Louisville vs. Boston College Postgame Quotes | Jan. 16, 2019

Louisville head coach Chris Mack
(Opening Statement) "Well, life in a new league for me, in the ACC. I thought, for a stretch, our guys were rolling. Thought we were playing well, the run that we had to end the half, and then carried over. You give Boston College credit. They changed defenses, and we obviously didn't handle it very well. It became a tight game down the stretch, but at the same time, I give our guys credit for being able to withstand a heck of a push and a heck of a run by BC and still have the fortitude and calm enough nerves to make a few shots and get a few stops in the last four minutes."

(On Boston College's late run) "We talked about attacking versus their three-quarter-court press. We had a few guys in that hadn't played a whole lot up until that point—that's what got their run going. It was indecisiveness, we didn't run or attack, and that sort of spilled over to the guys who started the game as well. Fortunately, we were able to break out of it. We have to be better. You're always in a tough situation, you have 23, 24 (seconds), this isn't the NBA. You want to run clock, but you also want to be able to get an efficient offensive possession, a good look, and we didn't always get that. We turned the ball over and got rattled a few times versus their pressure, and they got a little bit of momentum and (Boston College senior guard Jordan) Chatman hit a couple of shots that were tough. Again, as I always say, every experience has to be one that we learn from. We'll be better against three-quarter-court stuff, and quickly be able to flow into whatever we're running."

(On how much better the offense is when all five players are scoring) "It starts with him (graduate guard Christen Cunningham). He's the floor general. He goes eight assists, one turnover. He gets in the lane, he finds guys. Obviously, (sophomore forward) Jordan (Nwora) played as good as an offensive game as I've seen from a guy and I've had some really talented offensive players. There were a few times where he made the 'one-more pass' as we like to call them, which is not really a 'one-more,' it's the right one and he got (graduate guard) Khwan (Fore) a couple open looks because going to make the right play. I think our team plays that way. Our inefficiency on offense had nothing to do with taking bad shots or not passing to one another. They gave us a look that we hadn't always seen, and we didn't handle it very well. We need to be a balanced team. We got to get a little more from (redshirt junior center) Steven (Enoch) than we did tonight. We've got to be a team that can score inside. We need to be a team that can do it from the outside as well."

(About Jordan's ability to find open shots and convert them) "I want to talk about Jordan's defense, first and foremost. I think everyone recognizes what a talented player he is on the offensive end. He's got so much confidence in his individual game, but I think he's finding his shots within the flow of team concept, which is what good players do. But on the defensive end, he got switched onto Ky Bowman more than a handful of times. And I don't think Bowman ever went around him to the point where it was an uncontested layup. As I've told him, he's played marginal players a heck of a lot worse than that. Guys that maybe average 5, 6 points a game go right down the lane and score on him. And I didn't see that tonight. He was also a big part of our help defense, because he wasn't necessarily guarding one of their primary scorers, and I thought he did a really good job of recognizing when to help one on the five men rolling. His closeouts kept the ball in front. Really, really pleased with how he played defensively. Offensively, I just felt like he let the game come to him. I mentioned before, he made a couple extra passes to open teammates. And that's what good teams do. The ball finds the open man."

(On Nwora raising his stock) "Well, I think the last two games, he's played as well as he has defensively all year. But, I tell our team all the time, not just Jordan. You're judged on next practice, next game, next drill. That's what the great players do. That's what the good teams do. Anybody can have it for a day or two. He has to continue to be a guy we really depend on defensively. Because if one player on our team breaks down, whether it's Jordan, whether it's Enoch, whether it's CC (Christen Cunningham), then we're getting scored on. With our team, we have to be a team that values that on the floor. Gets stops, like we have really the last two games. I know Boston College scored 70 but a lot of those were in transition off our miscues there for a while in the press."

(On Jordan Nwora's and the team's defense) "I think we learned a tough lesson at Pitt, I felt like Pitt played harder than our team. You can throw the names out, past records, who's coaching; the team that has the hungrier disposition on any given night is going to put themselves in a position to win. I felt like our mindset versus Pitt's mindset, were two very different levels. I don't think that has been the case the last two games. We have to continue that. With success, people pat you on the butt. Compliment you. Tell you "wow, what a game" I can imagine our guys are hearing it on campus fifty times more than I am because I just stay in my office and watch film. They have to maintain that hunger and play with it on the defensive end."

(On Dwayne Sutton's ceiling and progress) "He's a jack of all trades. I don't think anyone would call him elite in any one area; except being a competitor. He gets the job done. He gets loose balls, he makes the right play, and hits big shots. He does anything for his team to win. I'm not smart enough to know ceilings. I just know if you want a guy on your team who cares about winning, you can't find one that cares more than Dwayne."

(Any update on Ryan and what happened on that play) "They landed on his lower leg. I don't think it's anything too concerning. He was asking, "hey Fred (Hina) can I play tomorrow," so that's always a good sign. Other than that, I don't really know a whole lot. I haven't talked to Ryan, talked to Fred, he felt like he should be okay. As with any injury you just got to see what happens over a good night's sleep."

(On officiating consistency) "That's not a new phenomenon. Coaches don't like referees; referees don't like coaches. It's funny because in the handshake lines we always say 'hey, how are you, good to see you,' and then four minutes later we are all yelling at each other. Those guys did a good job. I'm just trying to win a game. I don't take anything personal, except one referee I won't name. I don't take anything personal. I had a guy apologize to me about four or five games ago and said that he missed a call. I said 'I don't even remember you refereeing a game.' I don't. I know all those guys names, but I don't keep a running diary about who called what and where."

Boston College head coach Jim Christian
(What keyed the late game run?) "I think we picked up our pressure. We turned them over. We pressed them, we trapped them, we forced some turnovers and it led to some baskets. That's what happens. You guys are asking me, you've seen it for 15, 17 years before - you've seen pressure. That's what it looks like. We were in a situation where we had to increase the pressure and we were fortunate enough to turn them over."

(What was Jordan Nwora specifically doing to be so effective tonight?) "He's just a tough guy. He's a hard guy to match up, because he doesn't need much space. His body is totally different than last year. He's without question the most improved offensive player in this league from what I've seen. He's tough. He doesn't need much space, he can drive the ball, he's confident, he shoots the ball with range. He's a good offensive rebounder, he's got the whole facet. They do a really good job of getting the ball at the right time. And I think that's one of the things that's underrated is (Christen) Cunningham for them, he gets the ball to guys at the right time and that's what a point guard does. He does a really good job."

(Do you see them turning a corner after the North Carolina win on the road?) "You'll have to ask Chris (Mack). They looked good before that. This is a tough league. Everybody's going to have nights where the ball doesn't go in. They're making threes right now, made 12 threes tonight, they shot the ball extremely well against Carolina. They're improving as an offensive rebounding team. They've got some really good offensive pieces and their defense is obviously getting better...more of what Chris wants, I assume, but you'd have to ask him. I thought they were very good before Carolina. The Pitt game… those games happen. So on the road this league is not easy, I've been to three out of four on the road, trust me."

University of Louisville Athletics

Louisville vs. Boston College Postgame Quotes | Jan. 16, 2019

Players Mentioned

Christen Cunningham

Jordan Nwora

Dwayne Sutton

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