Francisco Garcia could have been a high draft choice last year, probably in the 20s. He’s the best wing player I’ve ever coached. But he’s done it the right way. He knew he had to work on his body to become a good pro. When he goes into the pros, he’ll be physically ready.

The other guys just caught lightning in a bottle with a great game.

If I didn’t have a recruiting engagement, I was going to be here. I did everything possible to change the recruiting thing. I’m a very small part of this night, but I did want to be a part of it.

I’d learned how much happiness money can bring you. Very little.

Failure is good. It’s fertilizer. Everything I’ve learned about coaching, I’ve learned from making mistakes.

I just don’t deal with the negativity. I can’t get involved in that side of it. I don’t understand it, and you can’t let it take away from your life and what you are trying to do.

I can say that hands down from being in this business 32 years; we’re going to be much better than we were last year just because there’s eight new players that now have experience and Palacios will be healthy.

I’m at the stage of my career when it’s not only about winning and developing players, it’s about having fun. That’s a void in your life right now, but it’s something you’re going to have here.

After September 11, I don’t think people really believe things like this are all that important.

Excellence is the unlimited ability to improve the quality of what you have to offer.

The only way to get people to like working hard is to motivate them. Today, people must understand why they’re working hard. Every individual in an organization is motivated by something different.

Francisco Garcia could have been a high draft choice last year, probably in the 20s. He’s the best wing player I’ve ever coached. But he’s done it the right way. He knew he had to work on his body to become a good pro. When he goes into the pros, he’ll be physically ready.

It could happen to anyone when you get hired by a different president. There’s a difference in philosophies. It happens. It’s a change in CEOs. They have their own people, their own philosophies, and it’s different than what Bob stands for.

He knew I enjoyed the relationships of college basketball. All along, he was the wise one.