Jamie Dixon Good Quotations

Obviously, this is a disappointing loss. We didn't play well against a very good team. We're going to get together (today) and figure things out and get better for it.

Levon was obviously very good tonight. It was a team effort. I like our 11 guys and I have confidence in all of them. I think you can see that and they all seem to step up.

She ... went to the house of a friend for afternoon tea where she said she wasn't feeling good and she collapsed.

She saw the good in everyone. She made everyone around her a better person. She made me a better person. I've said this before -- when I grow up I want to be just like her.

Hamilton is a big-time player who put up big numbers last year. He's had some injuries, but he can get it going at any time. He is very good around the basket. He can also step out and shoot it. I thought he was an all-league type player last year. And he's improved this year.

We've been very good all year long and tonight was just more of the same.

He got a few better looks, some in transition, and they were also setting some screens. He's a good player. I didn't think he'd go scoreless tonight.

Records on the road usually aren't as good as records at home. We want to be undefeated on the road well but we had all five games down to the last minute. They could have gone either way.

I was a little disappointed with the rebounding, but they're a good team with some very, very good players in the middle.

I think it worked out well. The way it worked out, you're not going to get a better shot. We couldn't have done it any better. We got as good a shot as you can get on the next play. People are going to question it, but we did the right thing.

I think we passed the ball well and got a lot of good performances from guys on the court and off the bench. I thought all of our guys played very well.

I thought our guys had a whole team effort, and our defense, rebounding and decision-making was solid all the way through. We were fortunate to beat a very good team and we've got to get ready for Syracuse now.

I thought we battled, we played hard, we got through some adversity with the foul trouble. We made some shots at the end but we didn't make them consistently throughout the game. They're a good team, but we need to play better.

We didn't shoot it great tonight and a lot of that has to do with the zone. I thought we got the ball inside when we wanted to. I thought we did a good job attacking but don't read too much into it. It was two teams playing hard and we came up a little bit short.

We haven't had a lot of 3 or 4 days off so far. It's a good opportunity to get some rest and comeback with plenty of energy and determination. I think it's going to be a good thing and we'll be ready to go when we return to practice.

We don't put too much emphasis in scoring. I know it's going to be there at different times. Carl is making good decisions. He's playing good defense. He's rebounding. He's playing very well.

We were very efficient in the second half. We wanted to get it inside to Aaron from the start. We missed some easy ones early. Our patience was good in the second half. We used the clock and got shots at the end of the clock, which can wear down teams. We really had good clock management.

We had four good games up there. We got a lot of good things out of it. A lot of guys got some good, big-game experience in a hostile atmosphere similar to what we'll face in the NCAA tournament. We got better last week. That's the biggest advantage.

We had good execution throughout the game. We recognized some things of how they played and executed our plan.

That was a very good win against a very good team, well-coached and a tough, athletic group. We found a way to gut it out. We didn't shoot the lights out and it wasn't a pretty game, but we found a way to battle through.

We've seen them and we're familiar with them. Having a short turnaround as far as playing them, at least it's good that we're familiar with them.

We played well early. That would kind of make you think the guys were obviously ready to play and there was nothing else on their minds. During the first five or six minutes, we were about as good as we've been all year.

We put ourselves in a position to win. But it just came down to free throws. There is such a fine line between a win and a loss. It would have been good if it would have went in, but we need to play better defense through the game instead of putting ourselves in that position.

When you're undefeated, that's what people are going to point to. I'm not going to lose sleep; we've played good people.

We've always thought he was a very good player and always believed in him. He just happened to play on some very good teams behind some very good players. Last year, he developed and got better. He played in a lot of big games against a lot of good people.

We're going to play our same style. We're going to play to our strengths. We're not going to change. We're going to defend. We're going to take good shots. We're going to move the ball around. We're going to do the things we've been doing all season.

We stressed getting off to a good start and being ready to go, but my advice didn't go very far.

We knew what they want to do and how good they are off the dribble. They make tough shots and, when they do, you have to continue to play defense, to stick to your principles and rules. That's what we did.

They are an NCAA Tournament team. It was two very good teams playing out there. We won the battle.

We've been pretty good in all the months, but I guess that one stands out. We had a lot of confidence in the freshmen, but I am surprised at how well they have played defensively. That's always the toughest thing for freshmen and they still have a long way to go.

It was two good teams playing well. They made free throws (11 for 14 in the second half), and we need to win the rebounding battle more than we did.

We did a good job defensively on McGrath tonight. That was key for us.

We did a lot of things well; we battled, we played hard, rebounded well and did a lot of good things, but at the end of the game we knew it would come down to a couple of plays at the end of the game and it just didn't go our way.

Somebody's going to lose. Good teams are going to lose.

They've been healthy, and they've had good practices lately. That's where you get better.

Sam played well. He gave us good minutes (season-high 28).

Our conference has prepared us better than any other conference since I've been around the Big East. I'm not surprised how it has played out because of how many good teams there are here.

