Louisville vs. Northern Kentucky Postgame Quotes

Louisville Head Coach David Padgett
"I told John (Brannen) this before the game, that is a heck of a basketball team. They are very, very well-coached, very disciplined with what they do. They play physically, they play tough and looking at their stats and watching some of their film, their defensive numbers were really, really good. It's not fool's gold. They're a legitimate team and I'm not surprised they won that league, so hats off to them for a great season. They came in here and gave us everything that they had. Good win. We're happy, we were resilient in the second half, like these guys have been all year, so I wasn't surprised by that. Finally got some shots to fall. We just couldn't get in a rhythm there in the first half for whatever reason but did a good job in the second half, protecting the rim, getting the ball inside, kicking it out, taking really good shots and we defended well so good win and we'll be ready for either Middle Tennessee or Vermont."

(On coaching challenge to get team ready after disappointment about not making NCAA tournament) Padgett: "It wasn't. I think the way they played tonight answers any question about whether or not they were ready or interested in playing this game. I think that was pretty relevant. They've been resilient all year. They did again today. That's just how they are as people, that's how they are as basketball players and they show it day in and day out."

(On reaction to the crowd) Padgett: "It's funny, I was talking today to people on our staff who'd been here for a while now, who were here in 2006 when we last played in it and for some reason I always remember- obviously the crowds in Freedom Hall were terrific- but those crowds we had for
those games, for the NIT, were just incredible. A lot of people who don't have season tickets who get a chance to come to the game and they were absolutely terrific, so we owe a big thank you to the fans who came out today and really gave us some big energy that we needed, there's no question about that and just supported these guys like they have all year. We're going to need the same thing on Saturday because whoever we play, it's going to be another tough game."

(On defense in game) Padgett: "We were active tonight with our hands. I think we had 40 something deflections. We were very active. We played very good defense pretty much the entire game. We just couldn't get in a rhythm in the first half offensively so it was ugly. A lot of that was credit to what they were doing. We did a good job being active. We had six blocks, seven steals, and a lot of deflections so our guys did a really good job and were prepared to play against their style."

(On Darius Perry dunk) Padgett: "It was funny because I was sitting next to Trent and Trent says 'just lay it in'- just making sure you get the points. I guess it serves me right because every day in practice, we do this five line warm up drill and sometimes he tries to dunk it and just can't even touch the rim and I say if you can't dunk, lay it in but that was- I haven't seen the replay, obviously- but that was an impressive play and it was a big momentum play."

(On playing strategy) Padgett: "Our game play coming in was to try and make this a fast pace game. We wanted to use our bench. Get a lot of guys in the game. Jordan got bunked in the leg with a knee yesterday at practice- he actually had one on each leg believe it or not. It was a weird deal. Then it got re-hit tonight when he got in the game so that's why he couldn't go back in but just the way the flow of the game went, I just couldn't play as many people as I wanted to because we had to find the rhythm offensively and just the way the game was, it was an ugly, kind of smash-mouth, beat them up game. We wanted to play a little faster but they did a really good job on making us work on defense and using a lot of clock. With that being said, our guys are going to have to be ready because I don't know a whole lot about Middle Tennessee or Vermont but they're going to be a really good team coming in here and everyone's got to be ready to play."

(Quentin Snider on the crowd) "Yeah I think so, it kind of reminded me of Virginia and Notre Dame this year. The crowd really had a big effect on us tonight."

(About defense ) Padgett: "Well we got some deflections and some steals there that got us out on the break to convert a couple of easy ones and the crowd gets into the game. We were just really active with our hands tonight. We did a good job of challenging shots. We knew they were going to take a lot of threes and we did a really good job of challenging them. We were getting in passing lanes and just being active it allowed us to get out on the break and not have to be in a set every time down."

(Thoughts on these experimental rules) Padgett: "The quarter thing threw me off a little bit, I'm not going to lie it was a little bit strange to keep looking up to the clock and think that the half is going by so fast and realizing there is ten more minutes. Quentin (Snider) can answer this better, I don't think the three-point line and the lane-line thing probably wasn't a major factor but the free-throw line is a little bit different, I kind of like it to be honest. I think Quentin can probably answer it better on whether or not the three point-line impacted the game."

Quentin Snider: "I would say that it didn't really impact the game it was pretty much like the same. I felt like the difference was the lane-line, how wide it was. When people were shooting free-throws, we were still stepping to the regular ones instead of the outside ones, so that was pretty much the difference."

(If Snider liked the quarters as a player?) "I like it, I just don't know when the media time out comes so that's the difference."

