Steve Alford Win Quotations

Obviously a tremendous, tremendous win for our team and our program. We're in the midst of a very special journey right now.

For whatever reason that happens, you're more comfortable at home. It's a whole different mindset. Those teams that are able to go in those environments and perform well are the teams that ultimately win championships.

Out of respect for me and my program, I hope all questions are directed at this year's team. For those of you that have that incredible urge to go elsewhere, out of respect for you, I have this comment: My entire focus and energy is helping my team win a Big Ten championship and get ready for the NCAA Tournament. This is my only concern.

My complete focus and efforts are on trying to help my team win a Big Ten championship. That's my only concern.

We had to win this thing with our defense because offensively ... the shot would just not drop for us tonight. We made enough key free throws down the stretch and we had some really key stops. I'm just really happy to get away with a win tonight.

We're down to the last two weeks. Three-and-0, you probably win it outright. Two-and-one, you get a chance to get a share of it. That's why it's going to be very exciting.

We're at our best when we do things as a team defensively. They fully understand that if we're going to win, we're going to have to win it at that end.

We shot extremely well. You have to make shots. It's hard to win four games in four days when you have one or two bad shooting nights. And you have to prepare to play four games, not just one.

Some teams really try to execute and score, other teams just get the ball in. That will dictate whether we go man, or whether we go zone. If you can win the under-out or side-out game, by two, three, four or five points, that sometimes might be the difference in the game.

A win on the road is never easy in this league. We feel fortunate that we're sitting 3-4 (away from home in conference play) with one more game remaining on the road.

This is probably the most uptight I've been all season. Just because you wanted to win this game so bad.

If you can win in Champaign, you're very capable of winning in here as well.

I'm doing the things I believe in, and that's important. It's not always an easy task in a changing environment. Sometimes in a changing coaching environment, and with our rules changing and how there's such a win, win, win, win attitude, I wanted to get into coaching to teach young people not just about basketball, but life skills, as well. I feel like I've been able to do that.

That's a heck of a stretch. Now we've got two very big home games coming up, and we have to win those games and hope something else happens.

It's very difficult to win road games, but it's hard to win homes games (too). If, all of a sudden, you don't play well -- a game where you don't make shots or where you're not on top of your game defensively -- you really run the risk of losing regardless of where the game is being played ... This league is very demanding, very difficult.

It's a tremendous win for our program. We're in the midst of a special journey. We're trying to win something. It's going to be an incredible battle, but this was a big hurdle.

It was our first experience to be here (first place) by ourselves. Everyone was a little too uptight. You have to go through it first; that's why I think it's very hard to win a league championship.