.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
Louisville-Connecticut Postgame Quotes
February 19, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 19, 2011
Recap | Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery 
Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino
(Opening Statement)
“I'm really proud of our guys, it was an awesome effort at the defensive end, we did a lot of great things in the second half. On the offensive end, I thought Gorgui gave us a big gigantic lift on the back board, I thought our defense was tremendous and we did a lot of smart things on offense, but our defense was brilliant. We took care of the back board. Gorgui played a great game. St. John's and Connecticut, Butler and UNLV were all great games but this one, defensively was a gem.
(On adjustments from the Cincinnati game)
“I thought over the Cinncinati game and often times people don't want ot give the opposition credit. They were just better than us that night, playing a “smash mouth” style of basketball. Our guys get a little frustrated when they can't run or play a certain way so often times you make a lot of excuses when you break down in film. Quite frankly, Cincinnati was great and you have to give them the credit.”
(On being one of the best defensive games of the year)
“It's up there one of the better ones because not only did we play good defense but we played smart.”
(On Louisville's strategy against Kemba Walker)
“Well we were going to obviously play him with two people at all times but we also paid enough attention to Lamb (Jeremy) as we did to Walker. There were some games where we played good defense on their best player but we let the other guys go off. Like against Georgetown, like we let Wright go off. But we did a good job all around.”
(On Gorgui Dieng and Rakeem Buckles' play in the second half)
“Well they were getting to the offensive glass and he was doing a great job of rolling and he was finding him. Gorgui played a great game, he really did, in all phases of the game. But I would've gone out on the court and killed him if he took that shot at the end of the game. I knew he was thinking about it. But the guys were great with their offensive spacing and it was a wonderful team effort.”
(On Gorgui's play down the stretch)
“Well, to tell you the truth, T.J. (Terrence Jennings) was playing terrific basketball and it wasn't because he was in foul trouble. I was going with Gorgui (Dieng) because he was playing the best. He was rebounding and he was active and I was thinking in the first half we were in the lead because he was rebounding and getting good looks.”
(On Peyton Siva's play)
“I have to say the whole team played great. Great offensive and defenisively it was a great effort. I made a big mistake the other day with my segments. C.L. (Brown) corrected me because he was on the ball. But now we've got one more, we're 5-5 with the segments.”
(On Louisville players recovery)
“I think (Stephan) Van Treese played terrific I don't think he would have had that opportunity and Mike Marra the last 48 hours played his best basketball even though he didn't play a whole lot tonight. So I was really really pleased with the defense. I think that all season long, the players have done a wonderful job. I have to give extra kudos to Steve Masiello, 95% scouting by himself and he is as brilliant. I've had some great players. I'm really proud of Steve”
(On Louisville's position in the BIG EAST)
“It's great that we're 9-5 but the best part about it is that we're playing terrific basketball. The other night, we didn't play great, but it was really because of Cincinnati. They got us to play a certain style like DePaul did and Drexel did. And we weren't able to do it, we weren't able to play that way and we have to learn how to play that way. But our best games have been when we've got out on the break and we got out on a break tonight.”
(On having good inside and outside balance)
“We did, we made up our mind, we made a few changes and were going to attack the inside. We had the five spot to pin down instead of the four so they switched and we had the five man on them, so the guys did a very good job at looking inside in that situation.”
(On Rakeem Buckles play)
“His hand is bothering him and I think when you have tape on it, you are just self conscious about it. But I thought he did a lot of good things he's a very good rebounder I thought Stephan (Van Treese) did a good job. I don't know who played poorly. I thought everyone played a terrific game. I love the fact when they started pressing that they went to the basket and got the lay up. We wanted to attack the goal and if we didn't attack the goal and we bring it out and we were very smart and intelligent with the basketball.”
(When UConn took the lead)
“Well we were a little late getting out to the three-point shooter, and in the first half, even though they banged one of them, we were playing terrific but were a little late. So the main thing I wanted to do was get the play I wanted to run and be sure that we were okay offensively. But I just told them to relax and we'll be fine.”
(On Preston Knowles technical foul)
“He was doing something with the band, and if we would have lost that game, he would be in the band.”
(On slowing down Kemba Walker down twice)
“It was team, it was team play. We play it like a man but the traditional match up zone plays below the top of the key. We play after the basketball pretty hard. It takes a lot of switching and paying attention to the basketball, the guys were great tonight and it goes back to Steve Masiello and making sure we have every player we have. He puts in a good 24 hours of film work and he puts in a good preparation.”
Connecticut Head Coach Jim Calhoun
(Opening Statement)
“Well first thing I want to congratulate Louisville. This was an a-typical game, we have played them over the years. The pressure got us a little bit, I don't really know why. They outplayed us. They did a really good job of pounding the boards, of getting after loose balls. Quite frankly, we didn't have anybody, except Coombs, to lead us, including number 15 (Kemba Walker). We just couldn't find anybody to play the way we wanted to play. They (Louisville) played on Wednesday, we played on Wednesday, but they won the game. I thought the game was up for grabs- I felt that way the whole way until probably the last seven minutes. They rebounded, broke on us, we only had two points on fast break. They out worked us and outplayed us.
(On the changes made in the second half)
“I thought we had found something. I thought the whole way through that we were going to get it back to seven or six. We were right there. But we put a guy in who hits a three, but then gives up three 3's. We just couldn't find answers tonight. It wasn't anybody's singular fault that we lost the game, it was all of our faults. We had some a-typical efforts from our guys tonight. We had guys dribbling out to half court and I couldn't understand why they would do that because it just puts you further from the basket. It was a physical defense, that's how they played. It didn't come down to a pretty contest. It was a rock fight and they won the rock fight. They should be congratulated. They came off a tough loss, and we were coming off our best BIG EAST game of the year.”
(On Peyton Siva)
“I didn't think he controlled the game. He was making great passes and he is very fast, and very quick. He is surrounded by 3-point shooters and guys who cut to the basket, which is Rick's (Pitino) coaching. We took him out early and thought we had good answers, but guys just didn't contain him. We got to the second half and just broke down. This game is about doing a bunch of small things that add up to something big. We did that versus Georgetown. It was a whole bunch of small things like Siva's penetration. Siva was very good and I'm not taking anything away from him. I just thought as a team it was a rock fight. Rick told them we can't afford to lose this game, and we can't either. Coombs got involved, but I can't think of anyone else who got involved. You can't question effort. It's all the small things which is all a mental effort – taking an extra step to get there on defense.”
(On Louisville controlling Connecticut defensively)
“I disagree with you 100 percent. In Storrs we were ahead by four with 37 seconds to go, their defense wasn't bothering us. We turned and did some awful things, like letting Siva have a dunk. It wasn't bothering us, we were on our way to a win that we quite frankly gave away. I don't think it was their defense. I don't think it was either team's defense. It was who was going to make that fast break and who was going to finish the play – who was going to get the loose ball.”
(On controlling Kemba Walker)
“Kemba has had two very efficient games and I hate coaches who say this. Louisville did a good job of controlling him, but they didn't have to, because he did it to himself. For the first time in awhile, Kemba did it to himself. Kemba Walker is one of the best players in the country, but this wasn't his best game mentally. His frustration showed a little bit. He is a great kid, one of the greatest I ever coached. The bottom line is I didn't feel anyone did anything special to us. They paid attention to him, but Georgetown paid a little attention to him, and Georgetown is a top 10 team. Clearly, something has to be said though about what Louisville did.”
