Louisville-Kentucky Wesleyan Postgame Quotes
November 11, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2010
Recap | Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino
Opening Statement
"We did a lot of good things offensively. The fatigue sets in and we overthrow some of our passes but we were much better this game than we were in the first exhibition game in two halves especially on the defensive end. (Terrence) Jennings and (Rakeem) Buckles did a lot of good things and got us going. It was a good team effort. I thought Bullet (Elisha Justice) played a terrific game and did a lot of good things as well. I'm really glad we have him because we are going to need him this year."
On the combination of players
"I was just trying to get those guys some playing time in front of a crowd because they have never started before. But like I said, there are certain combinations that will play better against certain people. I thought Rock (Rakeem Buckles) did a better job tonight of passing instead of forcing things."
On Mike Marra's performance
"I think all of the sophomores have improved immensely. There are so many things to learn in our system, so many different defenses and so many keys that it is tough on freshmen. They are doing things now on instinct rather than trying to memorize things. All four of the sophomores played much better."
On Kyle Kuric's performance
"I was not concerned. I knew Kyle was going to have a bad shooting night when he missed his first and then had three wide open looks and didn't take them. You already know he was hesitant about taking the shots. He has to keep on shooting, that is something Mike Marra would never do."
On rebounding
"We are playing against undermanned teams right now. This team is really banged up, they have a lot of injuries. Northern Kentucky wasn't really big, so we are going to be challenged against Butler which is a very good rebounding team. They are doing a really good job of sharing the basketball and looking for each other. I don't think there was one time we didn't cross half court in three seconds. That's a whole game to do that. I think the pace was very good. We are not going to get our pace against Butler, but that's okay, we are going to have to play that way against a BIG EAST team."
On preparing for Butler
"We know we are going to have to do some good things in the half court and protect the basketball because they will make you pay. We are going to try to play our style and we may have our runs. We couldn't really press a great deal tonight because we had such a big lead, but when we did press, we pressed effectively. The most important thing right now is to get healthy and to get ready for this game. But the players are having a lot of fun playing the game. They are having a lot of fun moving the basketball. They like the pace a great deal. That is what you want to see in the exhibition game. We got better the second time out. We still have a long way to go, but we are making strides."
On Angel Nunez
"I watched him play as a sophomore and I liked him a lot. Saw him play early on as a junior, but we got off him. Then I saw him again and really liked him again. I think he has the attributes that I witnessed in Francisco Garcia. He is long, he is taller than Francisco, about two inches taller. He is going to need a strength program, but he has very good basketball skills. He is a very good passer, he is very long. He is a very good shooter, he has that high arching shot like Francisco did. He is a very good passer. He is somebody that I think has loads of potential. But like Gorgui (Dieng) and like Francisco he has to get stronger physically."
On the new recruiting class
"I think it is a terrific group. I think they are all very good basketball players and that is what I like about them. Sometimes you get athletes, and these guys are good athletes, but they are very good basketball players. They can all pass, catch, and shoot. Zach at 6-foot-11 is a very good basketball player who really understands the game. I think Wayne is a great athlete, but he is also a terrific basketball player. He understands what to do with the basketball, he understands how to play defense, he understands passing. Chane probably has got the most to learn because he is going to have to play multiple positions when he gets here. He is also very advanced as a basketball player. Angel is in the same boat. They are all very good basketball players and athletes. We are going to take a foreign trip with the new rule. These guys can get ten days of practice and then go on a foreign trip, and I believe we are going to go to Australia, which will be really exciting. We may spend a day or two in New Zealand and then Australia. It will be a tremendous trip for our guys."
Kentucky Wesleyan College Head Coach Todd Lee
Opening statement
"I felt like the difference in the game was their pressure and we had a tough time adapting to that. It's hard to simulate what you're going to see in practice what we saw tonight, as long as they are and as deep as they are. They have a lot of depth and they can run guys at you and continue to pressure and that was the biggest difference in the game. We didn't shoot that well to start out and I thought our guys got down a little bit which is disappointing."
On the strength of the league
"Our league is the best Division II league in the country and then you throw in Grand Valley and Findley into our region. You know the wins aren't that surprising to people who know our league and how good it is. It makes you proud when you see we're beating mid to high level teams but for us, we're not there right now. We could be a good basketball team by the end of December or January when we get a couple guys back. We'll get the new guys acclimated to our system and what we want them to do. That's our goal. And our league, at any time five or six teams can be in the Top 25 and you got to bring it every night. But that's why it's great to coach in this league. Like I said, it's the best league in the country. We're going to have to improve a lot. We got one game in December and hopefully we can get healthy and be ready to play."
