Rick Barnes Team Quotations

Obviously it was a goal we had at the beginning of the season. At the start of the year, looking at our schedule, we knew we had a target on our backs, and I am proud of the way the team handled it.

Some of our passes were ridiculous, ... To turn the ball over as many times as we did and win, we were fortunate. They're an older, veteran team in midseason form.

Some of our passes were ridiculous. To turn the ball over as many times as we did and win, we were fortunate. They're an older, veteran team in midseason form.

P.J. said it best, seeds mean nothing. You got a team today that was going to shorten the game. I'm glad we get to play one more time. ... If we made mistakes, they had a lot to do with it.

Our defense was good. Any time a team shoots 32 percent against you, you feel pretty good about it.

I was worried coming in because it was a team we know. I am not sure what happened on that last play because we were switching everything. It was a great day. Wow!

Kansas may be the hottest team in the country right now. I think they're a Top 10 team. On any given night, Kansas can beat any team in the country.

(Kelvin) lost some games when he didn't have his whole team there. Coming in (to the season) they were like us, a team that was up there. And they're a good basketball team.

We know in one game, one 40-minute game, anything can happen. Any team that's playing right now has got a chance.

We have to have Daniel playing and thinking that way for this team to play to its potential.

We really beat an outstanding team today. This is a team that we respect as much as any team we have played this year and the fact that they play hard. They compete every possession.

We've got some guys who are comfortable scoring. Our team is not built around one player.

We're a better offensive team than we were the other night. We turned down some open shots, so we need to be aggressive. Being aggressive is taking an open shot.

Believe me, I'd prefer it not be this way. But one thing about our team is that we've had different guys all year finding different ways to win.

Coming in, they were like us, a team that's up there. They start three seniors, and they are a good basketball team. If people thought they were just going to go away, you don't get ranked in the top five or six in the preseason if you don't have a good team.

The whole team put in a great effort and our inside game was just great. Back in the beginning of the season ... I knew it was going to be a tough finish for us.

The team needs to keep getting smarter. And I think they played well against a team that brought out a lot of pressure all over the floor.

I'm not going to take anything away from them because I thought they beat us in every way you could be beaten today. From looking at my team out there, I thought they acted like it was going to be (like the first game) again.

I don't know if I would call it a wishbone more than I would call it that Fun 'n' Gun because they spread you out. They're going to shoot 25 threes. They make more threes than any team in the country. It's almost like playing against a no-huddle offense.

The environment was great and to come in here and find a way to get it done is huge. I feel good for our guys. Memphis is a very hard team to defend because of the way they play.

I told the team after the game they had a glimpse of how good we can be. We were terrific ... but we can still get better.

It wasn't. That was a very hard-fought game against a team that played us the way we knew they'd play us. I think this next one will be no different.