Post-Game Quotes From Louisville-Memphis Men's Basketball Game
March 03, 2001 | Men's Basketball
March 3, 2001
Louisville head coach Denny Crum
"I told the guys this was for Rashad (Brooks) and Marques (Maybin), since it was their last game. We played very well defensively. That's as good a 40-minute defensive effort as we have had all year. We did a good job of keeping the ball out of the post. We didn't stop them once when the ball got in there but I am just proud of them. I just wish they can come out and play this well on Wednesday."
(on the C-USA Tournament) "This group has come a long way. We would love to win that tournament. Everyone would. The only one that is guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament is the winner. I told the players after the games that stranger things have happened. It would be an unbelievable experience if we did that."
"I talked to Coach Wooden for about an hour this morning. He left me with a little saying that Mother Theresa said and I hope the Louisville fans will take notice. He said 'Forgiveness will make you whole.' If you think about it, we all have ups and downs and things that we wish we can change. I just want the fans to know that regardless of what's happened, they are the best fans in the world."
(on beating Memphis) "Beating anyone is what you want to do. We have had a great rivalry with them. The first year I was here, Memphis and Louisville both had good teams and we finished tied for the conference lead. We had to have a playoff and it was at Vanderbilt where it was soldout. We were in the basement two hours before the game and you could hear the roar of the crowd and that's something I will never forget. We beat them and went on to the Final Four. I thought that's the way it was supposed to be all the time."
Memphis head coach John Calipari
(on Louisville) "You have to give them credit. They came out with energy. Hopefully they will get on a roll and finish out the season strong, just hopefully not against us. If they play that way defensively, they'll be fine."
(on Denny Crum) "I have said it before, he should go out on his own terms. Now he is pretty well taken care of the rest of his life. It's great for the fans and I know they want to win here. I said to him prior to the game, 'You are in the Hall of Fame and you are still coaching.'"
(on making shots down the stretch) "They missed a lot of free throws but they made four or five when the game was still in doubt and Reece (Gaines) made some big shots."
"They got rough and tough and we stepped back. They played with emotion, and we knew they would, and we didn't respond to it. I was trying to find out what button to push because everything that was happening but they didn't respond."
