.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
Louisville vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Postgame Quotes
December 07, 2013 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2013
Recap | Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
| Photo Gallery
Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino
(Opening statement)
“Our goal tonight, because we weren't playing very good defense, was just to try and fatigue them, so they would shoot a lower percentage and I think the guys did a good job of that - keep the pace up, keep it going, take advantage of their foul trouble and pick-and-roll them to death with their guys in foul trouble. Our guys did a very good job on offense of exploiting the foul trouble and the things that they weren't doing. Defensively, we've just got a long way to go. When you're 5-10 and 6-foot at the guards, I looked at it, the shots were being challenged, but they've got to get off their feet higher. And then we made a couple of mistakes on pick-and-rolls. But, that young man [Shawn Long] is pretty tough to guard. We just wanted to wear him down and we did a good job of that.”
(On Wayne Blackshear's performance)
“I thought this was his best game. And I told him before the game, 'Son, it's time for you to start doing some things. You're a better basketball player than this.' He certainly was offensively more aggressive, had four steals (and) made his free throws. That was another good thing that we did tonight; we shot our free throws well and we didn't fatigue. We were playing at a very high pace, pressing and we didn't fatigue and that was good.”
(On Wayne Blackshear rebounding the basketball)
“I think tonight he was, but he should do that obviously. Your next question is going to be, why doesn't he do that all of the time? I think this is a start to that. I think he realizes right now that he has to do that. I thought he was aggressive on offense and doing a lot of good things.”
(On if offense is the identity of this team)
“Two years ago, I coached the most injured team I've ever coached in my life. It was just the most difficult year in terms of trying to practice. We were using Wyking Jones, we were using guys that were, you know, old ... But, we couldn't score and we went to a Final Four with defense. Right now, the only way we can win is with offense, but we've got to play better defense. It's not the 3-point shots. I know they were 7-for-10 and a couple of times we didn't rotate to the big guy. It's the interior defense that's really bad. We need shot blocking. What Mangok's got to realize in the low post, he's 212 pounds - great kid, works hard - he's got to front the post. If he stands behind, he's going to get swallowed up, so he's got to use his speed and quickness, not his strength. So yeah, I think we're a very good offensive basketball team, but let's not get carried away. I think this team just tried to stay out of foul trouble with the pick-and-rolls and just gave us layups.”
(On first and second half differences)
“You know that was all we've talked about, was just getting them in an up-and-down game. They've played a very good schedule. They were at Baylor. They beat Louisiana Tech when they had a winning streak. They played at Arkansas, so he has got his numbers against everybody. They've got a good point guard. So we just wanted to wear them out physically, so they didn't have a lot left.”
(On press defense)
“To be honest with you, the press was the reason they were shooting such a good percentage. They shot like 70 percent against our press tonight because they were trap-pulling. The half-court defense on both zone and man, they shot a very low percentage. It was beating our press that they shot a high percentage.”
(On defense shifting)
“Look, we're trying just to be average defensively, just average. If we can be average, it will turn into good, but a lot of it is just not reading the basketball well - and Chris is struggling with that, Terry struggles with that, Russ struggles with that, Mangok struggles with that. But once they get it and they realize how the ball should be moved and react to that, then there won't be as many wide open shots. The interior defense, look, people are going to go by people. It's a dream for Russ Smith and (Elfrid) Payton to have these new rules. It's a dream. You can't put your hands on guys that can get flat out in the lane, and when the ball is being moved around, it's silly to even shoot a jump-shot. You know you need to drive. Against our 2-2-1 press, they were 5 for 8. Against our man-on-the-ball white press, they were 10 for 18, overall 15 for 26. So, those are high percentages. Against our man defense, which we didn't play a lot of, they were 3 for 10. Against our zone, they were 10 for 28. So, it was the press that got beat, and give credit to (Elfrid) Payton; he beat it.”
(On Wayne Blackshear living in a 'make believe' world)
“Yeah, I think that Wayne thinks that he is just going to show up at NBA draft time someday, and they are going to call his name. I think that's his make believe world. He has got to go out, and do what he did tonight, and some day his name will be called. He is a junior, and it is time to just do what he did tonight. He had four steals, five rebounds; he's not going to create a lot of assists, that's not his game.”
(On whether the team plays better in man defense or zone)
“I think that they are equally weak at both, but I think we have the potential to get better because of the quickness. It's our lack of interior ... we are small at the guard spot, and we have a 212 pound center, and so were just small. Small in the backcourt, but we are very quick on offense. So we will get it, but we've got to get it quick. Tonight, mission accomplished, we wanted to wear the out, that's what we wanted to do tonight. We didn't think that we were going to stop them, we didn't want them to shoot that high of a percentage, but we did shoot a great percentage. We have got to just keep working on it, keep working on it, and keep working on it. It will get better, it will get better. It was much tougher two years ago to try to get that team to score; it was really tough. So the guys we have can score, and we can teach them defense, and it will get better.”
Louisiana-Lafayette Head Coach Bob Marlon
(On the difference between the first and second halves)
“A little bit at the end of the first half, we felt that we should have maintained the lead or right there tied at the half. We fell down by seven. A couple things didn't go our way the last couple minutes of the first half. We had, I think, four turnovers. We had done a good job with the pressure, then I think we had four turnovers in the last two and a half minutes. Obviously shot the ball well in the first half; the second half, we did not shoot the ball well. Got into a little bit of foul trouble with Shawn Long and weren't able to overcome that. And they played outstanding. They pushed the ball, got their hands on a lot of passes, a lot of deflections, were aggressive, turned steals into lay ups, our defense was nonexistent; we were just very poor defensively in the second half.”
(On the pressure and the runs that Louisville usually goes on)
“I felt like we had a good scouting report and good game plan in place for these guys. We thought we could expose them in a couple of places, and they ended up exposing us a lot more at the end of the day. They are an excellent rebounding team and certainly good in transition. Chris Jones - I have watched play for years. I used to coach in the Panhandle [Conference], so I was close to those guys and I have watched him play the last two years. He is an outstanding player and I thought he did a nice job today, as well as their other guys. Montrezl (Harrell) played with Elfrid (Payton) this summer and I got the chance to watch him. He is a great rebounder and he played with a lot of energy today. (Wayne) Blackshear and (Luke) Hancock aren't shooting the ball great right now, but that will come back around. When they get Russ Smith going, they will have a great group.”
(On playing the defending national champions)
“It was a great opportunity for them that not everybody gets; that's what we talked about. We won a couple road games in a row actually, won three for the first time in 11 years - nonconference road wins. We have been playing with some confidence. We came in and I thought we showed it in the first half. We shot the ball well. The second half, we just didn't defend. We can get back to the drawing board on defense. Hearing what coach was talking about with his group, same thing. We've got to get better if we are going to be a championship team in our league. We can build on it and certainly go back and learn from the things they exposed us on and get ready for our conference play.”
