Jim Calhoun League Quotations

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.

We're a new league, a league of 16. But this seems like the old wars of the '80s and '90s.

We've taken the quality of teams and just increased them in quantity. I don't think anybody truly understands how difficult this league will be day in and day out.

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.

From top to bottom, this league is terrific - Notre Dame, is a fantastic team, they sit at 1-5, but they're not a 1-5 basketball team. That's the unfortunate thing about the league. You can't have an off day, or an off couple of minutes, or you'll lose.

We just have superior numbers of people. Not even superior people because Robert gets them to play as well as any guy in this league. What he's done is instill, in my opinion, a work ethic that's as good as any team in our league and almost any league in the country.

I think clearly this is the best league in the country.

We're a league of 16 now. It seems like the old wars of the '80s and '90s again. Every game comes down to 10 kids on the floor after loose balls, someone making a big play, someone getting a big rebound, someone making a stop.

This was an advertisement for how hard the teams in this league play. Increasing our toughness was one thing I thought we had to do. We knew we could score, but we had to show we could come up with that kind of game like we had other times this season.

This was an advertisement for how hard the teams in this league play.

This was a year that if you relaxed, you were going to get beat. Here's Marquette picked 12th, and they have a bye. It gives you a sense of just how strong this league is. It's almost impossible to imagine that a couple of years ago. The diversity and depth of players make it almost impossible to predict.

To get through this league is one of the most difficult walks you're going to have. I've never seen a league like this. I've never seen as many tough, tough games as this league has provided.

Everyone's talking about how many we'll send, let's see if we can get out of the league first. People who are good are going to rack up a lot of losses. ... I'm afraid we will beat each other up so much that records won't be truly indicative of how good a team is.

Don't get too carried away. Get around this league, go to some of the places, get on the road and see some of the friendly faces in this league and maybe we'll see you another time.

I've been in the league 20 years, and this is the most competitive that it has ever been.

I've always thought he was unappreciated, ... It wasn't until he got to the Final Four in the Meadowlands in 1996 that I felt he was truly appreciated. I remember the first 10 years in the league I had to answer why Jim can't win this or that. We're the old guard of the Big East.

That's what this game is all about, getting ourselves ready for the next three games and then head on into our league games.

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.

This league will not allow you to breathe. If you're not good every night, you're going to get beat. It's that difficult. In all my years in this league, I've never seen anything like it.

This league is a bear. I have great respect for Pittsburgh. For us to go anyplace, we have to beat Pittsburgh. For Pittsburgh to go anyplace, they have to go by us.

It seems like there are more overtime games, more tough games and the reason is there are more good teams. Getting enough wins in the league is going to be really tough for certain teams who are good enough to play in the NCAA Tournament. Some teams are going to play really well and lose.

It's a tribute to the hard work the kids put in because they played in the best league in the country. I think our kids should be honored. We have an awful lot of good players in this league. I couldn't be prouder of our kids.

It's an important time because no one wants anyone else to get off to a 7-0 start. The league is off to a good start.

Everybody's talking about how many teams we'll send. Let's see if we can get out of the league first. My greatest fear is that we might beat ourselves up so much that records won't be indicative of how truly good a team is.

The Big East championship means a lot to us. If you can go through 16 games in this league and have to go to the places you do and beat the teams you have to beat, it's really tough. This is a terrific league and to come through it 14-2, I couldn't be prouder of our kids.

The Big East championship means a lot. To go through 16 games in this terrific league with all its tough places to play and come out of it at 14-2, I couldn't be prouder of these kids. These kids sacrificed so much and became the epitome of what a team is.

It was like that scene in 'Good Will Hunting' when Ben Affleck tells Matt Damon that one day he wants to ring the bell and not have anyone answer it, ... My coach told me my friends just wanted me to stay there and that if I succeeded it would make their failures worse. He asked me if I really wanted to play in the Eastern League for $30 a game for the rest of my life.

It won't surprise me to see someone playing their fourth game in four days on Saturday. I just think the league has been like that.

I'm not complaining, but that takes a toll. The league is just so difficult.