"And just this one time to have it out here, and to see how well the sport is supported out here and how seriously it is taken and how our athletic director really got behind this.
Mark (Jackson) has been just amazing," said Amonte Hiller.
Amonte Hiller expressed hope that local sports fans and youth players would recognize the high level of competition showcased during the championship weekend.
"And then the amount of staff and people and volunteers that have really made this a special thing already.
I really hope that it goes off tomorrow, and young people in this area and fans in this area really get to see how awesome this sport is," said Amonte Hiller.
The head coach noted that playing the national tournament on their familiar home turf allowed the roster to maintain regular routines.
Reflecting on the regular season matchups, Amonte Hiller recalled the physical toll of previous travel schedules before facing Johns Hopkins in their March conference game.
"So it will be cool to see a fresh Hopkins and a fresh Northwestern on a week's rest and see us battle it out," said Amonte Hiller.
The coach emphasized that the subsequent weeks of conference play had allowed both Big Ten programs to develop their identities and rosters before meeting on the national stage.
"I know they have improved a ton and found themselves. They have incredible personnel from top to bottom, and I think we've been finding ourselves too.
