I truly meant [Wednesday] night that if we didn’t play well, they’d beat us by 30. But we played much better tonight.

We just picked our energy level up and caused a couple of errors. Then we’d travel or throw the ball away or something. We were helping them beat us.

Brad was getting muscled and couldn’t get in the lane, and when he did he couldn’t score. He just had a terrible night shooting.

It was Coaching 101. If something doesn’t work early in the game, try it later.

I really rode Brad hard for about three quarters of the year. And then I told him if he would do the things I told him to do I’d quit riding him.

We didn’t have our ‘A’ game today. But even if we’d had our best game, I don’t know if we could have beaten them.

Brad kind of fought [the coaches] this year. I want him to be more intense on defense, more intense rebounding and not change his shot for anybody.

We did put two halves together, and I think we’ve only done that about five or six times this year. Usually we’re one half and done. We can beat about anybody in the country if...

He manages the game better than [point guards Buster Perkins and Maurice Manning]. He knows what plays to call and when.

We’re not at all embarrassed to be the second-best team in the country. The second-place awards were in our locker room, and I told our players they might feel like they don’t want them now,...

He’s a player. There’s no doubt the kid can flat-out play.

I thought Columbus probably should have won. I don’t know if a prayer was answered, but our kids don’t quit.

If the weather’s nice, I’ll be fishing [yesterday]. I’ll go to church in the morning, fish in the afternoon . . . and on Monday I’ll be taking care of school business.

We picked our energy level up and wanted to get within 10 by halftime. I’ve been telling our team all year you can’t get behind against good teams expect to win. They’ve proved me wrong...

We just aren’t shooting the ball very well. Our defense really saved us.

I’ve never seen a team shoot any better than that — and I’m talking about from downtown. There’s no way you can defend that, as deep as those kids were shooting.

All three try to lead. But it’s just difficult for them because they aren’t leading by example.

I don’t know if it’s self-promotion or what. Maybe it would’ve turned out different if I’d been more aggressive about it. But it’s never been something that’s been high on my list of priorities.

Anytime you can win and not play well, it’s a good win.

They jumped on us early. We fought back somehow and found a way to get ahead.

Somehow or another, we hung in there and the ball bounced our way at the end. We were very lucky.

They wanted it more than we did. It meant more to them than it did to us.

We won with class last year and this year we lost with class.

The Union fans are tough. I’ve always said they’re with you win or tie.

They had lost five straight. They were like a wounded animal: They came at us and they wanted it worse than we did.

It’s just great to have the opportunity to play in a title game. We’re just a small church school in Richmond, so anytime we’re on national TV, it’s a great for our school, for our...

They push it to the basket hard, but they usually kick it to the shooters. So we were actually stopping threes first, and (then trying) not to give up any twos.

We talked about how lackadaisical we came out last game. Coach [Willard] Coker told them they were No. 1, and I think that fired them up little bit.

Duan wasn’t quite as mobile and that hurt us on defense. But he said he could play . . . so we put him in there to see what he could do.

I will push Brad. I will push Brad to be better than he thinks he can be.

I told him I never promise playing time. But unless I missed my guess, [you] would be able to come in and dominate at this level.

They’re gonna play and they’re gonna get open shots. I’d like to see some of them knock some of them down.

Some of our kids in the program might not be as committed as I want them to be. We’ll weed them out and get some other guys, and we’ll confirm our commitment to the guys...

I thought he did a fabulous job.

I’ve been telling the team, you can’t do that against a good team. They kept proving me wrong . . . but today they saw against a good team that you just can’t keep coming...

I don’t think we play well enough to advance. People say that sometimes you have to have luck, and today I thought we got very, very lucky. Regardless, we’re proud to be in the position...

It’s a luxury to have two fine players. Any one of them can carry you on any given night.