University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Post-Game Quotesheet
3/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2008
POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Pitt at
Quoting Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon
Opening comments:
"Congratulations to
On Pitt's foul trouble:
"The foul trouble was a big factor in the game. They had some foul trouble too. They responded better to it that we did and I think that was they key."
On the Panthers' play:
"We never got into the rhythm. We had guys out the entire game. We have probably never had that many guys out in one half in foul trouble. Calls were not one-sided or anything. They fouled and so did we. They just handled it better. Simply, we were outplayed. We didn't make free throws; we didn't make lay-ups; we didn't defend very well and we got outrebounded. Then we started the game by turning it over, which is out of character for us. We came up short. It is disappointing, but we have to get ready for DePaul on Sunday.
On the play of WVU's Joe Alexander:
"He (Joe Alexander) had five the last time we played him and tonight he had 32. So it was a completely different game. We had guys in foul trouble, all of our big guys were in foul trouble and it changes the game. It changes how you can do things. But he (Alexander) is a very good player; he averages 15 on the year. It's not like he hasn't made shots before."
On the improvement of his team:
"We are trying to get better. We are 21-9 and if we were 30-0, we would still being trying to get better. I don't think we are where we need to be, but I would never anticipate that. I would never be satisfied. We are not satisfied with how we are playing on both sides of the floor so we to do a better job on the defensive end as well as the offensive end and we are going to work very hard at it."
Quoting West Virginia Head Coach Bob Huggins
On what was different from the first meeting against Pitt
"We executed better tonight. I think our half-court execution was pretty good. Up there, Joe (Alexander) didn't score until 13 minutes into the game. He made a miraculous recovery after shooting his first shot that went off the side of the backboard."
On Joe Alexander's 32-point performance
"Joe is learning. He wants to be a good player. His understanding of how to play is getting better. He's learning to play the whole game, and he made some real good plays defensively."
On how WVU has progressed this season
"We were playing pretty well until we went to Villanova, and then we were awful. They outplayed us, but we've responded to that really well. We can always get better, but we've responded well."
On Jamie Smalligan's performance
"Jamie (Smalligan) did a heck of a job tonight. When Jamie was on (DeJuan) Blair, I thought he did a good job. He looked like a two-guard out there."
On senior Darris Nichols
"Darris (Nichols) is great. You put the ball in his hands and you know he's not going to lose it. Lately in practice he has been a little more vocal. As a whole, I think he's been a lot more assertive, and he's a great guy to have on your team. You can never fault his effort."
On whether he and the staff are realistic with the team on their chances of making the NCAA tournament
"I've never tricked anybody in my life. We tell our team where they are and what has to happen. They've understood for a long time where they are and what has to happen."
On whether his team deserves to be in the NCAA tournament
"You look around at the teams that are in the NCAA tournament, and they haven't done what we have done. We've had good games but we haven't finished enough. I don't think there's a doubt in anybody's mind that we are an NCAA tournament team."
