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University of Louisville Men's Basketball Post-Game Quotes
January 09, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2010
Recap | Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino
(Opening Statement) "We knew it was going to be this type of basketball game. We experienced it last year and the year before. They play very tough defense and make it difficult to score. We had to match that intensity. Without question, I think the key for us was getting to the offensive glass. We did a great job on the offensive boards and gave us second opportunities. We're proud of our guys. This is the first time (St. John's) has been healthy all year. They've had some very good wins, they played Duke really tough at Duke and they beat Siena and Temple on a neutral court and we know from playing Siena that they're a good ball club. St. John's, now that they're healthy, is going to be a formidable opponent. I think it's quite noticeable how well they shoot the ball now compared to prior years. They're advancing into a very tough ball club."
(On Preston Knowles' play in the second half) "I thought the key to the game was Preston and Kyle Kuric. Kyle made so many good plays on the backboard and he kept our emotions going. I thought Preston made some key plays. I was upset at Edgar, but I wasn't taking him out of the starting lineup because I was upset at him. I was taking him out of the starting lineup because we had to make a run in the first three minutes of play. We had to turnaround the game at that point and the only way to do that was on defense with Preston and Jerry and then Edgar came into the game and played great basketball. He showed great maturity and didn't sulk, cheered his teammates on, getting after it and gave us a big lift."
(On why he was upset at Edgar Sosa) "Every Big East opponent is different. The other night is was an up and down game, a wide open game, passing the basketball. He thought it was going to be that type and was just letting shots go for no rhyme or reason. And then, turning around and not giving us that great defense. The only way to erase that missed shot, turnover or mistake is to get back and play great defense. When he came back in he gave us both and did a much better job."
(On Preston last year versus this year) "I'm playing him there a little bit. I think Peyton's going to be a great ball player. He's just got a lot of things right now he's just going through it. He's going to get major minutes in three years with us. Preston, offensively, defensively in the Big East just understands it a little more. Preston, I feel can play the point, he's just got to do a little better job of passing the ball. He thinks he's Pac-man, he tries to gobble up everybody."
(On whether it's going to be the kind of team where you'll get different contributions from different players every game) "I think defense determines that. Peyton's getting a lot better, Terrence Jennings is getting a lot better, even though he didn't show it tonight. Swopshire is getting better, he's growing at a rapid pace and he did some terrific things tonight. Kyle is improving. Guys are getting better. Defense is going to determine that. If they have a physical three-man and keep Kyle off the glass, maybe he doesn't do that. It all depends on matchups in this game. The thing that is so intriguing about this league is that you go from a wide open game where there is very low physicality to every cut you're going to get hit and you'll scratch and claw for every possession. And now you'll go against a different style against Villanova - lightning quickness, that's great in transition. West Virginia you'll switch on every play, five, six, seven guys. Syracuse you have great length in the 2-3 zone. Every game is going to be played differently.
(On Edgar Sosa's play in the second half) "He also set up the plays the right way. When he came back in the second half, he played brilliantly. He ran the plays to perfection. He came off the pick and roll, we knew they would rotate to Samardo and he found Swopshire. He's having a tremendous senior year. He just came out the out in the first five minutes and didn't understand how St. John's was going to play, it was not a finesse game. He didn't get down and get discouraged, he was the biggest cheerleader in the first five minutes of the game, cheering his teammates on and showing great maturity. He knew why - I wasn't sending a message. We had to turnaround that game in the first five minutes. We couldn't let from four to ten. I thought he played terrific in the second half. "
(On how the New York BIG EAST have vastly improved) "They are vastly improved, because Seton Hall took everybody to the wire. The normal building process, I would say is when the coach gets his first recruiting class into their junior season. If I was in the SEC, that's what I would tell you, but when you're in the Big East, even when you have three really good recruiting seasons, you're still not as good as the top five. It's going to take five or six years in the Big East to really turn it around. All of these teams are very competitive, they're knocking on the door, and they're going to get their wings. It's getting the players to believe that's the most vital thing, because they know when it's going down to three minutes, `are we going to lose again? We've been losing...' But St. John's and Seton Hall have really improved. There was a point against ST. John's where it was like they couldn't shoot, you could basically play five against three, but you can't do that anymore. They're very tough to match up against them and they still play great defense. They're going to come on, and Seton Hall has really improved, I haven't looked at Rutgers this year, but... the end of the Rutgers/North Carolina game it's a four point game with two minutes to go. This league is so tough to catch up. We went to the Final Four and came into this league, it was so tough. It just takes time. "
(On Villanova) "We're playing really good basketball. We're playing really hard right now. We did some things the first five minutes of the game that were really disappointing, I just don't' think they understood the style of the game. Then they picked it up, I think our guys are improving and I think we'll be ready for Villanova in one day, because they have the same style of ballgame as we do."
