It has been an incredible year for me, ... When I got back, I had a meeting and told my team, 'If you can be as disciplined and focused as our troops over there, we could be a potential national champion.'

When we won the national championship (in 2000), it was an incredible run and an incredible week, but when I walked off the airplane and pulled up to the hotel and someone pokes his head in the bus and says 'Thank you,' I knew what this was going to be about,

I think it was one of the most incredible performances I've seen.

It's great to have our league being talked about. Every team in the league is making some strides. I still think eight teams can win the Big Ten championship and in the long run that's going to help our recruiting, our exposure and the respect for our league.

The pressure [on today's top freshmen] is incredible; it's just ridiculous. They're supposed to start, star and lead you to a championship as a freshman. If they don't leave by their second year, it's considered a test of their manhood.

It's incredible. I was totally blown away when I was told it was $15,000 at the end of the night (of the event). Then hearing that it's more, I can never express my gratitude to the people.