Championship Week
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 Friday, March 10
Inside the Locker Room: Rahim Lockhart
 
 Wednesday, March 8

My teammates and I are excited about the SEC tournament this weekend. We have made a lot of sacrifices this entire season, and we are hoping all our hard work will pay off this weekend in Atlanta. The team is really focused.

Inside the Locker Room
Throughout Championship Week, ESPN.com and FANSonly.com are presenting an inside look into the SEC tournament from some of the league's top players, including Rahim Lockhart of Mississippi. For more on Ole Miss, visit the Rebels' official athletic site.

This is the time we need to get hot. During the regular season, we never really got on a roll, but we know this is the time. In the last two or three games of the season, I can see the improvements we have made as a team.

We have a lot of potential, but we need to play with the desire and effort that we are capable of to make a tournament run. If we do play with the desire and effort that this program was built on, then there is nothing we can't accomplish.

We are looking forward to playing Florida on Thursday. I think it is going to be a tremendous game. If we can win that game, then we will play Auburn in the second round. The Ole Miss-Auburn contest always seems to be a good game.

We know that we have a shot at getting things done at the tournament. I think that the loss to LSU put us in the SEC tournament bracket which gives us a chance to play teams that match our style of play. We play Florida in the first round, and we played them tough earlier this year (75-71 Florida win).

If we can get past Florida, then we play Auburn. We have confidence that we can beat Auburn since we did beat them at home (79-77 overtime win) and then played them down to the wire at Auburn (a 75-72 Tiger victory). I believe things happen for a reason, and I think we can surprise some people.

I think we can make a run this weekend in Atlanta. If someone would have told me before the season that all we had to do was win four games to make the NCAA Tournament, then I would take that challenge. That's the challenge ahead of us this weekend, and I believe we can do it.

I'm looking for something big to happen this weekend for us. This is my third year to play in the tournament in Atlanta, and I'm looking forward to some great things. The biggest thing I want to do different this year is to play 'til Sunday (in the championship game).

Atlanta is a great city, and does an excellent job of hosting the tournament. The Georgia Dome is a great atmosphere for the tournament with all the teams and all the fans.

It's a good time to get the know some of the other teams' players off the court. Some of the teams stay in the same hotel so that gives us an opportunity to talk away from the court. There are some great players and coaches in this league, but what many fans may not know, is that they are also good people. That is why the SEC is the best basketball conference in the country.

 
Mississippi's official athletic site



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