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What they said about the weekend in hoops

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An occasional feature where we compile quotes from the weekend’s meaningful games. Read on and enjoy.

“He bailed us out. He saved us.”
-- Kansas coach Bill Self, who watched freshman guard Josh Selby score a game-high 21 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer vs. USC – all in Selby’s KU debut.

“It looks like Georgetown studied a little harder than we did -- at basketball.”
-- Loyoyla (Maryland) coach Jimmy Patsos, whose team lost 99-75.

“They weren’t this good [a month ago]. They weren’t gelling and weren’t getting the dribble-drive. They were young and trying to figure it out.”
-- Mississippi Valley State coach Sean Woods, after watching No. 17 Kentucky roll to an 85-60 win.

“Let’s just say we learned a couple things from the Florida State game. We did a couple different things to move him around and . . . free him up.”
-- Ohio State coach Thad Matta on freshmen center Jared Sullinger. The 6-9 center turned in a 30-point, 19-rebound day vs. South Carolina and had averaged 24.5 points and 10 rebounds since playing FSU.

“We are a very ticked off team right now. We had some chances.”
-- North Carolina coach Roy Williams. His Tar Heels squandered a late lead and lost 78-76 to No. 22 Texas.

“I still don’t think we’re as good our ranking, I really don’t, but I think we could get there.”
-- Villanova coach Jay Wright. The No. 11 Wildcats (9-1) beat Delaware, 78-59.

“This is a team that everybody has a lot of respect for, but at the end of the day it is one win.”
-- Florida coach Billy Donovan after beating No. 6 Kansas State.

“Tonight in the first half we could have shot it into a thimble and it would have gone in, without hitting the side.”
-- San Diego State coach Steve Fisher, whose team made 56 percent of its shots in a 90-64 win against UC-Santa Barbara.

“I thought we’d play together from the start. But that’s coach’s call. I’m just glad he finally decided we can be on the court together and you see the results.”
-- Washington’s 6-9 forward Matthew Bryan-Amaning, who started with 7-foot center Aziz N’Diaye for the first time this season and combined for 19 points and 14 rebounds in an 80-52 win against San Francisco.

“It feels good to just beat a really good team and show that when we’re at our best we can beat anybody.”
-- UCLA sophomore forward Reeves Nelson, after handing BYU its first loss of the season, 86-79.

“I still ain’t figured it out. But I’ve felt good all week shooting the ball. My mindset has been no hesitation -- just go out and play basketball and be aggressive. ... Sometimes I feel like we’re holding back and don’t play to our talents.”
-- Pitt’s Gilbert Brown, who had a career-high 28 in a 97-64 win against Maryland-Eastern Shore.

“The thing I like about it is when you talk about 33 assists on 45 field goals. That’s being pretty efficient.”
-- Missouri coach Mike Anderson. His Tigers scored 116 points, the most during his tenure.

“Through this murder’s row we’ve been through, it’s been hard to get any momentum.”
-- Gonzaga coach Mark Few, whose team improved to 6-5 after a 68-64 win at No. 9 Baylor. Only eight teams have played a tougher schedule than the Zags.

“Midway through the second half I finally took a look at the crowd. I saw the second tier was orange and the third tier was orange.”
-- Illinois-Chicago guard Robo Kreps, whose team pulled out a 57-54 win against No. 12 Illinois in Chicago.

“More than anything else, we wanted to rebound and act like junkyard dogs.”
-- Louisville coach Rick Pitino. His Cardinals crushed Gardner-Webb, 78-49. They grabbed 45 rebounds and limited GW to corralling just 15 percent of its misses.

“I know he was dying. Coach isn’t the type of person to miss a practice or film session, let alone a game. Knowing the type of person he is, it was eating him up inside.”
-- Michigan State forward Draymond Green, on Tom Izzo’s one-game suspension.

Want more? I’m also on Twitter @BeyndArcMMiller.