Louisville Women's Basketball Postgame Quotes
January 18, 2017 | Women's Basketball
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Louisville Head Coach Jeff Walz
(On the defensive intensity in tonight's game)
"We came out defensively and really followed the game plan. It's nice now because you've got 17 games to watch on your opponents, 18 for some as you get going, and you're really going back and trying to figure out what do you have to do. The thing about Georgia Tech that was so impressive on film is if you allow them to get out in transition, their guards drive the ball extremely well, and they're going to get to the rim on you. We only turned them over 10 times, but our goal was to make them shoot over us - make them score in the halfcourt. I thought we did a very good job of that tonight. I thought our kids were dialed in, extremely focused, and then we did a really good job rebounding the basketball because Tech does a fantastic job of going to the offensive glass, but just a great effort by our young women tonight."
(On the emphasis put on rebounding)
"We worked on that for three days. Something we've worked on all year, but tonight we actually did a great job of finding somebody, putting a body on somebody, and rebounding the ball in front of us. And then when you do that, we're able to run. We're really good in transition, but the problem has been for most of this year, is we get a lot of dead-ball rebounds. We're going for it and instead of grabbing it, it gets knocked out of our hands. Still our ball, but now we have to set everything up. We need to rebound it and get it out and go and we did a great job of that tonight, and we were to get a lot of things going. I know it says we only had four points in fast break baskets, but we scored a lot in transition, and that's what we do well. We have to continue to work on that."
(On if the game plan included the 3-point shot)
“No, those shots just presented themselves. We sat there and told our kids, they play a lot of zone, don't just fall into shooting 3s, but let's get the ball worked around. We had a lot that went inside-out. The one Mariya [Moore] hits at the top of the key is from Myisha [Hines-Allen], where we actually ran a set for her to score on the block, but they doubled and she makes a great pass up. I thought, all around, we did some really good things. Briahanna Jackson's effort at the point guard spot has really been a bright spot for us. She takes five shots, she goes 2-of-5, but seven assists, two turnovers, and eight boards is pretty impressive, and that's not to take away from what everybody else is doing, but BJ came in here this year, not playing the point, and has really taken it and just done a fantastic job with it."
(On the second-quarter defense feeding the offense)
"I thought the defense starting the game. I thought we did a great job of making them score over us, making them take outside shots, not letting them get to the paint to score. Then, when you're able to get stops, then you can get the ball moving, and we hit shots. We made open shots and that's what you have to do and I was really pleased with that. I was pleased with how we shared the basketball and then making open shots. That's what the game is all about."
(On Jessica Laemmle not playing)
“Jess said she was a little light headed on the bench. She came up to our trainer, our trainer told my staff that at halftime. I'm not going to put anybody out there with any chance of them getting injured or anything like that.”
(On Myisha Hines-Allen's performance)
“You know what, I thought she played better in the second half, and that's what we have to have from her. She's got to get her game going back again. She finished some shots there in the second. I thought the one drive she had where she stopped and shot the pull-up jump shot in the middle of the lane is what she can do. We have to work on her left hand also because scouting reports are out there. Everybody forces her left, then she always wants to come back right. It's not there. We're going to try to get her to expand her game as well.”
(On whether he has any concern about going out of conference this late in the season)
“No, it's your next ball game. It's a ball club in South Florida. José (Fernandez) does a fantastic job with them. He's a good friend of mine. We're so used to playing them. It's almost like a conference game. We played them last year here, now we're back down there. It's going to be a really good ball game. They're very well coached. They have a lot of international players that shoot the ball, very high basketball IQ, so we're going to have to be on point. He runs about 100 sets, so we're going to have to be prepared to guard a lot of stuff.”
(Do you think this game has the ability to go on a win streak like last year's team?)
“I'm not worried about that. I'd like to win six starting about March 11th. You know, I'm fine with that.
“We just have to get better every night. We still have room to go. There is no question, but very pleased with how our bench played because we're going to need that productivity from them. Kylee Shook comes out and knocks down a 3, I believe, right away and did some nice things in the low block. She just brings a different dimension to our team when she plays aggressive. I thought she was so much more aggressive on the defensive end than she has been all year. She has three blocks, but then she has one where she altered that turned into an air ball. Mariya gets fouled on the rebound, and then we go down and shoot free throws. I was pleased with Ciera Johnson she was aggressive. She finished some layups, which is what we've been struggling with. So very, very proud.”
