San Antonio - Texas guard T.J. Ford sat at the post-game press conference on Sunday evening with an oversized Final Four cap slung backward on his head to match the oversized grin plastered on his face.

He'd earned it.

Ford, who scored 19 points and dealt out 10 assists in the Longhorns' 85-76 win over No. 7 seed MSU on Sunday, has led the way for Texas' stampede through the NCAA Tournament - a tournament that Ford thinks is all about vindication.

"This win was very important for everyone on our team's careers," Ford said. "We know how hard it is to get (to the Final Four). It was just a great moment to know that we're on our way to New Orleans."

And if the Longhorns are on their way to dance in the Superdome, it's assured that Ford is in the driver's seat. Typically, though, Ford gives credit for his career-season to his teammates.

"All year we depended on our bench," he said. "Everyone did their job tonight, I think that's how were able to get our win."

Sound words, considering the defensive pressure MSU had put on Ford throughout most of Sunday's game. Sophomore guard Kelvin Torbert restricted Ford's trademark penetration for most of the first half, leading Ford to change his game plan a bit.

With driving down the lane against MSU a virtual roadblock, Ford found his teammates throughout the evening for open looks at the basket. The drive-and-dish mentality Ford asserted proved to be the difference.

"They're a great defensive team and they were making me work for every shot I was taking," Ford said of MSU's defense. "The thing is, my teammates really trust me. They say, 'If you put it on the rim, we'll go get it.' They said to keep driving and I knew somehow I'd get to the free throw line."

And while he was at the charity stripe, Ford made the most of it. He connected on 11 of 13 free-throw attempts, 12 of which came in the second half.

It was enough to make fans out of two opposing guards, sophomore guard Chris Hill and sophomore forward/guard Alan Anderson.

"He's obviously a very good player," Hill said. "To his credit, he didn't shoot very well, but he got to the line like 13 times and did a good job there."

Anderson concurred.

"He's so aggressive like that to drive all the time," he said. "(Ford) either drew a foul or found someone open. If he didn't get a foul, he found somebody else wide open."

Hill and Anderson combined for 19 points and 6 assists Sunday.

Aside from a spectacular, if limited, performance against MSU on Sunday, Ford has garnered accolades nearly all season long. He was named the 2003 Naismith College Basketball Male Player of the Year last Monday and Most Outstanding Player of the South Region following Sunday's game.

Ford's toughness even grew on MSU head coach Tom Izzo, who had nothing but praise for Texas' sophomore guard.

"I love the way he plays," Izzo said. "He knows his limitations, he knows his strength and he has the character. Those kinds of guys can take a team a long way. They aren't selfish, they seem content to make other players better."

And if Ford keeps excelling like he did against MSU on Sunday, the oversized grin Ford sported can only expect to get larger.