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Louisville-Notre Dame Postgame Quotes
March 09, 2013 | Men's Basketball
March 9, 2013
Recap | Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 1 
| Photo Gallery 2
Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino
(Opening Statement)
“I started coaching at the University of Hawai'i and I haven't seen that many Samoan people in my life since then. It was so much fun and I just kept thinking back to Hawai'i and how friendly the Hawaiian and Samoan people were and it was such a great touch at the end our game for all of Peyton's family to come in and do that (give staff/players leis) it was a fitting ending for three special young men. It was very exciting to win a BIG EAST Championship with Georgetown and now we have to go to New York and see if we can win that one as well.”
(About efficiency of offense)
“I think we did a very good job of attacking zone and attacking man and working inside and working outside. We played really good defense in the first half and the second we did get beat back door a few times but we made some big plays.”
(About Gorgui Dieng and Peyton Siva leading tonight)
“It really was a story book ending for the two guys playing tonight. You always love to see it and always hope it is possible. For the families to come all that way, driving in a car for two days from Seattle to see Peyton play that well and Gorgui to play that well was awesome. Gorgui's dad never watched a basketball game before and now he is calling Gorgui and asking him, 'What time do you play, what time do you play?' He never ever had watched him play and now he doesn't miss a game. It was exciting for everyone involved with these three very special young men. I thought Mike (Marra) did a good job in the timeout situations and went to two or three plays that really did work.”
(Regular season play for the seed)
“I am happy because we really did not have a bad game. Against Villanova, we did miss some free throws. But we really did not play a bad game this year. This is one of the more consistent teams I have coached. We are very excited to and are doing some really good things and now we have to go to New York and try to win a very important tournament because it is the last year for the BIG EAST. We will never see a conference like this ever again.”
(About Gorgui Dieng's play)
“He is getting better. First you saw him get better with his mid-range shot and then he adds the ball fake to his mid-range shot and keeps getting better, which is why I think the pros are going to get such a good basketball player, because he is just scratching the surface of how good he can be. He is a very good passer and does a lot of very good things, but if you give him a move he can learn it in a very short period of time. He is extremely bright.”
(Team as a whole improving)
“We are getting a lot of contributions. Luke (Hancock) and Kevin (Ware) are doing some great things for us. We are playing Kevin a lot more at point during practice and I think he is getting so many more chances to run pick and rolls. I think the next thing for him is to become a better passer off the pick and roll. He is improving. Everyone is really getting better. Notre Dame is a really difficult time to get ready for so it is an exciting victory for us.”
(On defending Notre Dame's guards)
“We saw what happened last game and we really did play a very good offensive game last game against them. We played good defense against them for a very long period of time and then all of a sudden they made some shots that are very difficult and we lost the game. I think we learned our lesson about how good their guards are. They are one of the most underrated backcourts in the nation. We knew that and we had to play them like we knew they were one of the better backcourts in the nation.”
(On UofL defense)
“Defense starts in the beginning with great conditioning . And then it moves to ball pressure. And then if you don't know the other team's offense ... like you saw us get beat a few times back door ... that should not happen. We have been relentless and applied great pressure. They go after the basketball and do some really great things with the basketball. Focus is a main factor.”
(On defense strategy against unfamiliar teams)
“It depends on who you play. Some teams can't handle that pressure like that . That is what makes March Madness so much fun is that it is all about matchups. We are a very consistent basketball team that plays good defense. But there is nobody in the country about whom you can say can win it. I can see four Cinderellas winning it. I can see a No. 1 seed lose to a No. 16. Florida Gulf Coast beat Miami early in the year and they could go on to the tournament. Anybody can beat anybody. I was kidding with Paul before the game that if you all do, what we are not allowed to do, which is fill out your brackets. Take your three or four year old child and have them point to a team. You will have a better chance of winning. This is a very unusual year, I have seen nothing like it as long as I have been a coach. “
(On what matchup might prove difficult)
“I respect everybody and anybody. But this is team that is very consistent offensively as the year has gone on. That said, I know we are not as good as about 25 years in this country. So I know that. But we can beat all that 25 as well and I know that. That is what it is going to make that so much fun.”
