NEW YORK -- Character was the theme espoused by Saint Louis coach Travis Ford and Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams.
Ford praised his team's ethos, as opposed to Williams, who wondered about his squad's makeup.
"What haunts me is our character was revealed in how we played," Williams said after Saint Louis topped Virginia Tech, 77-71, in the opening round of the 2K Classic on Thursday night.
"This was the first time I was caught off-guard," Williams said.
Javon Bess scored 22 points and Jordan Goodwin added 19 for Saint Louis (3-0).