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Louisville-Kentucky Wesleyan Postgame Quotes
October 29, 2013 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 29, 2013
Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery 
Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino
(Opening statement)
“Well, I think you are going to see the way they are going to call it. We knew it was going to happen and our starters did a very good job of taking advantage of the new way they are going to referee, as well as defensively not fouling. When we subbed a lot is when we fouled much more. Obviously, we didn't make our free throws as much, but that will come with a lot of work. With the exception of the offensive player throwing his body into defensive player, which is the way the game should be called, I didn't have a complaint because that is the way it us going to be called now. You may say that it will be a long game, but no they will adjust. That is the exact way it happened in the NBA, the exact way. Everyone will adjust to it and you will have freedom of movement, but they are not going to let you bump the guy and stop his progress, and you are going to get used to it. We took great advantage of that tonight offensively and we were ready for that. The only thing I think they need to make a big change on is when the guy out of control throws his body into the defensive man. That is a vertical situation and they can't give them that call, but I think they will adjust to that. Overall, I was very pleased. We are going to work on our free throws, and we are a much better free throw shooting team than that. I am just going to have to play David Levitch more if that is the case.”
(On the biggest positive to take away from tonight's exhibition)
“I think we were ready for the referees. We really drove it home to them the last three weeks on how the game was going to be called because we were just watching all the scores from people scrimmaging, other exhibitions, and the three-hour games. We were ready for that. We didn't foul very much in the first half, but once we subbed we fouled more. It is really going to help us offensively, and I think we are smart enough defensively. We have to get Mangok (Mathiang) and Stephan (Van Treese) to have a more Kenneth Faried like mentality. I think they can both do it, they are just not quick enough to do it right now. They have to watch the ball and go after it. We need them to be big time rebounders. If they become big time rebounders, we will become a big time team.”
(On adjusting in practice to the new officiating)
“We just call everything, everything. We were really prepared for that. I told them to not get upset with me because that is what it is going to be like. I experienced it in the NBA, and it is going to happen. I told them to not get upset, but just move your feet. I know it is frustrating for me, you, and the fans but you will really have a better game once everybody adjusts. You will see much better offense.”
(On how long it will take till the offense is normal and less fouls)
“I think it will take a month. You will see a lot more zones because of it, and we work very hard on our zone offense because of it.”
(On Montrezl Harrell's continuous dunks)
“I think it's, what was that cartoon character I watched many years ago called the Fantastic Four? What was that guy's name? Stretch? Mr. Fantastic. That's what he's like, his wingspan is so incredible. He's got a seven-four, seven-five wingspan, and he's amazing because he doesn't even look like he's jumping and he's above the rim.”
(On getting that fight in him)
“That's a $99,000 question. I tell him all the time Stephan (Van Treese) played, I show those guys more tape of Kenneth Faried at the pro level, just how hard he plays and Montrezl takes it to heart, Stephan just has to develop inner confidence. He just has to develop that.”
(On comparing Mangok Mathiang vs. Gorgui Dieng at the same stage)
“I think they're similar. I think (Gorgui) Dieng has much better footwork at the same stage. Dieng has much better passing skills at the same stage. Mangok is a much better runner. They're similar in terms of their body types, but Dieng became, remember now we are not replacing Dieng the freshman, we are replacing Dieng the junior. And there is no comparison. Mangok is Mangok. He'll do his job. We need to Stephan (Van Treese) to be as good as he should be. I got a lot of confidence in him, he's just gotta develop it himself.”
(On how well his team is prepared to take advantage of the new rules)
“I think you saw it tonight. I think they were well prepared. They knew how it was going to be called tonight, and I think they are very good at it, not as good as Peyton Siva. Sometimes they pick up their dribble and they wait for the screen rather than go off it, but I think that's just a little matter of fatigue. The good thing about (Terry) Rozier is he doesn't fatigue. That's what I like about him. I really like his game. He doesn't turn it over, goes to the basket, has the confidence of a senior. I may room him with Van Treese - maybe change roommates.
(On Terry Rozier's his rebounding and the importance of it)
“He's always rebounded. You know, certain guards have a knack for that and he's got a great knack. He's a hell of a jumper; he really gets off the ground.”
(On what Louisville did better in the second half)
“We were much better than this team in overmatching them. Obviously, we did a much better job rebounding in the second half. We had an incredible number of deflections. What I was most pleased with the whole night was that we did not foul, I think one time pressing. I can't remember it. I don't think we fouled one time pressing. And that's unusual for a regular called game. We fouled in half court, and that's good, the guys moved their feet and trapped correctly.”
Kentucky Wesleyan Head Coach Happy Osbourne
(Opening statement)
“We got behind and I thought we fought. We fought back. We came into the second half down 16. Honestly, I'm not surprised; we have only been at this for two weeks and it's a new system with a new coach, new assistant coaches and new players. You know we have been at it, but they have been at it a little longer than two weeks. They have a pretty nice team in case anybody didn't know that, and it is what it is. The question is, 'What did we learn?' You can't talk about what you've done before. It can't be all good on Saturday and then be down today. My team, I believe in them, I'm going to do my best.”
(On Ken-Jah Bosley's effort)
“He is exactly what I think he is. You know he's going to fight you and he's a winner. The toughest two kids I've got are Ken-Jah Bosley and Freddie Young.”
(On the hand checking fouls)
“We have been watching other teams play. There have been times that they let the fouls go, and there have been times there were nine fouls in two minutes. Does it affect the way I want to play? Yes. Personally, I think it mars the game of basketball. I don't think it makes it better - that's my opinion. I mean, do you want to guard people, or do you not want to guard people? And when guarding people, you have to be able to touch and get your hands off - you've got to be able to body up a little bit.”
(On how the officiating can be adjusted - this game went two and a half hours)
“Let people play ... you ought to be able to push the ball to the corner. Not the person, the ball. I still think a charge is a charge. Not everything ought to be a block; that's an easy way out. A charge is a charge, a block is a block.”
(On his team's effort throughout the game)
“We've got a long way to go.”
(On who impressed with the most tonight)
“I was really impressed with Montrezl Harrell, Terry Rozier for Louisville. For us, I thought Ken-Jah (Bosley) fought. I thought Devin (Langford) - even though he went 1 for 10, he had eight rebounds. I thought Freddie (Young) fought.”
(On what his team can take from this game)
“A day off ... You look in the mirror and you decide, are you ever going to let this happen again? We rolled in here in 2008 and got beat by 24. We've also played them pretty dang good three times. When we lost by 24, we won 35 straight. Our guys decided they didn't want to lose again. I'm not saying that we have the character or the toughness to win 35 straight, but I do think we can have a heck of a nice basketball team.”
(On outrebounding Louisville in the first half)
“We've got a chance to be a pretty good basketball team, but we've got to block out better. It's been two weeks ... there is so much that we've got to work on. It's more of a tape thing, watching tape a little bit. It's going to be interesting how we respond.”
