Thank goodness we played those series of matches. With conference play beginning this week, the exhibition provided us with a real glimpse of where we have strengths and where we have weaknesses.

I'm actually very hopeful because I think we're starting to play a style that fits us. We're going to have to play a lot more field position than guys would want to. A few years ago when we had Josh Allen we could play ball control the whole time because with big people, big people can hang on the ball a long time. Little people can't.

We learned a lot at the Pac-10 tournament. If we implement the changes we introduced at practice this week, particularly on defense, we should be in pretty good shape.

As you watch sports franchises and teams, they go in cycles, and I think we're now emerging from - I'm not going to say a down cycle - but I'm certainly going to say a cycle where we weren't at our best. I think this team has already worked very hard to pull us out of that.

They got us to play the kind of game they wanted us to, and anytime a team can do that, they're going to have an advantage.

We didn't play our game ... and that took us out of our rhythm. We're a rhythm and finesse team, and we were taken out of (our rhythm) -- and that's the way that goes.