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Louisville-Kentucky Postgame Quotes
December 29, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2012
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Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino
(Opening Statement)
“Well, defensively and offensively for that matter in the first half we played awesome, but it's a tribute to a young team to come back. We had nice momentum taking the lead then we made two crucial mistakes where our three man ran to the wrong side of the zone and we gave up two threes and they made it. They're going to be an excellent basketball team, they're going to get better, and better, and better. John's the right guy to get them there, he's a hell of a coach. Great win for us because we had to battle a lot of bad foul trouble, we survived with good play from Chane and Russ, but the defense and offense in the first half were both spectacular. We just lost our defensive presence in the second half because we were worried about foul trouble.”
(On Russ Smith's performance)
“Because he's not a so-called McDonald's All-American or a guy who was heavily recruited, Russ, actually when I recruited him, lied to me about who was recruiting him. He wasn't recruited by one Big East school, not one. Not from metropolitan area, there are four schools in that area, not one. And basically you look at a player and we got lucky in two ways - one, Ralph Willard said you have to take him, and I have great confidence in Ralph Willard as an evaluator of talent. Two, he was going to transfer and his dad said I want him to stick around another year. His dad is a good buddy of mine so I said okay, I'm going to make him a two guard. When we went to the Bahamas and the day we made him a two guard we had one of the best players in the country. He also comes in and does a very good job at one, but when he has to come in and do all of that it's too much. We have one of the premier players in the country and he wasn't even recruited, so there are two ways to get great players the Francisco Garcias of the world, and the Russ Smiths of the world turned out to be great players for us.”
(On the impact of Kyle Wiltjer's 3-pointers)
“It was great, but I have to tell you I give a lot of credit to him, but it was bone head plays by us. Because it's very simple, you run to the three man side of the zone and the four man runs to the four man side and the five runs down the middle. Now, sometimes you can lose your man but in a zone it's impossible. So it was a couple of really bad plays by inexperienced players by us, but also a great testament to him.”
(On how it felt to get a win versus Kentucky)
“Well this is the first year, I mean we don't have the number in the draft that they do, but I told the CBS guys before the game I thought this was the first year that we had as much talent as them. Quite frankly, I thought we had more talent than them because our talent is more experienced. They're going to be a great team come February, but we're also very young in certain areas. Gorgui has hardly played and our guys are going to get better. I really do say this and I don't just say it in victory I would say it in defeat, but I marvel at what he does with young players. Two weeks ago, quite frankly, I didn't think they were a very good basketball team, and now they're a hell of a basketball team. So they have really in a two week span really improved, but we did a great job on their bigs. We did a great job with our press, but unlike last year we were the lowest field goal percentage team in 50 years to go to a Final Four, I think our offense is much better this year. We shot 48 percent in the game against a good defensive team who I think holds opponents to I believe a plus 11/7 differential field goal offense and field goal defense, that's very good. Both halves were the same shooting 48 percent and we didn't turn the ball over either with the exception of a couple plays down the stretch. Overall I'm delighted, we got a couple of really bad plays down the stretch in our zone but other than that we were very good.”
(On Gorgui Dieng's performance)
“I knew he would be back, we worked really hard for 10 days, I mean he's in much better shape than the other guys the only thing he was missing was his timing on defense, but he's back now and he's going to really help us. John said this before the game, he said your guys really got better with him out and they did. We still won, we have played now Northern Iowa, Illinois State, at Memphis, Duke, Charleston after they beat Baylor and we just come in now and play Kentucky. Now we still have to play Syracuse twice, Notre Dame twice, and Cincinnati. So were sort of in the meat grinder a little bit.”
(On the rivalry)
"When I was at Kentucky, I was the same way. This is a real important game for the fans. For us we want to beat Kentucky, but not as much as the fans want to. Our guys have great respect for Kentucky and they want to beat them, but we have the BIG EAST coming up, but we still want to win the game. We didn't prepare any different for this game. We have great respect for them, there is no bitterness. We don't say anything bad about Kentucky and I would never personally do that."
