"What I really like about our team is that we are coming off a really tough loss at Arkansas State (last Thursday) and the Little Rock game was our fifth game in eight days and our team really showed some toughness and was able to win that game.

"So now we have a big home stand and a lot to play for against the arch-rival (Western Kentucky). I think it will probably be the most people to see a Sun Belt Conference game this year so we are looking forward to it."

Your bench is scoring as much as your starters the last eight games. Is it more the minutes that have changed or the sequence?

"I think the sequence has changed. I think we have become a little deeper team. We have had different guys play at different times. Bud Howard, for example, at Little Rock was a big factor off the bench. I think it has allowed Tim Blue and Marcus Morrison different minutes. I think we are stronger at the end of games and have become a lot better second half team than we were at the beginning of the year."

You mentioned that you have different guys step up. Sometimes you may not know who it is that is going to emerge. Do you like that?

"No because in order to try to beat Western Kentucky you have to have more guys play well. To try to win your conference tournament we need more guys to play better at the same time. Maybe it is because we have nine new players and we are starting two true freshmen and we are playing three true freshmen. We do need for one night to have Fats (Cuyler), Adam (Vogelsberg), Bud (Howard), and Kevin (Kanaskie) to all play well and shoot the ball well, or maybe one night you have Marcus Morrison, Tim Blue and Kyle Young to all compete and play well on the same night. It's going to take that in order for us to beat Western Kentucky and close out the year we want to close it out."

Do you look at the Western Kentucky game any differently than you do any other conference game?

"I think if a coach says he doesn't, he's lying. Sometimes it takes you longer to build a rivalry. You have to win games to create a rivalry. The first time we played them when I was here four years ago was the first time we had beaten Western Kentucky in 20-to-25 years. We have won some games in the rivalry. I think when your fans feel passionate about the game more than others, it creates a rivalry. That goes over to the players and the coaches because fans have been involved in the rivalry, 25-, 30-, 35 years. Our players, this is their first time, it's the fourth time for our coaches so there's no question our fans feel real passionate toward the game. It makes us have even more passion for the game. Now it counts the same in the standings as any other conference game, but sure I feel a little bit different about Western Kentucky than I do other teams we play in the Sun Belt."

Can you talk about Western Kentucky's guard tandem of Anthony Winchester and Courtney Lee?

"I will vote on our all-league team this week and Anthony Winchester is going to be my MVP and Courtney Lee is a definite first-team all league. Their two wing players together have to be one of the top eight combinations in college basketball. Anthony Winchester is MVP and probably per player, Courtney Lee is the most talented guy in our league so they are a handful and they are very good and for sure hard to stop."

Is the mindset about still trying to get the No. 2 seed in the East Division or just winning the Western Kentucky game and going from there?

"I think it's a little of both. Obviously to try and beat the team that is playing best in your league and then on the other hand if you can win two games then your chances really increase of trying to get the bye and the second seed. If it doesn't work out then you still have a great opportunity to try and win the tournament."

If Western Kentucky doesn't win the Sun Belt Tournament do you believe it should get an at-large bid?

"I really think Western Kentucky is deserving of at-large bid if things didn't work out for them in the tournament. They are getting votes in the AP Top 25, their RPI is between 38 and 42 and if you are talking about how a team is playing at the end, they have made all the winning plays. Think about it, they have won five games on the road in our league and they have all been last possession games where they have had to score or get a stop in the last 15-to-20 seconds to get a win and they have every time. They have made all the plays at the end."

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