Jay Bilas Quotations

No. 1, there are not as many quality big guys now. What passes for a center now could be 6-8, where 20 years ago a 6-8 guy would have a lot of trouble. And, secondly, the three-point line is so close that teams have spread the floor. If you have one big guy, you can let him go one on one and spread the floor around him.

I was surprised. It's not that (Air Force) was not good. They didn't have any top-50 wins to stand upon, and they lost in the first round of their conference tournament, to a team with a losing record.

But for Bill that wasn't a lateral move. That was a place that held special meaning for him.

If Indiana made the job offer to Steve Alford, I'm sure it would have extraordinary meaning to him. In my opinion, he's the one guy who could bring everyone together.

I don't think anybody is harboring facts that the Big South Champion is going to the Final Four. But there isn't a kid on either of those teams that doesn't dream of hitting game-winning shot or going to the NCAA Tournament.

Pitt has a chance to be a top-three seed, depending on how they end up.

Squeaky, he can take the ball from anybody. They play all-out all the time. They create havoc.

Maryland has some good wins on their schedule, but doesn't have any great ones. But if Florida State is in and Texas A&M is in, then I think Maryland has to be in the discussion. I think people are going overboard saying Florida State and Texas A&M are automatically in because they both have the pelt of a big shot in the last week.

It doesn't seem different to me; they're two national teams. Xavier should be ranked and Cincinnati has been ranked. If the selection committee met today, both would be NCAA tournament teams.

The pressure's all on Winthrop. They're the ones who are supposed to win. There's only gravy for Coastal Carolina.

Even though it seems like a short timeframe, there's a lot that can happen.

I understand their reticence. That's a serious issue, but if they vetted it and felt he was an acceptable choice, I have no problem with that. Forgiveness is a personal issue.

The talent level isn't down, it's just younger. The whole league got young right away.

North Carolina State's got no presence out there. The one thing that's detrimental for a school is uncertainty. A coach is the most important decision in choosing a school.

Now don't be surprised -- it would not be out of the realm of possibility for UW-Milwaukee and South Alabama to play in the second round. Oklahoma and Florida better be ready for fights.

Are they a good team? Yes, of course they are. But there are a lot of good teams. They are a good team, they are well coached and they are capable. But if you put their resume side by side with Michigan, there is no comparison.

As good as I thought they were going to be, and I thought they would be in the NCAA tournament, I didn't think they were going to be this good. I didn't think they were going to be this mature, this polished and this resilient.

This has been a once-in-a- lifetime story. If they win it all, it will be a story for the ages.

(They) are going to be really dangerous in the tournament out of the Big East. And I think Ohio State (a No. 2 seed with a 25-5 record) is the team out of the Big Ten that hasn't been given enough credit, that's Final Four worthy.

There's been a sea of change in college basketball. And it's just starting to catch up to everybody.

It was put in as the great equalizer. And now it's taken over the game.

It's inexplicable. But it's been really fun to watch.

It's amazing how much better the offense looks when you make shots. But they still have to make harder cuts. If they do, the offense will look even better.

They've set a standard here. They've had enough guys come through that the older guys are able to pass down to the younger guys: 'This is how we do it. This is the approach we take.' That means something. That expectation level is a very powerful thing. He has said that youth might be a factor, but that it won't be an excuse. He has those guys believing that they're going to overcome the issues they have and still win. When they step onto the court, it's not a question of are we going to win? It's a question of how we're going to win. That's what tradition is. They're establishing that here.

They were taking and absorbing the best shot from every opponent. Everyone played at a fever pitch. It was one heavyweight fight after another.

If you're going to make a move in the league, this is the year because the league is down. Some of the traditional powers are not as good as they've been and some of those teams are vulnerable.

I have to keep reminding myself there are a lot of teams out there that might not feel like NCAA Tournament teams because you're taking a historical perspective. When you sit down and do the math and start to look at the remaining teams, there really aren't that many teams vying for spots.

If you see something like that happening, I think it's safe to say this is a basketball school.

He brings energy. He can change the tenor of the game .

Toughness is a skill. I don't think we're all born tough. You learn about toughness through your experience.

Entitlement never wins Championships, Investment wins Championships.

The players I respected most were the toughest players, not those who talked a good game or blocked a shot and acted like a fool.

Toughness has nothing to do with size, physical strength or athleticism. Toughness is A SKILL that can be developed & improved.

The greatest compliment to any player is he is a great teammate. We can't all be great players, but we can all be great teammates

The tough player is the one who is difficult to play against and easy to play with

Hard work is not punishment. Hard work is the price of admission for the opportunity to reach sustained excellence

The difference is Villanova was a major conference team with pros on it.