Wichita State men's basketball head coach Isaac Brown and five Shocker players spoke to media on Sunday after they found out their NCAA Tournament fate. Brown and the Shockers talked about what the wait was like the past 24 hours, when they knew this team could earn an at-large bid and what it means to play in the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Shockers are set to battle Drake in the First Four on Thursday. Time and TV information is still to be determined.
 
HEAD COACH ISAAC BROWN on … 
 
Opening Statement:
"I'm just super excited about the opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament. Our kids have worked very hard since August. Battling COVID, battling guys having to sit out. I felt like we had a good enough year winning the American conference, going on the road beating Ole Miss and just being solid all year. We haven't had any Quad IV losses. I thought that was huge. The fact that we lost in the semifinals of American, I felt like we had a good chance to get in. (I'm) just super excited for the players, the fans and the community."
 
… what the past 24 hours have been like:
"It was nerve-wracking having to wait 24 hours, but it was out of our hands. We felt like our body of work was good enough. We felt like winning the American conference was huge. You can win a conference that a top-10 team is in the country and you've got to have a chance to get into tournament. Houston was ranked seventh and we won the conference. So I just felt that put us over the hump."
 
… what it's like for fans to watch Wichita State play old Missouri Valley Conference foe Drake:
"For our fans, I'm sure they're very excited about that. I'm just excited to be in the NCAA tournament. We could have played anyone. I'm just super excited for the players. They've put in the hard work, super excited for the fans. They come out and support us and I'm just glad we have an opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament and to just to prolong our season."
 
… what he knows about this year's Drake team:
"I don't know much about Drake, but the assistant coaches will get on it tonight. They'll watch all kinds of film. I'm going to break down the game against Cincinnati and then I'll start watching film on Drake, but I don't know much about them. I know they're a well-coached basketball team. I know they won 25 games. Obviously they're a good team, so we've got to prepare for them and be ready to go."
 
… the moment he thought his team was good enough to earn an at-large bid:
"I felt like when we went out on the road and we beat Ole Miss. To go on the road and beat a Southeastern Conference team, that was well-coached by Kermit Davis, I felt like we had a shot and we started out, we won our first two conference games on the road. I felt like we had a good enough team to get to the NCAA tournament and getting that big win versus Houston. I felt like that helped us tremendously. We won the conference. There was no doubt in my mind if we just finished the season out right and didn't take any bad losses that we were getting in."
 
… his team's resiliency:
"When I first took the job, those guys came here to play for a Hall of Fame coach. I wasn't sure who was going to come back, who was going to stay. We had a couple guys that talked about opting out. The first meeting, all I talked about was myself and the staff and how we were going to give those guys 110% every day. We needed you guys to trust us no matter what. If we're not here this year, somebody's going to play in a Wichita State uniform. So just trust us, trust the process and the leaders on the team. Tyson, Dexter, Morris Udeze, Trey, all those guys came together. They backed our coaching staff. They talked to the younger guys and from day one, it was all about team. It was all about trying to get better. And it was all about taking it one game at a time. And that's what this team did. They stayed together. We started out with two tough losses to Oklahoma State and Missouri, no one pointed fingers. Every game we talked about what we could do to get better. And those guys just kept battling every game, man, just so proud of them."
 
… the team's reaction:
"It was a total explosion. These kids were so excited. I was excited. It was just a great feeling to know that you're going to be playing in the NCAA tournament, one of 68 teams to make it. I'm just so excited for the players and for Shocker Nation."
 
… what this means for a player who faced as much adversity as Alterique Gilbert has:
"We won games this year because of our good guard play and having a point guard that can get you into everything and not turn the ball over, I think that is huge, but Alterique has battled, he was one of our key guys this year, just to get him on our team as the transfer in from UConn. I thought that was huge. When we lost seven guys, he was already an experienced guy, a kid that was a McDonald's All-American. And he came in and he just brought it for our team. You can put the ball in his hands late in the game and he can go make plays with others. He can make it for himself. And he's been great for us all year."
 
