I think we probably came in here as a No. 4 seed, maybe even a No. 5. Because of our work this weekend it's pushed us into a No. 3 seed, which is obviously very special. |
I thought all the teams were going to be better in our league, with maybe the exception of Illinois. I thought they'd be very good. |
I thought Dee was awfully patient and then James came back in the second half and gave them a big lift. But Randle and McBride were probably the difference. |
I thought our leadership was tremendous. At the start of the game it was very good, and at the start of the second half it was very good. It's a great way to start a tournament. |
I thought this was a good way to start the tournament. |
I thought we had a couple of good leads in each half and we didn't finish either. It came down to our inability to keep them off the offensive glass and turnovers. That really hurt us. |
I thought we were going to be pretty good. And I always thought Michigan, with everybody healthy and coming back would be tough. I don't think it's a surprise at all that the two of us are at the top of the league. |
I wasn't impressed with many areas of our defense, which has been pretty solid all year. I don't think we defended very well. |
I woke up and I was upset. A lot of times I watch tape, and I pause it and see what's going on. That would have been a neat game to switch over and see what he's doing. |
I'll give him a little bit of leniency. But that's not a pass I want him to make. |
I'm a believer in both. Being old school, I always considered the NIT such a prestigious tournament. I'm somebody who would be very disappointed if it went away. Any time young people can experience the post-season and what goes into post-season play, it's a good thing. |
I'm doing the things I believe in, and that's important. It's not always an easy task in a changing environment. Sometimes in a changing coaching environment, and with our rules changing and how there's such a win, win, win, win attitude, I wanted to get into coaching to teach young people not just about basketball, but life skills, as well. I feel like I've been able to do that. |
I'm flattered with the interest and the recognition of the outstanding season we had this year. With that success, comes attention and speculation I cannot control. I have not scheduled any interviews with any other institutions. |
I'm glad we got a day for the players to enjoy what they did last weekend. We made sure they enjoyed it. But this (the NCAA tournament) is what you play for. |
I'm just glad A.J. didn't get his feet set. He had a real good look there. |