Gary Waters Quotes (91 Quotes)

We had a plan to get to the Final Four and we came pretty close. We should win 17, 18 this year and there is no doubt in my mind Rutgers should be in the NCAA Tournament next season.

I wanted to clear the air. I wanted everyone to know my intent and have my team able to focus on the next four or five games, if we have that many, and not have them hurt in this process.

I thought we grew up and we deserved to win a game. But (Syracuse) feels the same way. That kind of ending had nothing to do with us. That was just fate.

I thought our kids focused in on what we wanted to accomplish. They didn't leave anything unturned.

We've been playing better on the road lately. In the end, I thought we were playing better than that No. 8 seed.

This was the first time we dominated a team with Quincy not shooting well. These kids now understand what to do on the court in situations and they'll compete.

The plan is in action. First year I wanted to get to .500. The next year a NIT berth. This year we have a chance at 17 or 18 wins. The plan is in action.

It hasn't progressed and the reason why is he keeps getting it hit. And when you get it hit, you need at least two to three days rest. The most we can give him is one because we play so many games back-to-back.

He was effective against everyone. We threw some guys at him, but it didn't make any difference.

I felt so bad because this is my team and it looks like I abandoned them. I made a bad choice.

In essence, it was a reprieve from Wednesday because they heard a lot of stuff from us, from you the media, from everyone. I'll tell you something -- these kids responded well.

That's the first time we played this year that we dominated a team without Quincy shooting well.

I think they ran out of gas. We've played three games in five days. I thought they played their hearts out, especially in the first half.

What has been forgotten is we did get to the finals of the NIT and I thought that was better than (losing) in the NCAA in the first round the way that team was.

Yeah, it's going to be tough and Quincy knows that but some other guys need to step up. Our goal is to still make the Big East tournament, so we're going to need some other guys to take us there.

That's going to be a tough game here Saturday. Home court is going to be a major, major issue in this league.

We had a great game plan of who we wanted to shut down. But the one we didn't have room for in our equation was Lowry. He had a phenomenal game. A phenomenal game.

Wednesday will tell the tale. Over the weekend, some good things happened in our behalf that got us a step closer today. But we can end all this speculation by going to St. John's and winning.

I have enjoyed coaching the Rutgers basketball team for the past five seasons, and have had the opportunity to work with some tremendous young men. But at this time, I feel that this is the best course of action for me to take for the Rutgers basketball program and for my family. I feel we were able to accomplish a lot here, but it is time for me and my family to move forward.

You don't know how much of a relief (it was). I thought our kids came out and relaxed. We lost a game (to St. John's) the other day when there was too much other crap running around out there. This time, they could just play basketball and not worry about other things.

I thought Marquis Webb did a great job on Clayton. As Clayton goes the team goes, and I think we did a good job on him.

People still aren't letting me live down that loss to Providence. But we're coming along.

Quincy is a loyal person and that's what people don't realize. That's why he's been with Jack so long. The thing Quincy knows is he still has a lot to learn and he wants to graduate. If someone is going to offer him millions upon millions, I have to be honest. I'll give him the best advice of what his future will be if he makes that decision (but) we'll wait because I don't want him to worry about this now.

You gotta understand, I've been with him for three years and I've seen a lot of things go down. The thing I do know is he's getting better and better each time he walks on the floor. And I don't know if we've seen the best of him yet. That's the scary part of this whole thing.

This (game) shows you he's maturing, but at the same time it shows you his leadership. At practice Friday, I pulled Quincy aside and told him, 'You got to lead this team on this floor.' They follow his lead. He responded.

We didn't defend today. But you can't put everything on your defense. You have to eventually hit shots.

They're the freshmen going to make mistakes, but they don't quit and play hard. They understand the game more and more.

Quincy called one and I told them we only had one and told them we needed one at the end. But those things happen I understand and we had no timeouts. I even told our guys if we had a time-out we would have won this game.

Byron hurt himself in the first two minutes and that's why they had so many points inside.

If Farmer can come out and give some things like he gave today, we can win some games.

We're a different team today than we were back then. But I think we can go out and play this team extremely hard.

Anyone could of won that game. That was one of those games that you're going to keep in memory for a long time.

They are, in my estimation, very important to the team. Because the things they do we wouldn't have the starters doing. They give themselves up in practice by becoming other players. They educate themselves on the other team.

Playing Princeton is like pulling teeth. It's been that way for a long time.

I thought our kids played hard. Today we just got beat by a better team. They had all the answers today.

I thought our kids followed the game plan extremely well. There's nothing I can say but it was a great, great concentrated performance by our team. Our guys worked extremely hard. I thought we rebounded the ball well. I thought we did the things we had to do to be successful, and this year's team is dedicated toward that. They followed what we told them to do. They did everything to a tee.

Obviously Quincy went to work today. And when he goes to work, it's hard to guard him.

When we get to those last moments we have to trust each other out there. I think sometimes we get into situations where we don't trust each other on what can be accomplished.

I know Darryl still had a lot of interest in Rutgers. He was very disappointed because they were together for eight years and they really hated to be divided.

I think our guys played admirably. I thought Quincy was fabulous in the first half. He kept us in there. I mean without him, we're not in there and we don't have a chance. But I think we ran out of gas.

I've got to give Quincy credit throughout that whole ordeal because he never wavered. All these statements didn't come from Quincy. Quincy wanted to be here.

It seems wiser to consolidate the policymaking and the funding allocation responsibilities in the same body, ... When you have multiple boards existing in a climate of dysfunction, you lose accountability.

I knew what his aspirations were and I had to make a decision in my mind 'Do I worry about what his aspirations are or am I trying to make this program better' And when I thought about the ways to make this program better, there was no better person suited for that position.

I thought we were fabulous in overtime. I tell our guys two things when you're in the last minutes of a game You can't turn the ball over and you gotta make your free throws. We did all that in overtime.

I honestly think we set up a good shot for him with that three-pointer, when it was a three-point game, and I just think he didn't have any legs. The boy was tired, he was literally tired.

I have to give DePaul a great deal of credit because they could have backed down in that game when we were up by eight in the last four minutes of the game. But they kept fighting.

I think he has the ability to defend in there and rebound the basketball. Both will be needed to help this team.

I told these guys now they belong. Now we're going to go on the road and get our first Big East (road) victory. We're going to be in the Big East Tournament. I gave them things to feel good about themselves because they deserved it. They played hard.

He's the best defender in the Big East. Everybody he plays against he shuts down. The game you saw Mejia have wasn't an off-day - that young man makes people have off-days.

Without taking him away you don't have an opportunity. Our game plan, to take Whitney away, gave us an opportunity with this team.