This is something our kids have really worked hard for. Winning the Christmas tournament is one of our goals we set for ourselves for this season.

I think we took a good step. Illinois played the same team (winning 61-42). And in the back of our minds, we were measuring ourselves against them. One of the reasons I came back as a senior was to win a Big Ten championship.

It's not that we're shocked because we're winning. It's a shock that we got in a hole like we did. We knew we had talent in this locker room and we knew what type of coach we had. It's just about everyone putting their egos aside and that's what we're doing.

We need a good game before district and have set goals all along to have a winning season and to make the playoffs. This is the end of our first stage, and although it would be nice to be 3-1, it won't matter what our records are after tonight.

[Winning] the national championship is really one of our goals.

Coach K. at Duke would always say that going undefeated was not one of their goals. Winning a national championship was a goal. Going undefeated was never one of our goals, either.