… what his message to the fan base is:
"I would just tell them thanks for the support. Always coming out to the games, supporting us, standing by these young guys. We had some adversity where we battled through it, but not one time did anyone in Wichita ever point fingers. They looked at it as a total team effort. They supported our basketball team. We had fans on the road. We had fans in Wichita. We had a great turnout in Fort Worth, and I'm just so excited for the fans standing behind us."
 
… what it means to make the NCAA Tournament after a year where there was no tournament:
"It means a lot. All the recruits came here because of, again, a rich basketball tradition. So when kids signed with Wichita State it's because they've seen us in the NCAA tournament and I'm just so excited that these guys get the opportunity to play in this tournament. We have seven new players. No one on our basketball team has ever been to the big dance. So these guys are super excited. They're ready to get started. Drake is a good basketball team and we're just ready to go, man. Just super excited."
 
GUARD ALTERIQUE GILBERT on …
 
… what the past 24 hours has been like:
"The wait after the game, just alone from yesterday was enough. We were just very nervous about it and once they announced our name, we just exploded. We were excited. We're just looking forward to this opportunity."
 
… what it means to him to play in the NCAA Tournament:
"It just means a lot to me just to be a part of this group of young men and coaching staff. We've been through a lot together and, through it all, we just stand together and continue to just (keep pushing). That's what I love most about this group. No matter the situation we're in, we continue to fight and now we're just grateful for this opportunity. A lot of guys, including myself, haven't been to the tournament, so we're excited for this opportunity."
 
… if he thinks guard play is the most important part to making a deep run:
"I just grew up watching March Madness as a kid just like everyone else. You do see the great guards go through the college game and it's just exciting for me. It brings back a lot of memories, just watching guys like Scottie Reynolds compete, and guys from all over the country, different point guards, so I'm very excited."
 
… what his team learned from early losses to Oklahoma State and Missouri:
"I just think we learned a lot from those losses early on because of the situation we were in. I believe maybe both of those games, we had maybe eight players, so we were just fighting through a lot of adversity. Leading up to those games, I remember the practices being kind of tough on us because we didn't have a full roster and now we just stayed together. We did what we could, we controlled what we could and we just stuck together after that."
 
… what it was like for him to hear Wichita State get called:
"Easily one of the best moments of my life just because of my journey and now just getting to this point with this group of guys. I'm just happy to be a part of this family whenever the season does end, I just know we've created a great relationship that that lasts a lifetime."
 
… what he knows about Drake:
"Watching college basketball, just being a fan throughout the season, we knew they were having a great season and we just know they're a great team. I'm pretty sure they're going to come compete and play every possession. It's March, so we'll bring the same energy and we're just excited. I think a lot of the guys are just overwhelmed right now with energy. Like we were all excited, we were ready to pack up and leave now. So we're just looking forward to it."
 
… if he had a March Madness memory that stuck out to him:
"Not a particular game, but I used to watch (Scottie Reynolds). I actually took his free-throw routine. I just loved the way he played the game. He was a leader. He could score the ball, get others involved, just played hard. I just tried to mimic a lot of the things I did growing up after Scottie Reynolds and a lot of other guys, a lot of other great college point guards as well."
 
GUARD TYSON ETIENNE on …
 
… what the past 24 hours have been like:
"Everybody was pretty nervous, pretty anxious because it's the unknown. You're not certain if you're going to get in or if you might've played one of your last games this season, but to see Wichita State in that first bracket, it was a relief and it was a beautiful moment for all of us to share together. Knowing that we went out last game, not how we wanted to and to see us not being played in the championship game today was a sour feeling. But to see that, we're still going to have the opportunity to go to and write our story. It was a beautiful thing to see."
 
