Media Day quotes

Menzies on health and eligibility entering Friday's game at St. Mary's
"Eligibility wise we still don't have B.J. West with us and Abdoulaye as well. ... We are hopeful and optimistic that they will get done soon but we just don't know when. We are waiting to see what the powers that be come back with. Healthwise we are in great shape. The guys are all healthy. The only person is Robert Lumpkins that tweaked his ankle a little bit over the weekend but he should be good to go for Friday."

Menzies on center Hamidu Rahman, who goes up against St. Mary's senior center Omar Samhan
"It's a great test for Hamidu to go against a quality big early in the year especially. He gets challenged every day with guys but nobody with that skill set and of that physical stature so it will be a good test for him. He has done a lot of good things in the offseason that will help him be ready for the challenge. He is doing an excellent job in practice of focusing and getting better. He's really anticipating a matchup and we as coaches are as well. He won't be by himself. We are going to do a lot of things that I think defensively will help him out. We can't just leave him on an island by himself when we have a quality big like that."

Menzies on first two games of the season.
"All teams need a good start. That's why the big boys play the sisters of the poor. Our situation is a little different. We have some returners. We have some new guys put into the mix with them so we have a delicate balance that we are trying to figure out with substitution pattern and making sure that guys are a family and understand that their time might not come in this game but it might come in another game. And so I feel pretty confident that because of their chemistry and their unity that won't be too much of a problem. It's good to have that depth so if it's a problem it's a good problem.

"The two games that are starting off with were scheduled specifically that way because we want some good strong RPI teams on the schedule and wanted to get the season off with some energy and some enthusiasm in the city and what better way to do that than playing your rival. They are going to have as much prep as we are against them so that's a wash. It's just a matter for us, we wanted to start off with a game that was going to draw a lot of interest and draw a lot of fans as well as get an opportunity to get our students there for the home game."


That's all for now as I don't want to give all the quotes that I plan on using for Friday's story about the game. But in case you don't know how Gordo's name came about, here is Gordo's version. Pretty funny stuff.
"When I was little, I was just a big kid. A lot of people don't even know this. I couldn't even really talk or nothing when I was little. I would just really eat. They would ask me what I wanted and I would point at things. I was a loner when I was a kid so I just ate and I was pretty big. I wasn't big-big. I was just of those kids that got big. I just stretched out and Gordo just always stayed with me and everyone just know me as Gordo. A lot of people are like, 'Do you have a real name?' And I'm like, ya it's Aaron. That's on my license. A lot of people really think my name is Gordo. It's funny but I don't mind it. I actually don't like my name Aaron at all. But people still call me Aaron sometimes like my mom or my brother."