University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Post-Game Quotesheet
11/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2007
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POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Pitt vs.
Quoting Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon:
Opening Statement:
"I felt this was a pretty strong performance the whole way through, especially on the defensive end. The goal when we entered into this tournament was to be better at the end of these four games than we were before them, and I think that happened. At this point in the season, I'm also incredibly pleased with the leadership our upper-classmen are showing. We really challenged the juniors and seniors this season to help make our freshman better players, and I think they've responded to that."
On the play of Gilbert Brown:
"You're seeing the effects of a lot of hard work out of him. He made an effort in the spring and summer to get stronger, to get his weight back and that shows on the court right now. For us to be as good as I think we can be, he needs to be a complete player, and that's a challenge he welcomes. He's had a lot of good practices recently and that correlates to good games."
On the play of Pitt's front court:
"Gary McGhee rebounded the ball great tonight, which is something we've been very impressed with him from the moment he arrived. It's an excellent skill that he has that is only going to get better. I also thought Cassin did some really good things tonight, both in catching the ball in the zone, and recognizing where to go with it once the defense collapsed. We're asking four of our guys to play the post this year and do some new things for all of them, and they've all responded well."
On Pitt's offense:
"While I thought our defense was the key tonight, I was also very impressed with how we passed the ball. If you look at the entirety of the game, I'm not sure there was a bad shot and that's something I credit as much to good passing as well as good decisions. We were unselfish tonight almost to a fault, but I'll take that. As a coach, I know that when you're unselfish, good things happen."
On having eight days off before Pitt's next game:
"The days off aren't a deterrent for us. They give us a chance to work on some things and study some film and be very prepared for our next game. This happened last year prior to the first game against
Quoting Pitt's Sam Young:
On playing the second half without DeJuan Blair:
"I guess that's a good test for us, because we want to make sure we can perform at all costs. It's not to take anything away from DeJuan who's a great player, but we're confident that the guys we have will be able to step up and be effective in any situation."
On playing a smaller conference team:
"It may be hard for some guys to get up for games like this but not for me. I want to come out with fire every time I play and if the other team isn't ready for us or can't compete with us, then I want to expose that right away. I want to bring my best every time I step on the court."
On having eight days off before Pitt's next game:
"This early in the season you want to keep playing, but I know I'll be grateful for the time off come March. It'll give us a good opportunity to get some things done in practice too, so that we make the necessary improvements to get where we want to be."
Quoting Pitt's Gilbert Brown:
On Pitt's defense:
"We played very well on defense. They really wanted to slow the ball down when they had it, and try to make us come out for steals and over-commit, which we didn't do. We really were able to stay patient, to stay in our defensive stance for a long time, and you can see the good results. It's a good lesson for us for when we get into conference play."
On playing a quick team:
"It's certainly a challenge playing a quick team, but the trick is to make sure you're in the right places, and to never give up on a play. You saw a couple of times tonight where it looked like they're guy had a step to the hoop, and we were able to recover and cause him to miss the shot."
On his improved play:
"I worked a lot on my shooting this summer, so I'm glad it's coming together. The key for me was repetition, making sure I had the same release point every time I put the ball up. But I'm pleased with the way I'm defending and rebounding right now too. I want to be the kind of player that helps his team in all aspects of the game."
Quoting
Opening Statements:
"I'm not surprised that they [Pitt] won the ball game. We will be okay in our league though. I'm impressed with the fact that they continued to play hungry even with a 30 point lead. I'm also impressed with Pitt's program from a toughness stand point and how it has developed over the past few years. Sometimes when you play a lesser opponent it's hard to get your guys to continue to play tough and Pitt achieved that. It is great for
On Playing Without 6'10'' Center, Larry Cox:
"Obviously he [Cox] was not going to make up for a 30 point difference, but he would have made us more respectable with rebounds because we had no chance against Pitt in rebounding tonight. He would have helped to intimidate a few shots and we could have got him the ball to score. He is the type of player who gives other players confidence when he is on the court, so he would have made a difference. We competed harder in the Ole Miss game, even though we made more mistakes, but with each practice and game, we are improving. A lot of our guys stepped up tonight. Dwayne Harmason, our point guard, competed well for a little guy and Orlando Smith, who was a walk-on, did not play intimidated. We need guys like that."
On Pitt's Defense:
"Pitt played hard and physical. They also switched a lot and we had some guys out there who did not understand how to react to the switching. Pitt is big, strong, and they played hard. They have always been good defensively."
