Post-Game Quotesheet
12/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Manhattan at Pitt • Petersen Events Center • Pittsburgh, Pa. • December 17, 2014
Pitt 65, Manhattan 56
Quoting Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon
Opening Statement:
“Thank you. We kind of knew this was going to be like they have played every body tough. Manhattan, they’ve got an interesting team style, how they play and interesting schedule, too. I think they’re a good team, better than their record. I think we’ll see that going forward, but obviously they’ve played all road games, one home game and challenged themselves greatly. I anticipate them having a great year, Manhattan going forward in conference play and I’m sure we’re going to hear a lot about them. I thought we improved as the game went on. We got better, which is most important. We handled the unique defense that you don’t see a lot and not as well early. I thought we had the looks we wanted and the shots we wanted but made them harder than we needed to do. As the second half progressed we shot 65%. We changed and adjusted what we did. I think we also got the message across of taking the open shot rather than trying to get closer for a guarded shot or tougher shot. That is what we had to learn. We progressed. We got better. I wish we could’ve kept the lead that we had but a couple mistakes and made some poor decisions, but that is a part of what they do – try to wear on you. We did a good job. We got better. We could’ve rebounded better. I think that is something that stood out. We got some good performances. It was good to get Sheldon [Jeter] in there. I have to get him going and he will. He’s going to play well in our next game, I know that. He did some good things tonight. We have a lot of guys that we are going to play. That main core is obvious in who we’re playing. We had some foul trouble we played through. I think we also got good play out of Cameron [Wright] and that was something we’ve seen in practice the last couple days. Now you were able to see it here. It’s a huge step for us in a lot of ways – a good response from him. As far as Steve [Pederson] and Paul [Chryst] – two very good friends of mine who I respect greatly and it’s tough to see friends leave. Pitt will be fine. Pitt will continue to battle and improve and get better. We have great leadership here. I’m excited about the future. I can’t thank Paul [Chryst] for his friendship over the three years and Steve [Pederson] over the many, many years he’s been here and what he has done for the athletic department. Obviously over the years you can point to all the different things of what he’s done and we wish his family the best, both Paul [Chryst] and Steve [Pederson] and thank them for all they’ve done for the university going forward. I am excited about the future. I am excited about our leadership and I know we have a lot of good things going for us as we continue to make that transition to the ACC and the power five. We know there is a lot of work to be done.”
On Cam Wright’s return and the impact on the lineup:
The lineup is starting to settle a little bit. I think the big thing is we have to get Sheldon [Jeter] in the mix. I think when I said that I thought Cameron Johnson was going to be a part of the mix, and right now I don’t know where that stands. I thought Sheldon had practiced well the last two days, and this wasn’t the ideal game for him to break out, but he is going to play well for us going forward. I have a lot of confidence in him and what he is doing. I think he’s going to be a part of it, I think the five guys that we are rotating with the big guys are going to be Jamel and Mike consistently, and the other three guys are going to be finding their spots. That’s where we are at right now. I feel like our defense improved with the addition of Cameron. I thought we could have been better tonight, but in the previous two games I think we have shown that, and that’s a good step. Offensively we hadn’t shot the ball well with this lineup until the second half of today’s game, and I feel like we’ve been taking good shots. The first two games, yes, this game not as well early but obviously we got to 65% in the second half. All three teams we’ve played against have held teams to low field goal percentages, so I think we’ve got room to improve but we are taking good shots. We need to finish on our offensive rebounds, but I’m excited about where we are going to be. We’re battling through some challenges but we’re going to get right and continue to improve and get better in our execution.
On the progress of the defense:
“I wish we could have defended better at the end of the game. They got some steals and breakaways at the end of the game which hurts your field goal percentage defense, but I think our half-court defense was better. We struggled a little bit with defending Andujar off the dribble at the four spot, and that’s been a problem of ours throughout the year but we are aware of it and we are going to get better at it. We fouled too much, some careless fouls after turnovers which you can’t have to compound a mistake.”
On Jamel Artis’s effectiveness in the middle of zone defenses:
“He just has a good feel. There are some things you just can’t teach and he has a great feel of where both his guys are and the other guys are, and he has a feel and awareness of that. I think he went through some struggles with it in the first half with impatience, and showed more patience in the second half and then found the open guys and spots. It was a part of our struggle early on that we didn’t have him at that spot and knew it, and didn’t have any other options. We got him there, and everyone wants to play bigger, but you have to put guys where they are most effective and that’s where he’s most effective.”
