**Here’s my game story from Louisville’s exciting 61-60 victory over Villanova at the Wachovia Center.
These quotes are in my story, but they are absolutely tremendous.
Here’s Louisville coach Rick Pitino on how loaded the Big East is this year with nine teams in the Top 25.
“Like I told the guys last night, I said, ‘For me, I think I look forward to this more than any year I ever coached basketball because you’ll never see this competition probably ever again,’” Pitino said. “You’ll see great teams from Georgetown, Pitt or Villanova in a given year, but you’ll never see 12, 13 teams in any league be as tenacious and as tough as this. I told the guys, ‘It’s the ultimate challenge. You get it once in a lifetime. And how lucky are we?’
“I lied my ass of, but how lucky are we to play that type of competition every night out. It’s awesome.
“And it’s all because of inner-city kids, by and large, who grow up in tough neighborhoods. They get together, they all form one unit and they all play against each other. It’s quite special, it really is.”
And here’s Villanova coach Jay Wright on the same topic.
“After our last preseason game, we got together and I said, ‘Now the Big East season starts and we’re going to be part of history because this is going to be one of the greatest years in the history of the Big East. And really enjoy it. It’s going to be tough. We’ve got to enjoy it. You’re going to talk about this the rest of your life. You’re going to talk about the year you played with 8, 9 teams in the Top 25. All these great players are going to be in the NBA, and you’re going to be playing against them.’ This really is a special year.”
**Click below for results of other Big East games.
Notre Dame 88, Providence, 79
Marquette 75, West Virginia 53
Georgetown 82, Providence 75