Chat Transcript
CBS SportsLine.com
March 13, 2001

Welsh lead the Friars to second place in the east division of the Big East conference. (Allsport)

The teams have been selected and now the games are about to begin. Check out what Providence head coach Tim Welsh had to say about his team's season and making it to the NCAA Tournament.

Welsh is finishing up his third year as the Friars coach and has lead the team to a ten seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Friars finished the season second in the east division of the Big East Conference (11-5) with an overall record of 21-9.

Tim Welsh: Hello to all you college basketball fans. I wish you a great March and the greatest moment in sports, the NCAA Tournament. We're glad to be in it and glad you are in it as well, by being at this chat!

Question: bbdawg: Everyone says you were definitely a surprise team coming out of the Big East this year. Did you know this team had it in them? Why? I thought we could be improved from last year but not sure we could make it to this level.

Tim Welsh: We stuck together and built ourselves up from last year and are taking the challenge well. We're ready to play in the tournament.

Question: letsgo: What do you look at as THE game this season that showed this team could play with the big boys?

Tim Welsh: The 2 games in particular were the UConn at home and Georgetown at home. That showed us we could play with two of the top teams in the league.

Question: provrox: How tough was the loss to Syracuse and what concerns, if any, did that game bring to light for you heading into the tourney?

Tim Welsh: It was a very difficult loss. We wanted to do well in the Big East tournament. Hopefully we got the tournament jitters out of us in the first half of that game and will be well schooled for the NCAA tournament.

Question: domeguy: Coach--I'm a Syracuse grad--what did you learn from Coach Boeheim when you were an assistant? And why is Coach Boeheim so underrated--the guy has 599 wins?!

Tim Welsh: I learned a lot from Jim. How to prepare the team for a long season and keep it all in perspective. Winning and losing. He is underrated because he is not a self promoter, he is a coach. He does with not with flair but with efficiency and hard work.

Question: barky: PSU knocked off MSU last week. They apparently have the potential for a big game. How does that concern you?

Tim Welsh: Absolutely it concerns us. They are one of the few teams that have beaten two #1 seeds (MSU and Illinois) along with a #2 team (Kentucky).

Question: mleonard31: Coach, what are your plans to get Shabazz more involved and productive as we all know he can be?

Tim Welsh: We have to run certain plays for him. And look for him more often. He also has to be more aggressive in getting the ball.

Question: provrox: You’ve had some streaky play from some key players this season, what have you been telling them to avoid that happening in the tourney?

Tim Welsh: We are just trying to keep a balance of inside and outside scoring. As well as keeping our composure from top to bottom.

Question: adamgorney: Can you talk a little about Erron Maxey?

Tim Welsh: He is a warrior. One of our heart and souls. He does the dirty work for us. He doesn't care about points or minutes. He just cares about winning.

Question: domeguy: Coach, everyone knows about John Linnehan's defensive ability, but how did he improve so much over last year offensively, especially with his shooting touch?

Tim Welsh: Pure and simple. Hard work and long hours in the gym.

Question: pcmike: #10 seed seems low, is this another motivation to the guys?

Tim Welsh: I really believe that it is a super motivator. We have played the underdog role all season long.

Question: mleonard31: Coach, how is Laksa adjusting to the broken nose and possible face mask?

Tim Welsh: At present he has a clean bill of health and will not need to wear the mask.

Question: letsgo: The team shot a mere 24% vs Cuse. Was it that 2-3 zone giving you trouble or was it just an off shooting night?

Tim Welsh: It was a combination of both.

Question: marty3: What's it like preparing for an Opponent in The First Round of the Tournament your not familiar with compared to a Conference Opponent?

Tim Welsh: Well, you have to dig deep into their style of play and what they do. Watching extra long hours of tape too.

Question: domeguy: Coach Welsh-- I'm a Syracuse fan-- and one thing I noticed during the Big East Tourney game against PC was that the Cuse did surprisingly well against your team on the boards. What adjustments will you make in that regard to do better against a physical Penn State team?

Tim Welsh: We have to make we box out more efficiently and understand that positioning is the key.

Question: domeguy: Coach, you guys faced BC, outside of your team, do you think they have the best chance of getting to the Final Four from the Big East?

Tim Welsh: Certainly they have proven from start to finish that they are the cream of the crop in the league. So I think they do have the best chance.

Question: dylan1: How do you feel your conference matches up with the other major conferences?"

Tim Welsh: The top 5 in all the conferences. And I think they are interchangeable form year to year.

Question: ganhfriar: Do you think playing in the Dome will affect both teams 3 point shooting?

Tim Welsh: We will have to wait and see.

Tim Welsh: Thanks for coming out tonight and chatting. Wish us luck when we take on Penn State. Goodnight!