University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Post-Game Quotesheet
11/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2006
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POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Pitt vs. Northeastern, November 17, 2006
Quoting Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon:
Opening Statement:
"I thought we passed and shared the ball exceptionally well tonight. Our transition game was also very good in that we were able to work the ball inside early. We used our size to our advantage well tonight, and from that were also able to get some good looks and knock down open shots. Northeastern was a good test for us, they're a good well-coached team with a lot of talent."
On Northeastern's run in the first-half:
"Give them a lot of credit there; they made some very tough shots. I didn't think we gave them a lot of great looks offensively, but throughout the course of a game, team's are going to hit baskets like that. Eugene Spates in particular hit some shots with a hand in his face, but we can live with those. We believe it's going to be very tough for a team to score like that for 40 minutes."
On the play of Aaron Gray:
"People laugh at me, but I think he could be the most improved player in the Big East again this season. All facets of his game, his scoring, his passing, his defense, and the way he runs the floor have gotten better from last year. Also, and sometimes this goes unnoticed, he's much better at getting inside position, which will get even better as the season progresses.
On the play of Antonio Graves:
"Antonio really put in a lot of effort this year, not only on the court but also in the class room. I think the two of them go hand-in-hand and you can see he has great confidence right now when he's playing. Tonight he passed well, defended well and certainly shot well, and that's the kind of play he can bring for us every game."
On his impression of UMass, Pitt's upcoming opponent:
"They've got a very experienced, senior group of guys who are also very talented. They've been picked to win their league this year, which is one of the reasons we brought them in. We think they'll be a very good test for us at this point in the season."
On Pitt's success scoring in transition:
"We did an excellent job getting the ball inside in transition and then working out of that. That's a testament to both how well our big men run the floor, and our versatility in handling the ball. It's something we work on constantly in practice, and it's nice to see it be successful in a game."
On the First Annual Colonial Athletic Association Basketball Classic:
"It's a great event. Top to bottom we have a terrific field, full of conference powers and NCAA tournament teams. If you look around at some of the other pre-season tournaments, I think the quality of these team's stacks up very well against them."
Quoting Pitt's Aaron Gray:
On Pitt's success inside:
"It's obviously one of the strengths of our team. We just try to pound the ball inside and feed off that success. Once it works, we just keep going to it until they can stop us."
On adjustments he might have to make for Big East play:
"I'm absolutely prepared to do what I need to do, but right now I'm just taking things as they come. Right now, my only concern is UMass tomorrow. If you start trying to play for games that are a month down the road, you're going to struggle right now."
On playing UMass:
"They come across as a very talented, very enthusiastic team. They're going to be a great early season test for us, and we're just going to have to go out and execute."
On looking to score more this season:
"It's not something that I've been trying to do; it just kind of happened that way today. My main emphasis whenever I step out on the court is to rebound well. My teammates are doing such a good job setting me up offensively, that I think I'm getting a little more credit than I maybe deserve."
Quoting Pitt's Antonio Graves:
On his play:
"Coach always tells us he's looking for guys to bring energy, and that's what I was trying to do out there today. I'm confident enough that if I bring energy to both ends of the floor, I can score, but I can also contribute with defensive stops."
On stopping Northeastern's first-half run:
"It really was just sticking to the game plan. We want to hold our opponents under 40% shooting, out rebound them by ten, and turn the ball over less than 12 times. Even though it got rough there for a minute, we stuck with the plan, accomplished those goals and were successful in the end."
Quoting Pitt's Levance Fields:
On his play:
"I'm not really worried about my scoring totals. I missed some open shots today, but I know I'm going to hit them as the season progresses. The first thing I'm looking for when I step out on the court is to set my teammates up. Getting someone else a good look is always the most important part my game.
Quoting Northeastern Head Coach Bill Coen:
Opening statement:
"It's easy to see why Pitt is ranked No. 4 in the country. They have all the parts they need and Aaron Gray is a centerpiece anyone would like to have on their team. He makes everyone on the team better and opens up a whole new game plan for his team. I thought we played the best 2-3 defense in the country last week at
On the scoring run in the first half:
"We were able to execute our offense and free up our shooters, which is what we had been trying to do the whole game. Our defense was making stop and our offense was making their shots. Unfortunately, it didn't last as long as we would've liked."
On what was said to the players at halftime:
"We wanted guys to be aggressive on both offense and defense. We really stressed that aggressiveness during halftime. We also weren't working the shot clock and our offense like we wanted to. Early on in the game we settled into Pitt's rhythm and we told our players to just go back out there and be aggressive on both sides of the ball."
On a tough schedule to start the season:
"It's been a tough start both physically and mentally, but it's also been a very good experience. We need to find a way to compete and these games are important to us so that when it's time for our conference play, we'll be ready. We do, though, have to figure out a way to get things done and execute better once those games do start."
On having a young team:
"
On Pitt vs.
"That should be a good game. Both teams are very deep and have their strengths. Both teams are physical and it should be a really great ball game."
