Well, to state the obvious, we're happy to be here today. We survived an incredible basketball game between two incredibly competitive teams. I think that game could go up as Exhibition A of what this tournament has been.

We have to keep reminding them they?re the No. 1 team in the country to get them to truly believe how good they are. I mean, I spent two hours against Albany trying to get my team to truly believe that. Let?s put it this way: For 28-3, we?re not an overly confident basketball team. On the contrary, this is a team that sometimes has had crises of confidence.

We are incredibly happy to be here today. We survived an incredible basketball game. Washington gave us everything we could ever imagine to handle. But we were able to withstand it and advance. And that is what you want to do in the NCAA Tournament.

We became a terrific basketball team. We have had some times when the expectations weighed heavily upon us. As the season wore down, we saw our window of opportunity start to become more limited. The greatest thing we did was we kicked the window out and we made the opportunity for ourselves.

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.

We weren't prepared. We were living on an 11-0 season that meant absolutely nothing because you have to play the next one.

There's something to learn about college basketball on every page. Not to mention that the book is just fun to read.

I've watched him grow as a person, but he's still been able to maintain his wit, his optimism and that ever-ready smile. A lot of kids would have spit the bit at different times if they weren't starting. All he wants to really do is play and win and that's exactly what he's done. He's as comfortable in his skin as any kid I've ever had. I'm telling you right now ? and hopefully it will be five weeks, six weeks before it's the end of his career ? I will miss him for his personality, along with obviously his basketball game. He's a terrific kid.

The sky's the limit with his ability and his vision of the game. I watch some of those NBA games and I happened to be watching Boston down the stretch, and I said, 'You throw him in that uniform and all of a sudden they'll be a different basketball team.' I believe that much in him.

Rashad wanted to be so good tonight, and of all guys who I thought wanted the limelight at home, it's really unfortunate he didn't have the kind of game he's capable of having. He's a terrific basketball player ... the best sixth man in college basketball.

People had the misconception that if you have three 6-10 kids, all of a sudden you have a good basketball team. The game takes instinct.

The name has magic to it. There's nobody in basketball that when I say the name Gavitt they don't respond.

Denham is playing the best basketball of his life. This is the guy we had while winning the Maui Invitational. Denham had some roadblocks but thank God he stayed with it all season. But that's the story of this season. It's all about who can persevere.

Albany was magnificent for 30 minutes. We were equally, if not better or more magnificent, the last 10 minutes of the basketball game.

They gave us a tremendous shot. We withstood it and stood up to it. I couldn't prouder of my basketball team.

They don't measure heart by inches, they don't measure courage, they don't measure basketball instinct and intelligence.

They find a way to win. A lot of the things that happened against Washington were plays that players make. Guys who refuse to lose a basketball game, guys who are down by five with 30 seconds to go but don?t believe they?re going to lose. And that, as a coach, you don?t teach. Maybe you try to set the mood that we?re still here, but you can?t set the mood if you don?t have winners with you.

They are barred indefinitely from all team activities, and their academic and personal activities will be closely monitored on a daily basis by the members of our basketball staff. They will continue to have complete access to all of the academic support staff so they can focus their energies on their studies.

They are a tough, tough basketball team. They made our life awfully, awfully miserable. We thought the game was going to be as easy as it was early.

This is where our basketball culture stands. Whether I agree with kids leaving after two or three years really is of no consequence.

They're a good basketball team. They're going to be very tough out in their league. We gave up 24 points in a very short period of time.

It was a terrific, terrific win in a very hostile basketball atmosphere. We got the ball where we wanted to most of the time. ... The difference in the game was our power inside.

It's incredibly needed on this basketball team. He is our inside threat right now.

It's amazing that we were playing Kentucky for the first time. But we're trying to earn (recognition) as a lead program in America, and hopefully we continue to do that. It was obviously a tremendous, tremendous basketball game.

It's both being fortunate and having the basketball gods smiling on you a little bit because quite frankly they had every right to win that game as much as we did. We took our foot off the pedal and we can't do that.

