By Gabe Bock

Key quotes from Gary Blair interview:

"Football, volleyball and soccer set the tone early by the type of year they had. So the fear factor of the SEC is all media related... on how good it was going to be, how the SEC is the big bad wolf... it's not there. We are just as good as any one in the SEC in any sport."

"We feel good representing A&M as the first true team SEC champion, but there will be more to come this spring. It's going to happen. It's been a good year. It's the year of the Aggie. Our stars are rising right now and hopefully we can keep it going in March."

"When I went in to the press conferences [leading up to the SEC tournament] I said 'There is nothing wrong. We just need to play with confidence and play better...'"

"We have proved [the naysayers] wrong. Look at our track record of how we have done in tournaments over the last six years. Don't ever count out the Aggies."

"Our kids just said 'hey we refuse to come in here and play this hard and go one and out'... we did a heck of a job. A lot of the other teams started to pull for us [vs. Tennessee.]"

"[Cutting down the nets] solidified who we have on our staff and how good they are... it's been a year of transition. Every day there is a new drama... we have had new everything, same old Coach Blair though."

"Our kids have worked so hard. We have 7 freshman and 2 starters who have never started before... this was really special."

"I still think we are a 3 seed. I think the story line sends us to Oklahoma City. Bracketology has us playing Florida State. I have us playing Flordia State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Syracuse and there is one more that will fill in the 6 seed. But we have to beat the 14 seed first. I have no idea who that will be... but [the 14th seed] is always capable of being a Cinderella team."