(On team's confidence level now compared to earlier in the season)
”Well, we made it a goal. Goals are only great for a team or person, when they are attainable through excellence. If your goals are too high, and they are unrealistic, then they are not attainable, then they are not goals. They are dreams. So we made a very attainable goal. It was possible, not overly probable, because we had to win on the road to win seven games. And we did it. So you got to give the guys so much credit, because they set a goal. They attained it through excellence. Seven games are not easy in this conference.”
(On how realistic winning the final seven games of the regular season)
“I didn't think that way. All I think about is winning. I don't think about losing. If we play ping pong now, I wouldn't say, Let me take it easy on Kent, he's a nice guy. You know, I don't do that. I try to beat your ass in ping pong. We try to win at everything we do, and when we lose, we congratulate, we respect, we move on and that's what we do. We don't think about losing. It doesn't cross our minds. We know when we do lose, we study why we lost and move on to the next game.”
(On season momentum headed to post season)
“You know I just think we have a confident ball club, that's not going to embrace it, not going to be overconfident. We realize we can go to New York and lose to anybody, but we really want a win over a big tournament guy, because the more preparation chances you get, to play against different styles mentally, the physical part doesn't bother me. We can play six games in a row. We are not going to get out of shape, because of TV timeouts, but the mental preparation is so great for a team to see all these different things. And that's why I always put so much emphasis on conference tournaments at the end of the year. We are going in with a high, going in with everybody feeling good about themselves, and we have a lot of character. So you know it's not easy to win a Big East Championship, and I congratulate Georgetown for a job well done and the way they played all year. And Marquette did a phenomenal job as well. Two coaches that I admire very much, they did a fabulous job this year. All three of us really played great basketball. Syracuse is in a little bit of a bad run right now. They can get hot and win the tournament, so can providence. Providence went into Connecticut, lost in overtime. They are always one of the hot teams. It's going to be special. The Big East Tournament, the last one is going to be so special. I know I am sad about it breaking up, but that's life.
(On not having a bad game the entire season)
“No you don't. I haven't had too many teams I can say that about. I just think they realize what they can't do, and they take good shots. You know last year, we were more of a spot up shooting team, but I think Luke Hancock, there's a lot of reasons there, but Luke Hancock gets finally healthy, Kevin Ware finally gets comfortable, Gorgui Dieng keeps improving, Montrezl Harrel is getting better. There are just so many reasons why right now. Our bench right now, Stephen Van Treese is getting us great defensive minutes. We are making free throws. We are not turning over, although we turned it over too much tonight, we haven't turned it over as much this year as we did last year. So, we have a lot of good things that are happening.”
(On Siva's family leis and decorations)
“I just think it's so cool. It's really cool, I've been involved. You know, a lot of senior nights, a lot of very special ones, I had a story made up to talk about Peyton, a huge story, but I couldn't tell it, because everybody started mentioning his name, and I got very emotional, because it's been so much fun coaching a person, that has never had a bad day. You just think about that, we all do, sometimes you just don't feel right, and you come to work not happy. Never one time. I didn't always go pet him on the back and told him what a great kid he was. I got after his ass quite often, but never one time would he come to work with nothing but a great attitude. I just have never seen the likes of that in my life time. So whatever he goes on to, some pro teams are going to get a young man that's very special, and what they are going to realize is they are getting more than just a basketball player. If the Houston Rockets want somebody of 50 hours of visiting people as well as playing basketball, something like that, he will do whatever. Kenny Klein has asked this young man, he just beat him to death with doing things. He never denies anything. He says yes, whatever you want me to do. We are all witnessing something that we are probably never going to see it again. We'll see great point guards. We're bringing in one the next year. We are actually adding quite a few, but we'll never see the likes of that young man ever again. I've only had two in my life time. A lot of great kids, but none like the two I have experienced.”
(On Peyton Siva's pro potential)
“I think he is going to be an excellent pro. He really worked hard at this shooting. He's really fast, good defensive player. He's the type of guy, I think will stay around on a team for a long time, because every coach in the pros is going to want a Peyton Siva on his team, somebody who the high closed odds will never do anything but pump up the organization, and when you put him in the game, he is going to play with great fire. He's going to play his ass off on defense. Pay attention, I think he's going to be a very good pro, very solid in all phases of the game. He needed to improve his shooting, what did he do? He went out and worked on it.”
