Bethune-Cookman University vying for NCAA berth: 'We’ve got to lock in and win'

Bethune-Cookman University has been competing at the Division I level for more than 40 years, but they’ve never clinched a spot in the Big Dance.

The Wildcats can do so by winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Men's Basketball Tournament this week.

BCU posted a 13-5 record in the SWAC this season – tying for the most conference wins in program history.

Even though the team’s record is back to being 0-0 once they take the court for the tournament, they can’t forget this year’s success.

What they're saying:

"I’m hungry. My team’s hungry. We’re trying to do something that’s never been done before," junior guard, Trey Thomas, said.

"We play hard and we have a lot of confidence in our players. We trust what we do. We trust what coaches tell us to do," forward, Jesus Carralero Martin, said.

"Everything that matters is now. We’ve got to lock in and win this tournament," junior forward Daniel Rouzan said.

What's next:

The Wildcats are just a few more wins away from making history.  They’re focused on the main goal and locked in.

"It would be an enormous gift to the university and to our players to be a part of that history," BCU head men’s basketball coach Reggie Theus said.

The Wildcats travel to Atlanta for the SWAC Tournament on Tuesday. They’re the No. 3 seed and will face Alcorn State in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.

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The Source: This story was written based on interviews conducted by FOX 35's Jessica Eley with Bethune-Cookman University's head men's basketball coach and several basketball players.

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