Fresh off an OUA Championship and coming into the CIS Men's Basketball Final 8 as the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history, the Ryerson Rams have every right to be cocky, and every right to be feeling the pressure.
 
However, according to Rams star guard Aaron Best, neither apply – well, not really.
 
"Yes and no," said Best. "Yes, we're the number one seed coming in, but we want to take it one game at a time, one day at a time, and just have a singular focus. We're not trying to look to far into the future, just take it one step at a time and go from there."
 
Head coach Patrick Tatham gave a slightly different response, admitting that, while there might be a few jitters that come with earning the top billing, his Rams might not be the team facing the most pressure during their Thursday night matchup.
 
"There might be a bit of pressure on us," admitted Tatham. "There might be more pressure on UBC to win against us because they're the host team and they're on their home court."
 
Disregarding any external concerns, Tatham turned his focus to the matchup on the floor.
 
"They're big, strong, and physical," assessed Tatham. "They shoot the ball very well, and they play the passing lanes. We're going to have to take care of the basketball, and we're going to have to match their physicality if we want to have a shot at this game. We're goin to have to shoot the ball well, like we usually do. So it'll be an interesting game. Very interesting."
 
The Rams and 'Birds, who come in as the No. 8-ranked team in the tournament, are set to clash in the final match of tomorrow's four-game quarterfinal docket at 8:00 p.m. (PT).
 
The full schedule of the competition, as well as information about all eight participating teams, can be found here.