Post-Game Quotesheet
11/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2007
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POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Pitt vs.
Quoting Pitt's Head Coach Jamie Dixon:
Opening Statement:
"This is a very good win for us against a very good team that will probably be in the NCAA Tournament. I thought we exhibited efficiency on both ends in the floor, both in our passing on offense and our ability to hold our defensive stance for the full 35 seconds on defense. I was a little concerned about our free-throw shooting, but we made them when we have to, which is where it really counts. All in all, I'm very pleased with the way we played this weekend against some very experienced teams this early in the season."
On the play of Levance Fields:
"Obviously his offensive numbers are very good but what stands out to me is his play on the defensive end. For him to go that hard for that long, I would have had to pull him out last year. This year though, he's lighter of body and stronger of mind and was able to be a bog factor for us the entire game."
On DeJuan Blair playing against taller guys:
"DeJuan is 275 pounds, so he's going to be a lot bigger than a lot of tall guys he faces. He's quicker, he's got better hands and he's stronger than a lot of those guys too, which are all things that I would take over a couple more inches. He also works very hard at what he does, which goes a long way towards having success at this level, too."
On DeJuan Blair's play throughout the weekend:
"I think he got better each game, which is what you hope to see at this stage in the season from a freshman. He has skills that you can't coach, which have been apparent from the second he stepped on the court for us. His defense still has a ways to go as it should, but he knows that and that's a big part of the battle right there. Our defense as a whole on this team has a ways to go, so I expect all of that to improve as we progress."
On the play of Brad Wanamaker:
"Brad played very well today and he's going to be a big factor for us this year. I probably should have played him more today, but I just felt that with the way Ronald Ramon and Levance Fields were defending, I didn't want to take them out and break up the rhythm we had going."
On Pitt's play during the weekend tournament as a whole:
"We played two likely NCAA teams, which is not something a lot of programs are doing at this point in the year. It was good that we got to play teams that all had very different styles, especially today against Coach Majerus' team that like us, wants to be very efficient on offense and forced us to be patient. It says a lot about our team that we were able to meet the unique challenges that this kind of set up offers.
Quoting Pitt's Levance Fields:
On playing a
"It was a great for us because we knew what was coming. We anticipated they were going to try and run the shot clock down on offense, which they did, and we also knew what they were going to try to do on the out of bounds plays. We were also really good at not biting on their ball fakes, which is something we saw in the scouting report."
On playing a team that likes to slow the game down:
"Obviously we're going for a little bit of a faster, quicker style this year, but we know if it comes to it we can play like we did today. It was a good test for us, but we don't mind. We're comfortable playing anyway we have to win."
On the play of Sam Young:
"The only difference with him this year is that he's healthier. He had some problems with his knees last year and by the time he got healthy we had other guys like Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall to fill the minutes in the post. He's always been a hard worker and he's always been hungry so I'm not surprised at the way he's playing."
On his ability to drive the lane:
"I'm trimmer this season and I feel like I have a better control over my body. I wanted to make a conscious effort to get in the lane and score close to the basket, because I felt I was hanging out too much around the three point line. I'm comfortable with my shot from out there, but it's not something that I want to hang my hat on."
On what turned the game in Pitt's favor:
"The game turned on our defense. They were giving us long possessions and long looks and we knew that if we were going to win the game, we were going to have to stay focused better for the full 35 seconds."
Quoting Pitt's DeJuan Blair:
On guarding
"It was good practice for me, because I'm going to be seeing a lot of guys like that this season. I just tried to keep my feet moving and keep a body on him the whole time. I was also lucky too because I was able to anticipate some of the passes into the post and deflect the ball."
On his ability to score against taller guys:
"In a situation like that like that I just try to use my quickness. You saw today when I was able to bring the ball in from the post and score. I'm quicker than most of the guys taller than me, so that's a move everyone's going to be seeing a lot of this year."
On what he learned this weekend:
"I learned a lot playing in these three games. Yesterday and dealing with the foul trouble was actually a good experience even, because it taught me to keep my head up when things don't go my way in the beginning. I liked the chance to face adversity and battle back from it to have a good game."
Quoting Saint Louis Head Coach Rick Majerus:
On the tournament:
"Pitt is a very good team. They're tough. They're deep. [DeJuan] Blair is like a young [Carl] Malone. If he gets in good condition, he's going to be one great player. He's got strong hands, really strong hands. I can see this kid being a big-time player. I'm telling you, I'd really like to be his agent, like I would've liked to have been (Tim)
On Pitt and its team:
Pitt is a very good team, and they're going to get better.
On the play of his team:
"We didn't play well tonight, but that was because of Pitt and their defense. They're going to have an excellent year. This is a nice team they have. (Levance) Fields is a really savvy player. He attacked us early with his change of speed. He's got a really nice tempo to his game."
On being able to stay with a ranked team through most of the game:
"I made a couple of big mistakes tonight. They were coaching errors. I ate a few of our timeouts too early in the half. I should've taken them at different times. That really hurt us. It hurt the team and it was my mistake. I don't look at this game as we `stayed with' Pitt. Close only counts at the drive-in. I found our best player [Paul Eckerle] at a charity tournament, and that's not a good thing. We've got a good recruiting class coming in, but right now I've got to play who I have. I've got to play Bryce [Husak] right now. Tonight, DeJuan Blair took him to school. That kid's just got such good hands. He's big and strong and just a tough, tough player. He really could be something special."
On his relationship with Jamie Dixon:
"I appreciate everything Jamie has said (about me in the past). He's done an excellent job here with this program. They've got talent, cohesiveness and depth and that all adds up to excellence. I really like the way (Levance) Fields handles the balls. It's like he's got in on a string out there and our players just don't know how to react to that yet. The basketball culture that has been built here at Pitt is testimonial to Jamie (
On Pitt as a tournament host:
"I do want to make one final comment; Pitt has been a really great host this weekend. It's not easy to host a tournament and have it run smoothly, but that's what these guys did here. From scheduling shoot-arounds and locker rooms, to the coordination of everything else, this place really is top-notch. Everyone, from the police officers to the attendants and everyone in-between was just so friendly. I'm telling you what, I wouldn't be surprised to see the NCAA Tournament come here to the
