The men's basketball team boarded their plane yesterday with the hopes of coming back with a new title: NCAA champions.
Despite doubts from basketball fans - according to the Facebook NCAA bracket only .3 percent of people who filled out the bracket picked AU over Tennessee -the optimism shown by head coach Jeff Jones and starting players Derrick Mercer, Garrison Carr and Brian Gilmore seemed to suggest otherwise.
Jones said during a press conference Monday that the team was excited about Friday's game ever since finding out the news of whom they would face out on the court.
"We've been thinking about Friday's game," Jones said. "Last evening [Sunday], several players asked to practice right then."
Jones also indicated that Tennessee is a very strong team and that the Eagles would have to step up to their level, which is something AU is used to ever since they faced the Maryland Terrapins in December.
"We're a team that's hungry," said junior point guard Mercer, indicating his team is still in it to win. "We're excited, nervous. We don't want to get blown out - we want to win."
One thing the Eagles will have to get used to while playing on the road is the lack of fan-base support. The past four games AU has played have been at home.
When asked about his thoughts on AU's recent interest in basketball, junior guard Carr said he appreciates the support.
"We hope students will come to Birmingham," he said.
Whether or not students make the 11-hour bus ride down doesn't matter to Mercer.
"Just knowing that they are there with us spiritually is important," he said.
Regardless of all the recent hype and fame the team has received the past week, Jones said, "I joke around [with the team] but make sure to make the point that it's still just basketball"
