You have to pick your poison. We just tried to stay up on the shooters and not sag as much on the inside. Dials did hurt us, but he didn't beat us. On that day, they missed some shots that I think were contested. And I think they missed some shots that weren't. They weren't on a hot streak like they are now. They were still shooting well. But, lately, they've been on just a barrage. Bruce (Weber) has one of the best defensive teams in the league, and if they can do that to Illinois, that's scary.

I respect their program, I respect their coach, I respect their players and recruited some of them, and yet I want to beat their brains in. That's just the way it works.

He had a big night. We didn't want him to beat us.

They're playing for a Big Ten championship. They haven't done that for a few years now, and they're playing a team that beat them handily. The schedule is somewhat in their favor, somewhat in Ohio State's favor.

Illinois is not going to be worried because they beat us two times or three times. They're not going to have a letdown. They've got a great team.

It's not the end of the world when you're 0-2, but who's kidding who? Everybody was down. It wasn't a monstrous step, but we beat a good team. That's the fifth Top Ten team we've played, and the third we've beaten.

We didn't get beat by some chopped-liver team. I mean, don't kid yourself: They're going to win a lot of games -- a lot of games.

We're the ones coming off two losses, and they beat us down there. I'm sure they'll be hungry, we'll be hungry. I don't know if it'll be more or less, but I know what we're going to be.