Jim Larranaga Quotes (122 Quotes)

We're having so much fun, it's not like we're in a situation where we're nervous or have any kind of fear. These guys have played basketball their whole lives. They enjoy being with each other and enjoy executing the plan on the court. And as long as we can just continue to do that, anything is possible.

This team is having a hell of a lot of fun. This team is loose and excited about playing basketball.

Our league has had an incredible season from top to bottom and start to finish. The league is at its all-time best.

I thought we'd play a good game. I'm shocked we weren't in the game with 3 or 4 minutes left.

Once you get on the court, no one really cares where you're seeded. It's about performance and execution.

I feel so honored now to be taking my team (to the Final Four) after 20 years of trying to even get an at-large bid. I was kidding with my assistant, 'We're not just an at-large if we win today, we're an at-double-extra-large.' I can't tell you how much fun I'm having.

One of the things that this team has been able to do is really dedicate itself to playing great team defense. Make him work for everything he gets. He's going to have to earn it.

We both agreed that this was something that doesn't represent George Mason University or our basketball program. That we needed to take immediate steps to send that message not only to Tony, but to the rest of our team and to the rest of the athletes who represent George Mason.

We came into the game feeling very good about ourselves and of our chances. For some reason, we were never able to establish our rhythm. Florida's ability to get second chances really hurt us. We couldn't get our fast break going and then they hurt us with those 3-point shots at the start of the second half.

The chemistry last year was fantastic. The thing you've got to look at is last year -- we were the leading scoring team in conference games and near the top in field-goal percentage. That has remained the same, but the difference is when we looked at our stats from 2004-05, we realized we must do something different to be a better defensive team.

I couldn't believe it. Just before the national anthem was played, I heard our chant. I could see the president of our student body wearing that yellow hair. It's just super.

I think they've had an incredibly great year with all the adversity they've had to deal with. You can't say it's the same team if someone gets hurt and they're not playing. That's not fair. You don't lose a guy to an injury or have a guy get shot. How bad a circumstance is something like that That doesn't just affect one guy. It affects the whole program. Somebody's life is in danger, and you're distracted.

I thought that was the best offensive segment we had, where the guys were recognizing what they were looking for and either scoring or finding the open man. But we never did get into that in the second half.

Each event is bigger and better. But that first invitation is the most important and I waited a very long time for that.

I hope that the message that George Mason made it to the Final Four is not about winning, it's about doing things the right way.

If we win tomorrow, Roy will be mad at recommending Scott seven years ago. I was at the Nike camp, and I was standing behind Roy Williams and asked him to recommend somebody. He said 'I'm not sure he's available, but I think Scott Cherry is the guy you're looking for.' I was looking for a point guard, a leader, somebody who knew how to run a team.

These guys are loose, they're having a ball, they're having a lot of fun. They like playing for George Mason University and they like representing our institution.

We have emphasized all year long not to put people on the foul line. Does it concern me Before every game I'm always concerned about stuff like that. So far, we've got a very good group of smart players.

Our guys, in future years, will be able to look back and be able to say they did something great.

We never, the entire game, found our offensive rhythm. But you don't play the same every single night, basically because human nature comes into play.

I think by what these players at George Mason have done, they've probably opened up the eyes of many people, including myself, that you don't have to have seven-footers on your team or be the biggest and strongest to have a great basketball team.

It didn't matter what time of year, what type of game. We have a very simple philosophy that players behave in a first-class manner. When that occurred, I went back, I looked at Tony and I said, Did you hit him' And I could just tell by the expression on his face that he had done something that I deemed to be inappropriate behavior.