Villanova, Pa. -

Head Coach Jay Wright

On Lafayette

They are a really tough team. They have one of the most explosive offenses and one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country and we are just going to have to chase them around it seems.

On how Lafayette will play

These are the kind of teams that give you trouble because they are going to come out and shoot the threes and spread you out. If you chase them they will just back-door cut you and they are good at it ... They played here last year and they had a lead late into the second half until we were able to pull away at home. I am sure they will be confident and our guys have a lot of respect for them because they remember that game.

On how to approach the game at the favored team

We don't really talk about that per say. We are concentrating on our pass games with Lafayette, Bucknell and Lehigh and how tough those games have been; just making sure our guys don't look at this as a one and sixteen team playing. They need to look at it as Villanova and Lafayette and remember that Bucknell was tough and so was Lehigh for us.

On how the team has matured since this time last year and the idea of "fearing to fail"

I don't think they fear anything this year. They have already failed, we failed last year and I think they have already realized that they lost but now they have come back. That is really how they have approached every big game this year I think. They just went out and played with confidence and I think that they will do the same thing in this game.

On JayVaughn Pinkston

JayVaughn is what every coach hopes for in a senior. He came in undisciplined and not really mature, and not he is playing as a disciplined and intelligent leader on and off the court. His teammates love and respect him. He has much more pride in winning and leading then he does in accolades. It has really been enjoyable to watch his growth.

On what this week before the tournament starts feels like

One of the great things about this week is that college basketball coach you have a lot of responsibilities with recruiting and alumni. There are just a lot of things you do; but when it comes time for NCAAs everybody understands that it is just all basketball. It's all about the team and the tournament and it is really cool ... You watch film, your meeting with your guys you talk to other coaches because it is just all about the basketball. It feels really cool because the country is just all college basketball.

On being looked to as the city of Philadelphia's chance for a championship

I hope we can carry it for them. It is one thing to represent the Nova Nation and college basketball ibn Philly, it is a heavy burden and people take a lot of pride in that. When you talk Philly sports it is big time. It would be fun to do this for the city.

On Villanova coming into the tournament with the BIG EAST Championship title for the first time in 20 years

I think we are feeling a higher level of confidence. I don't think one of our teams that we have coached has gone into the tournament after a win. I think we usually went to the tournament after a lost in the BIG EAST Tournament so it's a pretty good feeling. I am not worried about over-confidence. I like this feeling and I would like to do this more often.

On being a one seed going into the tournament

There are a lot of benefits. For one you are playing a 16 seed and not a five seed and you're playing close to home. You have a confidence about you because you were picked by a lot of smart basketball people as being one of the top teams. There is a great amount of advantage. The disadvantage of course is the pressure and the expectation to win. You feel it around you but you only worry about the pressure if you don't think you have what it takes to accomplish the goal. I feel that we have what it takes so the pressure is good for us.

Senior JayVaughn Pinkston

On playing the BIG EAST Tournament in New York and what it felt like to win

New York was a great experience. Just being able to cut down that net ... It was a great honor. It was really emotional and just an honor to be a part of this team and a part of this program means a lot to me.

On the team's progression since he got to Villanova

The first year that I played nobody envisioned us being here. Coming from 13-19 and to being 32-2. I don't think any of us imagined this.

Senior Darrun Hilliard

On watching fellow senior Pinkston cut down the net at the BIG EAST Tournament

I was so happy for him, to go home and do that in Madison Square Garden is something I am sure he will remember for the rest of his life because I am. Just to know that he was the last one to cut down the net in his hometown is a great feeling.

On all of this success during his senior year

It feels great! It is not the perfect season. It may seem like it but we have come through a lot of adversity and hardships and now we have made it this far. We want to keep it going for the next couple of weeks and stay humble about. We need to just keep playing our Villanova basketball.

On if the team would be disappointed if they did not make it to the Final Four

I don't think we would at all. We know that if we do the best we can and play Villanova basketball we will be fine with that.

Junior Ryan Arcidiacono

On how the team feels going into the tournament

We are feeling confident. We have a lot of experience with our captains, guys who have been there before with Coach Wright and know what he expects day in and day out.

On carrying the banner for the conference going into the tournament

It's a very tough league that we play in and having six teams (in the tournament) is great. It has been great playing in the BIG EAST the past two years ... I would agree that as a conference we are more prepared. Every team is a little better than they were last year but throughout the season it's not like there were that many big time blow outs.

Sophomore Josh Hart

On being the "Six Man" of the team and not a starter

At first I was disappointed, definetly a little frustrated. I struggled with it the first week or so but it is something I have really grown to love. It is something that is really important to the success of any team regardless of the ranking or anything like that so now it is something I really treasure and see the importance of.