I know a lot of teams around the country that have been happy to be one game out of first and ranked in the country. But it's really taken effect on our players. Not just this year, but every year I've been here. |
I know it seems like bad timing. But I wanted the players to get out of their minds what my coaching status was. |
I need to get him on my team. This guy was so clean with his fundamentals, and defensively. |
I never go for a tie. Going for a tie is for losers. |
I never seen this coming. You know, I never seen this type of game coming, especially the kind of team we are, the kind of character we have. But, you know, you never say 'never.' They came out and they just punched us. We didn't recover from it. |
I probably should have stepped down a little earlier. I felt it. Our guys' minds were just gone. What you have to understand is that they care about me, and I care about them, and sometimes when you try to play to keep someone's job, you have a tendency not to do anything. Right now, they're just playing basketball. Three weeks ago, this game probably would be a 20-point (loss). The game at Purdue (a 70-59 Indiana victory) would have been a 10-15 point loss. Right now, we're playing with peace of mind. |
I probably should have stepped down a little earlier. Our guys' minds were just gone because what you have to understand is they care about me ... Sometimes when you're playing to try and keep someone's job, you have a tendency not to do anything. |
I really wanted to send the seniors off on a good note, with a win in a bowl game. But it's not going to happen. |
I see guys grabbing and pushing him. He's got to just maybe run from the play. |
I should be trying to coach basketball and our guys should be enjoying their college careers. But I don't know if I've had a team that's had positive memories out of this whole deal since I've been here. |
I stepped out on faith a couple of months ago and when this job became available, I waited for the phone call. I can't explain to you how excited I am to be back in Alabama and to have an opportunity to lead a basketball program again. |
I think both Marshall and Robert are looking for their shots more than they did at the beginning of the year. Early in the year they based their shots on catch-and-shoot type shots. Now, our tempo is higher and they're scoring a lot for us. |
I think every coach, whether or not they're going to be there next year, anytime they have a group of guys they really love and appreciate, I feel more sadness for them than anyone because they fought hard. They really fought hard over the last month. I'm proud of them. |
I think I did all right. I had a lot of operating room from my teammates. That made it possible for me to have a good night. |
I think Indiana needs to have one of their own, someone who's played here so they can embrace him. They need that. I'm not upset or disappointed. I think they really need that because these players deserve better. |