B.I.A.H. Quotables: Featuring the best tweets at Isaiah Thomas

Everybody's favorite weekly B.I.A.H column is back for round-number-two.

Throughout the week, we are going to post some notable quotes or excerpts that show up in our google reader. Stupid people say stupid things 24 hours a day, and being somehow associated with the college hoops landscape does not preclude that fact. That said, we will not limit our quotables to the simple and idiotic, as the insightful and intelligent will also be highlighted.

Feel free to pass along any quotables you stumble across to contactbiah@gmail.com or hit us up on twitter.


Steve Lavin had a lot of pressure his shoulders to get his first win at St. John's head coach. The Johhnies beat Columbia, and got Lavin the W. After the game, it was time for Lavin to relax:

"I told Coach Keady I don't usually drink Maker's Mark. But I said I think I'm ready to have a Maker's Mark with him tonight."

Maryland and Pitt played in one of the premiere games of the week, in the semis of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Blossoming beast Jordan Williams went up against Pitt's Gary McGee, who his coach Jamie Dixon believes will be the Big East Defensive Player of the Year. But Williams had his way with McGee, and I think he knows it:

"When I got the ball I scored. Like every time. I think I missed one shot against him the whole game."

Speaking of Maryland, Gary Williams was relativly upbeat despite the loss, in which his team shot 14-for-30 from the charity stripe. William's team isn't ranked, but he thinks they probably could be:

"I truly believe that if they’re the number four or five team in the country, then we’re number four or five.”

On Friday, West Virginia defeated Vanderbiltt\ in the semifinals of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Championship thanks to a game-winning three-pointer from WVU's Casey Mitchell. Vandy coach Kevin Stallings was upset with the way his team handled the last possesion:

"We should have had him covered on that last play. There was no reason for him to have gotten that shot on the last play. We just missed coverage and didn't do what we were coached to do. But he still had to make the shot and he did."

Coach Stalling's also wasn't too pleased with the officiating. From the AP (h/t Eamonn Brennan):

Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings was livid with the referees from the start, yelling "don't turn this into a 67-foul fiasco!" West Virginia beat Davidson on Thursday in a game that had 67 personal fouls. He was whistled for a technical foul only 2 1/2 minutes into the game. Mitchell hit two free throws and a 3-pointer off the possession to put the Mountaineers ahead for good.

Later in the first half, and with the free-throw attempts at a lopsided 22-7 in favor of West Virginia, Stallings barked "22-7! 22-7!" One referee sternly cautioned Stallings "don't say it again."

Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News answered some questions in his "Starting 5" column. He addressed the top three "addition by subtraction" cases in college hoops:

Texas’ seniors were good guys, and so was freshman Avery Bradley, but the Longhorns badly needed a reboot after their post-New Year’s collapse last season.

Rutgers invested a lot of faith in guard Mike Rosario that wasn’t repaid with victories or concern for the team. He hunted shots and didn’t guard his position. At Florida, like many transfers who have no other options, he’ll probably get in line.

The champion in this division, though, is Oklahoma. Tiny Gallon and Tommie Mason-Griffin set the Sooners back five years with their lack of commitment to the program, and a once-surging Willie Warren followed their lead into ignominy. OU won’t be much good this year, but they won’t be that kind of bad, either.

Ashton Gibbs and the Pitt Panthers won the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic by defeating Texas 68-66. Gibbs was named Tournament MVP. He claimed the individual award by calling for his teammates to accept it with him. I've always liked Ashton Gibbs. He seems like a class-act:

"I wouldn’t have done it without my teammates. They screened for me and they looked for me in open spots. They got me the ball. It’s a team game. I’m a team player first and then individual awards come with it.”

Memphis won another hard-faught contest over a run-of-the-mill BCS-conference team in LSU. LSU head coach Trent Johnson was not very happy after the game. According to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, Johnson brushed off Memphis coach Josh Pastner:

Memphis coach Josh Pastner said he couldn't remember whether he had shaken hands with LSU coach Trent Johnson after the game.

Pastner did remember, however, Johnson brushing against him and not saying a word as the two crossed paths after the game in the bowels of BancorpSouth Arena.

