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Louisville-Villanova Postgame Quotes
January 25, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2012
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Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino
(Opening statement)
“We were really excited with our second half execution; we did a lot of good things. Offensively, getting to the foul line and passing the basketball. We had a tough time rebounding the ball because we were so small there for a while, but we were 15 for 18 on the break in the game. And obviously we got a lot of great things out of the fast break, so we're excited about that. We're very excited to beat a Villanova team that the last two games has been playing really, really well. So we're excited about the victory.”
(Difference between first and second half defensively)
“We were just a little tentative because of foul trouble. We just basically surrendered some baskets and we were trying to get a foul call each time. But they're very good at throwing the ball inside. They treat it like man to man and Gorgui (Dieng) had to play a little tentative because of foul trouble.”
(On balance and passing)
“We had five great practices leading up to the Pittsburgh game, the first time in a while our guys were laughing, having a great time, totally focused. It's the first time we've been able to practice five-straight days the whole season and we got a lot out of it. We improved a lot. We didn't have to worry about shuffling a lot of guys around. We just work with the people that are there.”
(On stopping Maalik Wayns)
“We did a lot of good things - we wanted to draw charges on him. He has fouled out of two games. They got a bad break and we got a bad break. We tried to get Chane (Behanan) out of the game before his fourth foul and they tried to get Wayns out of the game right before his fourth foul.”
(On Peyton Siva's performance)
“I was getting a little upset. He's been working two extra hours on his shot. He was trying to throw the ball really high up in the air and I said just shoot the ball normal. But I was really happy with the fact that he is trying to get his mid-range shot up. He's been shooting the ball great in practice, really working on his mid-range game and he got the fruits of the labor today.”
(On Siva's and team's performance in final four minutes)
“He played well; I thought all the guys down the stretch made their free throws … did a lot of good things on defense. If we would have done that against Georgetown and Notre Dame, we would have two more victories.”
Villanova Head Coach Jay Wright
(Opening statement)
“I thought we played a good first half and, then in the second half, I thought our defense was poor. They did a great job of finding different people, creating balance and the offensive glass really hurt us in the second half. They just did a lot of good things in the second half and that is what a good team does to finish off a game and we didn't. It wasn't any one specific thing, but it was extra passes at a good time and good execution, and when they missed a shot, there was a big time offensive rebound. And they did a good job of getting to the foul line … little things that good teams do.”
(Difference in getting points in the paint in the first versus the second half)
“We got the ball in there in the second, but we just didn't finish. Got to give them credit, they were letting us go one on one in there and basically we didn't finish and they did a better job on the defensive glass. We got a lot of points in the paint in the first half because of offensive rebounds and we didn't get many offensive rebounds in the second half. “
(About Maalik Wayns' foul trouble)
“It doesn't help. It definitely doesn't help. You have to be a good enough team because you know that is going to happen. We practice without him in there. When you play that many games, you know that is going to happen some games. I would have like to have seen us step up defensively a little better when he stepped out, but we didn't. I really think that was the key in the second half they just got what they wanted … good execution on their part.”
(Impression of Chane Behanan)
“He's tough. I like his mental toughness. I think he's a good all around player – that is kind of like their team, they have a lot of guys that can hurt you in a lot of different ways. They don't rely on one guy. They spread it out and that makes it tough to guard them. We gave up 45 points in the second half. They kind of spread that around. In the first half, I think (Kyle) Kuric and (Chris) Smith both had three 3s, but I think we only gave up two 3s in the second half. But they did a lot of different things. Siva was great off the dribble. (They had) offensive rebounds and a couple of post ups – just a good balanced team.”
(On only three assists in second half)
“I think it is a couple of things - you can only make assists when you make shots. Guy makes the pass and you don't make the shot, then you don't get the assist. We just weren't making shots. We did try to go inside, so usually when you go inside, you put the ball on the floor and you don't get an assist out of that. That is what I would attribute it to. I think when you play Louisville, you look like you aren't making the extra pass. They are better than anybody. If you watch us at one end and them at the other, we are not as pretty as them. They are really good offensively at sharing the ball … really good … and making extra passes.”
