Louisville vs. Nebraska Omaha

Head Coach David Padgett

(Opening Statement) "We're 2-0 and at the end of the day that's all that matters. We played 20 minutes of pretty darn good basketball and we played 20 minutes of embarrassing basketball. To give up 53 points to a team in one half, especially at home, is just unacceptable. We're going to get back to that because obviously we cannot continue that trend. Dwayne Sutton came in and gave us a big boost. He had 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. We got a lot of stuff to shore up in a short period of time and we will, We'll work at it, we'll work at it and we'll get better. We just have to learn, we have to find a way to play with a lead. I was a little worried about our urgency tonight on both ends of the floor. We were just lackadaisical on offense we had some really carless turnovers. On defense, we can't get into a basket trading contest with this team. We just can't do it because they'll score in a hurry and you can see it, they scored 53 points in 20 minutes. So, we have a lot of ways to get better, but like I said, at the end of the day we're 2-0, so we just have to learn from this and get ready for Tuesday."

(You said embarrassing David, were you talking about the defense I assume or what?) "Yeah, you give up 53 points at home (in one half). We did exactly what I was afraid that we were going to do. We just did it in the second half instead of the first half. I thought we'd get into a game where we're just trying to trade baskets and play even and that's exactly what happened. Luckily, we made some free throws down the stretch. But, we just have to get a lot better in a hurry because defensively, like I said, we can't just give up that many points in a half. So, we'll go to work, we'll take a look at the film and we'll correct what we need to do."

(You get up 20 they come back, you get up 19 they come back. What's the issue with allowing them to come back?) "Just a lack of urgency. Learning how to play with a lead. Relaxing when you have a lead. I told them at half time, 'we're up 15, but if you guys relax and don't come out ready to play in the second half, this team will catch you guys and luckily, they didn't, but they almost did.' But, it's just having urgency. No matter what's going on, on the offensive end we have to work on our defense and try to get stops. We had dead hands on close outs, we got lost, we didn't communicate. We just have a lot of stuff we have to shore up, but with that being said, if we do shore up some things, I think we have a chance to be a pretty good basketball team. But, we have a long way to go."

( When you called the timeout when they got to 57, what was your message to them at that point?) "I just, I just told them, I said 'look you guys, I warned you about this at half time. We're just trading baskets. It's as simple as that. You can't play a team like this that style because they can score in such a hurry. They came out in the second half and hit six threes. Luckily, we did a fairly good job in the second half of throwing the ball inside and just trying to score around the rim, but we've got to learn how to play with a lead. It's as simple as that, when you're up 20, 15 whatever it is, you just can't relax. You've got to expand that lead even more. It's a learning lesson, but we've just got to move on."

(Coming down the stretch, for the second game in a row, Darius Perry seemed to give you some strong minutes, down to the last five minutes or so. Can you just kind of talk about how he played?) "Yeah, he was five-for-five from the free throw line, that's obviously a big asset for us to have in late game situations. We're 19-of-22 from the free throw line, which is obviously a very positive sign. But, defensively, I hoped he could spark us. Obviously, having Q on the floor in decision-making time is extremely critical. I just wanted Darius to see if he could get us a couple stops. We just broke down a couple times defensively. We didn't talk, two guys ran at one, we just didn't do the little things and they exposed us for it. A perfect example of how tonight went was we got a stop there with 15 seconds and I'm screaming to get it over half court and our guys don't know. It's just a lack of urgency, but we'll get there. We've just got to work at it.

(Ray had a double-double, he seemed to kind of work at both ends tonight) "He did. He came out very active. He missed nine shots for the game, nine of those were probably from within two feet, or all nine of them I should say. He was active on the backboard. I think in the first half he had seven rebounds in eight minutes, so that was good to see, but we just got careless in the second half. Ray, all the way down the line, the whole team, no matter who we put in there we just couldn't seem to get in a flow defensively, but it's just going to be a work in progress."

