Q. Dexter, Coach told us before as a defensive guy that you typically are put on the opponent's best offensive player. So that means you're probably going to see a lot of Jalen Pickett. Any thoughts on that match-up and facing him after watching some video of him?

DEXTER DENNIS: I think he's an extraordinary player. I think they have a great team. I think the best thing is they know each other. You can tell when you watch the clips and watch them play. They're comfortable with what they're doing which is extremely dangerous. To some it may not look like much, but they pose a threat with their outside shot-making ability and Pickett is also a weapon when he gets in the mid post area or just all around. He does a lot for their team. I think it's going to be a great match-up, as always. I think Coach is going to depend on me to do a lot of things. It's going to be fun.

Q. Wade, Boots, What is your confidence in Dexter when he goes up against a player like that?

WADE TAYLOR: Very confident. Knowing he is going to be on the best player makes the rest of the team confident because we know what he brings to the table every night.

TYRECE RADFORD: Same with me. He takes a lot of pressure off the rest of us, knowing that he's going to be guarding the best offensive player on the opposing team. That's the type of player he is. He's a great defender.

Q. Boots, you guys (A&M and Penn State) play different brands of basketball. They don't foul a lot, you guys get to the line a lot. You guys are a rebounding team, they don't rebound as well. How important is it to dictate your tempo and pace against what they do?

TYRECE RADFORD: We know they are good offensively, and also defensively too, but we have to stay within our roots, don't try to do anything out of our characteristics and just continue to have faith in each other and go out there and play ball.

Q. Wade, you didn't have the greatest of games in the championship game. How long did it take to put that behind you? What's your confidence level now going into the tournament?

WADE TAYLOR: As soon as the buzzer went off we got to the locker room and Coach talked to us about how far we came. Next game, last game. I knew coming into this weekend it was going to be a big opportunity for our team coming from where we came from. I knew we had the Selection Show that evening so it wasn't too hard to put it behind me.

Q. Dexter, you played for the Shockers, huge part of the culture there and made a decision to leave. Talk about the journey and what you remember from the days there and what's allowed you to be so great at Texas A&M?

DEXTER DENNIS: My time with the Shockers, that's one of my favorite homes. That place kind of molded me into the person I am today, especially coming into college as, like, a freshman. You never know what's going to happen when you transfer schools. The portal, it's a new area, a lot of things are being discussed, NIL, playing time, et cetera. So just coming over here and being able to blend in with these guys is an amazing journey. I've learned a lot about myself and the coaches have been great with me. I'm extremely grateful and extremely happy to be an Aggie. So I'm extremely thankful and I just love being here.

Q. Boots, you are one of the handful of guys on the team that has actually played in the tournament. Have you used that experience to talk to the guys who haven't been here in terms of what to expect and how to handle the pressure?

TYRECE RADFORD: Yes, and our coach, Buzz Williams, has done a wonderful job doing the same thing. Just playing every game like it's your last, even when you are not in the tournament. That carries over. Me, being an experienced player, I'm not the only one on the team that played in the tournament. Dexter played in the tournament, KK played in the tournament, Julius Marble played in the tournament. We have a handful guys that have played in the tournament that was able to talk to the rest of the team and prepared them for this moment. I think we're pretty much prepared.

Q. Wade, you guys are a tournament team. Seems like last few tournaments, SEC Tournament last year get to the finals. This year you get to the finals, NIT finals. What is it about tournament time that you guys turn it on?

WADE TAYLOR: Just believing in one another. Going about it all season, not just when it's time to play in the tournament, just building it up from when we started in August. We know when the tournament comes, it's time to lay everything on the line time, 'cuz it's win or go home. We just try to take every possession and every opportunity we have to shine and go 1-0 that moment. We don't want to look too far ahead because we know that moment can impact it.

Q. Wade, on Sunday night y'all said that the Number 7 seed, no reaction at all to it. I wonder since then if y'all thought anything more about it. Is it something that y'all use as additional motivation if that's needed at all?

WADE TAYLOR: It's not needed at all. I was talking to them; we just happy to be here. It's a blessing to be here from where we started and where we are now. This is my first time so I'm super excited. Just hearing our name get called that's more than enough for what this team has been through. We're just here to show what we can do.