For the most part we played well defensively. We let up a little bit a couple times once we got the big lead and that's when they got back in it.

They weren't intimidated at all. They were in our face the whole game.

It's big. Obviously we're a little less star-struck than guys who haven't been here before. It can catch you off-guard at first.

St. John's is a tough team, and they battled all game. They play aggressive defense. When they make the plays and make the shots, they are tough to beat. They're going to be a force in the Big East.

It's going to be a good challenge for us. We match up fairly well with them.

It's a little bit of bad timing, but for the city overall, it's great. People still recognize we're winning, so it's not a problem.

It's a tough loss, but the only way it's going to turn into a bad loss is if we don't turn around and learn from it.

They're a pretty unique team because all five guys can shoot and space the floor. It comes down to individual defense because you can't help too much, which is something we tend to do quite a bit. They can all shoot, so you can only help so much off penetration.

They have a lot of older guys. They make very few turnovers. They capitalize off your mistakes. It's hard to get them out of their comfort zone. They have a lot of seniors and juniors who have been playing for a while. We're going to have to match their efficiency and be just as solid as they are if we want to be in there with them and get the win.

A lot of people (on television) were picking against us. We took it personally.