An occasional feature where we compile quotes from the weekend’s meaningful games. Read on and enjoy.
“I was just worrying about winning the game.”
-- Morehead State’s Kenneth Faried, who surpassed Tim Duncan as the modern era’s all-time rebounding leader. His Eagles beat Indiana State, 71-65.
“I’ll take the blame for this one.”
-- Texas forward Jordan Hamilton, who was just 3 for 16 as No. 3 Texas lost at Nebraska.
“E’Twaun, he may put his fingers up and tell you he hit a 3-pointer, but he rarely smiles. Once he smiles, he’s in a zone, and you probably won’t stop him that night.”
-- Purdue’s Lewis Jackson on teammate E’Twaun Moore scoring 38 points in a win over No. 2 Ohio State.
“It’s bigger than a game against Fordham, but apparently we couldn’t understand that tonight. I’m really disappointed. Really. It’s a joke.”
-- Xavier coach Chris Mack, angry about his team’s 79-72 win against the Rams, who haven’t won an A-10 game.
“Good thing it wasn’t goaltending. I believe if we were at Washington, they have called it goaltending. Good thing we were at home.”
-- Arizona’s Derrick Williams on his game-saving block against the Huskies in an 87-86 win on Sunday.
“I’d always rather have a good block than a great dunk, because we get the ball, and it’s pretty much a turnover.”
-- North Carolina forward John Henson, on which he prefers.
“It just happened so fast. ... They got a couple of breakaways and the crowd got into it. “Then we got a couple of silly fouls, and the next thing you know they were up 20.”
-- Georgia Tech’s Moe Miller, whose team went from leading Duke, to losing 79-57 in a matter of 21 minutes.
“It was two teams that were playing for their lives a little bit. I told Kalin he has to be an iron man. I can’t take him out. He was walking on his knees by the end, but it was a total team grit win.”
-- Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, reflecting on his senior guard Kalin Lucas during a 61-57 win over Illinois.
“We played with a lot of enthusiasm throughout the whole game. That is probably as hard as we have played since the Purdue game, for 40 minutes. I think everyone we put in played hard.”
-- West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, impressed by his team win over No. 8 Notre Dame.
“My mind went blank. I was hoping he’d miss.”
-- Cincinnati guard Cashmere Wright on watching Providence’s Marshon Brooks attempt a game-winning shot. He missed, and the Bearcats won in OT.
“Darius Miller hit everything he threw up. One in front of me he didn’t have his feet set.”
-- South Carolina coach Darrin Horn, amazed at the career-high 22 points and six 3-pointers by Miller in a 90-59 Kentucky win.
“This game we really want. We want to show that we’re one of the best in the nation.”
-- San Diego State’s Malcolm Thomas on Saturday’s looming showdown with BYU.
“I think us as a team had something to prove. It was embarrassing losing to K-State. We don’t want to do that again. We’ve just got to get better and I guess it starts with me.”
-- Kansas forward Markieff Morris, whose double-double paced a win over Colorado.
“Not a lot to say. We won. That’s the bottom line.”
-- North Carolina coach Roy Williams after beating Boston College 48-46.
“I just tried to get every rebound that I can.”
-- Temple forward Lavoy Allen, who became the school’s all-time rebound leader in a win over St. Joe’s
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