Post-Game Quotesheet
12/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 15, 2007
Recap |
Box Score |
Notes |
AP Photo Gallery 
POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Pitt vs.
Quoting Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon
Opening Statement:
"This was a great win for us, especially coming off of finals week. Our focus was there throughout and I thought we executed the game plan just like we wanted to. We did a good job of not playing off their jump shooters and giving them space to get comfortable. I was also very pleased with how well we ran our offensive sets. It's the same things I've been talking about all season on that end; good extra passes and unselfishness."
On defending James Anderson:
"Give credit to Mike Cook and Gilbert Brown for guarding him, but it was really a team effort. They like to run him off of a lot of screens, so our other guys on the floor had to do their job too. We extended those screens well, and pinched off the passer a lot of times as well, which made it very difficult for
On the play of Sam Young:
"They did a good job shutting him down early. To get him involved, we started running some plays for him late in the first half and he really caught fire. Sam is best when he's finishing off of a pass, and our guys did a really good job getting him the ball in a good position to score."
On Pitt's play to open the first half:
"I thought we were strong offensively right from the start, but not where we needed to be on defense. We had to drive home to our guys that we couldn't let
On Pitt's offensive strategy:
"We recognized coming in that
On the play of Pitt's bench:
"Keith Benjamin was excellent today. The pace of the second half was very slow, otherwise you would have seen him out there more. Keith hit a big three-pointer for us, and another nice jumper later in the first half. His defense was outstanding too. Tyrell Biggs also played a very nice game. His stats don't necessarily show how good he was. He was out there executing our sets and making good passes when we had that big run at the end of the first half."
Quoting Pitt's Sam Young
On Pitt's game plan coming in:
"For the most part we wanted to attack them down low. We saw that they were big but not that physical, so we thought we could take advantage. They did a good job denying me the ball, but that gave DeJuan Blair opportunities. He was just too strong for them."
On defending James Anderson:
"We had a good scouting report on him and knew his offensive moves. Our goal was to stay tight on him and not let us back him off with his jab steps. We were able to do that and also to be physical with him, which I think took him out of his comfort area."
On not getting a lot of chances until later in the first half:
"It was a little bit frustrating, but I just tried to stay patient and let the plays come to me. I knew that their defense was keying on me, so things were open for other guys. I was sure that if I stayed in the game I would get my opportunities, which is what happened."
Quoting Pitt's Levance Fields
On Pitt's 20-5 run to end the first half:
"The key to the run was better defense. In the first half they were picking off some passes, and we weren't getting back in time. Coach kept stressing to us that we had to bring the intensity we were capable of, and when that happened, our whole game just came together."
On Pitt using an eight man rotation:
"An eight man rotation is something we're very comfortable with. We've been working with it for a couple games now, and it's been good enough to beat two very good teams. If the need arises we can go deeper, but right now we're very comfortable with what we have."
Quoting Pitt's DeJuan Blair
On defending Byron Eaton:
"Watching film, we saw that he likes to take the ball in down low and challenge big guys. I knew that I had to be ready for that. He came at me pretty hard a couple times, and I did a good job. I made the plays I had to. I wasn't going to let him come after me."
On whether or not this is Pitt's best performance this year:
"I would say that this game ranks second behind
Quoting
"Pitt is an outstanding team. It was the third time we played them in the last 4-5 years, and we always have a great appreciation for how tough their defense is. This is a difficult place to come in and win. We played well early, but they went on a 25-0 run at the end of the first half, and although we went uphill the rest of the game, that was the turn of the game."
On Pitt defending James Anderson:
"We depend on him to make shots, so it hurt us. They did a great job being physical with him and he never got in a rhythm."
On Pitt's 25-0 run:
"Young carried them through the stretch and they had a couple of key 3 point shots. Good teams cease that momentum that Pitt had at the end of the first half. We are still a young team and Pitt dominated the last 5 minutes of the first half."
Quoting
On the game:
"Pitt is a good team and they execute well. They have big players who make big shots and they never let it get very close. You can tell they believe in their team and their coach. They follow defensive principles very well and they were the better team today."
On how DeJuan Blair compares to Aaron Gray:
"Blair is more aggressive that Aaron was. Blair isn't as skilled as Gray, but he is just a freshman. Overall, athleticism and strength is the difference between them."
