Jim Calhoun Both Quotations

We may look differently and act differently, but we both share a love for Eastern basketball, a love for the game, a love for people. To go in with Jim is befitting.

I think we showed up like a team that had glanced at our record and saw we had beaten Syracuse handily both times. My point is that in a tournament, no one really cares what seed you are or whether you beat someone before. It's the 40 minutes you're playing today that's important.

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.

What this is for 64 teams is a great opportunity. It's a great opportunity for Connecticut. It's a great opportunity for us and it's a great opportunity for Albany. Both teams have something at stake. Both teams want to move on. There is no feeling like it. I've been a 16, a 15, a 1, and I've been all places in between. Each one is exciting.

The rotation won't change all that much. But I do want to start both kids. I think we'll be able to run better.

Both offensively and defensively, Craig is a big reason we're 11-0. So Craig will start Tuesday (in the Big East opener) at Marquette. He deserves that right. His defense up top on the ball sets up the rest of our defense. He's been a godsend.

Both of our NCAA Championships (1999, 2004) came in years where we won the Big East Tournament. Time will tell if that's an automatic correlation. There are no good losses. No moral victories. But I do know this team is one to be reckoned with at the NCAA tourney.

Both against Albany and tonight, although in different ways, these teams forced Marcus Williams to make plays to beat them. And Marcus took advantage of the opportunity both times. He was magnificent.

I'm mixing and matching both those things, ... Given my nature, unless I had planned that this would be the summation of everything, then I'm going to keep going on with my job.

It's both being fortunate and having the basketball gods smiling on you a little bit because quite frankly they had every right to win that game as much as we did. We took our foot off the pedal and we can't do that.

It's one of the few games where you're going to have legitimate guys who can both put 20 on the board, double-figure rebound, both affect the other team's offense by being a defensive presence inside. Either one of these guys can really alter the game.

It was everything you could ask for in a college game. You had a special environment, passion on both teams and with both coaches ... I would have been disappointed if we had lost. We did enough things to win this game.

It was a rock fight and both teams got involved.