Mike Brey Quotations

We're in a position where we're just trying to scratch our way to New York City.

We know we face the biggest basketball week of our lives. We're trying to get to New York City with the three games we have next week.

The problem with last year's group was they watched the selection show and had their hearts taken from them. And maybe more hurtful than that was they heard all the speculation for a day that they should have been in, as much as I told them, 'It's over, move on, we're in the NIT.' ... This group, there's no drama.

We needed a league win. I was happy with how our group came out and hopefully it's something we can build on.

Luke's been very solid there. He's come a long way with his post defense and his defensive rebounding. (Fordham) left him alone and he made shots and gave us a double-digit lead we didn't relinquish.

Let's slow the whole game down a little bit and see if we can just plug along and be better each day.

Let's see if we can put two together. That's the only step we can think about taking right now.

Second half, we were excellent defensively. We did rebound the ball well at key times.

Since I've been at Notre Dame, I've really tried to focus on the state, and thankfully we've had a lot of success with it. I love the kids in the state of Indiana. I think it starts with great high school coaches.

I don't think we played very well early in the game. A lot of that was Georgetown. They're a very good basketball team. I'm just proud we gave ourselves a chance to win.

He does a good job drawing fouls. He's crafty like that.

He's almost been like the model player in our program. We've asked him to do more each year and he's been a great representative of our basketball program. I think all of the coaches in our league would agree that he's a class act and a leader.

His speed with the ball is staggering. I don't know if I've seen a faster guy end to end.

He was struggling early, and it was hard to get him loose. The one thing about him is he's a fearless guy, and at any time, he can bang one in. He knocked down that three and then the free throws, and then he defended their three-point shot.

I think it says a lot about him as a senior. He hadn't been at the line and he really wasn't in a rhythm. They did a good job jamming and doubling him, and he threw it away a couple times. I'm very proud of him to step up and make them. There's no doubt he was very confident.

I think we know our postseason life is on the line every day - not every game - every day. We have our sense of urgency every day.

I thought our seniors kind of helped with a poised demeanor. I thought Torin and Chris' body language and how they talked in huddles, they were rocks out there that the guys on the floor could rely on.

I think we've been hardened by it. You can either crumble and come apart or be hardened by it.

I think that will be the scouting report on us as we head into league play. Wofford was able to get into and under Chris tonight with their quick guards. At the same time, I think Russell Carter did a great job stepping up.

I think we would really like to build on this. We've got a bunch of guys coming back. You know the one thing you want to do? I want to practice as long as I can with this team. ... Selfishly just from that standpoint, I want to keep extending the season so we can keep coming back on the court and talk basketball as a group as much as possible.

Last year everyone went, this year we've got four guys not going. On a daily basis, it's intense.

Padgett did a great job on both ends. And Jenkins did some good things down the stretch.

Our players have been punched hard and taken some body blows.

My theme is survival, and that's even before we are where we are. You're trying to survive and trying to claw your way to New York City.

I was hoping we could play a little bit better.

I think he's going to be on an NBA roster, with that body and that length.

I think guys like playing with him. He's all over the place and getting his hands on stuff and elbowing people in the back of the head. He's active.

We just couldn't defend them in the second half. You could feel it coming.

You knew Dean was going to try to take a forced 3. We tried to steal one on the road, we had it right there, and that's when we needed to win it, right there. ... Louisville was fearless to put that game into overtime.

Who can stay together over two months is really a key thing. One thing we do have is solid guys, so when you get smacked and things aren't going good, you can rely on the character of these guys.

We do know where the ball should go. We're unselfish. Probably what we did tonight, too, was we had a good number of guys make shots. I think we're a good shooting team. I don't know if we've had this many guys flowing and shoot the ball well. à I'd like to see us carry it over Friday night.

We're a lot alike in that we've let a lot of close ones get away.

We had a little killer instinct to start the second half.

We needed to go into that locker room with a smile. Human nature says, too, that after going through what we've been through, you need to go into the locker room and smile and pat each other on the back a little bit.

The presence of McNamara gives them a veteran guy who can get everybody in position.

We got him on Mejia really quick. He is really fearless. He's not even afraid of his coach.

We have to be very aware of defending the three-point line.

Unbelievable. He really did a good job with tempo.

What an afternoon. I'm proud of our group.

Don't let anybody tell you you need 'X' amount of wins. Because I don't know that, and no one knows. This thing is going to change every three days. I'll keep you posted on that.

Our seniors helped with a poised demeanor. We discussed that since Saturday. They were rocks that the guys on the floor could rely on.

A different breakfast order at my breakfast spot. I definitely changed that up. My route was a little bit different. I usually pick up a little caffeine on the way in. I just went to a little different spot to pick it up. We're moving the karma around a little bit here.

Dean being nicked up for them is like Quinn being hurt for us. And I don't want to think about it.

