Posted by BillFromTampa

“Obviously, Al was too anxious,” FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. “We seemed to be extremely anxious as a team. Mississippi State showed a lot more poise and maturity.” 

 

“We were extremely hyper and aggressive to the point that it became a fault,” Hamilton said. 

 

‘I just wish we could have turned the ball over half those times and see what would happen,” Hamilton said. 

 

On being down by just seven with 1:26 left in the first half, “We thought we almost hit the lottery,” FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. 

 

“I felt that took some of the emotion out of our players going into the locker room at the half,” Hamilton said. 

 

On Swann’s performance, “I thought he had a calmness and maturity about him that was a little different,” Hamilton said. “Obviously when Al went out we had to go to him a little bit more.” 

 

”We had to do a big job on Thornton, but what about Swan,” Mississippi State forward-center Charles Rhodes said. “I haven’t ever seen a shooter shoot like he did tonight. Swan looked like Thornton tonight. It’s a good thing they weren’t clicking.” 

 

“They outplayed us. They out-executed us,” Swann said. “It’s not too special, because we lost. I could score 50 points and if we lose, I don’t care.” 

 

On his first foul, “It was me gambling,” said Thornton, who finished with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting in 22 minutes. “I was being aggressive, being me. I wish I could take that 

one back. The second one was questionable.” 

 

“I wish I could come back next year and help them get there,” Thornton said. “It was a very emotional locker room. You could tell by the look in everybody’s eyes.” 

 

“They’re going to be OK next year,” Thornton said. “I think they’re going to do great things because the NIT is one of the worst feelings.” 

 

“He’s been the perfect senior,” Swann said of Thornton. “Anything you needed from him, he was always there – on the court or off the court.” 

 

On his short speech to the team after the game, “Its been real,” Thornton said. “[I told them to] be motivated from this situation. I know it hurts. It hurts me.” 

 

”We went at him, forced him to guard us and got some calls,” Mississippi State coach Rich Stansbury said. 

 

On Jamont Gordon, ”He was almost able to get into the lane at will,” Hamilton said. “He is a special player who creates unusual problems for other point guards.” 

 

“It’s very obvious we got some roles really defined, like Jamont Gordon’s ability to be a point guard,” Stansbury said. “You could say the first 15 games people questioned his ability to be a point guard. I don’t think there’s a person out there in that gym that questions his ability to be a point guard (now).” 

 

“I told you guys that things are going to change for us,” Gordon said, minutes after the win. “Things are going to turn around.” 

 

“The last three games, we had the chemistry in there,” Slater said. “We are playing together, and everyone is on the same page. We work on it in practice and it is finally working out for us.”