… how it feels given everything that has happened in the past year:
"You never know when you get something taken away from you. You've got to cherish every moment. And I think we even take that away from yesterday, we could have controlled our own destiny, had we won yesterday. But we just spent the last 24 hours kind of hoping and praying that we get the opportunity. So, moving forward, I think we've learned a lesson. You can't take anything for granted. (We learned that) from last year and just from last night. So, like I said, just grateful that we have the chance."
 
… if he believes guard play will be the key:
"Obviously our bigs are going to have to play a crucial, crucial role, but guards lead the team. Guards, they find the guys, they, knock down shots. All of our guys are going to have to be on and ready to go. I believe we will. I know where my mind is at mentally. I know where my body's at physically. So I'm confident in us."
 
… the mindset of having to play in the First Four:
"It's a metaphor to our year, it's nothing easy. We don't get the first round. That's okay. We're going to get the play-in game. You make the best of it. I've watched Drake. I've already been studying them because I knew we would have the opportunity to play them. It's going to be a ball game, but at the end of the day, who wants to more is going to come out victorious. So I believe in our coaching staff, I believe in my teammates that we'll prepare ourselves because we know Drake's a great team. They're going to want to win as well. It's going to be a dog fight."
 
… his favorite March Madness memory:
"My favorite moment probably is the shot that Villanova hit over North Carolina only because I called it. I called that shot when I was in high school. When he hit that shot, I called that they were going to win on a pitch-back three. And that's exactly what happened. So that was kind of one of my craziest experiences with March Madness. But now I, along with my teammates have the opportunity to write our own story. Maybe we'll have one of those memories."
 
… the moment he knew his team could earn an at-large bid to the tournament:
"It would have to be Ole Miss just because of how much of a dog fight that was. And they were an NCAA caliber team. Just to see the resilience that we showed in that game, because we were down a lot that game, but we kept fighting, we locked into the scout, we knew what we were doing on the court. Everybody's just one unit. Everybody was unified and the celebration after just just showed that we were in it together. We were in it for the long run. Now we see ourselves here, even though we're in the play-in game, we get an opportunity. You've got to seize the moment."
 
… his teammates:
"I think a lot of teams can either unravel at this point, even if they make the tournament, can be unraveling or they can be getting worse. I feel like even though we took a loss yesterday, I feel like we're still improving. I feel like we learned a lot from our loss yesterday, but I still feel like we're a united bunch. We were in a locker room yesterday, we knew it wasn't the end for us. We stayed united, we have great leaders on our team that kept everybody together. Our coaches kept us together and we never lost hope and it's paying dividends 24 hours later."
 
FORWARD MORRIS UDEZE on … 
 
… what it felt like to see Wichita State on the bracket:
"I'm still happy right now, I'm not gonna lie, so excited. I kind of just thought that all the NCAA needed to do is give us a chance. Now our foot is in the door, we're just excited, happy for this ride and this journey."
 
… the history of Wichita State making runs as a lower seed:
"I kind of feel like it just been the story the whole season. We were picked seventh, people doubted us, people thought we were going to go to the NIT and all that. But I mean, we're here right now. We're about to face Drake, so right now we're just trying to get prepared for them and just take it one day at a time and enjoy this process."
 
… what he is looking forward to most:
"As a kid, I used to watch this all the time. So just actually being a part of it and actually making the tournament for my first time in three years, it's an amazing feeling. And I just want my guys to enjoy it as well. So it's a very big moment."
 
... his favorite March Madness memories:
"I still remember two years ago, I think Carsen Edwards and Purdue versus Tennessee, I think. Yeah. I kind of enjoyed that game."
 
… what it means to play in the tournament after all that happened:
"That was a crazy year. Last year, I think last year we were going to make the tournament, but, COVID came and this year we're in the tournament. So we're grateful, we're just very thankful to be in this moment. I'm just living in it right now. And I'm excited for what's in store."
 
… what moment he knew the Shockers could earn an at-large bid:
"Our game against Ole Miss, at Ole Miss, we won that game. I was like, 'okay, okay. We got something good going on here.' So coaches didn't give up on us. We didn't give up on ourselves. So looked at everybody's faces. Everybody was just intact and ready to go. I'm like, we've got something going here. We can, we can actually be an NCAA tournament team. And as of right now, we're in the tournament. It's crazy. It's crazy to look back on just everything happened this year and we just stuck it out and now we're here. So it's amazing."
 