Pastner took the high road when asked about the incident in his postgame interview.

"I've known Trent Johnson for a long time," he said. "He was obviously upset about the game."

Louisville is off to a hot start, defeating Butler, last season's National runners-up, and then drubbing Chattanooga 106-65. After the game, coach Pitino addressed many different aspects of his team. One of the more interesting points he made was about last year's Syracuse-killer Kyle Kuric:

He's a good athlete, good player. Now, remember he came here as a walk-on, and we gave him a scholarship. Let's not read too much into when he doesn't have a great scoring night, he came in as a walk-on. I think he's exceeded that by leaps and bounds and given a lot to this program.

As we all know, North Carolina has struggled a bit early on, especially with execution and mental toughness. But that didn't stop Roy Williams from joking around at a recent press conference:

Roy Williams came to his press conference Monday afternoon with his right thumb taped.

"I hit one of my players," Williams joked.

After two straight losses, Williams said he didn't hit one of players because he had too many options.

All kidding aside, Williams — who said he injured his thumb catching a pass in practice — offered a simple solution for the Tar Heels' two-game losing streak.

"We just have to play better," Williams said.

Butler and Siena put on a great Mid-Major battle on Tuesday night, in which Butler pulled away with a 70-57 victory. Despite the 13-point win, the Bulldogs had nothing but glowing reviews of Siena's star player Ryan Rossiter:

Butler Head Coach Brad Stevens “I told Rossiter, I’m blown away by how much he’s improved. I didn’t think last year he could score like that with a guy between him and the hoop and his back to the basket.”

Butler senior Matt Howard “Rossiter, he’s going right over us, right through us, and I didn’t feel like I was playing terrible defense. I don’t think there’s any hype with that guy.”

Rossiter finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds. He had 14 and 9 before the intermission. In case you forget, Rossiter was named MAAC preseason player of the year.

We will finish the first Quotables of the season with some of the more entertaining tweets directed at Washington's Isaiah Thomas. As we all know, Kentucky's Terrence Jones spurned the Huskies on the recrtuiting trail and Thomas responded via twitter. Kentucky defeated Washington in the Maui Invitational semifinals, in a game where Terrence Jones showcased his talents and Isaiah Thomas struggled to contribute at all:

@JobLess4Life - @Isaiah_Thomas2 I had my popcorn but the only show I saw was the one Brandon Knight and TJ were putting on. Bow down.

@SportsBang - You got Kentucky, You got a LOSS! Cats scratched the Huskies eyes out...Wimper #Kentucky #Washington #SEC

@jlstanukfan - you got what you wanted a date with uk and u choke Terrance jones pick the right school UW is a JOKE!

@Cgowers - What is @Isaiah_Thomas2 gonna say now? #gocats

@WarMother51 - HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Big Blue Nation sends their regards. Popcorn must have gotten stale.

@MatthewBDelaney - so much for the win you guaranteed months ago.

@JimCarls32 - guess them cats beat them dawgs go to the pound you mut!!!

@Jaybraham - Sup dude?? So was all that trash talk a good idea?? Didn't think so!! #TerrenceJones #BBN #GoCats

@Jonhehehman - Glad to see BK12 with his arms up instead of those flexxin' fools. @Isaiah_Thomas2 http://twitpic.com/39p5jn

@UKfanJonNorth - Hey just wondering, but I thought a bark was worse than a meow? Watch who you play before you talk that smack.

@DeyWho71 - lol you got beat talk more shut about your loss. Haha #failness

@Ty735 - what happened? I thought we would beat UK, stop talking and just try to get better, you will be a lot better next year.

@GonzChristopher - Husky Fans everywhere are proud. Different story with UK come March. WOOF!

@ShockJ - Rough one out there tonight. Keep your head up. Go get those Spartans tomorrow. Much love!

@SammyCajun - UK barely survived when UW was not at its best. Good things are happening at Montlake this yr! Go get Sparty! @gaddy253 and @Isaiah_Thomas2

I wonder how many of those were from Kentucky fans?