Head Coach Steve Lavin:
On Recuperation and progress:
"It's going good. I feel stronger with each passing week, making strides in terms of stamina and energy."
On rigors of recruiting and current coaching duties:
"We've probably recruited harder than at any point in my coaching career, because in previous years there was the in-season complete focus on the practices and the game preparation. With the modified schedule, I'm now able to spend the majority of the time and energy on the recruiting trails, and we're making headway. I feel very confident that we'll be able to secure an outstanding 2012 recruiting class. In previous years as a head coach, I'd say 99 percent of my time was focused on practices, game preparation and day-to-day responsibilities of managing a basketball program, and if there's been a silver lining in this kind of unprecedented season, it would be the amount of time I can now commit to the lifeblood of our program, which is recruiting."
On the ups and downs of the team this season:
"I'd say that this has been the most difficult stretch that we've had this season, and the combination of us not playing well consistently in our league, and the schedule we have, if you don't put together 40 minutes of high level effort, intensity, and being tied together as a unit, you're going to have trouble. Before you know it, the BIG EAST tournament will be here, and our goal is to enhance our performance, elevate our play, so when we get to the postseason, the single elimination stage of the year, we want to be playing our best basketball. Everything we do between now and the opening round game of the BIG EAST Tournament is focused on an elevated level of play. Whether that's individual players improving an aspect of play, free throw shooting, collectively tidying up our execution, sustaining the level at the defensive end of the floor to be successful or even the mindset of sticking together and encouraging each other, we have to make progress in those areas."
On the upcoming game with UCLA, and it's particular importance:
"Today my focus was not on UCLA, but more on our team, and wanting to make sure they were aware of the opportunity that's in front of us starting tomorrow, with a game at MSG on national TV, against one of the most storied programs in college basketball history. UCLA had their struggles early, we've had our struggles more of late, they're playing their best basketball of the year right now, and we've hit a bit of a rough patch, but tomorrow is a fresh start so I focused on the opportunity that's in front of us, beginning with UCLA and right on through the BIG EAST tournament, and we have to bring everything we're capable of to each practice and each game opportunity as we move down the line."
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