St. John's Head Coach Norm Roberts
"Louisville did a terrific job in the second half, they made shots and we didn't. I thought the key to the game was Louisvillle did a good job of hitting the offensive glass and getting to the 50-50 balls. We got to them in the first half and they did a much better job of that in the second half."
(About Boothe) "It is his groin. He is trying to play and if he makes two or three quick stops we have to get him in and out of the game. He wants to play so bad. We just had to keep taking him in and out. And it takes him out of his rhythm. We have to play through that. It was the 50-50 balls, the rebounds."
(About if having Boothe in and out was a plus) "It is a plus because he can get in the lane and create shots for people and he can do those things better than anybody else on the team. He also ignites our defense. He is able to get on the underneath people. He did a great job on Sosa in the first half. And we had to move Hardy to the point, he is not as quick, he can't pressure as much. It takes him out of his rhythm because he is a scorer. And it puts him in a different position. The young kid, Stith, he's doing a good job, he's trying and pressuring."
(On start compared to BIG EAST) "It's a great league. It is a great league. When we played Georgetown and they are ranked No. 13 in America. They are good team and we played them well. Then today we played well for most of the game. Providence we didn't play very well. We just gotta tough it out and it is a great league. In this league you can't get down. You could have a bad week and a half and then have a great three weeks. So we just keep grinding it. Grind it and find our niche."
(On Improvement from last year) "You always want that. You gotta go and take it. To get a win, you gotta take it. We talked about that today. In order to win here in Louisville, we had to take the game. In the first half, we took command of the game and then in the second half we started off in a lull. A lull is not a bad place. We get to a point were a guy dives down and the ball ricochets off his foot. They get it back. We make a great play pass to a guy a get a dunk and he misses the layup. We are right there and close to doing the right things. We just have to continue the process."
(On Louisville comparison to last year's team) "They are probably quicker because they are playing smaller guys. Last year we played them very well but they blocked like 15 shots and we got the ball as close to the basket as you could get. Not as a great of a shot-blocking team, but I think they get great ball movement and give them credit, Swopshire ... he was a good player but he wasn't making threes like that and he did it today. They made plays. Knowles came in and gave them great energy when Sosa wasn't in the game. They had guys step up and make plays. Maybe it is more of a team, or team technique because Terrence (Williams) can come in and take over a game with his skill level. Earl Clark was just so talented and he could do so much."
(Anthony Mason Jr. hesitant to start game?) "The speed of the game was probably going so fast. The guy hadn't played in a year and a half. So think he was so happy to be out there. I thought he did fine. He is sohard on himself and wants to play so well so badly. After the game he says `Coach I am so sorry'. And it is not his fault. He just has to get in the rhythm and he will."
(How many losses will the BE Champion have?) "Four or five losses. I think the league has a lot of parity. Anybody can beat anybody on a given night."
(Why 2nd half lull) "I don't know. I am not sure we started in a lull, but we had three or four plays we could have made. And we didn't make them. And then when you don't make some of those plays . You have mature more because you cant let it affect your defense and focus. You miss a shot, you miss a layup and you don't get back in transition as good as you could when they make a shot. We need to get better at keeping focused."
