UH men's basketball team discuss pressure of being No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament
WICHITA, Kansas (KTRK) -- It's all eyes on SIU-Edwardsville for the Coogs. The University of Houston is coming in as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region, and their opponent is the 16th seed. Despite the rankings, the players aren't taking this matchup lightly.
"We don't approach any game differently, and that's how this team is built. We just don't start doing that in the tournament. We focus on the sixteenth team the same way we do the one seed," UH guard Emanuel Sharp said.
"Pretty good team. You know they play hard, throw a lot of defenses out there, and keep you on your toes," UH forward J'Wan Roberts said.
With everything on the line, the Coogs have studied their first opponent and are ready to face any challenge that comes their way.
"They got some good size. They are a good offensive rebounding team. Coach put together a good game plan," Milos Uzan said.
"They are a good team. They are physical. They like to get on the glass, they rebound, and they play pretty fast. You know, they deserve to be here. They won their conference tournament," L.J. Cryer said.
SIUE head coach Brian Barone says he's kept an eye on UH this season.
"What stands out for them is they have an identity. Coach has an identity. They do what they do, and they do it well," SIUE head coach Brian Barone said.
Barone and UH head coach Kelvin Sampson are no strangers on the court. Sampson remembers coaching against him when he was a player at Texas A&M.
"Brian was just a tough, hard-nosed, scrappy, and a winner. He did all the things you want a point guard to do," Barone said.
Now, the two meet again. This time, both as head coaches on a journey to win a national title.
