University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Post-Game Quotesheet
2/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2008
POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Pitt vs.
Quoting Pitt's Head Coach Jamie Dixon:
Opening Statement:
"The first thing that stands out to me is the passing. Twenty-two assists on 34 baskets obviously means we were getting some good looks. We had four freshman play prominent roles tonight which is also very encouraging. Everybody shared it well and also knocked down the open shots when they had the opportunity. Our defense was excellent too in the second half, and that's really when the game started to turn around for us."
On Pitt's offense:
"I was really pleased with the way we moved the ball tonight. I thought we really made an effort to do that for forty minutes. It's something that was good in practice all week, so it was nice to see that carry over into the game."
On Ronald Ramon's play at point guard:
"He's played point a lot in his career here, so I never thought there was going to be much of an adjustment. He actually started at the position his sophomore year, so that was never my concern. What did concern me was the number of minutes he was playing, so I give a lot of credit to Bradley Wannamaker. His play has really allowed Ronald to get an important rest from time to time. But as a player, Ronald gives you everything he has every night. You can't ask more of a player than that."
On the improvement of Pitt's freshmen:
"We said all along that we couldn't be the same team that we were in December. If we didn't improve from now until then, we wouldn't get where we wanted to go. Our freshmen are a big part of that. I thought you saw that in our patience tonight. We were really patient on both ends of the floor, and that's something that takes a while for young guys to learn."
On Pitt's defense:
"Our offense was good early, and really helped us keep up with
Quoting Pitt's Ronald Ramon:
On Pitt's offense:
"We came out really passing the ball well tonight. Our offensive success always starts with that. I thought our motion was good too, really making crisp cuts and getting open to receive the pass. Together, that's a lethal combination."
On the confidence in his shot:
"I always have confidence in my shot. What I noticed tonight was that other guys had confidence in me too. Guys were getting into the paint tonight, and when they got stopped, they didn't hesitate to kick it out to me. It's easy for me to find a rhythm that way, and I was able to score some points."
On Pitt's second half defense:
"We were sagging off of them a little bit early on. Once it became apparent that they could knock down those long distance shots, we had to go out on them a little more. We wanted to make them drive buy us, or take a tough outside shot. I think that really helped us turn the game around."
On the play of Brad Wanamaker:
"Bradley's really turned the corner, especially offensively. You still see it though, his confidence on offense flows from how he plays on defense. If he's getting some turnovers or forcing his guy to miss, then he's really ready to attack on offense. Right now, both are going well for him."
Quoting Pitt's Sam Young
On his play:
"I was definitely looking to take more shots tonight. Not just more shots either, but more high percentage shots. After being in foul trouble last game, it was nice to come out tonight and get a couple of easy buckets early. That really helped me get into the flow and get going."
On Pitt's success against
"I don't think that's the kind of thing that carries over year to year. If you start thinking you have a team's number, then you're going to get beat. This league is so talented, and there are so many good new players coming in every year. You can never really think you're automatically going to beat someone."
On the return of Levance Fields:
"Levance is a great competitor. We know that he's not going to come back to the floor until he's ready to give 110%. That's great for us to know as his teammates, because we won't have to adapt our game when he comes back. The second he steps back on the court, he'll be ready to play with everything he has."
Quoting Providence Head Coach Tim Welsh
Opening Statements:
"After the first half, Pitt came out and increased their defensive intensity. They are a team that has some of the best numbers in the league every year. I think we fought hard all game, but in the second half Pitt had the answers. We really stuck around for the first half because we scored, but in the second half we took some bad shots and missed some easy shots. Pitt is an underrated running team that knows how to share the ball. They also know each other really well. I think also Blair is a good option in the paint. Overall, their defense dictated the game in the second half. We were stunned for that six or seven minute period in the second half which we weren't able to overcome."
On Pitt's 46 points in the paint:
"We tried to move guys in and out and mix and match a lot. We also tried the zone but Pitt did a good job because they're a very balanced team. Their power inside was very evident tonight."
On Pitt's defense:
"They just had answers for us all night. You just have to hope to catch them on a bad night. That doesn't happen often in this place, it's a great team and a hard place to play. Their guys are really strong up front and they have quick aggressive guards who can shoot well. This is why they are the way they are."
On thoughts at halftime:
"At the end of the half we took a lot of quick shots and started to get away from our methodical game plan. You have to give their defense credit for that. They had really good rhythm all night and were feeling good coming off their last win. We just couldn't answer in the second half."
On Jeff Xavier's performance:
"Those were very tough shots that he hit, so I don't think it had anything to do with lax defense on Pitt's part. He is someone you have to play him to the NBA line. Pitt did a good job adjusting by putting a lot more pressure on the ball in the second half."