(On being ahead 17 points)
"We were playing great. What happens to teams that live by the pressure and the denial is that you get into foul trouble. It's like suddenly you let all the air out of a balloon, you lose all your intensity and that's what hurts you and we can't let that happen. We need Peyton and Russ in the game for free-throws."
(On the performance of the team heading into BIG EAST play)
"I think we are playing great because we have a great backcourt. Wayne didn't play well tonight, but you take that away because he was playing great. Chane has picked his game up, Wayne has picked it up, Kevin Ware is playing better. The reason we are off to a good start is because I believe we have one of the premier backcourts in the country. They make free-throws, they make plays, they run pick and rolls, and are very quick on the press. I don't think you find a better backcourt than Peyton Siva and Russ Smith."
(On being one of the favorites to win the NCAA Championship)
"Last year's team we did it with solely defense. There are going to be certain nights where your defense isn't going to be there and you will have to win with offense. This year we have much more offensive fire power than last year. We did all with defense last year with confusing people and this year we have good inside play. We got very good basketball players, we have eight or nine deep that can flat out play."
(Concern with Luke Hancock's game)
"Yes and no. I don't give him a whole lot of playing time right now because he was in the wrong spot a couple times and this is new to him. He can play the game though. At the end, if we need to get a pass in, shoot a free-throw, or make the right play than I will put him in. Since he doesn't know the same as well, I would say I'm not as comfortable as I am with him as I would be with Russ, because he doesn't know where to go on certain plays. I think he is a terrific guy coming in off the bench."
(On having multiple option to sub in the game)
"We can't lose our intensity like we did tonight. We did a lot of good things defensively. I thought we were brilliant in the first half on offense and defense. I think this team is very deep and I'm not afraid to use people. I think Kentucky is going to be very deep before its through. Quite frankly I don't think we any near our potential. Luke, Wayne, Kevin are all improving and now you have Chane who has elevated his game up there where Peyton and Russ are at and now Gorgui is back. Gorgui is a hell of a basketball player, he is a very smart young man. He knows how to make the right plays at the right time."
Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari
(Opening Statement)
“Hats off to them. What a good team they are - they play hard, they play aggressive, they play rough, they have size, their guard play is outstanding. This is not to take anything away from their effort, but I told my team all week 'you get us close and I'll help us get over the edge'. And they did. Down four with the ball and I didn't call that timeout. Believe me I was standing there thinking timeout, and I didn't call it. That was the end of the game. I told them this one is on me and hopefully I'll do a better job. Hopefully I'll win more games than I cause us to lose but that play right there is a coach's play. We didn't shoot free throws (well). It doesn't matter. We were down four with however much time, with the ball and a chance. Like I told my team after, I like their fight but we've got a ways to go. But, that's inexcusable what I did.”
(On why he didn't call a timeout)
“I don't know Jerry. You'll have to get into my head and ask me that. I don't have any idea. But, believe me, it was kind of like I'm saying timeout and I didn't call one. As soon as he threw the ball in I looked at John and said 'what was I thinking?' Stuff like that happens and I'll take responsibility. They (Louisville) deserved to win. But, I didn't give our guys the chance they deserved with the way they played down the stretch.”
(On his team's performance and if he's concerned about praise his team may receive)
“No. We did get better. Everybody sees it. Ryan (Harrow) is better. Archie (Goodwin) is still turning it over a little bit out of control, but still made plays that we needed him to make. We can't get any production right now out of Julius (Mays) and Alex (Poythress), and we are still playing with five guys and Jarrod (Polson) and hanging in a game like this on the road. So, we have got to get Alex playing better. He's just not. He's going to have to earn minutes. Willie (Cauley-Stein) I thought was good. He didn't make free throws but it's all new to him and I thought he did a terrific job. I thought Nerlens (Noel) broke down a couple of times, but they are young kids.”
(On his substitution pattern with Alex Poythress to make him earn minutes)
“No, he just didn't do anything. The reason I took him out the last play - there was a rebound right there in front of the rim, that was his ball, and he kind of went after it but he didn't. Instead of grabbing it and tip dunking it so we can get back in the game he let the other guy grab it; you're out. (He said) I tried. I know, (but) he's trying harder than you so you've got to sit.”
