Jeff Ackermann Quotations

We knew they were big, but we wanted to press them the entire game. Even if we got beat a few times, we were going to press. We missed a few shots early, but then they started to fall for us.

We knew they were big and they had a lot of girth to them, so we wanted to try to wear them out the best we could. Our guys knew we were going to press the whole game, we weren't going to ease up and, if they scored on it, we were fine with that because we wanted to get an up-tempo game as much as we could.

We didn't win the section this year, and, after that, we set this as our goal.

We use our bench to help impose our will.

I expected them to drive to the hoop. I think it might have been one of those instances where they were young kids and they have not been here before and they tensed up a little and took those 3-pointers. But, you look at that team and they are so well coached. My guys didn't mind being on defense at the end and I think they were confident and comfortable because they had been in that situation before. The experience of being in the championship game before definitely paid off for us.

He had a good look. From my angle, it looked like it might fall.

He's a great player. He missed the first half of the season for us. Since he's been back, he's been great. He's been a scorer his whole life. Once again, he proved that he knows how to score.

(Hampton is) very good and athletic. They're a lot like us. They have quick guards and are really a mirror image of us. They can score right with us point for point. It should be a great game.

Keir Jeter played a tremendous game tonight. He was awesome.

I think we're a better scoring team than we showed tonight. I know we're a better shooting team than we showed tonight.

I think we had the slowest bus driver in Pennsylvania.

I was kind of surprised they settled for those 3-point shots. But I'm sure that had something to do with the fact they were missing some inside players.

I was happy to be up 12 points. But, you know and I know that Hampton wasn't going to go away. Everyone knew they were going to battle back and be there at the end. They have tough kids and you knew they were going to fight back and do whatever they needed to do to be in that game at the end.

Jumping out to the early lead was probably just more of us being experienced in this game.

I'm happy, but I'm tired, exhausted and emotionally drained.

We rebounded well on the defensive end and we pushed the ball.

We had to look ourselves in the mirror after that one. And we had to regroup after that loss.

You look at them (Laurel Highlands) and I think this may be the furthest they've gone. I look up and down my bench and see a lot of guys who have had gold medals around their necks. That's a big advantage in a game like this.

This team hasn't won anything. We didn't win our section. We didn't win our Christmas tournament. We haven't played good basketball for a month.

We weren't happy being up two at halftime. I wasn't happy with our ball pressure in the first quarter and I really wanted them to pressure the ball and, in the second half, they picked it up.

We were reading the paper and it was naming the schools that have done it. I told the guys, 'When you can count them on one hand, you know you're truly approaching greatness.

We went into the game with the plan to pressure their guards as much as anyone we played all year. We did that, and then on offense, our size took over. We got an eight-point lead and got into our half-court stuff and ran our offense through our big guys.

Brian Walsh is a very, very good player. He has a chance to be (an NCAA) Division I player. He has terrific skills.

(Brian's) the best sophomore I've ever coached. He's got tremendous skills. He has true mark of a Division I player. He can do things that you can't coach. He jumps out of the gym, he can shoot and handle, plus he's long and athletic. I'm glad I have him for two more years.

This is the best team we've played all year. It's going to take a tremendous effort to beat them.

This game was our season in a nutshell. Ups and downs, ups and downs. It's another down for us, but my guys played hard. The effort was there. If you set your goals high, you have to be ready for disappointment.

It's exactly what we expected. It's extremely tough. It's not so much a one-game thing but the night-in, night-out that scares me. Before, you could have an off night and still pull out a win. Now, with an off night, you're done.

I told our guys that they have a chance to make their own history and not live off our old history. This is their chance to be a part of it themselves.

I told the kids before the game that when you can count on one hand the number of teams that have done something, then you know you are truly approaching greatness.

It's hard to lose like this because we kind of felt like we let one slip away.

Dan is a great athlete. He's a very versatile guard. He can take you off the dribble and shoot the three. You can't sag on him and you can't play him tight.

They liked him and they really came after him. They really pursued him, really wanted him.

The thing I really like about Danny is he's very versatile. He can handle it and shoot it. He's not one-dimensional. A lot of guards can do one or the other. He's able to do both. That's what makes him a scholarship player.

I know that my kids can play, and they play with confidence. I know this is a very special thing, and it's rare for teams to get this opportunity, so we are going to make the most of it.

I have two seniors who are returning starters and I expect a lot from both of them.

I liked our defensive intensity tonight. That's what we talked about all week. We want to attack constantly. That's our mindset. We're not ever passive. We want to attack as much as we can on offense and defense.

I haven't seen Laurel Highlands at all. I know Ambridge is a very good team. Laurel Highlands has their work cut out for them.

Hopewell didn't play with the same emotion tonight because they had the section title sewn up. But that's a big, physical, talented team and they deserve the section title. They're the best team in our section.

I challenged him at halftime. Tyler played the second half the way I expected him to play the whole game, and the way I expect him to play the rest of these playoffs. He's too good not to be playing like that.

The game with our biggest margin of victory was the championship game. Once we got back, they played without pressure.