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Louisville-Bellarmine Postgame Quotes
November 08, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 8, 2012
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Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino
(Opening statement)
“The two exhibition games were very difficult for us. This game more so because we were basically chasing around five guards. It is great practice for the defense, but it takes a lot out of you. It really affected our offense. Luke Hancock had no legs, and a lot of our guys were really off. From a defensive standpoint, it was great playing against them because we had to guard on the perimeter. Most of the night, we did a good job switching. We broke down when we got a little tired and we stopped talking. Our defense was good, and that is what we are trying to build on. I really do think our poor outside shooting was a product of rushing and having tired legs from chasing them around. Most of the night, we did a good job of chasing them around.”
(On whether the rebounding was a product of chasing Bellarmine players and being out of position)
“What happens when you take a bunch of jump shots, you have long rebounds. You have to chase it down from the three and go get the basketball. That was probably the biggest disappointment, not the shooting. We know we are not a good three point shooting team, but the long rebounds are what killed us. When you hold a team t0 19 percent shooting in the first and 34 percent in the second and you give them second looks, you are shooting yourself in the foot.”
(On being able to play without Peyton Siva in the game)
“Yeah, we can play without Peyton (Siva) certainly. We have to get Luke Hancock in shape to play. Although it is not a fast-paced game when you play Bellarmine, you have to guard like seven or eight different cuts going down the floor. From a defensive practice standpoint, it was great. Of all the things we saw Bellarmine do tonight, we will see Manhattan do. All of our games are on T.V., so any weakness we have they will attack.”
(On how much better they can be defensively because of the team's flexibility to switch on screens)
“I thought our bigs did a good job of containing that. I think Wayne (Blackshear) and Russ (Smith) did a bad job of talking and switching. Eventually, that will come. Overall, the defense was decent.”
(On whether Montrezl Harrell rebound total was a product of not trying hard or being out of position)
“Remember, Montrezl was not going to rebound because he is guarding a six-footer all the way out by the 3-point line. That was not the problem tonight. It was really the guards not rebounding well. They should all have five or six rebounds in the game, and they didn't. The biggest disappointment was the high-low passes. All the passes were at eye level and you can never be short, you always have to be long on those passes.”
(On what positives can be taken away from tonight)
“We will know on Sunday when we play Manhattan. I don't put a whole lot of stock in this game or the Pikeville game. You are not going to see 6-11 guys chasing 6-1 guys. We are going to have to handle the pressure from Manhattan. They are going to play exactly how we will in terms of pressure and changing defenses. It will be a much better test of how we play. I think tonight, all of our switching and all our movement on defense tired us out offense. It affected our offense and that's why we were short on a lot of our shots, especially a guy like Luke Hancock.”
(On Kevin Ware's play tonight)
“I thought Kevin played well. I don't think he is a 3-point shooter. Reminds me of a young man I coached at Kentucky named Rodrick Rhodes. He was a great slasher, rebounder, passer and great defender. What does he try to do every time? He would shoot threes. I just don't think that is Kevin's game. I think if he was wide open or the shot clock is running down, by all means take the shot. You can't shoot an elevated shot like he shoots from the three-point line, or you will shoot a line drive. He has to learn to jump less and have more arch on his shot. I thought he did ok. He was pressing too much with his shooting and he will get better.”
(On whether the 19 3-point attempts was a product of tired legs and settling)
“I think besides Luke (Hancock) at the 3-point line, we don't have a bunch of really great shooters. I think Kevin (Ware) is a great mid-range shooter. Wayne Blackshear is nowhere close to where he needs to be. He is coming off double shoulder surgery and being inactive for 18 months. Even though he looked good in the one game of the Final Four, he is just now starting to play basketball consistently again. We are going to be very patient with him. I thought Russ (Smith) had been playing great. Russ let his offense affect how he played (tonight), and that is a trait of a freshman and not a junior.”
Luke Hancock, Guard
(On the team's low-percentage shooting)
“Tonight, we didn't shoot the ball well, but tomorrow, all of those shots might go in. Guys shoot the ball well some nights and other nights they don't. That's all it is. I bet Sunday we won't shoot the ball that way and we'll be ready to go.”
(On opening the regular season on Sunday against Manhattan)
“We're excited. It's a little bit different how you prepare for exhibition games, but it was a dress rehearsal. Getting ready for Manhattan, we're going to know every in and out of their team, and they're going to know everything about us. Defensively, when we press that's when we're really going to pick it up and try to take over.”
(On how you break a zone defense if you're not shooting it well)
“Coach P has a lot of different ways -- offensive rebounding and attacking different parts of the zone. It's not his first time, so he's seen a lot of that, and we do have guys that can make shots. Peyton and Russ being able to get in the paint and find shooters helps, so we're not too worried about teams playing the zone.”
Gorgui Dieng, Center
(On whether the team is ready for the regular season after two exhibition games)
“I think we have a long way to go. You see tonight we missed a lot of shots, so were just going to go out there tomorrow and get ready for Sunday.”
(On what the team needs to work on the most)
“I think we need to control the backboard. If we control the backboard and get a lot of defensive rebounds, we can control the game.”
(On whether he thinks the team is ready for Sunday's opener against Manhattan)
“Yeah, we're ready to play. It's not about who their coach is because we're going to be ready to play every single night. We're just trying to go out there and win.”
