University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Post-Game Quotesheet
1/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2007
POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Pitt vs. USF, January 7, 2007
Quoting Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon:
Opening Statement:
"I thought we played well throughout the game today. We hit all of our main statistical goals coming in, and if we do that we're usually going to win. I was impressed with how well we shot the ball from three-point range, but also with the fact that we had 18 assists to just eight turnovers. Our defense was solid, too, and it's really gotten better as the year has gone on."
On defending South
"He's a very good payer, and quite similar to
On Pitt struggling in early games:
"We won by 21 points, so I'm not sure how much we really struggled today. I do think any troubles we had were due more to
On how Pitt responded to
"Even though we saw a zone defense the last two games,
On Pitt's defense:
"Defensively, I think we've actually been pretty god all year. We're working hard on it in practice and getting better at it, as we should. It's important to remember that even though we have a veteran roster, a lot of our older guys are seeing significant playing time for the first time. As they learn and gain more experience, their defense is going to get better."
On Pitt's depth:
"You saw a very balanced effort out there today. Keith Benjamin has been giving us very good minutes both offensively and defensively, which really helps us out with what we're trying to do. I also thought Levon Kendall stepped up and played great post-defense, which is a testament to his versatility. As I've said all along, I feel very comfortable with the make-up of this roster."
On the recent play of Aaron Gray:
"We've seen a lot of two-three zones recently, a lot of teams that have set out to take away our inside game. We made an effort to get Aaron good touches early, but when they collapsed two guys on him, he was smart enough to pass out to an open guy on the perimeter. His point totals may not be as high, but he's doing a great job reading what the defense gives him."
On whether teams will change the way they guard Pitt:
"It's a different situation each game. Teams can take one thing away, but if they do that, they're going to give up something else. What makes me so confident about this team is that we have the ability to beat you in a number of ways."
Quoting Pitt's Ronald Ramon:
On Pitt's outside shooting:
"Everybody's been knocking down good shots recently. It's something we've struggled a bit with in recent seasons, but this year, we have a number of guys that can step up and make a big shot. It's just another way that this team can beat you."
On Pitt's defense:
"I thought our help defense was exceptional today. The key was getting help cutting off the gaps and stopping dribble penetration by them. It really made it hard for them to get going offensively."
On the play of Aaron Gray:
"Aaron is a smart player. Even when he's in the game and not scoring he's a big difference maker even with what he opens up. He's the kind of player that can make his presence felt in a lot of different ways. When they started collapsing on the middle, we also knew we had the other weapons to take care of things."
On his three pointer that gave Pitt the lead for good at 16-14:
"The shot was good, and it certainly gave us a boost for the rest of the game. However, the best part was the way we hung in there on defense after that, and never let them get comfortable offensively."
Quoting Pitt's Mike Cook:
On Pitt's struggles early in the game:
"I'm not really sure what the problem was, other than that maybe it was an early game and we aren't used to those yet. I know we had some issues with them last season, but it's something we're going to have to correct to be successful."
On Pitt's defense:
"I think we proved today that we can win a game with defense if we need to. We shuffled our feet very well and anticipated what they were going to try to do with the ball. We've been working on that a lot in practice, and it was nice to see it pay off."
On what helped Pitt pull away in the second half:
"We started to get better shots, both through driving and with crisp passes. We missed some shots close to the basket early that we started knocking down as the game went on. Also, our defense was really consistent throughout."
Quoting USF head coach Robert McCullum:
On Pitt's bench:
"We knew their bench was strong. They have all the pieces they need to make it into March or April. Their depth is their strength. Early on there, a few of their starters picked up a couple of fouls and when their bench came in, there was no drop off in play. That's a sign of a good team."
On holding Aaron Gray:
"We felt good about the way we held him today, but again, it all goes back to Pitt's depth. This team is good enough that even when their best player is having an off night you don't notice a difference in the score."
On Pitt's three-point shot:
"I'm not surprised by they way Pitt was able to shoot the ball tonight. They're now shooting 41% from the three-point perimeter. That shot is an area this team has improved on greatly from last season. It gives them more balance and allows them to have the choice of working from the inside with Gray or bumping it out to any one of those guys that can shoot from the distance."
On USF's offensive struggle:
"There were a lot of things that factored into our inability to get our offense going. This team is rock solid. To be a good or even a great team, you have to be able to defensively take away the easy shot and work the half court game. Good teams take away the others' transition. Pitt does these things. They may not be the prettiest team out there, but who cares. The bottom line is they're one of the best teams in the country and if they continue to play they way they are now, they're going to be hard to beat."
