An occasional feature where we compile quotes from the weekend’s meaningful games. Read on and enjoy.
“Before overtime I told him: ‘Just take over the game. He took over.”
-- Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon on the performance of forward Khris Middleton after beating No. 15 Missouri in overtime.
“I was kind of feeling it. I don’t think I was really feeling it. I just really wanted to win.”
-- Middleton responds to said 28-point performance.
“That’s one of the top-five comebacks.”
-- Louisville coach Rick Pitino. He watched his Cards an 18-point deficit in the final 6 minutes of a 71-70 win.
“If it was the Gong Show they would have (gonged) us all,” Ryan said as he referred to the talent show emceed by Barris that had judges shut down poor talents in mid-act by striking a large gong. “There wouldn’t have been anybody left; players (or) coaches.”
-- Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan on the poor play during the Badgers’ 76-66 win over No. 16 Illinois.
“That was a good, old-fashioned ... whipping.”
-- LSU coach Trent Johnson, who watched his team lose 82-44 to No. 13 Kentucky.
“People always have something to say. You just keep playing. That’s about it.”
-- Georgetown’s Austin Freeman, on the Hoyas snapping a three-game losing streak.
“I thought it was Christmas out there.”
-- Texas’ Jordan Hamilton, on the wide-open looks he got from the Oklahoma defense.
“They were just doing a lot of cheap shots. I only retaliated one time and they caught me on it when Singler, who is probably the dirtiest of them all, did it. But that’s on me. I have to learn to control it all the time and not just some of the time.”
-- UCLA’s Reeves Nelson, who got caught up in the physical play of a win against Oregon.
“I wouldn’t say that I totally lost my mind, as I have before. It was just, ‘Hey, here’s the things we have to do a better job of, and it starts with intensity and playing harder.’”
-- Ohio State coach Thad Matta on getting mad during his halftime speech of Saturday’s 69-66 win vs. Penn State.
“My coaching stunk and we stunk. I’m tired of saying ‘We’ve got to build confidence.’ It’s easy to build confidence. By God, play better.”
-- North Carolina coach Roy Williams after watching his team lose by 20 to 8-8 Georgia Tech.
“It’s a good feeling to go from not being able to hear someone five feet away from you to being able to have a conversation.”
-- San Diego State guard D.J. Gay. The Aztecs improved to 18-0 after an impressive 87-77 win at New Mexico’s pit.
"[Kemba] can score anytime he wants. But I think we’re doing a good job of getting everyone involved.”
-- UConn’s Jeremy Lamb, who had 13 points in an 82-62 win over DePaul. Kemba Walker, the nation’s second-leading scorer, had 31.
“When we really needed to make plays, we did what we needed to do: take it to the rim, get the rebound, make the shot. We need to keep doing that.”
-- Tennessee guard Scotty Hopson, who helped the Vols to a 67-64 win over Vanderbilt.
“It’s just a hump we’ve got to get over. We know we can beat these teams. It’s a 4-minute period where we can’t make anything and it’s frustrating. That’s it.”
-- Maryland forward Jordan Williams, whose Terps lost 74-66 to No. 7 Villanova.
“Look at anybody’s next six games in this league. It is by far the best league in the country. Everybody watches it because it’s drama and it’s playing out again.”
-- Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, referring to the Big East having half of the AP’s Top 10 and eight overall in the poll.
“I guess you could call it magic. The aura of Allen Fieldhouse. Throughout my years I’ve seen some runs and some plays that you don’t see in any other arena.”
-- Kansas’ Tyrel Reed, on the advantages of playing at home.
“It was a different day, no doubt about it. We have one on Monday that everybody has been talking about. Obviously, there’ll be a lot of hype.”
-- Pitt coach Jamie Dixon. His Panthers play host to unbeaten Syracuse next.
“We needed that from Fab today, and I think he needed it, too. It’s a great opportunity going into his biggest game of the year Monday night.”
-- Syracuse’s Scoop Jardine, on the performance of freshman Fab Melo.
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