Jim Calhoun East Quotations

We don't have anybody on our team, through our first Big East game, that plays like an all-star. I'll probably have to make some changes in the starting lineup because there's a couple players, some big names, who aren't doing very much.

We've always treasured it and we still treasure it. If, after the game, we say it wasn't that important to us, we're lying to you. It's important to us. Is it the most important thing? No. But we'd like to be Big East champs.

Many of those kids were passed over by Big East schools and others. I tip my hat to their courage. I feel a great deal of inner joy for what they are going through right now, something they probably couldn't have imagined.

I feel so good, (even) with my own sadness. I can only imagine, and probably better than most, the feeling they must have in that locker room and on that campus. Those kids, many of them were passed over by Big East schools and others, and I tip my hat to their courage ... to the incredible coaching job that Jimmy did and to everybody at George Mason University. ... I applaud them. I share in some degree Jimmy's joy because as a friend, I know what he must be feeling in his heart.

For us to tell our kids that this is just a regular season game ... we've always set goals, to try to win the Big East championship. To back away from that a day before or two days before the game would be foolhardy.

I think as we've gotten down to the time of the season where you're playing for a chance at a Big East championship, playing to get a bye in New York and, obviously, playing for seeding in the NCAA Tournament, there's no room for experiments or getting young kids some experience.

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.

Those kids, many of them were passed over by Big East schools and others. I tip my hat to their courage, to their conviction to staying with what they have, to the incredible coaching job that Jimmy did. That's going to be a very happy group down in Fairfield County, I'm sure.

Both of our NCAA Championships (1999, 2004) came in years where we won the Big East Tournament. Time will tell if that's an automatic correlation. There are no good losses. No moral victories. But I do know this team is one to be reckoned with at the NCAA tourney.

Both offensively and defensively, Craig is a big reason we're 11-0. So Craig will start Tuesday (in the Big East opener) at Marquette. He deserves that right. His defense up top on the ball sets up the rest of our defense. He's been a godsend.

The thing that scares me always the most and the thing I caution our players on is that next week, you go home. You go home for the Big East tournament. And then next time you go home, we pack up the uniforms. And this team is good enough to get to Indianapolis. Will it get to Indianapolis? I have no idea. ... Maybe the first round of the tournament some team gets up, plays us tough and we don't execute.

A lot of times games are built up and they don't fulfill their promise. This game more than fulfilled its promise. Villanova may be, pound-for-pound, the toughest team that we've played anywhere, any time. Early in the game, we had to match their toughness. They were getting every offensive rebound. They were hustling like crazy. Unless you have a tough team, you cannot win this conference. It was like an old Big East backyard ball amongst two really good teams.

It's back to the Big East of old, to some degree. There are no easy games. This is a Georgetown-Syracuse weekend, which we've faced on a number of occasions. It's an important time for us.

It reminded me of a Big East game, probably back in the early 90s. (St. John's) took us out of our offense early, played us very physical and did not allow us to get into a flow.

It's always good to be No. 1 in anything but it's not great at this time of year. I want it at the beginning of April, but I'll take it now. Being No. 1 isn't a goal of ours like the Big East championship or the national championship, but we feel we're one of the better programs in the country for the last 15 years and being No. 1 is another notch for us as a total program.

The Big East championship means a lot to us. If you can go through 16 games in this league and have to go to the places you do and beat the teams you have to beat, it's really tough. This is a terrific league and to come through it 14-2, I couldn't be prouder of our kids.

The Big East championship means a lot. To go through 16 games in this terrific league with all its tough places to play and come out of it at 14-2, I couldn't be prouder of these kids. These kids sacrificed so much and became the epitome of what a team is.

I'm a big fan of the Big East but I won't watch the games on TV on Friday and Saturday. It would hurt too much.

Being No. 1 isn't a goal of ours like the Big East championship or the national championship, but we feel we're one of the better programs in the country for the last 15 years and being No. 1 is another notch for us as a total program.

Hilton we lost for about two weeks. He got to the Big East tournament, was the defensive player of the year and he had a little letdown. I don't know what it was. He's such an emotional kid. But we've got him back and thank God we got him back tonight.

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.

I don?t want to put everything into one game. We have a lot more we?d like to accomplish. But we always said our goal is to win the Big East championship, and I think to back away from that two days before the game would be foolhardy.

The game became much more physical than I would like to have seen. It reminded me of a Big East game probably back in the early '90s.

The first Big East meeting I went to there was P.J. Carlesimo (Seton Hall), John Thompson (Georgetown), Louie Carnesecca (St. John's), Rick Pitino (Providence), Jim Boeheim, Jimmy O'Brien (Boston College) and Rollie Massimino (Villanova). That's what we faced when we came to the Big East. That coaching array alone I think made the Big East very special.