(You talked about the defense allowing 40 points in the paint. What do you need from your bigs to prevent that from happening?) "You know and we had 15 blocked shots, so obviously we were doing something fairly decent around the rim. They did what every team is going to do when they see us switching like that. They are going to spread us out and drive us and get us to help and then kick it out for a three. That's why we've got to start to work on things and get better at our zone. We need to try and go a little more zone to stuff dribble penetration. But, you know again, it comes down to one-on-one defense. If you let a guy beat you off the first dribble, and we had way too many of those breakdowns, we call them blow-bys, we had way too many in the second half and they capitalized on it."

(Malik Williams got the start tonight. What'd you think about his game after the limited minutes in the first game?) "Yeah, he did some good things. Malik's just got to learn defensively a lot of things. But, you know he came out, he played hard. He's had a great week of practice and he deserved it, but you know again, it's just at the end of the day, it's a team effort and we have got a lot of stuff to do to get better as a team."

(Sutton got a ton of rebounds late in the game. What was he giving you down the stretch?) "I just wanted us to go with the most, or at least what I thought was the most elite five on the floor. Dwayne did a good job of being active, which he always does. I didn't realize he had 10 rebounds, but he's just active. He can play multiple positions, he can guard multiple guys, he has got probably the most urgency on the defensive end out of anyone right now or at least tonight he did. We got caught watching a lot tonight, long shots, long rebounds, we just got caught watching too much and our guards didn't do a great job of coming back to help rebound. But, all things we can shore up, we just got to start working on it tomorrow."

(Do you expect that many players to play as many minutes as they played tonight?) "Yeah, with the exception of Deng, I thought it was all pretty controlled. We'll have a nine-man rotation and I think that is how many played tonight. It's just going to be a game-by-game basis. The other night, Q played 37, I think Deng played 39 just because of the kind of game it was, but you know it is going to be a work in progress with the rotation. But, it also depends on who is playing well and who is giving us a boost."

Nebraska Omaha Head Coach Derrin Hansen
(Opening Statement) "Very proud of our basketball team tonight. It's been a long ride. I think we're on nine days of travel and it's our fourth game, so when we go home tonight, it'll be our 10th airplane in 10 days. So, what we've been able to do without a couple starters and to fight and to grind and to keep getting better, like I said, very proud of them. When you shoot 24 percent in the first half, they have six or seven blocks, we could have easily been frustrated. We could have easily given in and taken some more bad shots, but I really thought we grew tonight as a basketball team because we're young and we're new. With that, we made some shots down the stretch, at least made it semi interesting. So, I'm proud of our guys, but we have a lot of work yet to do."
(Coach, you guys just seemed to gather energy as the game went on somehow. You came back from 20 down, came back from 18 down. Did you see something tonight that you hadn't seen in the first few games?) "A little bit. We were a little bit more resilient tonight. We didn't quite have that fight when someone got up 20 on us, like say at Oklahoma. Our huddles were getting better. Our leadership is coming, because like I said, we're young and new. It's funny, when you make some baskets, that energy tends to come. Now we have to grow as a basketball team, and if they don't come, can we get the energy from the defensive end? I saw some of those things tonight from our team, and that's encouraging."

(Coach what was your message to players, this is the highest ranked program you've ever played and you're within three possessions at the end of the night?) "I told them, I've been doing this a long time. I got the hair - or lack of - to prove it. I've not been more proud of a basketball team, maybe as proud of some, but not more. Like I said, we're new, we're young. We have a lot of new people, and for them to do what they've done these last four days - but to keep getting better - because we only played about 20 good minutes at Oklahoma. I thought we played 30 good at New Mexico, thought we played 36 or 37 good minutes tonight. So, to do that, to do what we are asking, to give the effort they give, couldn't be more proud of them. So, that was kind of the message at the end."

(Any advice for David Padgett? What did you say at the end?) "Just congratulations. I like David Padgett a lot. He was at IUPUI in our league. I'm not going to sit here and tell you I know David, but to talk to him on the road a little bit in July recruiting, and being around him some, he's a fabulous person. They just have to stay the grind. I like the experience he has on the bench with him now. He'll learn and he'll grow, and I hope nothing but good things for him."

University of Louisville Athletics

Players Mentioned

Darius Perry

Dwayne Sutton

Malik Williams

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