Jim Calhoun Last Quotations

What Louisville needed late in the game was experience. That's what we had, some guys coming down the stretch who know what to do. We turned our defense up in the last 4 1/2 minutes of the game, we took care of the ball, took good shots and made good decisions. This was a grind-it-out game.

We did it, but it's tough to get all the way through. It won't surprise me to see somebody playing a fourth game in four days, the league is like that this year. This was the most games that came down to last three minutes, at least our most in 10 years and yet we were 27-2, which means we were there to finish the deal. But in a one-game tournament anything can happen.

My fear is being flat (for the start of league play). When we lost to Boston College last year to start the Big East, we couldn't raise ourselves to that level. Having not played that kind of competition recently, I have concerns, but we have to play these two games first.

I can't remember the last time we were up three with 11 seconds to go and lost. We got beat by that shot by Gerry. Anything can happen in overtime. We made the decision of who would have the assignment. Gerry made a better play and hit a great 3.

He?s having the type of season we all expected him to have last year.

He certainly has had his best year. I would have bit my tongue off last year if I said, ?Let's leave Rashad in for defense.' He's a weapon that very few teams can keep on the bench.

Over the last 15 years, the type of players we've had here, the fortune to be successful, we've had the bull's-eye. Now there's the added bull's-eye of a new league, being No. 1. They just pile up. That's exactly where you want to be. You want to be playing from the top. I hear guys say they like to be the underdog. But there's a reason you're the underdog. I'd like to be playing from the top any time I can.

Right now, that guy would be Denham (Brown). In the last two games, it's been Denham against very good defense.

Regardless of our successes, failures, whatever it may be, it seems like Providence always plays us close. I think it's 3-3 over the last six games. Our national championship team (2004), they showed up at 12 o'clock at the (Hartford) Civic Center and beat us pretty good.

I wish we were playing tonight. Especially after our experience last week.

We played them twice this year and on both of those occasions we were able to physically dominate them inside. We did a tremendous job last Saturday, won by 18 points and dominated them again. They turned the tide on us tonight. They physically dominated us in every aspect of the game.

We did things necessary to stop our opponents at crucial times and win games. Defensive rebounds and taking good shots in the last four to five minutes.

We're coming in with a team that can arguably match up with any team in the country. Hopefully, we solved some of the size and physical problems we had last year. We, at times, can be very, very big.

We have Marcus Williams who made big plays down the stretch. We turned up the defense the last four or five minutes.

Albany was magnificent for 30 minutes. We were equally, if not better or more magnificent, the last 10 minutes of the basketball game.

They played some big games last year without Curtis. They can still win the league but it's going to be tougher. They scare me because of the way they spread the court and make you play small ball.

It?s a time we have to play. I don?t think for college kids it makes any difference. I talked to players today and asked them, ?How?d you sleep last night?? They said they went to bed early ? they were in bed by 1:15 a.m.

It?s not Rashad?s fault, trust me. Whatever we ask our kids to do, it?s our responsibility. We make the choice of who plays who. ... I?m incredibly, incredibly disappointed in the loss, incredibly disappointed in myself. I would have changed a couple of things probably the last two, three minutes of the game and into overtime.

It's always good to be No. 1 in anything but it's not great at this time of year. I want it at the beginning of April, but I'll take it now. Being No. 1 isn't a goal of ours like the Big East championship or the national championship, but we feel we're one of the better programs in the country for the last 15 years and being No. 1 is another notch for us as a total program.

I have to give a special star to Denham. With Rudy (Gay) out the last three days (groin), Denham has been our special player. I told him he's put money in the bank - all the work ethic, all the things he's doing, he's got some chits with me now. Just all over the place, running as hard as I've ever seen him, making shots that I didn't see him make before, handling better, passing better - I'm exceptionally happy with him.

Being No. 1 isn't a goal of ours like the Big East championship or the national championship, but we feel we're one of the better programs in the country for the last 15 years and being No. 1 is another notch for us as a total program.

He can get people the ball from 90 feet to two feet. I've never seen anybody get to the rim, and as a big guy comes over, at the last second put the ball in the hands of a big guy and have the guy dunk. He reminds me of Jason Kidd in that he could get that double-figure rebound game, he could get steals, assists, he certainly can shoot the basketball.

Their big guys dominated us. Last night when I went to bed or this morning when I woke up, I would never have thought that would have happened. Maybe a wash, but certainly not that.