It seems Ed picks up fouls quicker than any guy I've ever had. And I don't know why. Ed is a very good basketball player and yet I don't think he ever gets recognized for that. He automatically gets tagged because he looks strong and muscular. Well, he's a very good player.

No kid in America has come so far to be a top-20 basketball player.

They did more than enough to win this game. More than enough. We were fortunate that the basketball gods were smiling on us. They had every right to win that game as much as we did.

I'll remember Marcus' smile from the office in the mornings. I'll remember his loyalty; I'll remember how hard he has worked on becoming a terrific basketball player that is, in my opinion capable of stepping into the NBA and starting for someone next year.

I don't know if there is another player as complete or as poised all the time with the basketball. Bottom line is that he's a terrific basketball player.

If I haven?t changed, then I know I wouldn?t be sitting here today, ... You don?t coach college basketball in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and now the 2000s, unless you make changes. The outside wrapper is probably a little different, but the values are the same.

I can still see Calvin Murphy getting 62 points, and I can still see flashbacks from the pictures of Wilt getting 100, ... You go from the biggest to the smallest. The wonders of the game, from the guys playing pickup to the kids shooting in Indiana to the inner city kid who finds a way out through the sport of basketball - and I don't mean necessarily to the NBA - are embodied in this game. It doesn't take wealth or pure size. It takes heart, repetition, talent. All that stuff is embodied in the game. When I walk through that building, it's embodied there.

I don't think the Big East or college basketball or the (selection) committee should feel any embarrassment if that team goes to the NCAA Tournament. (But) we were home and Denham, some of our veteran players, Rashad, etc., they made some terrific plays down the stretch.

We feel that the 2-2-1 press is a very effective means of controlling tempo and providing us with opportunities to capitalize on the mistakes of our opponents. At the same time we feel it is a very safe press because we work very hard at the necessary rotations.

We stop practice every time we see one of our players not blocking out.

...Basketball doesn't care what color your skin is. It doesn't care what language you speak or what religion you practice. It doesn't care if you're big or small, fast or slow. It just asks you to play, to complete, to lose with dignity, to win humility.

This is my favorite time of the year. I love it. I just hope we come out and play the best basketball possible. Win and advance: that's all we think about. It's one game at a time. We don't talk at all about Indianapolis or Washington, D.C.

We did it, but it's tough to get all the way through. It won't surprise me to see somebody playing a fourth game in four days, the league is like that this year. This was the most games that came down to last three minutes, at least our most in 10 years and yet we were 27-2, which means we were there to finish the deal. But in a one-game tournament anything can happen.

Six games to go. Obviously there is significance to it.

My fear is being flat (for the start of league play). When we lost to Boston College last year to start the Big East, we couldn't raise ourselves to that level. Having not played that kind of competition recently, I have concerns, but we have to play these two games first.

Of 1,100 basketball games I've been fortunate to be involved with, I've never been involved in anything like that.

If we keep winning 30 games a year, I think we'll be in pretty good shape and we'll win our championships again.

We have to be a much more focused team. We need to stay connected. We seem to fix our mistakes as games go on. But a full 40 minutes of focus is what we're going to need.

He likes playing here. We may move all of our games here.

I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't see some different teams in the semifinals than what people are predicting. And I wouldn't be surprised to see someone play four games in four days. That's just the way this season has gone.

Over 16 Big East regular season games, we were good. Over 29 games this season, we were good. But every game you have to show up. Today's 40 minutes are the most important 40 minutes. Our Big East season is over. Hopefully, this is a good lesson for us.

Marcus Johnson, who works very hard in our practice sessions, looks better in games than he does in practice. I like that.

I still felt right to the end we would win the game. This team is walking out 30-4. If we keep winning 30 games a year, I think we'll be in pretty good shape and we'll win our championships again. We didn't get there this year, but we'll do that.

Well, 1,100 basketball games I've been fortunate to be involved with (and) I've never been quite involved with something like that. It was just an incredible game fought by two teams who gave it everything they possibly have. And I don't know if the teams could have gone another minute. I thought it was an incredible display of what competition is all about.

That was one of the most exhausting, emotional games I've ever been in.