High School Basketball Rivalry

Table of Contents

• Underdog Spirit
• State Rankings and Challenges
• Proving Themselves
• Competitive Tournaments
• Team Spirit and Growth
• Adversity and Perseverance
• Respect and Rivalry
• Other

Underdog Spirit

Nobody believed in us coming in. We work extra hard to go out and prove that we can do it, that we can be one of the best teams in the state.

They were literally the worst team in the state. Now we have a chance to be the best team in the state.

I told them that they were the best 1-5 team in the state. They looked at me kind of funny, but we play a tough schedule.

We take all comers. We won't back down to anyone. They proved they were the No. 1 team in the state for Division IV. I think we're right there with them. All streaks come to an end.

We go from one game to the next and people tell us, 'Oh they can't win, no way'. And we just keep winning and it feels so good to step up and show everybody that we're just not some school that broke off from Central. We're not anybody less than anybody else. We're just as good as anybody.

We've been hearing a lot of talk about how we're the top team in the state. But we don't feed into that. We're even more hungry now than ever.

They were saying they were going to be our rivals. So we had to come out strong and prove to them why people are talking about us being one of the best teams in the state, because we are.

State Rankings and Challenges

They're ranked No. 2 in the state in all classifications, and they're certainly deserving of that, if not a little higher. They were very, very good today. Our kids played as well as we could have in the first half. We were right where I thought we wanted to be and then in the second half, we couldn't get anything going.

They're one of the top two or three teams in the state, without a doubt.

They've been in the top 10, top five in the state. They had beaten us by 19 (points) a few weeks before that and then we came back and beat them. We even had a 25-point lead at one point during that game. That spoke volumes about our team.

They've been in the top 10. A lot of people have them winning South State. Maybe we can do something about it. I want them going in there with confidence and play like they're capable of.

This is huge for us. It's like I always tell them: If you want to be state ranked, then you gotta beat a state-ranked program. And today we beat a state-ranked program.

When you consider there were 991 teams from throughout the state, coming anywhere in the top five or ten is a great honor and we came in third. It says something about the quality of our kids.

We showed everybody we're still the top-ranked team in the state.

We don't pay any attention to that ranking. There are 15-or-so teams in the state that are about even.

Proving Themselves

You can't let down against a good team like Klein Oak. We had a great effort against a powerhouse team, who may just be the next state champions. I was proud of the way we handled ourselves.

It's real big because it shows where we are as a team. Beating two of the best teams in the state in Pike and North Central is a big confidence booster.

We've played very strong since the opening three games. Right now we feel like we can beat any team in the state.

If we hadn't beaten Cal and Arizona back-to-back you could sit and say this team never has demonstrated any ability to compete with guys at the top level programs. But we did.

We actually played some of the toughest teams in the state and I think we opened the eyes of some of the higher-seeded teams.

We've proven we are a really good home team and even though the All-State isn't technically our home gym, we will still have family and friends and our school supporting us.

Just because we don't have a football team doesn't mean we don't have a good basketball team. I don't think you measure basketball teams the way you measure programs that have football teams. We've been able to measure up.

They were saying they were going to be our rivals. So we had to come out strong and prove to them why people are talking about us being one of the best teams in the state, because we are.

Competitive Tournaments

It's healthy for our kids to look at this as we're the No. 1-ranked conference in America, and we've been able to finish .500 with us and Michigan State, both finishing 8-8 in our league and splitting with one another throughout the regular season. Obviously (the Spartans) are going to be a team (in the NCAA). No one is talking about them not being in.

Last year, we probably had seven or eight teams ranked in the top 25. This year, we don't have as many, but Florida and Georgia are the cream of the crop.

Look at Rifle - last year they were the fourth seed out of our league and they won the state championship. The whole mission for us is making the playoffs. You've got to get into that second season, and we took another step toward that tonight.

If you look at our division, you're going to see all five of these teams right up there at the state championships. Every time we come together, it's like a championship meet. The competition is very strong, yet the kids all get along and the coaches all get along. It's just a good league overall.

We've never had three teams ranked in the top 25. There's not only those three, but you throw in (TCU) and Wyoming, it gives us a depth few other leagues have.

