Pat Flannery Kids Quotations

We know we're a good basketball team. Even with rankings and all that sort of stuff, if you really knew our program you'd know these kids play for each other.

More than anything, it has been trusting and having confidence in our kids. It has been a lot of fun this year. Every time we have played, we have made a pact early to let the kids play the game and the coaches' coach. That is really what we did all year long. We have changed up some routines to enjoy it more. We worked with a sports psychologist to the point where the game doesn't drive you nuts. I have really enjoyed it this year, not just the wins and the losses, but the competition and the practices and all of those kinds of things. It's a learning process that we all go through.

It comes down to wills, and these kids didn't quit.

I think the kids were really focused. There was an edge to everybody. As we went out there, we knew we were going to get American's best shot. We always played good defense.

I think the kids were really focused on yesterday's walk and practice. There was an edge to everybody, because Friday night nobody was very happy and that really carried over today.

The way it's gone down here, a dogfight to the finish, last shot would have pleased me just fine. We have that much respect for Lehigh. The way the last couple minutes went, I was glad our kids did keep their composure. This is a confident bunch. Not cocky, but confident.

This is so neat for the school and everything like that. I won't play it down because it's wonderful for people to have that kind of respect for our program. At the same time, we have the kind of kids who can take it in stride to be ranked among that company.

The biggest thing for me has been enjoying my kids and enjoying the game. It has been a lot of fun this season.

It was a great game. The kids left it all out there. It was the kind of game where you thought you had it, and it got away.

I haven?t had any questions about the kids and where they?re taking shots. I get excited when we?re aggressive coming off screens and taking shots, even when (defenders) are trailing. But I can?t force them. They are the ones playing. They have to make those decisions.

I think our kids were a little rushed. It's playoffs and we played that way. We played really fast.

I don't know if you can step out of character. This is a group of kids that's level-headed, they realize how big things are and how important things are, but they have fun. They've taught all of us to have fun.