(On Peyton Siva's 3-point shooting)
“I think it's another weapon with Luke and Peyton. You know Russ is a great scorer, but Russ is not a 3-point shooter. So when you get Peyton shooting it really well, you know Gorgui asked me if he can shoot a 3, and I said we will run it at the end if we're up. Fortunately I got him out before he did it.”
Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey
(Opening Statement)
“You know we kind of ran into a buzz saw today. We expected a great punch and effort from them. Their defense really gave us problems the whole afternoon. It was two-fold; turnovers in the first half put us in a hole we could never get out of. One thing about their two guards, they really guarded our guards. It is hard for our guards, who are pretty darn good, to get anything going because their guards can really defend. I think they certainly are playing really well right now. But for us, I told our guys that I am very proud of them. We are 11-7 and got through the regular season. We were 3-3 when Scott Martin went down. We head to New York and will get some rest tomorrow. I am kind of excited to play one last Big East tournament for us.”
(On how he sees the BIG EAST tournament turning out)
“We keep saying it is going to be a wild Big East Tournament, and I think you could say that about every year. Look at what was on the line today, and I am going to miss this league. Now it is kind of hitting me that we won't be doing this anymore. Rick (Pitino) and I were talking about that before the game. Who was the six seed last year, and how did they do? (It was Louisville) Thank you. I was thinking about that at the buzzer, actually I was thinking about at the 12-minute mark.”
(On Georgetown and Louisville being the co-favorites to win the BIG EAST)
“Yeah, I think it is safe to say Louisville and Georgetown are playing their best right now, no question about it. Hey, Louisville last year was a great example. You go in as a six seed and get going a little bit, and then you see what happens. We have been to the semi-finals three out of the past four years, but we never make it to Saturday night. I would love to see our program make it to Saturday night before we head to Tobacco Road.”
(On cutting the lead to five in the second half and not capitalizing on it)
“Yeah, I think their defensive intensity went up. We got some really good looks, we got some transition stuff, they stopped our guards from getting in there, and we also missed some stuff around the basket. We had some stuff going around the bucket, but our big guys Jack (Cooley) and Tom (Knight) had a tough night. We need to get them going. Now our other two bigs gave us great stuff. But Jack and Tom weren't very good tonight. Objective number one is to get their gears going again.”
(After what Jerian Grant did to perform a comeback, did you expect Louisville to clamp down defensively towards the end)
“You can only have one magic act a season, maybe in your career. The last game was like this game. A couple of turnovers and we're in the hole with only a miracle happening to get us out of the hole when we could have lost by 12 up there. We just had magical stuff happen. We turned the ball over too much. Our baseline out of bounds stuff, we threw two away which was really deflating. I just don't know if we ever recovered from that. I thought (Peyton) Siva was amazing tonight. We did a great job at our place of keeping him out of the paint on the ball screens. Tonight it was impossible. We tried (Jerian) Grant on him and doubling the ball screen, but he had an energy about him to get in the paint where he would make some runners and then break down our defense. We were kind of helpless the way he was getting into the paint tonight.”
(On Gorgui Dieng playing effectively and what does it do for Louisville)
“When he is scoring like that, it is a whole another gear for them. They have had their offensive droughts and times when they can't score, but he looked like a pro tonight shooting turn-around jump shots, tough jump hooks over big guys, and he is making the 15-foot jump shot. He has this presence about him, he and (Peyton) Siva. Again, because we have had a lot of games against them, I have a lot of respect for those two guys. They are classy young men who are winners.”
(On the BIG EAST setting the standard for conferences around the country)
“I think eventually the ACC, when we all get there, is going to be that conference. They will have all the depth, and I sure hope we can keep getting eight or nine bids to the tournament because that's what is keeping us all in coaching. We are getting over half our league in regularly. I sure hope that happens in the ACC.”
(On how playing in the BIG EAST sets you up for a run in the tournament)
“I don't know if you can say that. We have had nine teams get bids and then not do too well in the tournament. There is no rhyme or reason for thinking it gets you ready, I don't know. It is all about getting on a little run for the next tournament and maybe get a little lucky with matchups. I do know that we beat the living heck out of each other in this league and we seem to really enjoy doing it. There is a lot of mutual respect amongst coaches and players in this league.”
