This is the time of season when you really need to get your act straight for the crunch run.

There's got to be an adjustment on that. I don't think it's as productive as it should be, in a true sense of competitiveness ... just because of the time aspect about it.

We're going backwards. I'm real concerned about that. We've been taking all kinds of time at it, and we're getting worse at it.

He's the best natural scorer of all the big kids. He's not the biggest by any stretch, but at any time he can take up space, he can move people without pushing, just by using his body, and you can't move him. He's a very difficult kid to move, especially with his hard work and passion for the game.

Chris West, our strength coach, said it was our best workout we've had in three months. It was no nonsense The time was short, but the attention-getting was there.

It?s a time we have to play. I don?t think for college kids it makes any difference. I talked to players today and asked them, ?How?d you sleep last night?? They said they went to bed early ? they were in bed by 1:15 a.m.

It's a great opportunity for us and a great opportunity for Albany. I think coach (Will) Brown knows what a win can do and his kids know what a win can do. It's a great time of the year.

I can't remember the last time we were up three with 11 seconds to go and lost. We got beat by that shot by Gerry. Anything can happen in overtime. We made the decision of who would have the assignment. Gerry made a better play and hit a great 3.

It's always good to be No. 1 in anything but it's not great at this time of year. I want it at the beginning of April, but I'll take it now. Being No. 1 isn't a goal of ours like the Big East championship or the national championship, but we feel we're one of the better programs in the country for the last 15 years and being No. 1 is another notch for us as a total program.

The second half would have been a good night to play against anybody. Every time you made a change ... You pressed us? We dunked it. You zoned us? We 3-pointed it.

Marcus is not the scorer, but he is the runner of the team. He gets the ball to the right people in the right time at the right spots.

I think a lot of credit has to go to Louisville when you have a leader out. I'm not sure how well our offense would have been if we didn't have Marcus Williams. Marcus is not the scorer, but he is the runner of the team. He gets the ball to the right people in the right time at the right spots. They didn't have that tonight. They worked like crazy.

It's an important time because no one wants anyone else to get off to a 7-0 start. The league is off to a good start.

Over the last 15 years, the type of players we've had here, the fortune to be successful, we've had the bull's-eye. Now there's the added bull's-eye of a new league, being No. 1. They just pile up. That's exactly where you want to be. You want to be playing from the top. I hear guys say they like to be the underdog. But there's a reason you're the underdog. I'd like to be playing from the top any time I can.

I think as we've gotten down to the time of the season where you're playing for a chance at a Big East championship, playing to get a bye in New York and, obviously, playing for seeding in the NCAA Tournament, there's no room for experiments or getting young kids some experience.

If we're not playing defense and I call time out, I can tell you right now it's going to be X-rated. I'll go after some people or make some changes. It's not like this is the middle of the season and we can get it done next time. We're all here and it's a perilous journey. It's a wonderful journey, but the band plays on if you lose.

It's the first time he's done that in his entire career. It's the first time he's been able to maintain that. He played exceptionally well, I was really happy for him.

You can?t predict this thing ... two, three, four all gone. How do you predict these things? The whole idea that No. 1 gets the easy route ... there are no easy routes. Those teams at 16 are really good, and they have incredible desire to win. By the time you get to 8-9, you?re facing really good teams.

I don't know if there is another player as complete or as poised all the time with the basketball. Bottom line is that he's a terrific basketball player.

This is my favorite time of the year. I love it. I just hope we come out and play the best basketball possible. Win and advance: that's all we think about. It's one game at a time. We don't talk at all about Indianapolis or Washington, D.C.

This was the first time Hilton's taken over a game in his entire career. He's had good starts to games before. Tonight was the first time he's been able to maintain it throughout.

This proves that you can't just show up in postseason play, because instead of going to practice and preparing for a game tomorrow, we have to wait a week. Next time we lose, we're going home.

Any team that's won 20 games, we're going to have respect for. They have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. But you know what? We have a lot to gain, too. We're really excited about it. I like this time of year. I hope my kids like it as much as I do.

The thing that scares me always the most and the thing I caution our players on is that next week, you go home. You go home for the Big East tournament. And then next time you go home, we pack up the uniforms. And this team is good enough to get to Indianapolis. Will it get to Indianapolis? I have no idea. ... Maybe the first round of the tournament some team gets up, plays us tough and we don't execute.