(Q, there was a lot of talk about the team being disappointed with being in the NIT. With winning a game does that change the outlook about this?) "Yeah, we were definitely disappointed and we just knew that we had to get ready for Northern Kentucky. The outlook was that we have to keep playing and go as far as we can in the NIT."

(Snider on Darius Perry's dunk?) "Darius' dunk really changed the game. I've seen him do that before in practice but sometimes he misses it and sometimes he doesn't. It was a nice dunk for him it might be Top 10 tonight."

(Q did you have a hard time finding motivation for this game?) "No not really, we just came out flat in the beginning and our shots weren't falling and we made it up with our defense in the second-half so that's the main thing."

(Was there a point at which you felt things turned from the team coming out flat to the way that you finished the game?) – Quentin Snider: "Yeah, in the first-half we just couldn't hit shots, I thought we played pretty good defense the firs-half for a little bit, but in the second-half when we got the flush, we got steals and ran out on the break we started to get our momentum going and that's when we are at our best."

Northern Kentucky Head Coach John Brannen
"Give Louisville a ton of credit. I thought in the second half, they really picked up their pressure and showed the high major athleticism and length that they can provide and put on a game. They had three turnovers and 11 second half turnovers, really hurt us. I thought we played an outstanding first half and got the lead. In the second half we had some shots that just rimmed out. I thought we had some really good looks. I'm really proud of our young men and the way they competed. Just didn't take care of the ball, got a little rattled, got a little frazzled. I tried to calm them down in time out, came back and had a few more good looks, didn't go in and got a little frustrated. A lot of that has to go to Louisville and their approach in the second half in terms of their pressure and their overall length and athleticism.

(The 28 3-pointers, was that by design or out of necessity with all the athleticism they have?) "Typically, we played Kentucky last year, we shot 30-plus. When you have that much athleticism at the rim you have to shoot some threes. Originally it was not done, I would have preferred us to be around 21, because usually we are shooting our best percentage then, but you're not going to beat Louisville at Louisville in the tournament 5-for-28 from three."

(It seemed like at the beginning of the game you guys came out with a lot of enthusiasm and energy, how did you feel that change as night went on?) "I felt like we had energy and enthusiasm the whole game. I thought our guys played really hard. I thought their crowd really got into it and that's why you're a higher seed you get an opportunity to play at home and I thought that really assisted them. I didn't think it spoke to our lack of energy and enthusiasm as the game went on."

(What were your thoughts on playing with the experimental rules that the NIT has?) "I don't think the 3-point line needs to be moved back, because I don't think anybody shoots a very high percentage. You look at the percentages, and I said that going in. The quarters were uncomfortable from a coaching standpoint. It took some time to figure out. You've got your media (time outs) at different times you've got your substitution patterns, you look up at the clock and you've got to add, because it says six minutes but it's usually ok is that 14 minutes or whatever… So, it's a little bit different. The medias in post-season play are always a lot longer. I didn't feel like the lane had a whole lot to do with it. It puts a premise on defending without fouling, because it gives you two shots versus a bonus, so I don't have a feeling either way on that. I definitely don't think the 3-point line needs to be moved back. I don't think our game shoots it well enough for the need to do that."

(The fan base was very active on social media probably more than I've seen, so what is your message to the fan base? What's the takeaway for the people who have been watching this program on the rise for the past couple seasons?) "That what we have done, what these seniors have done the last two years, and what our young men in that locker room have done is historic. It hasn't happened before. To go post season in your first two years eligible, to compete against Kentucky and Louisville and go all the way down to the end of the game in close games. We'll build upon it. This will be a program that will continue to win championships, and continue to push forward, and continue to build our brand in the state of Kentucky and beyond the region. I couldn't be more proud of the young men that locker room. They are the reason we are here."

(Do you feel like playing, not just a high-major team, but also a team from right down the road that you get any sense of your guys what that would do for their motivation?) "No, I didn't. One of the things, when you are a mid-major coach in the state of Kentucky, you're playing Kentucky or Louisville in the postseason. Go back and do the research. If your seeds are anywhere near, you are playing Kentucky or Louisville, so I anticipated it. The great thing when you Kentucky or Louisville you play on CBS or ESPN, because of their story, they are storied programs with tremendous tradition, they are great programs. More so than not, we had the opportunity to lick our wounds a little bit after our upset loss in the tournament, because we had a longer prep time. We didn't prep for Louisville because we didn't know we were playing them, but we had a longer recovery time mentally."

University of Louisville Athletics

Players Mentioned

Darius Perry

Quentin Snider

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