe are just going to lay down and that's an opportunity for bonus points.”
On his fourth trip to NCAA's:
“Obviously, I had my shortcomings in the past three years, and it's not going to happen this year. I think we're all prepared. You know people talk about going to the national tournament, huge crowds, how loud it gets and all that stuff. But I think Coach puts us in those crazy situations: loud crowds, small gyms, hostile territories like we might find ourselves at the national tournament. I think experience is a big thing but that's not to say all those guys making their first appearances aren't prepared. It's just about going out there and wrestling, trying to treat it as much like a regular match as you can. Obviously we're all human and nerves might get the best of you and that kind of stuff, but hopefully that doesn't happen.”
On confidence and nerves entering first National Tournament:
“I'm a littler nervous, but I try not to think about it really. All I have to do is go out and wrestle like I have. I've had a great season so I don't see why I would try to change anything or get any more nervous. It's just the same guys, the same level of competition I've been wrestling all year. I've wrestled top guys, I've beat some of the top guys and I've been right with the ones I didn't beat. There's no real reason to be nervous, it's nothing really new, just a big tournament. I just need to go and wrestle the way I know I can and the way I've wrestled all year.”
On his confidence entering Nationals:
“The way that I've been wrestling, I'm pretty confident. I'm just going to go out there and win Nationals. I know that I can and I know that I can beat everybody at my weight as long as I wrestle the way that I can. So no matter what I'm seeded, I know I'm going to wrestle and I know I'm going to win.”
On improvements since last year:
“It's hard to tell because I feel like people are wrestling me a little bit different this year but I think technical wise I've improved. I'm better on top, I know sometimes I don't show it in my matches but that's one thing that I've gotten a lot better at, riding people. I think at the National tournament I could really surprise people by riding them. Coaches have been working on me all year, so hopefully everyone will see it.”
On the National tournament compared to Big 12 tournament:
“Every guy in the Big 12 is tough, so I guess it might be a little bit easier but I don't really know. There's always some tough guys there, I'm just going to go after everybody.”
On Iowa State's David Zabriskie:
“Well, I've lost twice now. After it happened the first time, I didn't think it could happen again, and it did. I took a little bit from both of the matches. I definitely think I'm ready this time. I hope I see him again, I really do.”
On what can be taken from the experience at the Big 12 tournament:
“There's a lot I can take from the Big 12 tournament and carry into nationals. The feeling of defeat in the first round, remembering how it felt to drop down on my backside. The good thing about that, with our team being as great as it is, is that you can always find a reason to come back and want to wrestle. There's always some reason to come back whether your spirits are down or not. There's a team title on the line no matter what with this team, no matter what tournament we're at. It's always fun to come and battle back. I had hopes to become a Big 12 champion, and those were gone after the first round. But coming back and qualifying for nationals and scoring team points, I had to reevaluate my goals. And then also thinking of the feeling of victory, and remembering how good it feels to win and how bad it feels to lose.”