Rudy Gay Quotations

We're getting there, but we're not where we need to be.

We know what it?s like to be down.

We have to go in with one thing on our mind - win the game as a team. A lot of good things will come from that.

Last year we came out with a loss. We played BC, a team we definitely thought we could beat. This year we just want to make our presence known, especially with this being a new team. We want to show them how the Big East is.

My family and I, along with Coach Calhoun, have put a lot of time and thought into this and we think that this is the right step. It was a tough decision. It took a lot of time and a lot of thought, but ... as a player, I think I can play at that level.

I wouldn't expect anything to come easy at this point.

I don't ever want to let that happen again.

I couldn't see out of it for a long time, most of the first half. It kind of bothers you, but if you are trying to win a game you aren't worried about it. You have to put it behind you.

He came on strong down the stretch. It's good to have that presence down there and it kind of opens up the rest of the game for us.

I was already marking down that game. Now, definitely.

I thought this team could have done more things. We just fell short.

I think every team has lapses during the season. I think we have come out of this tournament with two wins, and I don't think we played our best basketball. I think that's yet to come.

I think personally, and team wise, things went pretty good. I really can't complain when we've accomplished some of the things we have as a team.

That will be a ways away. Whenever that happens, it happens. Right now it's just me and my team.

We can't worry about the crowd situation. You have to worry about yourselves and what little Connecticut fans we do have.

We have too many big games coming up. We have to let this one bounce off us and set our eyes on the next game.

We're a tough team, but a lot of teams play us tough because of that. Everybody's playing like it's their last game, and technically, it is.

We've come out of this tournament with two wins, and I don't think we played our best basketball. I think that's yet to come. Everybody is up to playing against Washington, so I don't think we'll have a problem with that.

We kind of wore them down with our defense.

Every person has their lulls. But I think I snapped out of my lulls and started to get better.

Everything went our way tonight. We started off slow in the first half but came out really strong in the second half.

I've been thinking about that ever since it happened. It's something I don't want to have to happen this year, because it's going to stick with me for the rest of my life.

I've been thinking about that ever since it happened.

The run we went on, at the beginning, it kind of kept us in the game.

The one thing about Marcus is that he goes out there and plays tough the whole game. He makes the right pass and the right shot. He can rebound and defend. He's a complete player.

Definitely. They had seniors and juniors that led them, and a lot of young guys that played big roles.

Coach did a great job of getting us used to those situations.

That's what we're in this room for. We come in here, we lift weights and we get strong, not only physically but mentally. And coach makes sure in practice that we bang each other, so that will never get us off our game.

This is definitely a team I thought could go all the way. And for us to fall like this, it hurts.

This is a test for us to see where we're going. We get a chance to beat one of the storied programs and try to build this program into being one of those. You don't really know what you could be matched up against. It could be anything. It helps us to go out and play them before we get into the (NCAA) tournament.

They played tough. They had a lot of heart. That's all that really matters when you play a game like this.

They played tough, and they have a lot of heart. (Heart is) all that really matters when you're playing a game like this.

They're a tough team. We couldn't let up at all. Every time we made a run, they made one right back at us. It was two good teams playing each other.

They're a tough team. We couldn't let up at all.

It was definitely important, because we have two more tough games. To start out this way is great.

It was crazy. Steals are one of the few things you can do on your own. If you have an assist, somebody else needs to score the basket. But with steals, that's all you.

It was something we were ready for but didn't expect it. They came out and gave it their all and we didn't respond how we should have.

It's a little tough, being that we have a lot of tough games. But you have to take it one game at a time, and hopefully we come out one after another with a win.

It's too close to tournament time to be losing. It's getting too late for this. We know this feeling. We just don't want to feel this again.

It's one loss. But then again, we could have done better.

It's only a matter of time before everybody is clicking, doing everything right and getting some wins together heading into the tournament.

It makes you feel like all you have is your team. So you do everything you can to win.

It's good, I guess, for my family because they don't have a chance to see me in person and stuff like that very often. But I'm only going down there for one reason. I love my family, but my team is my family right now.

It?s going to be a different type of game. Kentucky has size and they have versatility.

Everyone right now understands and believes in our offense. It?s really starting to work.

Everybody knows us, everybody wants to talk about us. It makes you feel like all you have is your team. ... But this is going to be a test for us to see how tough we are, to see what we can do.

It's inexcusable what happened today. You always feel you should do more. We're the No. 2 team in the nation. We all thought we could do more.

It's definitely good to get into the season. The trash-talking and stuff starts now.

It kind of sparked us up. They pushed us to the limit and that's what every team is going to do, but we stayed in our stuff and did what we had to do. We're going to get wins that we don't like and I definitely think this is one of them.

Not at all. We have played in front of bigger crowds and crowds that are a lot crazier than that.

They beat a lot of good teams and we'd be stupid not to come out here and give it our all.

They were a tough team. They played tough, and they have a lot of heart.

They were throwing elbows and doing other things to get people off them. What we had to do is go out there and match their intensity and toughness.

I made an aggressive move and I bumped him. It was all in the heat of the battle. It wasn't intentional, but he didn't know that. I talked to him after the game and said I'd see him again. He's a good guy.

I'm only down there for one reason. I love my family, but my team is my family right now.

I haven't been past this, you know. But these were the two toughest games of my life.

If we beat West Virginia... Nah, I?m not going to even talk about that right now.

I really don't pay that much attention to stats and stuff, but I do take a lot of pride in trying to be a complete player. I just try to do whatever I can to help us win games, whether it's scoring points, rebounding, blocking shots, passing, playing great defense, whatever it takes.

He sees the floor better than a lot of point guards. He makes it a lot easier for us. Sometimes you won't even think you're open, but our reaction is to have our hands up and be ready for the ball. Then the ball just winds up in there.

All the pieces of the puzzle are together now.