Tommy Amaker Team Quotations

On the floor, I thought we had a terrific defensive performance. I thought we were very active, I thought our team shared the basketball really well. We certainly tried to take care of it. Obviously, with 23 assists and 13 turnovers, for us, that was the difference.

But this is a team that has grown up. This is a team that has been together for awhile. We have a veteran group and I'm sure coach Ryan can attest to the veterans he's had in the past.

Because we had the nucleus of our team win that tournament two years ago -- the juniors and seniors right now were freshmen and sophomores -- I worry about that being more of a negative than a positive. These kids have recognized that they've already done that.

We caught a team I thought was playing some of its best basketball. I thought Chris Hunter was a catalyst. He helped us get out of the box early. I thought with our defensive struggles, Chris would give us a better defensive presence.

We have respect for their team and their program. They've been able to do something we haven't done to get here, and that's go outside their home arena and win.

We're going to face a team that has played in the tournament and won in the tournament. That's one of the things that is concerning me.

We can cry about that if that's the right word to use, but nonetheless we have to keep fighting. I don't know if that's what happened with our team (when the Buckeyes took control with Harris out). But obviously it didn't help us to have him go down.

That is probably going to have some health luck along the way. The team that does not have any serious injuries or defections or (academic) casualties, if you will, in any shape or form.

Anytime you're thought of by your peers in the coaches' poll and you guys (media in attendance) thinking of us in a positive way with our program and team right now makes you feel good. We're honored. Hopefully, we're deserving of it. But also we want to keep things in perspective. For us, it's never been about us trying to crack the polls. We're still on our journey to become champions in our conference. So, nothing has changed in that regard.

They aren't as deep, but those kids that are out there know they are going to be out there. They're a very athletic team, long and rangy. I think they're a very confident team. They play with a great deal of confidence and you're able to see that. Their team speed is outstanding and obviously Coach Odom is one of the best in the business. They've been on a tear here down the stretch and they were on the verge of winning their conference tournament before coming up a little short. They've gone on the road to win some big-time games in this tournament, at Cincinnati and at Florida State . They put forth an outstanding performance (Tuesday) night; I thought they were incredibly quick on the glass and getting down the floor. They are a very confident group that seems to play well together.

I think all of our games will be must-win situations at some point. I don't know if one win is going to make or break what we've done over the course of the season, but certainly it would help if we could have a win over a team like Illinois.

Hopefully, being an older team it can work in your favor. Hopefully, we can take charge of that (opportunity in the NIT) and do very well.

They are unique - and different. They are a very athletic team. They are long and rangy. And they are a very confident team. They are quick. Their team speed is outstanding and they have been on a tear as of late.

You can see what he's able to do for our team (as an) inside-outside presence as a post player. He's basically the only guy who's been able to do that for us this season. You can see, when he's healthy, what he's able to do for our team. We can become a little bit of a different team.

I told him prior to (the Northwestern) game - in front of the team - that it was important for him to stay aggressive, and I wanted him to listen to me and not worry about anything or anybody else, to be aggressive on the floor. Whether or not he listened to me, he looked like he was playing pretty well.

It's healthy for our kids to look at this as we're the No. 1-ranked conference in America, and we've been able to finish .500 with us and Michigan State, both finishing 8-8 in our league and splitting with one another throughout the regular season. Obviously (the Spartans) are going to be a team (in the NCAA). No one is talking about them not being in.

They're a team that's already played in a different venue. They've gone on the road to win a couple games in this tournament, which shows toughness on their part. ? What the Colonial conference has done this season, certainly, this is a team that needs to be reckoned with.

I am not sure we have faced a team like that before.