Famous Quotes & Sayings

To have someone who was a player of the year in Wisconsin and who has won two consecutive state titles is very exciting for our basketball program.

You have to look at who we were playing - a very good basketball team. The effort proved consistent from most of our players. We have to make sure that we have the guys on the floor that are going to put forth the effort and play the hardest.

Willa Ford

You have to look at the next game. You can't start looking back at what-ifs. We understand who we are as a basketball team, and we're not a great basketball team. We're very short-handed, so we've got to be overachievers. I've been happy with way the team has competed.

Tom Izzo

You have to look at the first game, and it's hard to look past it in this tournament, especially now when you see some of the eight, nine and 10 seeds. Kentucky and Wisconsin as eight and nine seeds, that tells you the 11 seeds are going to be pretty good basketball teams.

You have to know where he is all the time when you play those guys. Because of that, other kids on their team get open looks. He's just a very, very good high school basketball player. I was very impressed with how hard he worked tonight. Not just the way he score, but he was tough on the boards and was a leader out there.

You have to just focus on the moment and every opportunity. We know we're coming here and playing a really good basketball team that really plays well at home, and that's great motivation.

You have to walk out there and realize you're a championship team, too. You played good basketball to get to this point, regardless of who it was against. That's what we tell our kids. We can play with anybody, but we have to stay focused.

With him in the ballgame, we are a different basketball team. We have a place to go inside to get some baskets and rebounds and he alters shots.

Rick Pitino

With seven new players, we're never going to have an experienced lineup. This is who we are. We're a very young and inexperienced basketball team. But they're willing to play hard.

Joe Montana

You guys forget I was a pretty good basketball player. They offered me a college scholarship in that, too.

Damon Jones

You have to give credit to Dallas, they came up with a great game plan in the second half to speed the game up and get the momentum down in there place. They came in here and tried to do the same thing, but because we learned from our prior mistakes. We were able to move the basketball and get some good looks.

Tommy Amaker

We always know the follow-up of an emotional win or loss is critical. We certainly know there's a lot of basketball to be played, and the focus for us is to stay in the hunt for the conference title.

This year he played all five positions at one time or another. He's just a tremendous 1-A basketball player. He's versatile. He can finish around the basket and handle the ball. He's as fundamentally sound a player as I've ever coached.

When you look at what we trot out there and you look at our physical stature you'd think, well, I don't know. But we do play awfully well together and we've got some basketball skills; we can pass it, we can shoot it and we try to guard you. When you've won 21 ballgames in January, you've got to be a pretty good team.

Jay Wright

What we are most proud of is these young guys really wanted to be part of the U.S. basketball team. They didn't care who was the leading scorer. That's unique these days.

We've really had a rough couple of months of basketball and it's been tough and draining. I'm very proud of the girls because they've persevered. They've come out ready to play every night and they haven't had a letdown.

We've probably played more basketball as a whole, than any team around.

Jim Calhoun

We've probably had five complete games all year. I truly expect, though - and I hope it happens, and it needs to happen - for us to have a bust-out game where we put together a lot of longer stretches of the kind of basketball I think we are capable of.

Billy Donovan

What happened is significant in basketball in the state of Florida, is significant to the University of Florida. To be a part of it, as I am, I'll remember this for the rest of my life. I'll remember these 10 years, in terms of trying to build things and create a level of consistency.

Bill Self

What are they, 6-9 in the conference? They could easily be 9-6 or 10-5. They are a good basketball team. Jim (Wooldridge) has done a great job with them and it will be a very difficult game for us.

What they are is a good basketball team. Not too fancy. Just a good basketball team.

We're 'pesky'; I love that word that's being used for our basketball team. As a university, too, we're annoying, like George Mason was. We're aggressive. We go by the rules but we don't do it the way it's always been done.

We talk more basketball (because) we go home from practice together. I just wanted to make him proud of the way I was playing.

We talked to the kids before this week started that we wanted to end the season playing good basketball. The kids responded to that. You want to be playing your best basketball this time of year. It has been a roller-coaster year but now is a good time to peak. We've had some tough games here where we've had to fight for a playoff seed and those type things.

John Jay

Thursday's game was a difficult game to coach and endure. Today's was not. It was the best 40 minutes of basketball we've played since Washington State (on Jan. 21). There's an enthusiastic locker room that is excited about practicing on Monday. From those things, I'm pleased today.

Through the winter months, during basketball season, he found time to get to the weight room and to work on his throwing. There are things like that he took the initiative to do and it all pays off. We're hoping it pays off come state time.

We talked about coming out and playing 32 minutes of solid basketball and I think we played 27 or 28 minutes very well.

We talk defense all the time. When out shots are not falling, we can still win a basketball game by playing good defense.

We just refused to lose. Great leadership and a great basketball team. The girls won it with their heart.

We just played with energy, leaving everything that happened before in the past. Our minds are just all clear, and we're just playing basketball now.

We just played basketball. Everybody throws all these funky things at (Prairie). We just played basketball, and I'm very proud of them. We played basketball like a team.

We just peaked at the right time. There were five really good teams. I'm just ecstatic for my boys. (Riverton coach) Steve Galley did a tremendous job; that was a great high school basketball game.

We just need to focus on winning a game. We don't look at it as trying to get into the tournament. We're just trying to win some basketball games.