March 6, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Weekly News Conference
Aztec Athletics Center
Junior center Ryan Amoroso
On having a week to prepare for the game at Air Force:
"Air Force is always tough to guard. The thing about Air Force is you really need to stay focused for all 40 minutes because they are capable of all kinds of things. That is why the coaches always like a full week to get ready for Air Force."
On getting motivated to play at Air Force:
"I think at this point, it's about preparing ourselves for the (Mountain West Conference) tournament. One of the best ways to do that is to get a flow and rhythm going, and kind of get on our own personal run. I think because our only chance of making it to the NCAA tournament is to win the conference tournament, is motivation for us alone. That was a goal we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year and we believe it is still attainable. The next step in getting there is to go play Air Force hard for 40 minutes."
On playing at Air Force:
"We will be playing in a hostile environment at Air Force. Their home record over the last five years speaks for itself. I think it will be good for us, and especially our young guys, to go there and play in a tough environment to help us prepare for the (MWC) tournament."
On his first year as an Aztec:
"Coming to this program, I knew that it would be very competitive and that it would be a family-type atmosphere and it has been just that. I have had great experiences with everyone out here so far."
On his first year in the Mountain West Conference:
"It has been a pretty good experience. It is a really competitive league. Teams come out and play hard and fight until the final minutes. It has been a fun league and I really look forward to coming back next year."
On the significance of reaching the 20-win plateau:
"When you look across the country at all the great programs, no matter who they bring in or who they lose, they are always winning at least 20 games. I think in this day of college basketball, winning 20 games is somewhat of a staple of a quality program. The fact that Coach Fisher has got his program to the point of winning 20 games three years in a row, I think that speaks volumes for the job he's done since he's been here. If Coach keeps doing what he's doing with bringing in good players and executing game plans, I think the sky is the limit for this program."
Freshman guard D.J. Gay
On his first year at San Diego State:
"It has been a great experience. I have had my ups and downs and sometimes it just seemed like a big circus. But, I hung in there and I had my team behind me. They never lost trust in me and always had confidence in me. As the season went on I began to play better and hopefully I can just continue to get better and contribute to this team."
On his first year in the Mountain West Conference:
"It was great competition for me. Going to a Division I basketball program, I knew I had to get stronger, faster and better in every aspect. The guards in this league are all good and made me work. They kept me in the gym extra hours to get some extra shots up and work on my game. It has been a great experience."
On the significance of reaching the 20-win plateau:
"One of the main reasons I came to this program was because it's a winning program. (Reaching 20 wins) will definitely contribute to our recruiting. Having 20 wins under your belt for the last three years is only going to help us for the near future."