Jay Wright Playing Quotations

What we do he used to call chuck and duck. I love all the intricate sets he used to run, but with the personnel we have, we've got to let these guys go. We really stress playing together and we have the kind of guys who enjoy that.

I don't know what to expect. I don't think we've ever played anywhere against a player of this magnitude in terms of what he means to a program, in terms of what he means to college basketball. A player that's as loved as Gerry McNamara playing his last home game? I don't know if we'll ever do this again.

I could see this playing out at the end (as a storybook McNamara ending) with the way he was hitting the threes but I didn't want it to happen at our expense. I was pleased that he had a great game and that we won.

I thought we started the game really strong and were very focused, which is a credit to our guys playing at 10:30 in the morning. I thought Australia made a great adjustment in the second half by going to a smaller lineup which gave us trouble.

I think we kind of felt like the odds were against us all year, being small and playing with the four guards, and I think that's got to be the same attitude that we go into the tournament with. We have to go in hungry and wanting to prove ourselves.

I think our team playing well helped him. I know he's very concerned about joining this group, his senior class. That was always his motivation and I didn't want to take that motivation away from him.

Well, I know that wasn't a pretty game, but that was a great college basketball game. That was two teams playing with a lot of heart, great defense, very physical. I really give a lot of credit to the BC team, their ability to execute. They were a great team.We are very, very fortunate and proud to beat that team.

At this point last year, we were in catastrophe mode. We were actually putting in new stuff, playing guys at different positions. ... I think we all were quietly apprehensive at this point last year, we didn't know what we were going to do.

They're playing like champions and we're out here cruising. I thought we started the second half relaxed.

It seems like they're playing as well as anybody in the country. I hope I'm right. It not, we're in trouble the next game.

It's going to be important for him to get back playing and just feel good. The only risk he has is the exact same thing happening, but that's the same risk as if it never happened before.

They were playing great early. I think that our depth just kind of wore them down.

I'm proud of our guys, that our senior class can be called champions. Over a 16-game schedule in this conference, to win a championship is a great accomplishment. I think we're playing our best basketball right now.

I know that wasn't a pretty game, but it was a great basketball game. That was two teams playing with a lot of heart.

I really feel so good about this season. It's not even not going to the Final Four, we just wanted to keep advancing, keep being together, keep playing together.

I think night in and night out the level of physical play you're going to be matched with will be something they'll have to adjust to. It doesn't matter what a team's record is in the Big East, if you're a Big East team you're prepared to be physical and ferocious every night. I don't know of any teams have a finesse style of play. It's almost like playing football, where you can physically get beat up. You're going to get physically challenged every night.

If he and Mike came, we wouldn't be able to get Kyle (Lowry). If we didn't get Mike and got (Shakur), we probably could get Kyle. Players like playing with good players. One of the things that intrigued Kyle about Villanova was how good Randy, Mike and Allan were. When he came and played with them I think he was impressed. Sometimes some of these guys like being around other real good players and I think that's what happened in Kyle's case.