As of now, we're feeling pretty confident. I like that group. We've had better spacing on offense. But there's no rulebook saying we have to have a set lineup when we start Big East play.

That shot Bowman hit was a tough shot. Torin (Francis) rode him into the cheerleaders and he hit a lefty runner. That's just a talented play. You can't do much better than what he did right there.

Your frame of mind is a little different after that and human nature kicks in. Our losses - not only a couple in a row, but any one of them - we felt like we could have won. It takes its toll.

The weight of the world was on their shoulders. I think it showed up in play and in body language.

They gave you a lift and really kind of played off each other. That's the best I felt substituting. We didn't lose any momentum.

They're a talented group. I know they haven't had the best of luck finishing games, but we can't feel sorry for them.

They're really athletic. They guard the heck out of you and certainly are very explosive off the dribble and shooting the 3-point shot. It's a very confident team.

They're a very poised basketball team. We gave up second shots at key times. That really hurt us.

They're a heck of a team. They're really good, but we knew the field was going tough. Like I told our guys, they're a Big East team and we're honored to be in it.

At least in front of the guys, I was as loose as heck. I was disappointed because we've invested so much. I was just concerned that you don't think you have a shot any more.

It was important for them to smile a little bit in the locker room. We haven't been able to do that in awhile. Hopefully that's good therapy for us as we get back to work.

It was important for them to be able to smile in the locker room. Hopefully that's good therapy.

I told our guys, we're not picked in any polls. I think for this group, that's probably a very good atmosphere for them to be in.

It's obvious that Chris Quinn is such a key for us. He's just got to play with that swagger and the rest of the guys are confident. So is his coach.

It's going to be crazy; it's going to be wild. I don't want our guys too distracted by that.

It's good we won. It's the Urban Irish, the Urban Irish, all right? Even in South Bend.

It's great drama, isn't it? We're like entertainment. We're a little bit of a miniseries right now that people can relate to, where everyone's a heartbreaker. The ratings people have got to love us because every one of them comes down to the wire.

Then I think we got tight. We pressed. It's fair to say that (Colin) Falls and Quinn, I felt for them. You want it so bad, you tie yourself up in knots.

That's the first time we've had that. We really need to build on that.

It was nice to get all the guys in the game. You don't expect that ever in a league game, and the way our thing has been going, we definitely didn't expect that. You're thinking you are going to have to defend something in the end.

It's very intense. No. 1, you have your current team on campus and in school, so you feel torn a little bit. You're very responsible for those young men who have already signed with you and are on your watch, academically and athletically. But you need to be out a couple days a week evaluating.

I'm glad they're not a repeat opponent. I don't want to see you guys anymore.

I hope we can keep giving ourselves a chance. That's all I can ask.

I know we can shoot free throws better than we have. We have to work on that a little bit because that's a good weapon for us. If were getting to the bonus by using those big guys we've got to convert.

I knew this was going to be interesting with this new monster league and us trying to establish an identity.

I like starting the way we start. We've gotten off to good starts with four perimeter players and a big. That's been a good out-of-the-gate lineup.

I'm very impressed with Arizona. We were going to have to score more than 71 points to make it interesting.

I had a feeling he'd shoot it well. He usually does when he's missed a few. Shooters can be quirky guys.

I had a different breakfast order at my breakfast spot, I changed that up. My route to the gym was a little different.

I'll go to bed with a Chris Quinn runner for the rest of my life. It's the law of averages, but it didn't work out. He makes that shot a lot, and he had a clean look, too.

I know because I'm sitting in the seat. I think about last year when West Virginia -- which started 1-5 in the Big East, then reached the Elite Eight -- was struggling. They could close the door to the coach's office and say, 'At least we're going to New York.' Now we may not have that.

I think our fans will rally with this group. There's one thing with this basketball team: They've fought and they've dug and they've been a pretty good example for people.

His goal is to become a head coach and he could be a head coach probably very soon. If you learn another system from another guy, that certainly can help your public relations when you become a head coach.

He's the guy I'm most concerned about, you know, because he's giving it everything, plus he's running the locker room, he's keeping guys' heads up. I think he did a great job of that since Syracuse (on Wednesday night) and then he was really ready to be aggressive and set the tone.

I don't know if anybody's shocked. We felt they were going to be a pretty good basketball team and maybe were being undersold a little bit in the preseason.

If he doesn't make big plays, this thing would have ended in regulation. It's very fitting -- we rode him hard all year and man, did we ride him hard (Monday).

He really pressures the ball. He's another one who can drive to the basket other than Carter.

Got after them a little bit. They knew they could be better. Luke Zeller's offense was a key to giving us some breathing room.

You can't feel sorry for yourself. I think they know I'll jump them if anyone hangs their head or mopes around. That's the one thing that's absolutely unacceptable.

The main thing is to be resilient. Our guys are resilient. We are going to have to watch some West Virginia tape tonight and get ready. They were a very good team.