(On the 12 Hall of Fame finalists)
“I'm really, really excited for those 12, I mean, quite an honor. The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame just came out with their 12 finalists, and, I believe, they induct six. It's just a great honor for them. I'm still trying to figure out how Paul Sanderford cannot be a finalist or in the Hall of Fame yet. The man won a national championship in junior college. In that year, he's national coach of the year. The following year they get beat in the championship game. Then he goes off to Western Kentucky and plays in three Final Fours and a national championship game. I'm just stunned at where we are with the past, our history, the coaches that laid the foundation down. Back in those years, you're looking at Tara VanDerveer, you are looking at Andy Landers, Joe Ciampi, Leon Barmore, and Paul Sanderford. I'm dumbfounded to figure out how he has not been on that list of finalists, or actually, inducted yet. I've been asking, but nobody can ever seem to give me an answer, and I'm trying to find out who is on the committee, and who selects it. Let's find out who is on it; he is 616-208 in 25 years, and somehow can't even make the final list. I'm excited for the 12 that are on it without a doubt, but just shocked that they have not figured out a way to get him on that list, if not in the hall of fame. He's already in the National Junior College Hall of Fame, inducted in 2000. I would think three Final Fours and playing for a national championship at Western Kentucky is pretty good. Now that's just me, and you know how it goes. Some people just don't like what I have to say and that's OK. I'm not out here to make friends, I state facts.”
(On it being their best defensive performance against an ACC opponent)
Asia: “I would say yes because we started out strong as well. Coach Walz told us tonight was going to be a fight and we started off strong and we kept going.”
(On the 3-point shooting early in the game)
Asia: “My teammates, they did a great job of finding me on the court, so I was just trying to make a play.”
Mariya: “Surprised for Asia? No, not surprised. She does it all the time. For myself, I would say happy because before I shot them – there's this one play where I called out a play – it's like one of our things. So I felt like I was in a flow. I felt like before I even shot the ball, I knew where it was going before I shot it.”
(On the team's rebounding performance)
Mariya: “For sure, yeah that's every game, but especially this game because of how well they rebounded against other teams. So that was definitely one of our queues this game.
Asia: “I think it falls back on practice too. Coach Sam and Coach Walz, the whole staff have done a great job these past three days of drills, box out drills and things like that. And I think that carried over to the game as well.”
(On Asia having one rebound and whether she has to run extra at practice?)
Asia: “You know I just might. I don't know. I think you know it all goes back on film. I'm going to watch film on it and see what I can do better and we will go from there.”
(On second-quarter defense)
Mariya: “I think it was everyone buying in. Most games we have two or three [players] that buy in the others aren't on the same page so we have breakdowns but I think we all bought in at the same time. We were able to have a really strong defensive effort and stop them in the second quarter.”
Asia: “Like I said too. It all falls back on practice too because Coach Walz and Coach Sam have done a great job of saying, 'Stop, score, stop,' and that's the type of mentality we are trying to have now: stop, score, stop.
(Was it the best defensively that you guys have played so far?)
Mariya: “Yes. Going into the second half, we were really talking about how well we played, and trying to carry that over because when we play that hard, there are results like there were in the second quarter. Basically, coach was just saying, why not play like that all of the time?”
(Was the game plan going in to shoot a lot of 3-point shots?)
Asia: “No, that was not the game plan. It was to take good shots, and stay aggressive as well. Most importantly, the game plan was to box out because they are great on the boards. That's what we tried to do as a team.”
(On whether the team reached consistent play in the win)
Mariya: “I think we were closer. I still don't think we played 40 minutes the way we want to, but I definitely think we got a full half in.”
(How hard to keep everything going after halftime?)
Mariya: “Honestly it's very hard because there is that standard that you have to stay at. Any mistake, or any turnover, either you are hooping around, or there were other options. You really have to focus in, and if anything, you have to focus more than the first half because you are trying to stay above the standard that you have.”
(On a difficult three-game road trip)
Asia: “It's going to be important because coach Walz talks about this all of the time. Each game is very important. We are trying to get good wins at home and on the road, so three games on the road is going to be huge, so we just have to play hard, follow the game plan, and go from there.”
