BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 11, 2004

Mike Brey

Rick Cornett

Chris Thomas

COACH MIKE BREY: We have to make some shots from the three-point line for us to really play with anybody, but certainly a Connecticut team. I thought they really defended us well out there. Had some drives, their quickness, they blocked some stuff. I was happy with our defense, again, just like at Hartford. I think I said this, you know, 37 percent field goal percentage and 66 points, I thought we'd have a chance. We did there for a while. Gordon was fabulous. I was a little worried about that as soon as I heard Okafor wouldn't play. I knew it would be more of a license to go for Ben Gordon; he's a very talented young man.

COACH MIKE BREY: I think Tom Timmermans is exhausted. We need to get him some rest before we go into the next phase of whatever we're dealt. I thought Rick was fabulous tonight, a real bright spot. This young man has really developed. We're a little fatigued with a short bench, turning it around. Then playing speed like that really puts pressure on you. I'm very proud of our group giving us a chance, we made a run at it, put some game pressure on them, had the ball a couple times with the chance to take the lead. Just couldn't get over the hump.

CHRIS THOMAS: It was tough. The way I been shooting the ball lately, especially in this building, just to see them go in and out, basically the whole game, it was tough. But, I mean, we kept fighting. I just made an effort not to worry about the refs, how the calls were going, how my shots were falling. Next thing you know, we're back early in it in the second half. I'm past the stage of worrying if my shots are falling or not. I'm just going to try to do whatever I have to do for my team.

COACH MIKE BREY: Well, as I said I think last night, I think we've played arguably the toughest non-league schedule in the league - probably these guys and us. We've played the toughest league schedule in the league, which sounds unusual, but those are things you have to look at. We're 7-3 in our last 10 games and three games against these guys, and we won one of them. The intent to schedule was a thing the committee came out with a couple years ago, that we've challenged ourselves, 9-7 in a heck of a league. I'm realistic. I also talked to our guys about both tournaments in the locker room, to be mentally prepared, and we'd be honored to play in either one of them.

COACH MIKE BREY: Yeah, I think we were a little tired. We played a lot of zone, more zone than we've ever played. I think it was good to us, because they didn't really get into a great rhythm against it. But at some point there, when we substituted and went small, you know, we had to chase them and had to guard them and make a run at them that way. We did. We did a pretty good job. We got that thing to three, I believe. But it is exhausting chasing them, especially, then coming down and playing against their ball pressure. Little bit like Hartford, we had a hard time getting looks. They guarded us on the line probably better than anybody the last two times we played them.

COACH MIKE BREY: This is a great league. I know we were third in the RPI, probably as of recently. But deep league, heck of a league. You know, the six above us obviously have great resumes. Us being No. 7, I feel we have a pretty darn good resume. But, you know, how about a Virginia Tech this year? I mean, are you kidding me? I mean, they were tough. I look back now and that win in Blacksburg was a great win for us. I didn't maybe think that at the time, but that's pretty good road win. Villanova's starting to play well. Their young guys are starting to grow up a little bit. So, you know, it's as good as any of the two above us in the RPI. That's the way the numbers came out.

COACH MIKE BREY: Yeah, he's a great talent. The game comes very easy to Villanueva offensively. There's some guys that are naturals. He's just kind of a ballet dancer out there, footwork, hands, feel for the game. He's a special guy. I think Jim's done a good job getting him to learn how to guard and play hard every possession, but that's still a work in progress. But he's an extremely talented young man.

COACH MIKE BREY: We kind of prepared like he was going to play. I just didn't think we could make that big a deal out of it. The only thing, when we finally heard it was official right before the game, we just talked about matchups. The one thing I did say was, "Maybe we can drive it a little bit more." But of course other guys blocked some shots. But I didn't think we could make a whole big deal out of it. We had been playing pretty well. I just kind of wanted to keep the focus on us.