Texas A&M coach Gary Blair might as well have said, ''Final Four or bust.''
The veteran coach is getting tired of hearing how strong his program is, only to bow out of the NCAA tournament earlier than expected.
''We're having top-10 recruiting classes every year and we need to validate what we're doing on the national scene,'' Blair said. ''Sometimes the media and the fans, and sometimes even the recruits, will not give you that true recognition until you've been to the Final Four.
''We haven't lived up to expectations in the NCAA playoffs, except maybe the year that we lost to Tennessee'' in a 2008 regional final, Blair added. ''It's time for us to do what is expected of us.''
The Aggies (27-5) open their sixth straight NCAA tournament, and fourth straight as a No. 2 seed, against 15th-seeded McNeese State (26-6) on Sunday evening.
Last season's tournament might have been as disappointing as any for A&M, which was upset in the second round by Gonzaga, which had the benefit of a larger crowd on its side because the game was played in Seattle.
The Aggies, however, say the hostile environment had less to do with last season's loss than the way they took success for granted.
''We didn't come in as focused as we should have and I think that left a sour taste in our mouths at the end of the year,'' senior A&M guard Sydney Colson said.
It was a painful lesson, Colson recalled, but one she expected to help A&M this year.
''We have a goal in our mind that we want to achieve and we don't plan to let any upsets occur on our path,'' she said.
Experience is on the Aggies' side. They have two seniors and three juniors in the starting lineup. Senior Danielle Adams, who at 6-foot-1 plays power forward and center, has been their leader, averaging 22.7 points and 8.6 rebounds.
The Cowgirls, champions of the Southland Conference, have never before appeared in the NCAA tournament. They had to pull off a notable one-season turnaround - they won only seven games last season - to earn their maiden NCAA bid.
Fourth-year McNeese coach Brooks Donald Williams said the difference this season was improved team chemistry and the growth of sophomore guards Ashlyn and Caitlyn Baggett, who are not only twins but McNeese's top two scorers. Ashlyn averages 17 points and Caitlyn 11.4.
Against the Aggies, however, the biggest burden likely will fall on McNeese senior 6-1 forward Kiara Johnson, who will be the primary defender on Adams.
''Nobody in the country has been able to stop Danielle Adams all year,'' Williams said. ''She's tough, a force inside. We're going to have to do it with a lot of fight, a lot of grit and a lot of team effort.''
Because the Aggies have been victimized by inspired underdog performances before, Blair said he was going to great lengths to remind his players of major basketball upsets, including Morehead State's victory over Louisville in the men's tournament Thursday.
''I will pull out every David-and-Goliath story that I have and just say, 'Hey, we do not want to be a part of that,''' Blair said.
If the Aggies advance, Blair could wind up facing Louisiana Tech, a team with which he won back-to-back national titles as an assistant coach in 1981-82. The Lady Techsters, meanwhile, are coached by Teresa Weatherspoon, who played briefly under Blair and later won a national title as a player with Tech in 1988.