On getting back to a regular schedule:
“It’s good for practice; it’s good for your team. It’s been a different schedule for us. We still have played the fewest home games in the league by far, but it’s how the schedule fell this year when we made the decision to go to Maui, and how things played out. As we told our guys, we’re 3-0 with Cameron [Wright] back and that’s how we look at things, and there are obviously a lot of games and days forward to get better, and we have an opportunity to get better tomorrow and do some things. This game was good for us because it was different, and we prepared a lot for it, but I still don’t know that we recognized how we had to attack it. We made an adjustment at halftime, and I don’t know if it was that adjustment or our players adjusting what they were doing. They were making the same plays, but in the second half they were doing it with more awareness and confidence, so I don’t know if it was the realignment or getting used to it.”
On late-game turnovers:
“We just made bad decisions. It wasn’t anything they had done. We had dealt with things in the past, and it was clear. But you can’t compound a mistake with another one and that’s what we did. It’s going to happen, but you practice and preach and talk about not doing that. I wish we could have finished closer to 20 but it didn’t happen that way, and we put guys in different spots, in situations guys hadn’t seen before, and that’s how we’re approaching things.”
On relationship with Steve Pederson:
“I think I made it pretty clear about that. I’ve worked for both Steve [Pederson] and Jeff Long, and have had great relationships with both of them. They’re great friends and will always be. I think everybody knows that we are close with Steve and Jeff and Marc Boehm, and all the administration. I’m very fortunate to be at the University of Pittsburgh, and it’s been the people who have made it special, and that’s not going to change. That’s the most important thing at any university, and I’ve never had any reason to question the character of the leadership or the integrity of the university, and that’s a good feeling to have after sixteen years.
Quoting Pitt forward Jamel Artis
On playing well:
“I was finding the open spots and taking the open shots. My team believed in me and wanted me to shoot the ball and make plays. It was easy when the defense collapsed on several plays. It left me wide open.”
On his comfort level against zone defense:
On the team’s progress:
“I am seeing progress. Practice helps a lot, and it relates to the game. We play hard every play, we don’t stop and when we get down, we pick each other up. We have had a lot of progress inside the locker room and on the court.”
Quoting Pitt guard Cameron Wright
On his level of comfort returning from injury:
“This was my first full week of practice this year. My teammates did a great job getting me re-acclimated and had a lot of confidence in me. They passed me the ball and I was able to knock down some shots.”
On how he felt today versus his last game on Saturday:
“Yeah, I was making shots tonight. I had my first full week of practice and everything felt good. I give a lot of credit to my teammates for passing me the ball and having faith in me.”
On Manhattan’s press:
“Manhattan is a good team. They keep fighting, they never gave up, and the pressed the entire game. When you play a team like that you have to be focused on all cylinders. You have to give them credit they played a really hard fought game tonight.”
On Manhattan’s defense:
“Their tenacity on defense, they never gave up. Their coach was yelling the entire game and telling them to stay in the game. They just kept fighting.”
On their execution against their pressure:
“Yeah, like Jamel [Artis] said, they play zone the entire game. With our four man and our five man stayed in the middle of the zone. Jamel [Artis] is a zone killer and was able to score some baskets tonight.”
On watching the games while injured:
“I saw the game from a whole different perspective. I felt like Coach Wright. It is a blessing to be back out there. I will do anything for these guys and I love them to death. I’m just excited to be back on the floor.”
Quoting Manhattan Head Coach Steve Masiello
Opening Statement:
“Obviously this is a very good Pittsburgh team. They came out a little turnover happy to start the game and I give them credit. They did a really good job of attacking our zone in the second half. I thought our kids did a really good job of competing and battling them on the backboards. I thought the first eight minutes of the game really hurt us from a confidence standpoint. A lot of our reads were there but we got a little trigger shy because of the turnovers. It was a typical Pittsburgh team, solid defensively and they don’t beat themselves. They are extremely well-coached.”
On turning the ball over:
“I don’t like to take anything away from the defense, but I was surprised by them. Pitt is more of a solid man-to-man team and I thought some of the turnovers were us being careless. We were a little shell-shocked, which is surprising with the schedule we have played. “
On getting adjusted to Pitt’s style of play:
“I thought we came out in the fast lane and we were playing too fast. I just told our guys to relax. I told them if we could just get the ball to the rim we can have a chance here. We missed some bunnies and obviously the free throw line hurt us.”
