Motivational slogans

The Waibel and Kopetsky families, parents and kids alike, also did a nice job decorating the players' hotel room doors with blue and gold balloons and blue and gold colored placards that say, "2 down, 1 to go."

There are also orange-painted paper plates in the shape of basketballs on each door, with each player's name on it, and strips of paper pasted on them with motivational slogans typed on them.

Following are some of the slogans, drawn from people like Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Bobby Knight and Knute Rockne:

* "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."

* "Good, better, best - never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best."

* "Basketball doesn't build character, it reveals it."

* "Boards, boards, boards."

* "Basketball is like photography; if you don't focus, all you have is the negative."

* "You have to be able to center yourself, to let all your emotions go ... Don't ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body."

--Pete Barth