St. John's University Athletics
Post NCAA Tournament Quotes
3/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 18, 2011
DENVER - St. John's Head Coach Steve Lavin
On the team's gathering last night after the game:
"It was nice to unwind, decompress and reflect back on what a great run our seniors had, a lot of high points. It wasn't a joyous get-together but it was an appropriate event."
On what he told the players:
"To the kids we emphasized the accomplishments - 21 wins, 12-6 in the BIG EAST, a third-place finish, an NCAA Tournament berth, putting the electricity back into MSG and restoring pride in our basketball program. They're all moving toward their college degrees in May and the way they represented the university, their families and themselves in such a first-class manner."
On playing without D.J. Kennedy:
"Not only was it a devastating blow to lose DJ because he's our leading rebounder and he's a playmaker and he has experience, poise and versatility at both ends of the floor, but also it was the effect on the other players because of the interdependence on each other in building a team. You only have five days to try and build a new team after losing (him). It's not just the points, rebounds, leadership and experience. It's also the impact it had on everyone else who had to modify their role from what they were doing."
Freshman Forward Dwayne Polee II:
On the experience he gained as a freshman:
"I like the idea, coming from a team that had 10 seniors. I feel I have a lot of experience and with all the big games we had I feel like that experience will carry over into next year and I'll be able to help the freshmen a lot."
On the 2010-11 season:
"It was definitely a good season with all the accomplishments we made, all the big games we won and making it to the NCAA Tournament. . . . We're only beginning to scratch the surface right here and coach Lav is a great coach. He's going to work us hard to get where we need to go. He was trying to say we had a great season (last night). Even though we hate to lose, he took a lot of good points out of that loss and by him doing that he'll become a better coach and we'll become better players and people."
Senior Guard Dwight Hardy
On last night's game:
"I wish I could rewind the game and start over but this is life. We lost and it's now about trying to get over it and trying to get on with my future."
On playing in the NCAA Tournament:
"Stepping on that court and seeing "NCAA" in the middle of it, that was something special. It was a once in a lifetime thing for me and I am just happy I was a part of it. I wish the outcome was different and that we could be playing (Saturday) night but somebody's got to win and somebody's got to lose and unfortunately we were on the bad end of it. It was just a great moment."
On St. John's moving forward:
"St. John's is definitely a force to be reckoned with the next couple years. I think they'll be back here next year actually, even with a group of newcomers. It's a great coaching staff and I know they'll install a great style of play on the new freshmen along with Dwayne and Malik, so I won't be surprised if they're back here next year."
On losing in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament:
"I wanted to compete for a national title - we all did. Losing in the first (game) is tough, especially because we traveled so far. To come here and just to go back home is hard to get over. It's going to take some time."
On the team's goals for the season:
"Our goal was to get here and our next goal was to go far, but unfortunately we came up short. Give it to Gonzaga. . . . we just lost a game. I'm just happy for the 10 seniors, the coaching staff and everybody from the cheerleaders to the fans that supported us this year. It was truly something special to watch."
Senior Guard/Forward D.J. Kennedy
On his plan for the future:
"I'm all about getting healthy right now. Can't go past that without being healthy. Making sure I'm 100 percent."
On if he had trouble sleeping last night:
"It was tough. I stayed up late thinking about it. But life goes on. This is just another chapter in our life. It's a great chapter. I'm proud of the four years I had at St. John's, appreciate all the fans and support. It's something I'll always remember."
