SAN JOSE, Calif. — Darington Hobson is learning pretty quick about March Madness.

The 6-foot-7 John Wooden Award finalist never thought an off-the-cuff comment he made Sunday that was published on a Santa Fe New Mexican sports blog would come back to be the focus of attention in California on the eve of the NCAA Tournament, where his New Mexico Lobos are the No. 3 seed in the East Region set to take on No. 14 Montana today at 7:40 p.m.

After Sunday's selection show viewing party in The Pit, Hobson was asked about his knowledge of the Lobos' not-so-stellar history in the NCAA Tournament, to which he responded with a bold prediction.

"This year, we're going to the Elite Eight," Hobson said. "Maybe further. That's my prediction."

Come March, confidence in your team turns into bulletin board material for an opponent faster than Hobson can slash through the paint.

Asked to explain himself, Hobson didn't back off, but did clarify.

"I was just talking, but I have a lot of confidence in my coaches and teammates," Hobson said. "Like I said, as long as we're playing together and playing unselfishly and doing the things that we're capable of doing ... it's hard to beat us.

"When I said that, it was how I was feeling at the time, and I still feel that way."

Hobson wasn't the only one caught up in what being under the March Madness microscope can mean.

Montana's star guard, Anthony Johnson, earlier this week said he was expecting a higher profile opponent from a No. 3 seed than the Mountain West Conference champion, most likely a powerful Big East Conference team.

"You have to pay attention to stuff like that," Dairese Gary, UNM junior point guard, said of Johnson's comment. "That's, I mean, to me, a slap in the face. I mean, a Big East school, they're good, a lot of good teams in there, but we have a good record. We've been proving all year that we can beat good teams, that we are a good team."

The coaches from both teams, meanwhile, were much more apt to write off each players comments as kids being kids at a time when they're under more media attention than ever before.

"The bulletin board stuff is fun," Steve Alford, UNM coach, said. "We're not the Big East. We've said it all year long: We're New Mexico."

Montana head coach Wayne Tinkle was a little more direct at where the blame for most bulletin board material lies.

"You're still talking about kids that are 18 to 22 years old," Tinkle told a reporter. "Part of the excitement and the joy, they get a little bit giddy and maybe sometimes we put a little more into what they say rather than what they actually meant. Hint, hint."

Contact Geoff Grammer at 986-3060 or ggrammer@sfnewmexican.com. Read his blog at grammerschoolblog.com.