Post-Game Quotesheet
1/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2014
Recap |
Box Score |
Notes |
Photo Gallery 
POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Wake Forest at Pitt, Petersen Events Center, January 11, 2013
Pitt 80, Wake Forest 65
Quoting Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon:
Opening Statement:
“I am really excited about how we played; I thought our half-court defense in the first half was terrific. They (Wake) is a team that can score the basketball. They hurt us a little bit in transition and got to the line from that transition but in the half-court we were very sound defensively. We switched ball screens really well; Talib (Zanna) and the big guys especially did a good job of that. That really set the tone for us in the game. The smaller guys moved the ball really well; I think we only had 3 turnovers in the first half. Did a good job a rebounding, though I wish we had finished with a higher number considering that we had a margin of nine at the end of the first half. Overall, our guys gave a really good effort against a very solid team, as we saw in their win against North Carolina. Wake has played very well offensively; they attack the rim very well and are very well coached. They hold their opponents to around forty percent from field (defensively) which is indicative of a really well-rounded ball club.”
On finding players willing to make the extra pass:
“Well, I think that we recruit players that have that mentality, or that tool. It may not show up in the rankings but we look for guys like that because they are important to what we’re trying to do. The special thing about this group is, our big guys are willing to make the extra pass and that is something that we are always looking to have. Especially for guys like Young (Michael) and Jamel (Artis) to come in be willing to do that is great for our team. Unselfishness breeds unselfishness and vice versa, so the more guys you have on the team willing to do it, the more effective the team is going to be.”
On being able to put the game away in the first half:
“I thought our defense was really good, especially in the half-court. They were able to do some things effectively in the second half and we were able to adjust to them. Offensively, we were able to run good sets until the last few minutes. That’s when we decided to put some other guys in and ran out the clock.”
On Lamar Patterson’s versatility:
“It is good for Lamar. First off, he is good and smart enough to do it. So it is actually him out there playing the positions. The best thing about it is that the sets that we run for him can be from many different positions on the floor. This gives him the ability to exploit whatever mismatch might be in his favor. We ran a couple things for him today at the four-spot that we hadn’t yet this year. You always worry about his rebounding and defensively when we go small, but we have done a good job of helping him out.”
On the hot start to ACC play:
“The main thing is we have continued to improve and we expect to do things well. The team has improved dramatically and takes pride in their improvement. The defense has come along as of recently and I think that comes as a result of the defensive boot-camp we held during the Christmas break from playing games. It says a lot when you hold good teams like North Carolina State and Maryland to less than 40 percent shooting for the game. That shows the biggest improvement in the team.”
Quoting Pitt forward Lamar Patterson
On Pitt’s overall play:
“We want to be the first ones to throw the punch. That’s how we always want to be. We executed well, we were playing defense and the only problems were transitions and free throws in the first half. Otherwise we did well playing half-court defense.”
On if Pitt is playing its best basketball:
“We are just playing Pitt basketball right now. We want to grind teams out and see if they can last throughout the whole 40 minutes with us. So far we are doing well but we have a lot of games left.”
On the improvement of his own game:
“It’s just hard work and experience. I have been here for a while so I know the ins and outs of the game and also what Coach [Jamie] Dixon wants from us.”
Quoting Pitt James Robinson
On being unselfish and making the extra pass:
“It is definitely a mindset. You have a team made up of unselfish players. We are all capable passers. It’s just something we try to do. We make sure to share the ball to get the open shot.”
On the team leaders sharing the ball:
“A lot of the leadership comes from Lamar and Talib [Zanna]. They are our senior leaders. While both are scoring a lot, they are two of the most unselfish players. Both of them are passers and that creates more open shots. The other teams know that they are capable passers.”
On defending Wake Forest:
“We had a great scouting report coming into the game. We knew what they were going to do offensively for the most part. [Devin] Thomas got it going for a small stretch but we were able to attack them offensively. Then we were able to get one of their guys to foul out. We just had a really good scouting report.”
Quoting Wake Forest Head Coach Jeff Bezdelik
Opening statement:
“Today, Pitt was tougher on the boards than we were. They had as many offensive rebounds as we had defensive rebounds. We had a chance in the first half. I think it was seven points. They missed a free throw. They picked up a rebound very low to the ground. In the second half, they beat us to a loose ball that went about three-quarter court. I thought those two plays just really typified the game in terms of how they got the loose balls and how we didn’t match their toughness on the glass.”
On Pitt’s successful ACC start:
“First of all, they’re very sound offensively. They don’t turn the ball over. They’re lead by a young man, [Lamar] Patterson. I’m not saying he’s the elite player in the league, but he certainly is one of the elite players in the league. I think he’s very under the radar in terms of how good he is. We knew that. I think as time goes on he’ll continue to show that. They have a great leader who can score in a variety of ways. He’s tough and gritty and experienced. They don’t beat themselves. They’re a tough-minded team.”
On the season:
“I read something that Coach Dixon said: ‘It’s a long season. Let’s just see what happens in March.’ We’ll get better, too. There were some things that we did well today. We didn’t turn the ball over like we did the other day. It’s a long season. It’s about getting better every day.”
On Pitt’s offense:
“Their best offense seemed to be when they threw it up on the glass. We gave them nineteen points off the offensive glass. Obviously, they’re going to get some points, but say nine less, for example. Then, all of a sudden, it’s a single-digit basketball game.”
Quoting Wake Forest guard Coron Williams
On coming back to Pittsburgh after transferring from Robert Morris:
“I knew it was going to be kind of weird and different coming back and not playing in a Robert Morris jersey but a Wake Forest jersey. It was a little different but it was good.”
On if he was familiar with some of Pitt’s players:
“Yes I was because I played summer league at Greentree with a lot of those guys. I play on Durand Johnson’s team, played against Cameron (Wright), Lamar (Patterson) and (Talib) Zanna so I knew those guys pretty well, a lot of familiarity.”
