Bisons prep for game day with press conference, practice

The Lipscomb University Bisons arrived in the Big Apple Sunday evening after practicing one final time on campus.

Kim Chaudoin | 04/02/2019

Today brought the official beginning of National Invitational Tournament semifinal festivities as coaches from the four teams who are vying for a spot in the championship game took the podium for a press conference. Casey Alexander (Lipscomb), Jamie Dixon (TCU), Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) and Shaka Smart (Texas) took a few minutes to talk to ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla, who will be part of the broadcast team Tuesday night, in the opening press conference held at NIT headquarters in the Marriott Marquis. Below are excerpts from the press conference.

Gregg Marshall, Wichita State: “We want to try to in the end our season on a win. But we know that we've got a very difficult task in front of us with Lipscomb. When I watched Coach Alexander's team … the pace that they run offense … the precision that they run offense ... is one of the best things that I've seen in college basketball all season. Obviously he has great pedigree and a great mentor. That's going to be quite a challenge, but we're excited to be here. This is a wonderful experience for our guys.”
 

Fran Fraschilla, ESPN: “The formula for the NIT is the same every year, maybe with the exception of Wichita State who got hot with a really young team in the last month, the other three teams were fighting for NCAA bids and all could have not only gotten into the tournament but won games and I think that's clear. Lipscomb is a perfect example. If you look at what Lipscomb and Belmont, and Wofford, and UNC Greensboro accomplished this year, some really, really good basketball. This Lipscomb team can really play. Casey Alexander is the coach, he's done a wonderful job there. “

“This team ended up 28-7, could have easily been an NCAA team, but here's what they did. They got selected to the NIT, they went on the road and they beat a very good Davidson team up in Davidson. That's not easy to do. They went back on the road to North Carolina, went to UNC Greensboro a team that had close to 30 wins. Another one of those teams that could've been an NCAA tournament team and hammered them, hammered a really good team, played great. Then they stayed on the road and went to NC State where they won a thriller 94-93. It's one of the best games that I watched all year. It's one of most exciting games I've seen this year. They have a young man who's a senior who you enjoy watching play. His name is Garrison Matthews. He dropped 44 on N.C. State, and for the committee because they know how tough Reynolds Coliseum (NC State gym) used to be to play in. Think of all the great players who have ever played around at Reynolds Coliseum, all the great opponents and that's North Carolina, Maryland, Wake Forest and others. Garrison Matthews had the most points ever in Reynolds Coliseum for visiting player. 44. But it's more than him. They've got a terrific team, terrific program, really well coached.” 
 

CASEY ALEXANDER, Lipscomb: “Well thank you, this is the part where I will readily admit that one of is not like the others up here. Not quite as much name familiarity but we are as equally excited about being here and and having our program play in this prestigious event. It's really a privilege and one that we're really excited about, coach, for the record tomorrow.” 

“Just so you know our journey here really started last year with our first NCAA tournament trip and then the return of all five starters and five seniors. It’s really been a magical ride for us. Our team was picked to win the league and go back to the NCAA tournament, and we really had a phenomenal regular season. I felt like we played very well — won 12 in a row at one point and so it was really good. But we had a tough championship game loss to Liberty, who, as you've seen, is a real high quality team as well. It was tough for our players to respond quickly and to be ready to go for the entire team. But we showed a lot of resilience and  bounced back with that win at Davidson and it's really been pretty easy from that point on to have our players excited. For them to also understand just exactly what they're playing for we had no false dreams, visions of being here today and playing tomorrow. Just one really on our radar. The thing that our team has done best is just stay on task and stay in the moment and treat each day and each game like it deserves. That's really been the formula for why we're here. We obviously have unbelievable respect for Coach Marshall, what his program is about and what they've done. It's why the experience and that mentality will allow our players, I think, to go in there and play with confidence and and give it a shot.”
  
 

Jamie Dixon, TCU: “It's obviously a great honor to be here and be amongst these great teams great programs. We have familiarity obviously with Coach Martin and playing Texas twice. Lipscomb Coach Alexander beat our tails this year … out worked us, out coached us and killed us. Then obviously Coach Marshall with Wichita State. We played a few times. I think we got you started on your run to the final four. So it's been good for his career as well. But after that, it became all about getting to New York, and that's what's so great about this thing. You have that goal of getting to New York City, and when you win that third game and they start playing “New York, New York” on the speakers afterwards, it's a great celebration. You really feel like you've accomplished something. So all of us really feel like we've got the most out of our guys late in the season, and so it's great to be here. It's a special place for our family.” 
 

Following the press conference, the team boarded a bus to Columbia University where they practiced in Levien Gymnasium for about two hours. 

The evening was highlighted by the NIT Welcome Dinner at the team hotel.

Tuesday morning the Bisons will have a shootaround in Madison Square Garden in preparation for the semifinal game against Wichita State. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
 

— Photos by Kristi Jones