... how the team has jelled:
"I kind of feel like we just jelled off the core as well. We're all connected off the court. We all hang out with each other outside of the basketball court. So that's big, off the court is more big than on the court, you've got to be friends with each other and that comes with it. And then you step on the court, just start jelling together. We play together a lot in open runs during the summer, during practice all the time. We just started jelling together and that's big."
 
FORWARD TREY WADE on …
 
… what the past 24 hours has been like:
"I couldn't really get a good read on everybody. For me, I was just kind of calm, collected about it. I feel like the resume was good enough. We're going to make it in regardless. So I just stuck with that mindset."
 
… what it means to be able to play in the NCAA Tournament:
"Everything. This is somewhat a bragging line to some of my friends or former teammates who never got to experience it. This is, for a division one basketball player, this is really everything. I'm excited for the opportunity."
 
… his favorite March Madness memories:
"I don't really have a favorite team. I would have to say the moment I remember the most is that Villanova-North Carolina game when that dude hit that shot to win it all. That was probably one of the greatest games I've ever seen in March."
 
… if one of the reasons he came to Wichita State was to play in March:
"Yes, that's a main focus coming in to be successful and the winning to play in March. I mean, that's really the, one of the main reasons I came."
 
… the moment he knew when his team was good enough for an at-large bid:
"I will have to say probably the Ole Miss game. To me, as a team, we were mature enough to finish the game and, at that point, we just kept doing it and I just feel like we were good enough to make it and play."
 
GUARD DEXTER DENNIS on …
 
… what it was like to see Wichita State on the bracket:
"It was very, very shocking to say the least, because I really didn't know if we'd ever get called or what time it was going to happen. So when it happened, I was very surprised. So it was nerve-wracking. It was a long morning for a lot of us. And we're excited."
 
… what it means to make it to the NCAA Tournament:
"It means a lot. This is my first NCAA tournament, so it's going to be a new experience for me. It's one game at a time, survive and advance, but it's certainly going to be an experience. We're going to enjoy it because I've never been there before, but this is a lot of moments where a lot of Division I basketball is the highest level you want to play. So, I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can."
 
… his favorite March Madness memories:
"I'd probably say Tekele Cotton is one of my favorite, like NCAA tournament players ever, besides from just one of my favorite players ever, but he did well in the tournament. I think their whole run, since I've been hearing about it since I've been a freshman, I've always gone back to watch all the time. I think we usually go to coach's house. He showed us old film like when they played Ohio State and Arizona and you watch it so much. It's just a place you really want to get to. You want to be like those guys who've been doing that for a long time around here. So I say just all the times the Shockers have been in the tournament, in my opinion, that's some of my favorite."
 
… if the NCAA Tournament is a reward:
"I guess you could say it is a big payoff at the end. Like I said, everybody wants to play in the NCAA tournament. Coming out here and playing every game with this group of guys and the staff, in my opinion, all we've been through, no one has ever pointed fingers. And I think just being with them and playing every game with them, not knowing that we we're going to play the next game or what has been, it's been such an enjoyable experience for me. I know the other guys can say the same, but I think they say NCAA tournament has been a big reward for a lot of people on the scene, especially the older guys, the seniors who have the choice to come back if they want or not next year. But I say it has been a big reward for some people."
 
… what he tells someone who is picking the Shockers for a deep run:
"I'd bet on us against anybody. That's just how I am. Maybe I'm biased, whatever you want to call it, but we play how you're supposed to play, smart. We play hard. I'd take us over anybody, it doesn't matter what time, wherever, but I love this group of guys. I love the staff. I love what they bring to the table every day. It's consistent energy positivity. Just how we attack each day, every film session, every road trip is, you know, it's the same."