It's not a hump, it's a mountain. My AD knows. My fans know where we were when I took this job. My first year, we lost 11 in a row and I didn't know if we were ever going to win a game. My third year we were 3-3, and I wasn't sure I would keep my job. We lost at home to Kansas State and ever since then it has been a tremendous run to get where we are today. We accomplished something we haven't in 23 years, we won a championship.

Interesting. What makes them better than us? I don't know. For whatever reason, our 19-12 wasn't as good as Arizona's record or Wisconsin's record.

Team Spirit and Growth

I'm glad when we come to state we get to shine. We had the potential to be in the top three, but we knew all the teams here are good and it was going to be tight.

We played the worst basketball we've ever played. Ever. Even worse than Santa Clara. And we still had a chance to win. That says a lot about the talent on this team.

It's a relatively young team. Our seniors did a good job leading. There's nothing to be upset about. Of course you want to win a state title.

This is the strongest team I've ever had. We've got talent. We've also got more depth than I had up in Massachusetts.

Most of the teams we played were bigger than us, but we really were missing our fast breaks (during the streak). That's going to be crucial for us come sub-state.

I really thought that we were going to be one of the teams to beat in state. Unfortunately, because of sickness we were never able to play at the level we started.

We've only lost one meet besides the state meet over the last two years. Even though we lost a good player ... I think we are a better team this year because the lower players have raised their level.

Adversity and Perseverance

Yeah, we felt that we could have a pretty good season, ... We won those state titles with four losses one year and five the other. Playing the bigger AAA schools will make us better.

There was a point when we were 16-2 and we felt like we had struggled a little. But then I said there are a lot of teams in the state that would like to be 16-2.

It's very hard for a team to be so high and then have to refocus. There is an emphasis on the WPIAL around here and with the states, it's hard going from that to this.

I still say we're two of the six teams that can win state. And we're going to take this and try to learn from it.

It's no secret that this state produces high-quality players, ... And there is no reason why every team in the state can't become a winning one.

It doesn't make a hill of beans. I remember being at Miami and I don't think we ever were a Top 10 team (in recruiting) and we won three national championships.

We try not to think of numbers and rank. We have a team with enough talent that if we wrestle our best, we can beat a team ranked higher than us, like Cornell.

Respect and Rivalry

We've had the people step up. I'll go on record as saying our region is one of the toughest in the state with the likes of Timberland, Lake Marion and us. Three of our top four teams in the region reached the third round. That's a statement in itself.

The whole thing that Princeton has over a lot of teams in this league is that they've been so dominant. We need to not put them on a pedestal.

Morehead State played a very aggressive game and when it came down to it they made the plays and we did not. This is the best Morehead State team I have played against in my career here. I should not have said the things I said and I did not mean them.

It's nice to be seen as one of the top teams in the league. The rankings don't mean a whole lot, but we can appreciate it. It really comes down to the conference season.

It's really been our goal all year long to try and get our team to respect each opponent whether it's a top-10 team or non-ranked one. Going into conference play, Vermont and Albany both have dreams of going to play in the tournament and a win against us would put one of them in, so we really need to focus on beating them.

That which does not kill you only makes you stronger. We have played with the best. I look at the state rankings, and there aren't many that we haven't played. You've got to test your players.

They were saying they were going to be our rivals. So we had to come out strong and prove to them why people are talking about us being one of the best teams in the state, because we are.

Other

I feel that we are up there with all of the top four ranked teams.

I think we have a pretty good record in the NCAA tournament regardless of where we play. So the fact that we've won a lot of games here is probably indicative that we've had a lot of really good teams.

They are ranked among the top teams in the state and it should be a good test for us.

We've got 119 I-A schools. Out of 119 of us, I'll bet you 100 are fighting an attrition battle. You've probably got 19 lucky teams. Boy, they're lucky. They've kept their offensive line healthy all year, they've kept their running backs healthy, and they're probably playing for Southern Cal and Texas.

I think we have good coaches and good players in this state. We've really made an effort to re- cruit well in the state. I think the records would show that we have, particularly in the last few years. You look at our roster and it is further proof that we are winning with a lot of Virginia kids.