Bellarmine Head Coach Scott Davenport
(Opening statement)
“I don't think I've ever been more proud of a basketball team that shot 27 percent in my life. We pride ourselves that we've led the world the last two years in field goal percentage - and when we say the world, that's all three divisions of the NCAA, the NAIA and the NBA and the last Olympic team that beat us - it's off of our passing. We thought we had good looks in the first half, but their length is so... they're just on you. We couldn't get them to go down, but our team grew tonight. We grew so much as a basketball team. The feeling and the emotion on our bench was genuine tonight. It was really special- and only special teams do that. Those guys pulled for each other - and to be honest with you, we didn't want the game to end. We don't get to play in this unbelievable environment every night. So we wanted to play all night. We would have been happy to go another 20 minutes - let's just keep playing. I'm so proud of our guys.
“You've got to understand, we got back at midnight on Thursday night from Cincinnati, film yesterday, practice, film, dinner, more film, walk through today, and then we played Louisville tonight. A week from tomorrow, we're going to play Wayne State on a Thursday and have to turn around and play Grand Valley on Saturday at 3:15. So we're going to simulate that exact same situation.
“From a scouting standpoint, from an attention to detail standpoint, this team's feeling each other out still. Vance Hall made a big stride in the second half because he's getting our spacing. I would be a hypocrite if I didn't get on myself - I kept guarding against this - our philosophy is 'you never get down about a missed shot, never.' If it's a good shot, and you drop your head, you're going to see a side of me you'll wish you've never seen - so I can't get upset when we miss good shots. Offenses provide you opportunities, but they don't make shots for you. You get in the gym, you keep going to work. Let me tell you how ironic this is. To a man, everybody says Jelani Johnson's most improved facet of his game from year one to two is his shooting. He has lit it up in practice... and he goes 0 for 7. Keisten (Jones) is from Louisville, everybody knows Keisten's a shooter. He goes 1 for 10. Those two guys were 1 for 17. I'm not down on them at all. By and large, Keisten took a challenged with Gorgui on him, but by and large, they're good shots. So all I tell them is to keep shooting. It's an exhibition game. Those two kids are shooters. I witness it every day.
"We're so encouraged. I was just listening to coach's comments... there are 311 Division II teams - 310 of them would love to be here tonight. We're not only fortunate enough to get to be here, but it's in our home town. He said to me yesterday on the telephone, Scotty let's have fun. Let's work our guys as hard as we can, because we're both going to have great seasons. The great thing is everybody can be for everybody tonight. If Bellarmine makes a great play, let's be for them, because everybody from Bellarmine's going to be for Louisville Sunday against Manhattan. This is special - a really special night of basketball. I hope he said he thought it helped them some.
"Their team is a team that's going to rise to challenges, because they've had success. I think what's going to drive them is that they've had a taste of it, but they haven't had the ultimate success, but they'll be driven. They're good. They're really good. You look at the stat sheet and stay 'what jumps out?' Montrezl (Harrell) and Gorgui (Dieng). They do. But it's the three-headed monster of Russ (Smith) and Peyton (Siva) and Luke (Hancock) that's just so difficult. And then you add their depth in and that's impressive. Peyton Siva was as rock solid tonight as you can be as a basketball player: steals, assists, made shots. And he's a better person than he is a player - and all of them are. This town is lucky to have these two basketball teams to support. This town and this community - both sides of the river - is very lucky to have these two to support. Let's support them what they deserve and I know we will."
(On Bellarmine missing stars from last year's team)
"I think Vance Hall is as tough as can be. The reason I say this is if you recruit a bad player and he wants to come in and make this program his, you are in trouble. We took eight guys, walk-ons and four freshmen, who all want to be at Bellarmine. Jake Thelen came in and said, 'I watched you play four times last year. I want to be at Bellarmine. I love the way you play.' Last year at this time, when I stood in front of you, we were what we were going to be and all we had to do was stay healthy. Then we had injuries. A guy gets a stinger, Keisten (Jones) gets a displaced kneecap and we are in the Final Four without two starters. We were who we were going to be. This team will get better and better and better. We are better than we were in the last three weeks. I see them everyday."
(On an offense based on passing not dribbling)
"It isn't difficult. It is fun to play. The trouble tonight is when you start to get by them for the first initial pass by them they are just too big and quick and we just couldn't do it. We couldn't do it against Cincinnati either. Vance Hall does it all day at Bellarmine. He's very good. He started 18 games at Wright State last year. I ripped Vance tonight. I said, if I ever have to tell you to play like a good player again, you are going to be on the bad side of me. He said, 'yes, sir, yes, sir,' and then I felt guilty for getting on him. Jake Thelen and George Suggs were battling in there. Ryan Burton of Bedford-North Lawrence, he's a sophomore, his bench press went up 30 pounds, his body fat went down eight percent. He is in the best shape of his life. He has made that sophomore leap. He hasn't missed a shot in a month and he couldn't get one to go down. That's okay, everyone on the bench was yelling at him to keep shooting. That isn't me saying it. The leadership we need has to come from within because then it will be genuine."
(On outrebounding UofL)
"We have worked hard on rebounding from day one. This is it ... this is the concrete evidence. One year ago our opponents took 115 more shots than we did. Why? Rebounding. We made 145 more shots than our opponents. That is a 260 shot swing. That defies all logic. It is so skewed. We checked Louisville and Cincinnati and they are almost even. We were minus 115 in attempts and +145 in makes. What do you deduce from that? If you take more shots, you will win every game. You have to rebound the ball. We have worked and worked and worked. When you are a teacher and you stress something over and over and then you see it come back in front of you. That is a great feeling. It is like a test. You teach that class and teach that class and they do well on a test it is a great feeling. That is how I felt about the rebounding today."