(On Ryan Harrow's performance)
“He did great. I grabbed him after and said, 'this is where I wanted you at the beginning of the year. Now, where do we go from here? How to we build on this?'”
(On what he would have said to his team if he chose to call the timeout near the end of the game)
“I would have set up a 4-point play and the game would have went to overtime.”
(On his team being down 17 points)
“The other thing I did, I did a poor job. I coached this team like I have others against the press. And then you saw what I ended up doing. I brought the big guy up just so we could get it in and then play from there. After then the press didn't hurt us. There were a couple bumps and grinds and grabs where we may have lost the ball, but it had no effect on the game. But again, why didn't I do that earlier? These kids are 18 years old. The last timeout with 1:08 (on the clock), no one called a timeout. I would think you'd know to call a timeout. We had one left, we score you call one. I got to call that. They don't know. So, I'm proud of how they fought. I'm not real happy with my performance. But I don't want this to take away from Louisville. There may be a better team in the country. I've got to see them. Like I said, when you've got guard play like they have, and you've got some size and toughness - (Chane) Behanan and (Montrezl) Harrell - this is an outstanding team. It was a great environment.”
(On how big Kyle Wiltjer's two threes were to minimize lead, and get UK back in game)
“The purpose, and Julius Mays hasn't made a shot in about a month, you still have to find he (Julius Mays) and Kyle because those two are guys that can make 40 percent from the three point line. They have to be guarded out there which stretches out the defense. If they are open, we have to find them and we are still not there yet. We get down a bit and our heads are down. When those two are in the game, you get the ball as a guard you find those two. If I don't have a lay-up or a throw ahead, where are those two? I want to try and get somebody a jumper.”
(On putting these kids through boot camp the past two weeks, did you get out of this game what you wanted?)
“Yes, I did. I am tired and exhausted right now. You got me standing up here, I should be sitting down. Yeah, they did. See the thing we weren't doing was fighting. There was no fight in our team. There was no since of urgency, but there was one today. Now the guys that didn't show a since of urgency, those are the ones that are sitting down not playing. We left one timeout and we were shooting a free throw, I said we are doing a press attack. One guy just didn't do it...alright you are out. That is mental discipline and it was only a seven point game. We lost the ball, they scored again, and now it's back to 10. The last play where Nerlens (Noel) left the guy wide open under the basket, I said what are you doing? That is what 18 year olds do. Why would you do that? He said “well my man was up”, but they threw it cross court and the guy dunked it to end the game. He said “my fault”. I told him not to worry about it because I cost us this game. You gave us a chance. Look, I am coaching this young team and their job is to make it close at the end, my job is to give them a plan to finish it off. They got us right where we wanted to be, and I dropped the ball.
(On Willie Cauley-Stein's free throws, is it more mental or a mechanical issue)
“He will be fine. He has never been in this environment before; he played football and was a wide receiver. We got him out there and he looked pretty good. He did some really good stuff. We got to work on his free throws, but he blocks shots and does all the other things, I will just tell him to try and not get fouled. If he does all the other things, we will be good. I was pleased with Willie. I thought he defended well. Like I said, we are a young team but I like our team. I really do. With Ryan (Harrow) playing well, I really like my team. I got to get Alex (Poythress) and Nerlens (Noel) playing better. Nerlens has been sick for the past three days, but there are no excuses. In a game like this, you get sick on the bus on the way home and not during the game.”
(On getting Archie Goodwin to adjust and how he played better in the second half)
“We are trying to get him to play better and attack for us. If you can get to the rim, then fine. But when you are not getting to the rim, he still threw two or three balls through his body and to another guy. We are trying to eliminate that play. The other plays he made were outstanding. He missed one lay-up. I don't know if he was moving too fast, but he missed a lay-up. Short of that, he had two of those. Two weeks ago he would make that move and throw it off the shot clock eight times a game. So he is getting better.”
