University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Post-Game Quotesheet
2/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2007
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POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Pitt vs.
Quoting Pitt's Head Coach Jamie Dixon:
Opening Statement:
"This is a great win against a great program, certainly one of the best in the country over the last three years. Often when you get to top-20 caliber teams together it doesn't live up to the expectations, but I thought this game did and we were fortunate to win. I was very impressed with our decision making at the end of the game as well as our poise at the free-throw line. As much as anything those helped us seal the victory."
On how
"Their power forward really sagged of his man and tried to offer extra help on Aaron. That's part of the reason that Sam Young and Levon Kendall each got nine shots; we were calling plays for them, looking to exploit that match-up. I think we got good looks throughout we just have to make sure we convert a couple more of those shots."
On Aaron Gray's defense:
"His play on that end of the floor was really a key for us. We were worried about him getting into foul trouble, but he did an excellent job avoiding that and still staying on his man. They have two very god threats down low and I'm very pleased we held them to only 25 points combined. We just tried to deny them good position and easy shots."
On the play of Levon Kendall and Sam Young:
"Our main concern from that position today was defense and rebounding, which I think both players did very well. With Levon, you get a little crisper passing, and so his teammates are getting better looks, but with Sam you get more shots and better scoring. You just have to read what the situation dictates and plug that guy in."
On
"They're one of the best in the country at it, so that was a focus coming in. Obviously, when you have two big guys like that it's a good place to start, but I thought their guards coming into the lane were a key. We didn't box them out like we're capable of, and they got a lot of loose balls on tip outs and deflections. I think that's where the real difference in the total came from."
On the play of Mike Cook:
"Mike played an outstanding game on offense today. We've been stressing to him and to all our guys that sometimes it's better to take an open shot from further away rather than penetrate, and he really did that in this game. He also rebounded very effectively on offense, now we just need to get him doing it more on the defensive end."
On facing Seton Hall this Monday:
"We have a lot of work to do. They like to press and play small, which isn't something we've seen a ton of this year. We're a low-turnover team on the whole but we just have to make sure that we're prepared."
Quoting Pitt's Levance Fields:
On Pitt having only six turnovers for the game:
"It was definitely a response to how we played against
On forcing
"Coming in we wanted to pressure them, particularly their big men when they had the ball. Our goal was to turn up the intensity on defense and the plan worked."
On facing a Pac-10 team in February:
"It's a rare thing, especially for Pitt, but we liked the opportunity. The Pac-10 is having such a good year and to be able to prove we could play with them after Monday really sends a message. I think it's good practice for March, too."
On getting more free-throw attempts:
"I shoot a pretty good percentage from the line, so I've made it a point to try to be a little more aggressive and draw fouls. I took it to the basket hard, drew some contact and when I got the opportunity the shots were falling."
On looking past Seton Hall:
"In this conference you can never look ahead. Seton Hall is a team that like to press and attack, so we know we can't be passive like we were against
Quoting Pitt's Mike Cook:
On scoring when Aaron Gray is double-teamed:
"When you're star isn't getting his touches, you know you have to step-up. Aaron does such a good job of picking us up when we're struggling, that it's not a big deal to carry the load sometimes. We have a lot of guys that can do that, today it just happened to be me."
On
"It's no secret they're a very solid, very physical team. They have all five guys crashing the boards, attacking the ball, looking to at least get a hand on it, so it's not a surprise that they rebound so well. I give them a lot of credit there."
On his playing with Levance Fields:
"Levance and I have had great chemistry together all year. We know each other's games very well, and I have a lot of trust in him to make the right play when we're both attacking the basket."
Quoting
Opening statement:
"We [Washington] lost to a very well-coached team today. They [Pitt] only turned the ball over six times and we just didn't get any open looks. Pitt dictates the pace of the games that they play. They're a very solid team. Last game, they had 16 turnovers in the first half alone and today, that was not the case at all. Pitt really took care of the ball out there. I am proud of our guys, though. We've not played well on the road this season, but I think we've turned a corner and I'm proud of where we're headed."
On matching up with a Big East team:
"Playing a Big East conference team means you're going to play one that has size and is physical. We liked that, though. We liked the match up we had to today. This team [Pitt] is more like a `van' team than a `Corvette' team. They're just big and very physical. This is something [physical play] that we would like to copy. We'd like to be able to play at this physical of a level."
On Pitt's ability to bounce back after losing to
"They [Pitt] took the time to take care of the ball today.
On Spencer Hawes' play:
"I really felt he [Spencer Hawes] did a good job today. He finished with 12 rebounds and 12 points. [Aaron] Gray's just so solid. It's so hard to move him. You just can't. He's certainly the focal point of their offense and makes an impact no matter what you do. I thought Spencer [Hawes] did a great job as a freshman going up against a very experienced senior today. He really held his own."
On
"We knew going in to today's game that their [Pitt's] guards are very physical and very athletic. Some of our play reflected that and I think that our performance reflected that as well. Unfortunately, we didn't take care of the ball like we need to. We had some turnovers that made us swing in a negative way. They scored 19 [points] at the line and 21 [points] off turnovers. That's what, over 50 percent of their points? We just gave up too many big turnovers. This was such a physical game. It was almost like arm wrestling at times and sometimes you get the calls and sometimes you don't."
On comparing Pitt to other Top 10 teams
"Pitt is right up there. They're right there. This team isn't at the top of the Big East for no reason. They're very deserving of where they sit. UCLA is a great team in our conference [Pac 10] and is playing great.
