When Middle Tennessee State University senior forward Reggie Upshaw takes the floor in Milwaukee this afternoon for an NCAA tournament first-round game against Minnesota, it could be for the final time as a collegiate athlete.
The 6-foot-8, 228-pound former Baylor School standout enters today averaging 14.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and a team-high 31.8 minutes per game for the Blue Raiders, who have won 20 of their past 21 games and are 30-4 overall this season. Upshaw was a guest earlier this week on "Press Row" on Chattanooga's 105.1 FM.
Q: Does this year have a different feel given the first-round upset of Michigan State in last year's tournament?
A: "It's different because nobody is going to allow us to sneak up on them. We kind of snuck up on Michigan State and blew everybody out of the water with how we played, but this will be different. Minnesota is going to be more locked in, and I bet their scouting report is a lot more detailed than the one last year."
Q: Will you guys have a chip on your shoulder after only getting a 12 seed given all you've accomplished?
A: "We will. We know, as a mid-major, that we're not always going to get a lot of love and respect, but I feel like the way we played and being 30-4 with good nonconference wins will speak for itself when we play."
Q: What do you know about the Golden Gophers?
A: "They have a couple of great guards, and any time you have great guards, you have the capability of dominating the game since they handle the ball most of the time. As long as we can control their guard play, we will have a good chance to win. They're a typical Big Ten team, so we will also have to match their physical play inside."
Q: Have you thought about how this could be your final game?
A: "I think about it all the time. I've been so blessed to play four years here at Middle Tennessee, and for it to be coming to an end doesn't seem real. I never thought that four years could go by so fast."
Q: What is your favorite memory so far, beating Michigan State or your brother coming from the Air Force Academy to surprise you on senior night?
A: "I would definitely say senior night. I wasn't expecting him to make that trip at all. We talk right before every game, and we spoke that day, and he told me he was still in Colorado and that he would be watching. For him to make that trip and make that happen for me takes the cake."
Q: What is considered the biggest win in MTSU history, last year over Michigan State or the 1982 victory over Kentucky?
A: "From what I've heard, the win last year is the biggest in school history. A lot of people who filled out brackets had Michigan State as a lock for the Final Four, and a lot of people had them winning the whole thing. Even some of the older people around here say that last year's win was the biggest by far."
Q: Is this the best team in MTSU history?
A: "We're certainly viewed as one of the best to ever come through here. Everybody compares us to the 2013 team that went to the NCAAs and got put out by Saint Mary's. I get a kick out of asking our coaches and other people who the greatest team is, and everybody has been saying that we are because we have the 30 wins and the way we've gone about this season."
Q: Have you thought about what you want to do once this season ends?
A: "I plan on playing professionally somewhere, but I don't know where. That will all get figured out once I sign with an agent. I've tried not to think about that too much."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.