It all goes in cycles. There was a time when Nebraska, Kansas State and Colorado were all dominant teams. But if you look at last season, all those teams were extremely young. Now, we're all a year older.

There were more players in the state this year, more Division I talent and more qualifiers. Yes, we did emphasize it a little more.

They were the state champs last year -- not this year. We knew it would be a good game. They came in here hoping to surprise us, but both teams played exceptionally well and, fortunately, we came away with a win.

We recognize that Mississippi State isn't what it was a year ago, but for a league like ours that is starved for basketball success, Mississippi State might as well be ranked in the top five.

This was really an unbelievable season for us. Nine is a staggering number and shows how much talent is on this team from top to bottom. I think both teams have a very good chance of winning state titles.

We played 10 of the top 20 teams in the state. I'm sure a lot of people thought I was an idiot for doing that, but I'd have to say that was a little bit of it.

I knew that if we played to our potential no one in the state could beat us.

We've been section champs three years out of five. We've been to states three years out of five. We've always had a strong boys team.

It's a little disappointing, but it's early and there is a lot of the season left. Cal State Bakersfield beat us, so they deserve to be ranked higher, but like I said, there is a lot of basketball to be played.

This is the most talented team we've ever had, and is one of the most talented teams in the state,

Just because they were undefeated didn't mean anything to us. We just came out and played our best game of the year. Renton is very good, but so are all the teams at state.

We played well enough to win, but if we play one of the top teams in the state tonight, we're not even close.

That?s pretty impressive, nationally, that they think of us as a ninth seed. I think it?s recognition of who we played and who we beat.

If we beat IMS, we can beat most of the teams in the state. They are a great team.

There were 25 teams at state we had to compete for the top 10. That was not a clean routine, but they didn't let that bother them on Saturday.

Once again, Cal is going to have a top 10 (in the nation) strength of schedule ranking. Our players and coaches wouldn't want it any other way.

I just stand back in amazement that we're the only one of the 10 (ranked teams) going down there.

I think we have the best two teams in the state.

Our record is totally misleading. We're a final four team. There is talent in this program. The one thing I told the players is that I don't want to see nothing short of a state championship right now.

We feel that we?re one of the top teams in the district. We can show that with a couple more wins in the state playoffs.

We haven't had any team state titles, but we've had several district champions and a lot of good teams here. We've had teams get close, but at some point, a school comes and trips us up.

This ain't getting any easier. The top two state teams were in our region. You just never know.

We're one of the top 24 teams in the state. The bad thing is, we might be No. 24.

Most of the top teams from state for the past couple of years were there, and we beat quite a few of the top teams.

Last year we won the state championship, and we started the region off 0-3. So, I told these guys, 'Y'all are better than last year's team already.

No better team ever played in this state than you - nobody.

We've never been a Top 20 team, at least not yet. Don't get carried away with beating Louisville. Any win in the Big East is great, but I wouldn't use it as a barometer.

I think we're one of the better teams (in the state). But we won't know about a lot of the teams until the end of the year.

We came in here saying (the Spartans) beat us twice and we can beat them. That's all that was on our mind.

We probably don't have the depth to compete as a team with some of the best in the state, but both of these players should be contenders.

I think that we are a better team because of playing Jenkins, Lakeland, and Berkeley, who we tied.

It feels good to beat a 5A team from the North. People question our record because we only play teams on the Coast. We just beat one of their top teams.

This kind of gave us an idea after playing all of these teams from across the state of how we rank against them.

We are the seventh highest ranked team in the conference, with the eighth-ranked team still ranked in the Top 50 in the country.

I've said it since the beginning of the year. We might not have the state champions we had last year, but we're as good a team, an actual team, as I've ever coached.

I thought for sure we were a top-10 team in our district.

We're similar in regard to the record, but we're different types of teams. We play a little different style. We haven't talked about that at all. I think our team has kind of flown under the radar, even though we're 22-0. We're probably one of the least-known undefeated teams that's ranked No. 5 in the state. I like that. I think it's because our kids and I never talked about being undefeated. That was never our goal. We weren't even picked to win the conference.

The Arizona schools are good teams. The fact that we can sweep them in a year says a lot about our team.

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