University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Post-Game Quotesheet
1/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 16, 2007
POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Pitt vs. UConn, January 16, 2007
Quoting Pitt's Head Coach Jamie Dixon:
Opening Statement:
"This was a great win for us. I thought the defense was there the entire time, which is something we love to see. Even though the rebounds on the game were even, we battled on the boards well too against one of the best teams in the country at doing just that. Our offense was also exceptional in the second-half. I really like the way we made the necessary adjustments and did the things we had to do in that regard. You shoot 67% in a half, there's not a lot to be upset about."
On whether this is his best offensive team at Pitt:
"Yeah I think it is. We have tremendous depth and a lot of guys who can score, but I think it's our perimeter shooting that really sets this team apart. We've had other teams that were good at that, but none that were quite like this. Excluding tonight, our assist-to-turnover ratio is excellent and a big part of our offensive success as well."
On Ronald Ramon's three-pointer at the end of the first half:
"What you saw there was us executing a set just like we drew it up. Levance [Fields] drove the lane and pulled in the help defender, Aaron [Gray] set a good ball screen and Ronald knocked down the open shot. It gave us a lot of momentum, but I think it also confidence that if we run our offense right we can be effective."
On what keyed Pitt's 16-2 second-half run:
"Certainly finishing our inside shots helped, but I'm more impressed with the way we stayed keyed in on defense the whole time. When you hold a good, athletic team like UConn to 35% shooting it means you were focused the whole time. We knew if we stuck with our offensive game plan we would start scoring, it was keeping them off the scoreboard that was going to be the tricky part."
On the Pitt/UConn rivalry:
"I'm incredibly proud that it can even be called a rivalry now. When we got here eight years ago, UConn was the pinnacle of the league and we were more like a 'feel good' game for them. We look forward to playing them every year, because it's always a great game in a great atmosphere, and the kind of competition that brings out the best in everyone."
Quoting Pitt's Ronald Ramon:
On his success shooting the ball this season:
"I try to look at every game the same way, no matter who it's against. I worked a lot on my shot this summer and came into the season ready to be a real weapon on offense. My teammates do a great job getting me the ball in good situations, and I know they have the trust in me to knock down the shot."
Quoting Pitt's Levon Kendall:
On how the team felt at half-time:
"We weren't too happy with the way we were playing. We knew we could do a better job out there. At the same time though, we took it as a challenge to knuckle down on defense, and keep contesting every shot. If we did that, we thought we could start converting some of those easy looks and start to pull away, which we did."
On Pitt's defensive strategy:
"Our game plan was to play good, solid team defense. We wanted to play tight on our man obviously, but the real focus was on helping and filling the gaps to stop their dribble penetration. It really slowed down their rhythm which is why it was effective."
Quoting Pitt's Aaron Gray:
On his play tonight:
"As I've said all along, the best way I can contribute to this team is through rebounding. It's something I focus on in every game and really put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. That's the stat I'm most proud of tonight. My teammates helped a lot too though in boxing out there guys, and leaving me one-on-one with mine. In that situation, I just have to attack the ball which is easy."
On playing against taller Big East centers:
"I feel excited to go up against guys like [UConn's] Hasheem Thabeet and [
Quoting Connecticut Head Coach Jim Calhoun:
Opening statement:
"First of all, I want to say congratulations to Jamie Dixon and his team. They executed very well in the second half. They just manhandled us and took away our offense. This is the best team in the league. They're very physical and I like they way the move and shoot. We didn't have any sort of answer for [Aaron] Gray tonight."
On whether it's tougher to lose by a few points or by a lot:
"Every time a team loses, they find a reason to be happy. There's no reason to be happy tonight. We didn't have the ability we needed to have to beat this team. We played hard but we didn't play smart. We left our hearts out there on that court, but we didn't do the small things. It's the small things that will allow you to win a basketball game. You have to appreciate [Aaron] Gray. I really appreciate the comments he made about our team. From this game, we're going to take away a respect for the physical way this team plays defense and the way they run their offense. They can go big or small. They know how to run the court. That's all we're taking away from this game, nothing else. I don't want to find new ways to lose. We let them shoot 67 percent in the second half and there is nothing good about that. You have to do the small things to win. We had the opportunity to win tonight. The bottom line is I'm disappointed."
On Hasheem Thabeet's play tonight:
"I don't know. I guess you have to tell him he has to learn how to duck. He got hit a few times early on and we tried to get him back out there, but he had tears in his eyes the whole time. I don't want to judge his play at all tonight based on that."
On Aaron Gray being the difference in this Pitt team:
"He [Aaron Gray] may be the go-to guy. I really wish we were playing them again. Tonight, Aaron Gray was the difference in the game. Pitt can get to
