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University of Louisville Men's Basketball Post-Game Quotes
March 17, 2006 | Men's Basketball
March 17, 2006
Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino
"Well, we really played well and we are proud to be in the NIT and played their tails off, I told our guys that this is one of the biggest crowds in the NIT are about 7000, I said we were going to get 14,000. It was not all season ticket holders that got a chance to see us. These are special fans. That was a great 14,000 fans they were terrific. The NIT is a chance for some of our fans who don't have season tickets and help our teams which they did tremendously. I think our guys responded like there was a lot at stake, because there is a lot at stake."
"We are excited about the way we played basketball tonight. We did a lot of good things. We moved the basketball well. This team has only given up 70 points two times the whole year. As you all know, they play a real Murderers Row. I have never seen such a non-conference schedule that these guys have played. We played second half defense extremely. With the exception of some of the three point shots in the second half, we did play terrific defense. We rebounded well and we played awesome intensity and that is what I wanted to see."
"To tell you the truth it (their style) didn't hurt us tonight. Their style helped us because we were really banged up tonight. We had not Andre McGee and no Chad Millard and Taquan was out for three days. It was good because we wanted to play Tello the whole game and we had the opportunity because the pace wasn't that high to play that way. The pace helped us because obviously they didn't realize that Chad and Andre wasn't playing tonight."
"What we do with our press is obviously to look for turnovers. We are looking to turn them over. But we know they are looking to hold the ball. They probably took 8 seconds in the backcourt maybe ten times and we wanted them to do that. We press and play that way every game. We full court press and change our defenses and back into our zone and on misses we play man. The one thing I have found that when you play against well coached team like this one, who control the ball, don't worry about it because their style of play will win out. Just play fundamental basketball and don't get overanxious and foul. You have to contain the basketball and play your game."
(About injuries) "To show you my luck. Andre McGee threw out his back stretching .This is how our season has gone. Chad hurt his back weight training a little too much. We didn't expect Andre not to play ... stretching doesn't' normally cause injuries but of course this time it did. I think he'll be ok if he doesn't stretch. Andre was about 70 percent and thought he could go but didn't want. We are going to go up against a team that will 1-2-2 press on every bucket. We can't have injuries in the next game. The tempo won't be like this next in the next game. Perrin Johnson needs surgery at the end of the season but he is available."
(Starting lineup) "We had no bench and I felt like rather than come in with second unit and so we wanted to mix it up so we don't lose anything when we sub. It was a great game. The NIT is a great tournament. I haven't liked it in the last ten years because it seemed like you didn't know who was playing when and it looked like there were five ADs in a backroom saying if we send them to Kentucky we can draw more people and make a little more money. It was all about money. Not that I am knocking those five schools because NYU was one of those five schools. I am not knocking it at all but now it is bracketed like NCAA . It is run just like the women's tournament actually with high seed gets the home court advantage. Now it is what it should be but the best scenario is when all the teams went to the Gardens. I like the format certainly I was just worried that we could play. If BJ's injury was more serious we probably would not have played."
"We all love March Madness so much .I live and die for it ,I love it so much. Great competitors love to compete. This is an opportunity to play great and get to play in New York City again. We played two clunker halves in NYC: one against St. John's and one against Pittsburgh. This is an opportunity to play great and get to New York again. I think they did have a sense of relief because the entire BIG EAST season was a flat out war and you'll find most BIG EAST teams are drained at this time of year and I know we are."
"We were just trying to match up with them early. This is a very difficult team to play against. If they get the open shot with under six seconds, then all that defense has gone to waste."
"Clemson is a pressing team. They press every bucket and we've got to be ready for that. I thought T-Will did a very good job of passing the basketball. I think he's going to do a lot down the road. The best part of his game is his passing and he's very strong underneath the rim. We're going to nee d five ballhandlers in this game. It's going to be a very tough game. They're an ACC team. They're a very good basketball team. This tournament is very strong and we'll be ready for it."
"I want to publicly thank our fans. I think that we have the greatest fans in the college game because they come out. They didn't hang their heads. We didn't hang our heads. We earned a terrific victory because of it and we need to continue to do that. Let's get those same people back and another two or three thousand people and it would be just awesome."
Delaware State Head Coach Greg Jackson
"Coming in, we wanted to prevent their possessions, control tempo, but as you see, their team is much stronger, more athletic, more talented than our team and I thought they did what they needed to do to win the basketball game. They played an outstanding ball game."
"That's the hardest decision, being down 12 to 14 to nothing. And the way we play, we're not a team that's going to come back with that type of deficit, so we played catchup the whole ball game and never really got a chance to get into our gameplan, but give them credit, they cam out with a lot of fire, not being able to make the NCAA Tournament and coming in here and playing with a lot of passion. They deserved to win the basketball game."
(On Taquan Dean) "I think he shot the ball extremely well. He's probably been doing that all year long. We got beat by a better basketball team, a team that is more talented and stronger than we are at this point. We do understand what it takes to compete at this level, and in time, even tiny Delaware State, I can assure you, will get to this level one day."
"That was it, you have no other opportunity to beat this team, but limit their possessions, every possession they get, it's another opportunity they have and we got behind and started taking quick shots. Therefore, we opened the floor and they were able to get out in transition, so we are not able to get back and locate shooters. Any time you play a team of this caliber on this level, if you allow them opportunities, you're not strong enough to defend them."
"I'm not surprised they played us zone. Our biggest guy is about 6' 5'' or 6'6'' and we try to utilize him at point guard. So what they did was make an adjustment and play zone, and as bad as we were shooting, we didn't make shots, so they decided to stay in that zone. It was a good coaching move."