This was a great win for us. I think we were anxious at first and rushed a bit. But we calmed down and played a great last 30 minutes. They're a very good team, ranked 19th in the RPI, so they're battle tested and very well coached. Their size and versatility make them hard to play against. I thought we did a good job offensively, especially running the clock at the end and getting great shots towards the end of possessions. Our defense still has a long way to go though.

You're not going to shut him down. He's going to get shots. He's going to take shots. He's got range. We've done a good job on a lot of guards this year, keeping them below their averages. You can't let him get going. He's been very dangerous this year.

I'm especially proud of the way we battled back and put ourselves in good position. This was a good week for us. We got better and we'll build on this.

Nothing's really changed when you look at this conference. There were so many good teams that teams that would normally get a bye will be playing on Wednesday, but that's a testament to the league and how things fell on tiebreakers.

Not often do you lose a game when you shot over 70 percent in a half. It is tough to lose a game when you shoot that. I thought our offense was good and we made good decisions and (had) good looks. Its amazing how one little thing can change the outcome of the game.

It's not a surprise. We've done it often. It's a good look for us. West Virginia is smaller and perimeter-oriented. We've played with it a lot. It worked well tonight.

At this point, we're obviously disappointed. We put ourselves in a good position at the end of the game but we came up a little short. I'm so proud of how we battled. We got better this week.

I want guys who want to be head coaches. To be a good head coach you have to be a good assistant first. I want our guys looking at head coaching jobs and preparing to be head coaches because that makes them good assistant coaches.

I didn't think our defense was good early on, but they had something to do with that. We played well in the second half.

I don't know if it means too much more to us. I know it looks good in the papers and to talk about, but it's two good teams. We have a lot of respect for their program.

He's just doing such a good job of keeping the ball up high. You talk about it a lot, but to consistently do it is something else.

They've had a tough schedule recently, but they beat a very good team. They're very good, and they'll be ready to go. I was glad I was able to get in a full rotation (against Providence) and rest some of our guys, so that everyone is fresh. It's going to be a very tough game.

It was just a big effort. Our shooting percentage was terrific. We just came out and made shots. They were good shots, but I thought we made some great decisions to get there.

It was a good game that came down to a couple of plays at the end. We came up a little short. It wasn't for a lack of intensity.

These guys are good players. They're experienced guys. We know them from last year. They bring a different dimension. They're very active, athletic and quick. They are probably the best all-around big guys we've played so far.

It's not the prettiest shot, but it goes in. He doesn't lack for confidence. He's a good shooter.

It's a hand-off play. We dribble it over and hand it off. ... People say we're a football team playing basketball. We've heard it for the past couple of years now. They all say, 'Now we have to get ready to play the Steelers.' We think it's good to be compared to a team that's had so much success.

A strength of this team is our depth. We've said from the start of the season that it's a good rotation we have.

It's something we're proud of. Our fans, our students, the Oakland Zoo, they've been a big part of our success. Our students are right on top of you. It's something we did four years ago when we built the building. It's a good situation.

It's something that's been said about us. I sometimes used to get away from it but now we embrace it. Teams often talk about us playing like the Steelers, or as a football team at different times. Now we look at it as a good thing and we're proud of it.

They made some tough shots early, and we withstood it. So that's another good sign for us.

It's just more of the same. The names have changed, but you know you're going to have good teams every night. We're playing against the best people. There's a few more, but they're all good. To be in the best conference in college basketball is a great thing for the university.

To have the kind of success we've had this season, you have to be good both home and away. It's going to be a battle, but I don't think the game being on the road makes us want to win it anymore than otherwise.

It was a very good team effort for us. I don't know where to start on the guys who contributed. Everyone stepped up. That's one of the best teams year after year in the country that we beat.

It was such a good, close game with two good teams going at it, so we always talk about that game. I think that it brings back some memories.

This was a tough, physical Big East game against a team who I think will be good enough to go to the NCAA Tournament. Our shooting wasn't great, but Marquette had a lot to do with that, so we continued to battle and came away with a big win.

We weren't playing well despite the fact that we stressed the last three days about getting off to a good start.

It's hard to say you played good defense when somebody scores 37 points, but I thought we did. I'm sure I'll see that guy scoring in my head the rest of the night. The guy made some unbelievable shots.

It's been a strength of ours, executing against the zone. We didn't do as good a job today. ... The key was that we didn't finish off the first half. We should have been up by more.

There were different guys stepping up making plays. It wasn't just Carl or Aaron. ... We got the ball to the right spots and eventually good things happened.

I assume they respect us and I know we respect them. Ever since I've been here it's been a good program. We haven't gained any more respect for them because of rankings. We have a lot of respect for their program.

He played so good the other day (during Friday's 65-61 loss to Seton Hall). He had 11 assists. He started out great with the passing. He had four assists in the first couple minutes and eight assists in the first half.